Local candidates only, no relocation

Often, we see an opportunity on popular job boards such as LinkedIn that look like a great fit only to find at the bottom – “Local candidates only, no relocation (Name of Metro area)”.

What does this mean?  Do you feel geographically discriminated?  Let us think from the Employer’s side of why they would post this. 

Candidates may show interest in the position and then expect the Employer to pay for relocation.  When the Employer says that cannot be accommodated, the Employer wastes time during the recruiting process and one can imagine how many resumes they receive given our economic situation. 

Another possible reason for requesting local candidates only are that an Employer makes an investment into a Candidate before their work starts to pay off.  Right now, Companies are being cautious and who wants someone that will move somewhere they may not like, earn a check and then take off when a job opens up close to their original home. 

 So what is the best way to get around this?  I would first caution you on a few things.  Make sure in your mind and heart that you want to live in that City and do not want to turn back for your own mental state.  Forget the Employer and job for now.  Will you blend into the local culture?  Will you enjoy the weather?  What about entertainment options, cost of living and so on?  Friends and family?  Just think about it. 

I would say apply for the job anyway, and just be ready to fly or drive out for the interview if they call you.  Maybe the Employer will not ask about your location – not everyone remembers what he or she posts. 

When you apply for the job, put the name of a local city on your address or borrow the address of a friend, family member or even that of a UPS Store on your resume.  If you want to, write a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and that you are already re-locating to that area.  It is not a lie and should not be an issue if you are already moving there and do not ask for relocation assistance up front. 

The bottom line is to be slightly creative in these turbulent times.  I have used different addresses on my resume and depending on the employer, version accordingly.  I personally believe that companies do not want to pay for relocation assistance when local talent is readily available.

Posted by guestblogger99

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Reasons why writing an interview thank you letter is important

Reasons why writing an interview thank you letter is important

By: Leigh Goessl

In many of today’s industries competition is at a premium. It is not uncommon for many people to be vying for one job. Finding a job is a lot of hard work and the secret to landing a job is to differentiate yourself from the other candidates and make yourself stand out as someone who would be a valuable asset to the company.

How do you successfully accomplish this?

There are three important key pieces to know when applying for a job. The three keys are your resume, interview and a follow-up thank you letter; each of which needs careful attention. Most applicants understand the urgency of the first two components, but often forget the last part of thanking their interviewer and this is a vital piece to remember.

Click here to continue reading this article…

Telephone Interviewing Tips

TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING TIPS

How to pass a screening interview when it’s conducted over the phone.

By Calvin E. Bruce & Paula W. Moore

Perhaps you’re a pro at selling yourself face-to-face. How comfortable, though, are you at interviewing over the phone?

Telephone screening interviews are becoming more commonplace as companies seek to cut hiring costs and streamline the selection process. A hiring manager can spend an hour and half screening three candidates over the phone, then invite the most impressive one to the company for a lengthier interview.

John Young, president of First American Rehab, a health care company based in Athens, Georgia, personally interviews as many as 50 candidates a week over the phone. “Telephone prescreening is extremely cost effective,” he says, “because 75% to 80% of the people you talk to can be easily eliminated.” Mr. Young believes more companies will make use of phone interviewing for this reason.

Given this trend, your job search may involve more telephone interviewing. Whether you are talking to headhunters or company recruiters, the more convincingly you make your case over the phone will determine further interest in you as a job candidate.

Phone interviewing is unique. You can’t count on visual stimuli such as good looks or power suits, eye contact or body language, to aid your presentation. Neither can you rely on visual signals to interpret the interviewer’s response. In this context, faceless conversation takes on an added dimension of importance. Both strengths and weaknesses, as conveyed by voice, are magnified through the phone. Your voice personifies everything about you.

Headhunters, in particular, listen for a relaxed style that communicates confidence, enthusiasm and intelligence. This is reflected in a smooth conversation flow devoid of clichés or verbal catchalls to stall for time as well as other negatives.

