Another CareerPro Global Client Lands SES Position!

We wanted to share this email we received from a client, who was accepted into the SES with her CareerPro Global application. Give us a call today and let us help you with your Senior Executive Service Application. You have nothing to lose and a whole world to gain.

 

“Another CPG Client Lands SES Position with SBA:

“I wanted you to know that I was selected for an SES position at SBA!  Thanks so much for your help with my ECQs.  I think that really helped in that they could get me onboard much faster since I was already certified. I will be the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management & Administration.  I’m very excited!

“Thanks again,

“Donna”

 

 

Excellence in Government Fellows Program Fall 2012

Excellence in Government Fellows Program, Fall 2012

APPLICATIONS
The deadline for applications for the Fall 2012 program is September 28, 2012

All applicants are required to complete an online application that includes:

•Background information
•Current resume
•Supervisor recommendation
•One essay

WHO SHOULD APPLY?
The Excellence in Government Fellows program is for GS-14 to GS-15 (or equivalent) leaders seeking to solve national challenges by driving innovation, inspiring employees and delivering results. Candidates must:

•Have a record of strong accomplishment and demonstrate high-potential in OPM’s Executive Core Qualifications

•Have the ability and interest to commit and contribute fully to the program

•Be GS-14s to GS-15s or the equivalent in the military, state or other pay systems (exceptional GS-13s are also encouraged to apply)

•Be capable of travelling to Washington and other locations for sessions

•Have the support of their agency or department

TIME COMMITMENT AND DATES
During the year-long program, Fellows remain in their full-time jobs, meet every six weeks and spend a total of approximately 20 days in session. Fellows also devote up to five hours per week to their projects.

Fellows are expected to attend all seven class sessions. While exceptions are made for family and work-related emergencies, applicants should review the class schedule and confirm their availability before applying for the program.

•Values, Vision, and Mission, October 22–25, 2012, Williamsburg, VA

•Results, December 4–6 or 11–13, 2012, Washington, D.C.

•Leading People, February 5– 7 or 12–14, 2013, Washington, D.C.

•Leading Change, March 18–21, 2013, Location TBD

•Building Partnerships and Coalitions, April 30–May 2, 2013 or May 7–9, 2013, Washington, D.C.

•Business Acumen, June 18–20 or 25–27, 2013, Washington, D.C.

•Synthesis and Celebration, August 13 –15, 2013, Washington, D.C.

TUITION
Tuition for the Excellence in Government Fellows program is $9,900* and includes:

•All coaching and facilitation;

•Course materials (e.g., books, articles and management tools);

•Assessments, one-on-one coaching and individualized development planning;

•Online collaboration tools;

•Access to the Partnership’s resources, expertise and networks; and

•Invitations to ongoing activities (e.g., events of excellence, continuing education programs).

*Sponsoring organizations are responsible for travel expenses associated with events held outside the greater Washington area. The estimated cost for these trips is $2,200 per fellow.

APPLY NOW!

If you are interested in the program and would like more information, please contact:

Chris Wingo
Senior Program Manager
Partnership for Public Service
(202) 464-2690
cwingo@ourpublicservice.org

SES RESUMES: Five Tips for Measuring and Recording Your Achievements

SES RESUMES: Five Achievement Tips

If you’re reading this column, then you’ve probably already realized that SES resumes are not known for their colorful format or visual appeal. Although this may be a general statement, it is clear from past successes that the federal government appreciates “no-fluff” resumes with very little formatting and a sharp focus on accomplishments.

Further, while it is nice in the corporate sector to use a resume that perhaps integrates a little bit of color or some graphs, those things should never be more important than your career accomplishments. After all, what better way to market yourself than by focusing on the results you’ve been able to achieve? By doing so, you clearly demonstrate to potential employers that you’ve done this in the past, and have the skills to do it even better in the future.

Many people struggle with measuring and recording their achievements. Maybe they’re too humble, and more focused on the team than on themselves. Maybe they’re just too busy, and don’t want to take the time to develop an accomplishment-based resume. Whatever the case, many SES applicants simply use basic job descriptions on their resumes. Anyone can look up a basic position description and paste it into a resume, but this is not an effective approach—you can do better.

