Helping Federal Job Hunters Since 1974
December 2009
Insights and tips on issues that impact YOUR career and
YOUR search for a Federal job.
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Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies
Learn
more about WAEPA
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Editors Column ... An Applicant's Guide to the Federal
Hiring Process
Insights ... Breaking the Barrier to Professional
Occupations
Spotlight on Jobs ... Joining Federal Service as an
Engineer
Career Chat ... Seven Mistakes Job Seekers Make and How to
Avoid Them
WAEPA ... WAEPA
vs. FEGLI: Rate Comparison
This Month's Specials ... FREE Resume Critique with the
purchase of a FedJobs 1-Year Platinum Membership.
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e-Newsletter online
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An Applicant's Guide to the Federal Hiring Process
With the increased competition for federal jobs it's more
important than ever to submit a high quality application
package. In this era of reinvented government, that package
will consist of either a federal-style resume (paper or
electronic), an OF-612 or an SF-171 and your supplemental
statements. You may meet all the requirements of a particular
job, but if your application package doesn't convey your
qualifications, you may not have a chance of getting a job.
To understand the important role your application plays in
the selection process, it's helpful to understand how an
opening's requirements are determined and how your package is
evaluated against them.
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to Continue
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Breaking the Barrier to Professional Occupations
For technicians and secretarial/administrative staff in
federal service, the most difficult career move can be
breaking into a professional position. While many employees in
these support positions have, in actuality, been performing
the duties of a professional, convincing the selecting
official of this is not always and easy task.
If you do not have a four-year college degree (satisfying
entry-level requirements for most professional and
administrative fields), you must describe experience that will
clearly demonstrate your ability to fulfill the duties and
responsibilities of a professional position. At this point, a
strong and complete application package is vital.
There are two major barriers to your transfer from the
clerical/technical fields to the professional:
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here to continue
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with the purchase of a Platinum 1-Year FedJobs Membership
Anyone who has ever applied for a federal job knows the
importance of the federal application package. It is essential
to your job search success that your resume package includes
specific information so that you get the highest rating and
subsequently, a job interview.
Our team of "Federal Career Counselors" are ready
to help you create a job-winning application package by
conducting an 10-point evaluation of your resume, including:
1) Writing Style;
2) Clarity of Writing;
3) Focus;
4) Use of Keywords;
5) Compliance Information;
6) Job Descriptions;
7) Accomplishments;
8) Organization of Resume;
9) Length of Resume; and
10) Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling.
This critique is FREE when you purchase a 1-year Platinum
FedJobs Membership at the low cost of $49.95.
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What are KSAs?
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities ... that list of special
qualifications and personal attributes that someone has
decided you should have in order to fill a particular job.
It's not enough that you meet the basic qualifications for the
position and have the specialized experience that's required.
It's not enough that you have a polished and up-to-date
application package that clearly lays out all your experience
and expertise. Now you have to put more time and effort into
developing a "supplemental statement" or
"essay," a set of responses to these additional
evaluation factors that may be relevant only to a particular
job vacancy. And you have to do it in time to meet the
position's application deadline.
When required, KSAs are the single most important aspect of
your federal application and our workbook will help you
understand and craft job-winning KSAs.
You
must order here to take advantage of the $10 price
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Not sure what a KSA looks like...how long they should
be...what writing style is used...
Then take your KSA writing a step further - our KSA Sampler
is loaded with over 75 sample KSA responses to help you avoid
"writer's block" and prepare clear and concise KSA
statements. The library of samplers included in this book are
designed to help YOU find the best way to respond with YOUR
background to the KSAS YOU personally face. This workbook will
help you familiarize yourself with various approaches to
responding to KSAs and to focus on what works best for you
with your unique set of skills and interests. Review our
sample KSAs and identify those that, with the substitution of
a few keywords, are similar to KSAs you might encounter when
applying for federal jobs.
You
must order here to take advantage of the $10 price
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Joining Federal Service As an Engineer
Engineers have a definite advantage in the federal job
search. The demand for engineering professionals in federal
service has placed this occupation into the hard-to-fill
category, resulting in special salary rates for engineers.
The federal government employs thousands of engineers
throughout the United States and overseas. These positions
range from GS-5 to GS-15 and into the Senior Executive Service
level in more than twenty disciplines and occupational
specialties.
Here we have an occupational field in which demand
outweighs supply, standard federal pay is supplemented and the
promotion potential is good. But before you run out to
complete a federal application package, make sure your
qualifications can meet some of the most stringent standards
in federal employment.
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here to continue
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Seven Mistakes Job Seekers Make and How to Avoid Them
As a federal job seeker it's important that you are
persistent and diligent in your job search. As many of you
already know, there are a lot of rules and procedures to
follow when applying for a federal job. In addition to these
rules, you also want to avoid the following common mistakes to
ensure that your application gets read, accepted, and ranked
in order to increase your chances of getting an interview.
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to Continue
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WAEPA
vs. FEGLI: Rate Comparison
It seems like
the only news about your federal benefits these days is bad
news. Health insurance premiums are going up an average of
8.8%, and maybe even more depending on your individual health
plan. Policyholders covered by the federal Long-term Care
program are facing rate increases of up to 25%.
But believe
it or not, there is some good news. There is actually a way
you can reduce the cost
of your federal insurance benefits. WAEPA, www.waepa.org,
a non-profit association that has been serving the federal
civilian community since 1943, offers life insurance at rates
that are significantly less than the federal program. Also, as
a non-profit association, WAEPA has established a premium
refund policy. Check out the savings available to you from
WAEPA:
Member's
Age* |
WAEPA |
FEGLI
Basic |
FEGLI
Option A&B |
Savings
with WAEPA |
| Basic
Coverage Savings |
Optional
Coverage Savings |
| 25 |
2.3¢ |
15.0¢ |
3.0¢ |
85% |
23% |
| 30 |
2.6¢ |
15.0¢ |
3.0¢ |
83% |
13% |
| 35 |
3.1¢ |
15.0¢ |
4.0¢ |
79% |
23% |
| 40 |
4.3¢ |
15.0¢ |
6.0¢ |
71% |
28% |
| 45 |
6.2¢ |
15.0¢ |
9.0¢ |
59% |
31% |
| 50 |
9.4¢ |
15.0¢ |
14.0¢ |
37% |
33% |
(Premiums
shown are bi-weekly rates per $1,000 of insurance coverage)
These
savings really add up over the course of the year. For
example, a typical federal employee, age 48 earning just under
$50,000 would pay $811.20 per year for $312,000 of FEGLI
coverage ($52,000 Basic coverage, $10,000 Option A, and
$250,000 Option B). $325,000 of WAEPA coverage would only cost
the same federal employee $520.00 per year. That’s a savings
of $291.20. Plus, if the federal employee had WAEPA coverage
during the past year they would have received a 25% premium
refund check, or another $130.00 in their pocket!
Unlike
FEGLI, which bases your coverage on your annual salary, WAEPA
allows you to choose the amount of coverage your family
actually needs. To learn how much you could save with WAEPA,
and view all the WAEPA coverage options, visit www.waepa.org/01_Premium_Comparison.asp.
You can also call toll
free 1-800-368-3484 to speak to a customer service
representative, or email your questions and requests for
information to info@waepa.org.
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You can learn more about the insurance programs offered by
WAEPA at http://www.waepa.org where you can also use the
online premium calculator to customize your own personal
insurance program.
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FedJobs Career Chat, Federal Research Service's monthly
newsletter on issues that impact your career and your search
for a Federal job, is published monthly.
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Copyright 2009
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