The following techniques will help you prepare for and handle any phone interview situations, especially with company officials:

Preparation is Key

The success of a telephone interview begins with mental preparation and setting the stage with the interviewer. The first order of business is to establish a clear time frame for the conversation. By mutual agreement, this should be at least thirty minutes when both parties can be free of interruptions and distractions.

If you’re currently employed, arrange for a phone interview in the evening rather than during the work day. Confidentiality and discretion may be at risk if you interview during working hours; you never know who might barge into your office unannounced or overhear something by accident. In the privacy of your home, you can be more at ease and in control of your surroundings.

Being clear on the interview format gives you an edge in preparation. Before the actual interview, it will help to know the topics to be covered, objectives to attain and the basic information regarding the position to be discussed. It also helps to rehearse: Try to think as the employer, what key information is the interviewer looking for? What questions is he likely to ask? What things do you hope he doesn’t ask?

George Walther, president of TelExcel in Seattle, Washington, is a consultant and speaker on the subject of improving telephone interviewing effectiveness. “From my experience, I would say that 98% of business executives can assess the candidate’s personality after thirteen seconds, with no visual information,” he says. “Furthermore, initial voice impression tends to be reinforced by the content of continued conversation.” In other words, you need to sound like a winner quickly to sustain the listener’s interest in you.

It’s also advisable to prepare for possible scenarios that might unfold. Hypothesize a bit; Suppose the interviewer asks questions that make you feel uncomfortable. How do you handle that? Suppose he rambles, is easily sidetracked and doesn’t allow you to sell yourself. How do you subtly take control of the conversation and target pertinent issues? As a worst-case scenario; Suppose the interviewer doesn’t call at the agreed time. If it’s an evening interview, and you have other engagements, how long should you wait by the phone? If it’s a daytime interview, should you assume the interviewer “forgot” and call him directly? Or do you await his call at some other, unspecified time?

Solution: don’t panic. The employer will call to set up a new time if he had some crisis. If you are working with a recruiter, he will handle the problem and schedule an alternate time.

Finally, clear a work area near the phone and keep the following tools handy to aid your fact gathering and information sharing:

A copy of the version of the resume sent to the interviewer.
A note pad and pen.
Five or six carefully worded questions you’ll want to ask.
Company literature with pertinent sections highlighted.
A calendar.
A watch or clock.

Preparation will increase your confidence level and ability to focus on the conversation during the interview as well as enabling you to make a favorable impression.

Phone Personality

The need to make a good impression on the phone cannot be overemphasized. The telephone screening interview is a make-or-break proposition, your one chance to convince the interviewer that you are worth serious consideration. The interviewer will be listening carefully to determine three factors: your sincere interest in the job, how you verbalize your qualifications and how aggressively you pursue the position.

Voice reflects personality. A well-modulated, controlled voice communicates authority and heightens the verbal impact you want to make. The quality, pitch and tempo of your speech convey a certain attitude, energy level and enthusiasm. “Enthusiasm and excitement are the biggest selling points of candidates talking on the phone,” says Mr. Young of First American Rehab. “This translates directly over to their performance and work ethic.”

Here are some practical tips to enhance your phone “personality” and overall presentation:

Talk directly into the mouthpiece. Hold the receiver approximately three inches from the mouth, not below your chin or above your nose. Speak in a relaxed, conversational style as though the other person were in the same room, not on the other side of the planet.

Avoid sitting in a hunched position, grasping the phone in a vise-like grip. This will add a note of stress, and your voice will communicate that uneasiness. Try standing, it opens your diaphragm to a smoother air flow and imparts a feeling of liveliness. Getting up and moving around introduces an element of action, which instills a relaxed, conversational manner and reduces fatigue. A longer cord or cordless phone will allow maximum mobility.