Resumes are often weakened by a lack of key achievements. Duties are your functions, and they can probably apply to anyone holding the same job title. It is certainly appropriate to include your duties in the resume, but you need to focus equally on your personal achievements for each position. The best way to do that is by using the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) format. You may have already used this format for writing ECQ or TQ narratives, but it is also very effective when writing bullets or sentences for your SES resume.

When writing accomplishments in the CCAR format, follow these five tips to help ensure your accomplishments are clear, concise, and compelling:

1. Balance humility and boldness. We’ve all seen those over-the-top resumes in which the applicant claims to be the “Best in the Universe.” Don’t be that person, but don’t be overly humble, either. An SES resume calls for bold (and true) claims about your visionary, results-driven, and relevant accomplishments, but you don’t want to go too far. Like most things in life, it’s all about balance.

2. Quantify whenever possible. Sometimes an initiative is ongoing, or you may have improved the overall morale of a dysfunctional team through open communications and team building. But whenever possible, use dollar amounts, figures, and percentages to demonstrate the scope of your responsibilities. For example, you might write, “Planned, managed, and justified a $4M annual budget while supervising a multifunctional staff of 24 personnel.” Or, “Found inefficiencies in acquisition process, revamped process, and saved the organization $600K annually.”

3. Use the last rating cycle. To ensure you cite current and relevant accomplishments, you may want to list every achievement from your last couple of rating cycles. Once you do that, you can pick and choose which ones to include in your resume. Hint: Read the vacancy announcement closely and use the ones that are most relevant to the job you want.

4. Draw parallels. Don’t make the reviewer feel like a puzzle master. Instead, make it easy for him/her to see the value you bring by creating parallels between the major duties in the vacancy announcement, and the things you’ve been doing in the last few years.

5. Focus on challenges you’ve overcome. Too often, people overlook the challenges they’ve overcome in the workplace, but this is great content for your SES resume. In these unpredictable economic times, many of us have to perform our missions at work with limited resources, with budgetary or personnel constraints, and amid ongoing change(s). When you can still thrive and create results amid the chaos, you set yourself apart as a strong leader who can overcome and adapt.

Remember that an SES resume will contain a lot of personal information, such as job announcement number, email address, and education. Just as you try to align your team’s efforts with strategic objectives at work, in order to create a stellar SES resume, you should include specific and relevant accomplishments that are aligned with the duties and qualifications in the job announcement.

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on T.V. and the radio, and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. CPG recently sent a team to instruct senior officials at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia in best practices for developing their SES application materials. She is the co-author of the new book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Candidate Development Program (CDP)

DHS Candidate Development Program (CDP)

Have you ever thought about landing a Senior Executive Service (SES) position someday? If so, you are not alone. Many people apply for SES positions, and many more hope they’ll be ready “someday.” But while a positive expectation is a great attitude to have, hope alone won’t get you the job. And just climbing the ranks up to GS-15 won’t necessarily get you the job, either.

Being an accomplished GS-15 will certainly help when you apply, but these SES positions are highly competitive. To stand out, you must submit an application package that is comprehensive and compelling, and that shows your proficiency in the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)—and possibly even some technical areas.

So, while working your way up the federal ranks, you should take bold initiative when you can. In other words, seek challenging opportunities that can stretch your vision and broaden your perspectives. If you are a GS-13/14, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to study the ECQs and the competencies for each. In other words, understand what is expected for the SES, and then be proactive about designing your career.

This sounds great, you may be thinking, but how do you do that? Well, one fantastic idea is to get a head start by participating in a CDP. And it appears that with its new CDP, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is doing some succession planning by training future SESers.

