There's No Reason You Can't Be Civil: A Guide for Veterans, Contractors, and Civilians for Finding a Career with the Federal Government

By Tony K. Mullins

Applying for a federal job is a nightmare, and seems absolutely hopeless to many applicants. Most individuals that apply for federal jobs never receive a single reply from the agency to which they apply. The purpose of this book is to change that. In very clear and simple language, the author seeks to explain misconceptions of the federal hiring process, outline the process, and give you the nuts-and-bolts of creating a resume that will get you into an interview with a federal hiring manager. Many books have been published on the subject of federal resume writing, but not like this. Simple, direct, and to-the-point, this book has packed a large amount of knowledge into a much smaller package. Including extensive graphics showing exact techniques of resume building and a helpful websites list, this is written by an individual that has navigated the gauntlet of federal resume submission and has succeeded. The author currently works for a federal agency, and is still courting interviews from other federal agencies, and is now helping other federal employees, veterans, contractors, and civilians do the same. The techniques and methods he uses are in this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tony K. Mullins
• Release date: Jun 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310346606

Tony K. Mullins

Tony was Honorably Discharged from the United States Air Force after 8 years and 51 weeks of service. He currently works as an Information Technology Specialist for the Federal Government in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. He holds degrees in Information Science and Systems and Business with an MBA in Leadership and Management. His time away from work is divided between spending time with his wife, Brandi, and daughter, Tasi (tah-see), operating his fledgling resume business, Goldkey Resume Service, doing art to support his other fledgling business, Sozo Design & Illustration, LLC., and helping out at his church, where he teaches classes for young adults and youth on a volunteer basis. He also enjoys sleeping occasionally.

Book preview

Life is full of surprises, and mine even more so, especially when I consider the people that I have been blessed to have in the past few years as friends, mentors, teachers, professors, and family. My wife, Brandi, is a constant supporter and partner throughout any fancy of my ambition and seemingly crazy ideas. She has never told me that I can’t accomplish something. My daughter, Tasi, is a constant source of joy, entertainment, laughs, and welcome testing of my skills and talents as a Dad. Both of these ladies teach me something about myself every day. I will always be thankful to God for these two most wonderful gifts.

I have enjoyed the company of many intelligent and generous leaders and mentors, from college professors to pastors to just good friends that do not hesitate to tell me the truth about my ideas, actions, and behaviors. I will never regret those truths, nor resent any of you for giving them. I consider you all to be gifts in my life.

Dedication

In light of the above, this book is dedicated first to God, for His tireless and merciful grace in my life. And second, to my wife and daughter for their encouragement and, well, for just being so willing and eager to put up with me on a daily basis, in spite of my flaws. Thank you both for the love you share with me. I am a happy man. Finally, this is dedicated to you, the reader. I hope that the information I’ve written in this book is helpful to you and a blessing to you. I hope it helps you to find the career you’ve always wanted, and that you experience prosperity and stability in your new career.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement and Dedication

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Common Misconceptions

Getting the Advantage

Introduction to the Job Search

The Government Hiring Process

Chapter 2: Using USAJobs.gov

The Sections of USAJobs.gov

Building a USAJobs.gov Profile

Chapter 3: Creating a Federal Government Résumé

Definition of Key Terms

Examining the Job Description and Using it to Write the Résumé

Chapter 4: Government Interview Process

Chapter 5: In Conclusion

Chapter 6: Example Résumés

Information Technology Specialist Job Description

Information Technology Specialist Example Résumé

Accounting Technician Job Description

Accounting Technician Example Résumé

Cook Job Description

Cook Example Résumé

List of Useful Websites

Bibliography

About the Author

Connect With Tony

Introduction

Let’s be honest, getting a government job is about as difficult as demolishing a skyscraper with a tack hammer and takes about as much time. The bureaucratic red-tape and processes are a nightmare to navigate, and, while espousing how user-friendly their websites are, government agencies create job websites that are convoluted, confusing, and oftentimes riddled with errors that delay or completely stall a job hunter’s progress. Not only is it frustrating, it is also discouraging and can take the wind right out of job-hunter’s sails, prompting them to give up the federal or state job search in favor of the much simpler process of finding a private sector job. That is unfortunate, and not only for the job-seeker, but also for the agency that may be missing out on an employee that may add a great deal to the organization, all because the process of applying for the job is so difficult.