Pay attention to the interviewer’s voice patterns; does he speak slowly or rapidly? Try to match the cadence so that the conversion flows smoothly. According to Mr. Walther, at TelExcel, the average person speaks at a rate of 160 words per minute. Adjust your speaking rate, voice volume and phrasing to be more in rhythm with the interviewer.

Sound upbeat. If you had a lousy day and came home to find your spouse and kids arguing, put it out of your mind. Genuine enthusiasm is contagious. Smile to show a sense of humor. After all, the interviewer may have had a bad day too.

Be a conversationalist. Listen carefully to get the big picture and to avoid saying something that indicates any momentary mental distraction. Allow the interviewer to complete questions without you finishing his train of thought or blurting out answers prematurely.

Handle any trick questions in stride. The interviewer may throw in several to test your alertness or mental keenness. Showing verbal adeptness is a sign of how quickly you can “think on your feet.” Be cautious: the interviewer may say something that puzzles you or that you firmly disagree with. Show enough respect to voice your thoughts in a professional manner. A defensive posture or argumentative tone is the surest way to alienate the interviewer and eliminate your candidacy.

The Telephone Interview

Establishing a rapport at the beginning of the phone conversation sets a favorable tone. During the first few minutes, mention something that shows commonality of interest or similarity in background. This helps both parties feel more comfortable as the conversation progresses.

Get to know the person behind the voice. Does he show a sense of humor? Is she direct and forthright in supplying information? Does his speech sound “canned”, or does it exhibit freshness of thought and expression? Just as importantly, does she actively listen to you, or merely wait for the chance to ask her next question? The interviewer may be a personnel official or a hiring manager. If the individual is someone with whom you will be working, pay all the more attention to her explanation of the job and what potential it offers.

Your prepared list of questions will indicate that you have given careful thought to the prospect of joining the firm. Even though you don’t know everything about the position at this point, convey the impression that it’s something you are interested in and competent at handling.

Only in a face-to-face interview can you totally sell yourself. The purpose of the phone interview is to identify areas of mutual interest that warrant further investigation. In other words, whet their curiosity and give them good reasons for wanting to invite you to the company location.

Basically, what the interviewer needs to hear and conclude is that you can get the job done. Mentally, he is making the connection between the company’s problems and you as a problem solver. Don’t overwhelm him with facts and figures; he’s only going to remember so much.

You can best make your point by reciting memorable stories that document your ability to analyze a dilemma, weigh alternative responses and choose the appropriate action. By selectively highlighting turnaround situations you spearheaded, you are communicating a willingness to tackle similar problems for his company.

As you glance over your notes and keep an eye on the clock, there may be additional important points to cover in the pre-allotted time frame. Tactfully take control and introduce the subject matter that needs to be discussed or further elaborated. Example: “That’s a good point. Can we come back to it a little later? I have some additional thoughts on the subject we were discussing a moment ago.”

As the conversation winds down, become less talkative and give more thought to what you say. Your final words will generally have greater impact and be remembered longer. Careful word choice and voice inflection will under-score the significance of your remarks. By contrast, a machine-gun volley of words will likely put the listener on the defensive or turn him off altogether.

The Home Stretch

After 30 minutes, both parties should know how much of a “fit” there is. Provided the job interests you, express your desire to proceed to the next step: a company visit.

The interviewer may extend an invitation at that point. With calendar nearby, suggest several available days and times that agree with your agenda. Should the phone interview go well but end without a specific invitation to visit the company, state your desire to investigate the opportunity further. Example: “I’d be very interested in such a challenging position. I would be available to come in for a personal interview and discuss my abilities in greater detail on (day).”

He may then mention the likelihood of an onsite interview once he confers with other officials. Your assertiveness will be remembered. If you hear nothing within 48 hours, follow up with a call.