If you follow this link, you’ll see that DHS is seeking GS-13s and 14s with supervisory experience to apply for its new CDP. This intensive leadership development program lasts approximately 12-18 months, and DHS welcomes applicants with various types of expertise. The following excerpt from the vacancy announcement will help to illustrate what a great opportunity this is:

“The SES CDP is designed to develop the talents and skills of individuals with executive potential in order to create a cadre of candidates who can assume senior management positions at the SES level as vacancies occur. Successful graduates of the SES CDP are eligible for non-competitive placement into target positions (Core Occupations, Support Occupations, and Law Enforcement), at any DHS component, at the SES level after approval by a DHS Executive Resources Board and certification by an Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Review Board.”

The announcement closed on June 1, 2012, but it may be useful to prepare now for the next announcement. What a great opportunity to propel your career to the next level!

You have what it takes. The time is now.

Step up to the challenge and get your application in. If you don’t, someone else will!

Finally, you can find job-winning, OPM-approved samples of SES application packages and a complete set of ECQ builders in our book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service. Get your copy today by clicking on this link or searching the title on Amazon.

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on TV and radio and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. She is the co-author of the new book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.

Appointments for a New Administration

At the beginning of a new Presidential Administration, the incoming President makes personnel changes, including selecting new Cabinet secretaries and agency heads.  These new appointees may appoint a number of officials on the basis of their support for the President’s goals and policies.  These are the officials who are responsible for formulating, advocating, and directing Administration policies and programs, or are those who serve such officials in a close and confidential relationship.

Most executive branch positions are in the “competitive service,” or in a separate but similar competitive merit system.  Employees in positions that traditionally change when Presidential Administrations change are not part of the competitive civil service.

Incumbents of these discretionary positions customarily resign at the request of the new incoming Administration officials or before a new agency head takes office.  It also is common for an incoming Administration to ask certain persons to remain in their jobs during the transition to ensure needed continuity during the initial period of taffing.

Positions that May be Changed During a Transition

There are four broad categories of individuals or positions that may be changed during transition:

1)  Presidential appointments made with the advice and consent of the Senate (PAS) to positions in which the incumbent serves at the pleasure of the President.

2)  Other Presidential appointments (PA) to positions in which the incumbent serves at the pleasure of the President.

3)  Noncareer Senior Executive Service (SES) appointments.

4)  Appointments to other positions in which the incumbent serves at the pleasure of the agency head.

Positions in these four categories normally include Cabinet Officers and heads of other executive branch agencies; Under Secretaries; Assistant Secretaries; Directors of Bureaus and Services; and Chairpersons and Members of Boards, Commissions, and Committees.  Positions in all four categories above are often authorized by specific provisions of law.

Positions that are generally subject to change during transitions are listed in a document called, United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions, commonly known as the Plum Book.  An interactive version of the 2008 Plum Book is available here.

Listing:  http://www.transitionjobs.us/appointments-new-administration

Acing The Quality Review Board – SES Candidate’s Story

Quality Review Board – A Big SES Hurdle

It’s one thing to have your Senior Executive Service (SES) resume and application package approved for further review; it’s quite another to get “past” the Quality Review Board (QRB) a panel of experts who declare your application fit for further consideration. Obtaining the approval of the QRB is one of the more daunting tasks that SES candidates face and it’s why many of the successful ones choose to utilize the services of professional SES resume writers. After all, these writers work with the SES packages every day and have insight and experience to craft Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) documents that win over the QRB reviewers. Case in point is this testimonial offered by a successful SES candidate in a letter written to Barbara Adams, CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc., one of only a few companies to provide expert SES assistance and the only ISO 9001:2008 certified career services company known to exist.

Barbara,

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my extreme appreciation for all of Nancy Segal’s hard work which allowed me to be accepted into a Federal SES position.  I contacted CareerPro Global about nine months ago after my ECQs were rejected a second time by OPM’s QRB.  Nancy was assigned to my case at the time and she has been fabulous.  Nancy revised my initial ECQs within two weeks to tell a better story for my next SES opportunity.  Several months ago when I was tentatively selected for another SES position I contacted Nancy and she did not hesitate assisting me in revising the ECQs to make them more current.  Nancy responsiveness has been more than outstanding and her valuable input was much appreciated.  It was made clear to me that Nancy knows exactly what OPM is searching for in reviewing ECQs when I was informed yesterday that my ECQs were approved by the QRB.