Well, at least that is the common view. Truth be told, once the process of selecting potential employees that is used by the federal government is understood, building an outstanding résumé and applying to a job with federal government agencies is not very hard at all. It is just a matter of knowing the current process and then using that process to your advantage. Unfortunately, the government is notorious for creating processes that are not only difficult to follow, but also failing miserably at the act of publishing decipherable instructions on how to follow said processes. Prospective employees are, in almost every case, left to discover and accomplish the steps and actions needed at each level of the job hunting process in order to secure even a chance at gaining government employment. This is a well-known fact, and even President Obama has tasked the government Office of Personnel Management (www.opm.gov) with shortening the time that it usually takes a prospective employee to navigate the perilous waters of the government job hunt from an average of 10-12 months to less than 80 days. The Office of Personnel Management states that

the time it takes to be contacted to schedule an interview or to be notified of non-selection for a position may vary. Agencies have a 45-day timeline goal for hiring, and OPM has developed a 45-day hiring model to increase efficiency in the hiring process. The model focuses on a series of recommended steps from the date the vacancy announcement closes until the time an offer is made to a candidate. OPM holds agencies accountable for the degree to which they achieve the 45-day goal, but the goal is not legally binding upon the agency and confers no particular rights on applicants. It is recommended you maintain the vacancy point-of-contact information so you can obtain the status of your application and the position for which you applied" (www.opm.gov).

So, you may say I can expect to hear from them within 45 days, right? Wrong. Don’t miss the part that states that OPM holds agencies accountable for the degree to which they achieve the 45-day goal, but the goal is not legally binding upon the agency and confers no particular rights on applicants. That is the part that means we can call you within 45 days, and that’s what we like to do. But if we don’t, it’s no sweat because you can’t really do anything about it anyway. Typical federal government policy.

Personally, I applied to well over 100 government jobs before landing a position. Some agencies to which I applied were very courteous, such as the National Security Agency, and were very good about updating me on the status of my application. The NSA updated me at 30 days, at 45 days, at 60 days, at 90 days, and at 120 days. A job hunter can’t really complain about that. Other agencies, however, do not even bother to acknowledge that they have received your résumé and application, such as the Central Intelligence Agency. After applying to twelve separate positions at the agency, all of which I was more than qualified for according to the requirements descriptions, I received a total of zero updates, emails, or return calls. It may be true that they weren’t hiring, but even an email informing me that they weren’t hiring would be better than overt silence.

It was during this time that I kept track of everything I tried and began to refine the process and my understanding of it to produce a package of actions that a job-seeker can perform to greatly improve their chances of securing employment with the federal government. After getting the steps together and beginning to use them myself, I received an initial call from a prospective federal government employer three weeks after submitting my initial application. I was scheduled for a phone interview the following week. After the phone interview, I was scheduled for a face-to-face interview that would take place the following Tuesday. The Thursday following the face-to-face interview, I was called and offered the position to which I had applied. I started work two weeks after that on a Monday. By using the correct processes and techniques, I had cut a process that can take more than a year for some down to about two months. I call that progress.

A good friend of mine endured a similar situation, applying to over 100 positions without so much as an answer. He finally took a position with a contracting company in order to maintain his financial responsibilities and gain some experience and information technology certifications. However, after I shared the techniques I used in order to get the job I held, things started to change. Within about a month of applying using the résumé building techniques and application information I had given him, he received a call from the Federal Bureau of Investigation during which he was informed that the FBI was interested in him for a position in the Intelligence Community (IC), which happened to be the exact position to which he had applied. He began the vetting process, and around 10 months after that he was offered a position with the FBI. The extended time it took to complete the process was not because his application techniques were bad, but because the application process for the FBI is very extensive and in-depth. Applying to some other agencies also yields similar results, especially agencies in the IC. Some agencies, such as the U.S. Secret Service, can take as much as two years to extend a final offer of employment to a potential employee. The point is, though, that by using the search and application techniques I had given him, he went from receiving no replies to his résumé and applications to receiving replies from the agencies that he wanted to work for and, ultimately, an offer of employment, which he accepted, by the way.

In the coming chapters, I will cover all the essential areas of knowledge and practice that are required to get you gainfully employed in a federal government position. The subjects covered will include:

Using USAJobs.gov and other federal job websites;

Applying for positions with agencies that do not advertise on USAJobs.gov;

Keeping track of prospective jobs and jobs applied for;

The federal government employee selection process;

The federal government application process;

How to build a résumé to secure a government job;

The interview process and how to shine;

Accepting the best position;

Special situations to consider when seeking a government position;

I will show you the ins-and-outs of applying for a federal government