A final concern: the interviewer may ask a salary range that you’re expecting (don’t introduce the issue yourself). It’s best to mention that at this point you are not altogether certain what the job is really worth. Example: “I would feel more comfortable discussing a salary figure after meeting the key people I would be working with and knowing more about the position.” If the interviewer continues to pressure you for a figure, specifically ask, “What salary range are you working within?” Chances are 50/50 that he will tell you.

Respond by indicating that your desired salary is in that range (if that is correct). If the dollars are a little low, don’t despair or defend what you feel you are worth. For an absolutely sterling candidate, most companies can flex the purse strings and make a very attractive offer.

On the phone, your job is to entice a buyer, not to close a sale. Salary negotiation will fall into place at the right time. End the conversation on a positive note. Thank the interviewer for the information shared, Let him know again that you look forward to visiting the company. After all, if the position discussed is not the ideal job for you, something else there might be.

Source: http://www.mrirecruiter.com/second/telephonetips.php

How To Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation

By: Pick The Brain

Staying motivated is a struggle — our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.

There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.

Reasons We Lose Motivation

There are 3 primary reasons we lose motivation.

1. Lack of confidence – If you don’t believe you can succeed, what’s the point in trying?
2. Lack of focus – If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
3. Lack of direction – If you don’t know what to do, how can you be motivated to do it?

How to Boost Confidence

The first motivation killer is a lack of confidence. When this happens to me, it’s usually because I’m focusing entirely on what I want and neglecting what I already have. When you only think about what you want, your mind creates explanations for why you aren’t getting it. This creates negative thoughts. Past failures, bad breaks, and personal weaknesses dominate your mind. You become jealous of your competitors and start making excuses for why you can’t succeed. In this state, you tend to make a bad impression, assume the worst about others, and lose self confidence.

The way to get out of this thought pattern is to focus on gratitude. Set aside time to focus on everything positive in your life. Make a mental list of your strengths, past successes, and current advantages. We tend to take our strengths for granted and dwell on our failures. By making an effort to feel grateful, you’ll realize how competent and successful you already are. This will rejuvenate your confidence and get you motivated to build on your current success.

It might sound strange that repeating things you already know can improve your mindset, but it’s amazingly effective. The mind distorts reality to confirm what it wants to believe. The more negatively you think, the more examples your mind will discover to confirm that belief. When you truly believe that you deserve success, your mind will generate ways to achieve it. The best way to bring success to yourself is to genuinely desire to create value for the rest of the world.

Developing Tangible Focus

The second motivation killer is a lack of focus. How often do you focus on what you don’t want, rather than on a concrete goal? We normally think in terms of fear. I’m afraid of being poor. I’m afraid no one will respect me. I’m afraid of being alone. The problem with this type of thinking is that fear alone isn’t actionable. Instead of doing something about our fear, it feeds on itself and drains our motivation.

If you’re caught up in fear based thinking, the first step is focusing that energy on a well defined goal. By defining a goal, you automatically define a set of actions. If you have a fear of poverty, create a plan to increase your income. It could be going back to school, obtaining a higher paying job, or developing a profitable website. The key is moving from an intangible desire to concrete, measurable steps.

By focusing your mind on a positive goal instead of an ambiguous fear, you put your brain to work. It instantly begins devising a plan for success. Instead of worrying about the future you start to do something about it. This is the first step in motivating yourself to take action. When know what you want, you become motivated to take action.

Developing Direction

The final piece in the motivational puzzle is direction. If focus means having an ultimate goal, direction is having a day-to-day strategy to achieve it. A lack of direction kills motivation because without an obvious next action we succumb to procrastination. An example of this is a person who wants to have a popular blog, but who spends more time reading posts about blogging than actually writing articles.

The key to finding direction is identifying the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns. To continue the example from above, a blogger’s list would look something like this:

1. Write content
2. Research relevant topics
3. Network with other bloggers
4. Optimize design and ad placements
5. Answer comments and email
6. Read other blogs

Keeping track of your most important tasks will direct your energy towards success. Without a constant reminder, it’s easy to waste entire days on filler activities like reading RSS feeds, email, and random web surfing.