Nancy’s efforts and work product allowed me to be accepted into a SES position.  I could not have done it without her.  I highly recommend Nancy to anyone interested in pursuing a SES Federal career.

Again, thanks to CareerPro Global and Nancy Segal.”

Regards.

David L. (last name withheld)  

Integrating the Competencies into Your “Leading People” Narrative

by Barbara Adams, President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc.

With very few exceptions, almost every Senior Executive Service (SES) position you apply for will require you to submit Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) narratives. While it is obviously important to ensure the examples you provide match the ECQ titles of Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, andBuilding Coalitions, that’s actually not enough. The best way to write ECQs is to first select a topic that makes sense for that particular ECQ, and then look at the specific competencies and ask yourself whether you can address most or all of them effectively.

For example, let’s talk about Leading People. Imagine a senior military officer who is retiring after 20 years of distinguished service and trying to enter the SES. Now, imagine that he/she is writing his/her Leading People narrative. This individual is clearly a strong leader, and had led organizations of more than 1,000 people and provided executive oversight to 12 different organization comprised of more than 100,000 people stationed around the world.

Now, let’s say this individual provides a great description of all this leadership, but focuses purely on leadership philosophy and the complex missions the organization had to accomplish. Shouldn’t those folks in the Qualifications Review Board (QRB) still be able to tell what a great leader this person is? Maybe, but maybe not. Even though this individual is clearly a seasoned leader with worldwide experience in a variety of field and office environments, the ECQ likely won’t pass muster and the board will deny it.

Why?

Because the competencies were not addressed. The important thing to remember here is that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has been very specific about HOW it wants examples presented. So, even though every example is different, every career is different, and there is no “cookie-cutter” way to write an ECQ narrative, there are certain criteria that a strong ECQ should meet. First, OPM wants specific examples presented in the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) format. However, more importantly, OPM wants the examples to be expressed through the “lens” of the competencies. If these criteria (along with a few others) are not met, the board will probably reject the applicant’s ECQs.

Let’s get back to our example. It’s not enough that this individual provided an example that clearly “proves” his/her leadership experience. Unfortunately, this applicant failed to tell the story though the lens of the competencies. In other words, while providing this great story of leading large organizations through major challenges, this individual failed to describe how he/she built the team, developed individual members of the team, leveraged diversity, and managed conflict (the four competencies required for Leading People).

One of the best ways to ensure you address the competencies in any ECQ is to turn those competencies into questions, and then answer those questions in the “action” section of your narrative. Regardless of what a great leader you are, and how logical it seems that your Leading People examples demonstrate your leadership, go back to the competencies. If you don’t weave those into the narrative, you are at serious risk of being rejected by the QRB. Here are some of the questions you might ask when writing up your Leading People narrative:

• What did you do to specifically build a more cohesive team environment? Did you hold weekly meetings or social gatherings, or provide incentives, awards, time off, etc.? (team building)

• Did you have to handle conflicts between two or more employees or offices? What did you do to resolve the situation constructively? (conflict management)

• Did you provide opportunities for or encourage staff to enroll in professional development opportunities or extend anyone’s responsibilities to a higher level of job description or expectation? (developing others)

• Did you encourage female candidates in a traditionally male-dominated field or recruit to minority groups? (leveraging diversity)

• Did you select teams for projects that included a diverse mix of individuals—professionally, educationally, culturally, etc.? (leveraging diversity)

• Did you utilize intern programs, fellowships, or other professional development programs to recruit young talent? Did you then arrange for them to be mentored into the mainstream? (developing others/leveraging diversity)

You can find job-winning, OPM-approved samples of SES application packages and a complete set of ECQ builders in our book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service. Get your copy today by clicking on this link or searching the title on Amazon.

 

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on TV and radio and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. CPG recently sent a team to instruct senior officials at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, in best practices for developing their SES application materials. She is the co-author of the new book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.