|
For technicians and secretarial 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 officials
of this is not always an 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:
- First and most important, the classification
standards defining the required one year of specialized experience at the
next lower grade will sometimes specifically exclude support activities. You
must document, with specific examples and achievements, the professional
tasks you have tackled.
- Second, these entry-level (GS-5 to GS-7)
professional positions are commonly used as a vehicle for recent college
graduates. You will be competing against these applicants, as well as the
potential predisposition of the selecting officials. Your application
package will be your introduction to these officials. By presenting a clean,
comprehensive, concise and professional package you can effectively compete
for these positions.
To prepare a powerful and competitive application it
is important to do your research. Most federal agency libraries and many public
libraries carry the federal classification standards. This is a massive document
that defines all federal occupations, giving specific examples of qualifying
experience at each grade level. Review this document for your target
occupational field, and analyze your duties and responsibilities to find
parallels or equivalent experience.
In writing the narrative description of your
duties and responsibilities, make sure that you include specific achievements
that document the level of your responsibility demonstrated by operating
independent of supervision, or under very loose supervision.
Describe decisions that you have made and
professional judgment that you have exercised.
- Did you participate in special studies or
management analysis actions to support planning and policy development?
- Were you considered a technical expert in
administrative or technical aspects of your office, developing systems and
procedures to improve efficiency?
- Did you train professionals as they came into
the office?
- Did you act in professional capacities when
professionals were absent?
Again, give specific examples and dates and
measurable achievements.
One manner in which professional experience may
be gained in a technical or clerical position is through an official detail. If
you have been detailed to perform professional duties, prepare a separate
experience block to highlight this position. Be specific regarding any
additional training this might have included or any additional guidelines or
regulations with which you became familiar. Give dates and achievements. This
experience will be reviewed and evaluated very carefully to determine your
qualifications.
Non-federal employment of a professional nature
can also be used to qualify for professional positions. There can be a bias in
federal offices when it comes to evaluation of non-federal experience. You must
be very clear and complete when you describe this experience. If there are
aspects of your non-federal experience that are equivalent to federal duties,
make sure that this is clearly communicated. Use terms that will show the
correlation to federal service so that the reviewer may easily make the
connection.
In addition to the application process, there are
things that can be done to prepare for professional competition. Volunteer for
duties that will provide professional experience. This can include task force
and committee work, as well as participation in studies and management surveys.
Pay attention to changes and trends in your office, show that you are interested
and make yourself available to management in these actions.
While there may be in some cases a true barrier
to professional positions, it is not insurmountable. The competition is steep
and the application process is much more critical to your success. Do your
research and utilize your current position to prepare yourself for the move.
Then prepare a powerful, comprehensive and concise application package in order
to clearly communicate your capabilities and experience.
If
you have any comments or suggestions on future articles, email me at ross@fedjobs.com.
|