When my motivation starts to wane, I regain direction by creating a plan that contains two positive actions. The first one should be a small task you’ve been meaning to do, while the second should be a long-term goal. I immediately do the smaller task. This creates positive momentum. After that I take the first step towards achieving the long-term goal. Doing this periodically is great for getting out of a slump, creating positive reinforcement, and getting long-term plans moving.

It’s inevitable that you’ll encounter periods of low energy, bad luck, and even the occasional failure. If you don’t discipline your mind, these minor speed bumps can turn into mental monsters. By being on guard against the top 3 motivation killers you can preserve your motivation and propel yourself to success.

7 ways online job boards can help your job search

By: Julie Rains at partner blog Wise Bread.

There was a brief period, before the last recession, when my career-services clients actually found jobs on online job boards. They’d post résumés and interview requests, and job offers quickly followed.

For the past several years, though, clients have told me they felt as if online applications led to a black hole: Résumés were submitted but companies never made contact. Even a rejection letter would have meant progress, indicating that a human was somehow involved in the decision-making process.

Though I don’t recommend online boards as a direct path to a new position, I do find them extremely useful in a job search.

For someone launching a job search, online job boards can provide a wealth of information. I have had consistently good results with Monster.com, though there are many other general boards, industry niche boards, and aggregators of job listings, such as CareerBuilder.com, Indeed.com, and Dice.com.

My focus is on finding well-written, detailed job descriptions that indicate specific responsibilities and requirements. Many descriptions are vague and useless to me; others, however, seem to have been constructed to outline highly specific needs for real jobs with viable companies. A bit of fluff promoting the company and its tremendous benefits and great working environment is fine but should be accompanied by a multi-bulleted list of duties, beginning with an overview and then mentioning key areas of accountability as well as position requirements.

Here’s what I use these job descriptions for:

Do a reality check. One of the first things a job seeker should do is define his ideal job or target position based not only on career goals but also on education, experiences, knowledge and skills. Figuring out whether such a position actually exists is a natural next step, made pretty easy with a keyword search.

Pinpoint a job title. A job title is useful in conveying goals to a hiring manager in words that she’ll understand. Postings with position descriptions can be useful in matching real-world job accountabilities with a job seeker’s professional capabilities. Though organizational structures may vary among companies, there will often be enough similarities to pinpoint a job title. Job seekers can then reference this title in communications with potential employers or those who may offer referrals, and use the title in searches of the careers sections of target employers.

Uncover obstacles to landing that perfect job. In some cases, a job seeker has most, but not all, of the qualifications. Not being a perfect candidate shouldn’t rule out searching for that type of position. But, if certain skill sets or types of experiences are requested repeatedly by a number of employers, then a job seeker could consider taking a class or learning a new technology, for example, or figuring out how to communicate why his experience is similar to the experience requested by the hiring manager.

See what companies are hiring and where the jobs are. Though I like to read articles about what industries are hot, what companies are hiring, and which geographical areas are experiencing an economic boom, I use specific job postings with real companies to make decisions about where to concentrate a search.

Refine or write the résumé. My modus operandi is to create a first draft of a résumé and then use job descriptions to make adjustments. I might add a position duty or a computer skill that seemed insignificant but appears on most job postings. For a job seeker writing her own résumé, the online job descriptions could be useful in creating or fleshing out the résumé.

Find keywords. Job seekers may be fearful that they won’t use the right keywords and their résumés will never be selected by computerized screening systems. Scrutinizing well-written, detailed job responsibilities and requirements can provide the job seeker with current keywords.

Craft a cover letter. Customizing each free cover letter to match the exact requirements of each target job can be time-consuming and energy-zapping. Instead, craft the letter to meet the descriptions and requirements for a handful of similar positions, and use that letter as the base for subsequent letters.

I typically don’t give unsolicited advice to individual clients, but, if asked, I will mention that putting oneself out there (posting a résumé for anyone to see, with no privacy settings) has not been particularly fruitful for many job seekers. To avoid the black hole of Internet searching, some clients have found that referrals from business associates (former co-workers, vendors and customers), direct inquiries to targeted companies, and communications with those in industry or trade groups are more helpful than blindly posting to online job boards.

Have you used online job boards to find a job lately? Share your experiences in the comments.

Sell yourself during the job interview – How to battle the questions

Sell yourself during the job interview

How to battle the questions

By: Victoria Hong

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – If there’s a job you want, you only get one chance to sell yourself and that’s during the interview.
The key is to be enthusiastic and prepared, prepared to give the right answers to key questions that are likely to come up during the interview.

When teaching his interview workshop BET-C career center director Joe Sullivan preps job seekers for what to expect.

He said be prepared for some common questions:  First, tell me something about yourself?

“When getting questions that broad, maybe what you want to do is come back with another question. ‘I’d love to, where would you like me to begin?’ So can qualify question to see if employer wants to talk about work experience, education or some personal things as well,” said Sullivan.

Most employers will also ask what you know about their company, and that is why you should always research the company, its products, its mission/brand, as well as goals and recent developments; you must be prepared.

Another common question:  What is your primary weakness? Always take a positive attribute that may become a weakness in extreme, such as perfectionist, acknowledge it and show you’re working on it.

Sullivan said, “So can take positive attribute and say I have to be on guard that I don’t take to extreme and because I already recognize that you kind of showing I already work on it.”

“What are the questions that are commonly asked?  What are your responses to questions?  What question do you ask employer?  And once kind of polish your response and work on questions, you should sit down with spouse, friend, neighbor and practice,” said Joe.

Always follow up after an interview with a thank you note, some question if a card or typed formal letter is more appropriate.

“When doing workshop 10-15 years ago, I was told to send card and all aplied to one company.  The interviewer called and asked who teacking the workshop?  They should be sending out type written letter on the side of conservatism,” said Joe.

Copyright WIVB.com

The Federal Resume Part Four: Do’s & Don’ts

The Federal Resume

Part Four: Do’s & Don’ts

By: ResumeEdge.com

In some ways, federal resumes are similar to those you might create for a job in the private sector. However, there are also marked differences. Keep these guidelines in mind.

DO:

• Follow all instructions carefully and completely (resumes will be scanned, so this is important).
• Limit your resume to three pages (plus the separate page for supplemental information).
• TYPE your resume, ensuring that it is clear and legible. Handwritten resumes will NOT be accepted. A typewritten original or a high-quality photocopy is acceptable.
• Provide a laser-printed original if you do not use the official Resume Builder for your agency. Avoid dot-matrix printers, bubble-jet printers, and low-quality copies.
• Type with black ink on 8.5″ x 11″ white bond paper, printed on one side only.
• Use a minimum margin of one inch on all sides of your printed resume.
• Use standard business type fonts, such as Courier or Times New Roman, in 10-12 point.
• Use capital letters for section headings, as long as the letters do not touch each other.
• Proofread for any errors. Pay particular attention to spelling.
• Be specific when naming the computer software or types of equipment with which you have experience (e.g., Microsoft Word, Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, Unix, Oracle, computer-assisted design equipment, etc.).
• Describe your experience with specific words rather than vague descriptions.
• Be truthful! Falsification of your resume could result in termination or withdrawal of an offer of federal employment, and it may be punishable by fine or imprisonment. If selected, you will be required to sign a statement that all application materials are correct, complete, and made in good faith, and that no information has been falsified.

DON’T:

• Staple, fold, bind, or punch holes in your resume.
• Use vertical or horizontal lines, graphics, or boxes.
• Use two-column format or resumes that look like newspapers.
• Use fancy treatments such as italics, underlining, shadows, or bullets.
• Use unknown acronyms or abbreviations. Only use acronyms that are well-established and commonly understood.
• Submit your resume on colored paper.
• Submit your resume as an attachment to an e-mail, unless the agency specifies that it wishes to receive resumes in that manner.
• Fax your resume.
• Submit any documentation not specifically requested.
• Expect your resume or any documents submitted to be returned.

Read More

• Part 1: An Introduction
• Part 2: Self-Nomination
• Part 3: Supplemental Information

The Federal Resume Part Three: Supplemental Information

The Federal Resume

Part Three: Supplemental Information

By: ResumeEdge.com

Resumes submitted to certain agencies without supplemental information will be rejected. Supplemental information may differ from agency to agency. You must carefully follow agency directives in providing this information, which should be submitted on a separate sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ white bond paper, printed on one side.

Information To Be Submitted Along with Your Resume

The following requirements are reprinted from the Human Resources Service Center Web site.

If the information does not apply to you, please respond with “N/A.” At the top of the page, repeat your Name and Social Security Number for identification purposes (do not repeat if submitting your resume via e-mail).

• VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER (if applicable)
• CURRENT/FORMER FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES:
  • Type of appointment (i.e., career, career-conditional, temporary, term, indefinite)
  • Type of position occupied: Competitive Service; Excepted Service
  • Highest permanent grade held (include pay plan and dates held, from month/year to month/year).
• MILITARY SERVICE AND VETERANS’ PREFERENCE:
  • Discharged from the military service under honorable conditions: No/Yes
  • List dates and branch for all active duty military service. If all your active military duty was after October 14, 1976, list the full names and dates of all campaign badges or expeditionary medals you received or were entitled to receive.
  • Retired Military: No/Yes
  • Rank at which Retired
  • Date of Retirement
• If claiming Veterans’ Preference, indicate eligibility: 5 Point; 10 Point/Disability; 10 Point/Compensable; 10 Point/Other; or 10 Point/Compensably Disabled, 30% or more.
• If you are claiming 10 Point Preference, you are required to provide documentation at the time of application to verify eligibility, e.g., DD-214(s) (Member-4 Copy), Application for 10 point Veterans’ Preference (SF-15), and supporting documentation listed on the reverse of the SF-15.
• If you are sending your resume or self-nomination via electronic means, you must mail in required documentation separately. Be sure to include the vacancy announcement number you are applying for.

REMEMBER: MAIL COPIES, NOT ORIGINALS.

Finding Agency Requirements Online

In all cases, it is best to review agency requirements carefully before submitting a resume. You can find specific branch requirements at the sites listed below.

• Air Force, DoD/OPM
• Defense Finance
• Army
• NASA
• Navy
• Marines

Read More

• Part 1: An Introduction
• Part 2: Self-Nomination
• Part 4: Do’s and Don’ts

The Federal Resume Part Two: Self-Nomination

The Federal Resume

Part Two: Self-Nomination

By: ResumeEdge.com

Self-nomination is the act of indicating the specific vacancy announcements for which you want to be considered. There are certain steps you must take to nominate yourself for a federal position. As agency requirements may differ, you must carefully follow requirements as provided by each agency.

Vacancy Announcements and Self-Nomination

The following is reprinted from the Defense Finance & Accounting Service Web site.

All applicants must indicate the specific vacancy announcements for which they want to be considered. We call this self-nominating. You will only be considered for the jobs whose announcement numbers you provide in your first resume or by submitting a Self-Nomination form. Before submitting your resume for the first time, or before self-nominating subsequent to submitting a resume, locate the vacancy announcement(s) for Resume Builder position(s) for which you want to be considered.

The federal Resume Builder is an online tool with which you essential build your resume on the agency’s Web site. Certain job vacancy announcements will require you to use the Resume Builder.

For each Resume Builder announcement you’ll need the:

• Vacancy announcement number.
• Location(s) of the position(s).
• Grade level(s) being filled.

It doesn’t matter whether the vacancy announcement is a one-time announcement or an extended announcement. You need to self-nominate for both kinds of announcements.

There is no need for you to repeat a vacancy announcement number for an amended announcement. For example, if announcement XH-0001-01 has been amended once, it will also be shown as XH-0001-01A on the list of vacancy announcements on the Web site. Do not list both XH000101 and XH000101A; list only XH000101.

There is no limit on the number of vacancy announcement numbers you can submit at one time. You can also submit new self-nominations as often as you wish. All the new self-nominations are appended to the existing data. In other words, new data is added to the old data, which continually accumulates as new self nominations are added.

Read More

• Part 1: An Introduction
• Part 3: Supplemental Information
• Part 4: Do’s and Don’ts

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Federal Resume Tips : An Introduction

Federal Resume Services

How Government Resumes Differ from Private-Sector Resumes

Federal resumes are similar to private-sector resumes. However, there are some important differences.

Data unique to the federal resume:

• Social Security number
• GS numbers and grades for current or past federal jobs
• Hours worked weekly at each job
• Annual salary at each job
• Supervisor’s name, phone number, and permission (or refusal of permission) to contact
• Employer’s physical address
• Veteran’s preference
• Name of high school attended and whether a diploma was received

Data Organization

On a federal resume, work history is provided in reverse-chronological order. Academic data should be presented with the highest level of education placed first, followed by previous schooling, including high school. If you have completed college coursework, but have not attained a degree, provide the number of course hours that have been completed (e.g., “Business Administration, 35 course hours”).

Federal Resume Writing: Length

Electronic federal resumes are generally longer than private-sector resumes, which rarely exceed two pages. However, electronic federal resumes often do have some length restrictions. For example, resumes submitted to OSD, Defense Agencies, and DoD Field Activities can be no more than three pages, plus a separate page for supplemental information. It’s always wise to check agency sites for length restrictions before you start writing your federal resume.

Formatted federal resumes are generally longer than private-sector resumes as well. For senior positions, a formatted federal resume may exceed six pages. Again, before you begin your federal resume writing, check specific agency guidelines about length.

Scannable Federal Resumes

Scannable resumes used for the Resumix scanning system should follow these guidelines. Remember, though, that specific agencies may have their own requirements, which must be carefully followed.

• Use in 11-12 point type (generally Times New Roman or Courier).
• No bolding, italics, tabs, bullets are used.
• The entire resume is flush left.
• Margins are one inch.
• The current job title begins the resume and is followed by all previous titles that relate to the current job search (i.e. if the client is a paralegal, but once worked at Baskin Robbins as an ice cream server, the server position would not be included).

Electronic or Printed Federal Resume Services

Formatted federal resumes can be sent as attachments or by regular mail. These are the closest to what you might submit when applying for a job in the private sector. They differ only in the following areas:

• Data is more comprehensive and personal (e.g., Social Security Numbers, hours worked per week, annual salary, company/agency physical location, veteran status, etc.).
• High school data is included within the Education section.
• The resume will often exceed two pages. Remember that agency requirements must be followed

Read More

• Part 2: Self-Nomination
• Part 3: Supplemental Information
• Part 4: Do’s and Don’ts

Part One: An IntroductionBy: ResumeEdge.com

Crafting a federal resume is your first step in the application process. Federal resumes are used:

• To seek promotions within the same government agency (e.g., CIA Advisor to CIA Senior Advisor).
• To make lateral moves across government agencies (e.g., Systems Director of the United States Post Office to Systems Director of the Food and Drug Administration).
• To seek government employment for the first time, whether previous employment was in the military or in the private sector.

Keep in mind that for certain federal positions, you must use the government Resume Builder, located on the agency’s website. Check the requirements of your job announcement to see if you are required to use it.