RP Federal Resume Puzzle

RP Federal Resume Puzzle RP Federal Resume Puzzle RP Federal Resume Puzzle By Kathryn Troutman, Author,Federal Resume Guidebook, 6th Ed., and Jobseeker Guide, 8th EditionNovember 7, 2017Last month, I taught a Ten Steps to a Federal Job class at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. An officer asked me, Why is it so complicated to apply for a federal job?BUILDING CONTENT FOR YOUR FEDERAL RESUME WITH PIECES OF THE PUZZLEWhile federal job applications seem complicated, I prefer to think of the process as similar to putting together a puzzle. So, what does putting the federal resume puzzle look like?Heres my technical answer The federal resume is like a legal document. It must prove, on the page, that you have the qualifications for the job. Resumes get reviewed to prove qualifications and to protect the government against complaints. So, the resume is crucially important and must match the announcement qualifications. Therefore the pieces of puzzles will help you collect all the right informa tion to MATCH A POSITION AND HOPEFULLY GET YOU BEST QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITIONSo, what does putting the puzzle together look like? From a broad perspective, you should write the resume in the Outline Format, specifically targeting the announcement. Put the resume into USAJOBS. Follow the application directions. Thats it Simple, right?RP FEDERAL RESUME PUZZLE PIECES DEFINITIONSWell, maybe. Lets dig a bit deeper into the puzzle. Federal job applications are comprised of critical elements or puzzle pieces that you have to fit together to create a complete picture of yur qualifications.Heres what each puzzle piece looks likeSpecialized Experience Every USAJOBS announcement includes a specialized experience requirement. This is the one puzzle piece you MUST have without it, you might not even be able to begin the puzzle. No specialized experience? You wont get referred.Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) Announcements on USAJOBS list out KSAs for the position. They may seem, at ti mes, like add on language, or fluff, but they are required competencies for the position. Read them carefully. Address them in the resume to round out the puzzle.Core Competencies This is a relatively recent addition to the puzzle, but whether you prove you possess core competencies can be the difference between an incomplete puzzle or a complete image that shows you at your best. fr Tip Use accomplishment stories to demonstrate competency areas.The Self-Assessment Questionnaire Youre scoring yourself here and basically screening yourself. Think of it as a test. The higher you rate, the more looks youll get during the evaluation process. Give yourself credit, score yourself as high as possible, and support your self-assessment ratings with resume content. Let Human Resources screen you out dont do their job for them.Education If the position requires education, make sure you include it. Read the instructions. If a specific number of credits in a particular field is required, you mus t list out the relevant courses, total number of relevant credits, and prove your claims with a transcript. No proof? Then youre missing a puzzle piece.Work Experience Your work experience should be targeted to the position youre trying to get, not merely summarize your past employment. Dont simply copy-and-paste your position description rather, fine-tune your experience descriptions based on what the announcement is looking for. Finally, follow the instructions and include all mandatory/required pieces of information.Non-Profit Volunteer Experience Non-paid work is still work. It counts on a federal resume. Yes, you read that right If you have substantial experience with a volunteer position, it can be weighted equally to a paid position. Give it a whole job block dont leave it as a footnote or small piece of additional information, especially if it demonstrates specialized experience or KSAs.Guidelines, Laws, and Regulations If youre a federal employee, youre interacting with th ese puzzle pieces every day. Include them in your resume, and be specific unterstellung can help demonstrate your expertise and your competency areas.Supervisory Experience Do you lead teams? Do you collaborate with others? Are you in a formal supervisory position? Do you manage projects? Whether formal or not, your experience might still qualify as supervisory. Claim credit for yourself by casting your experiences in the light of leadership and team building. The puzzle will look better for it.Accomplishments Resumes all tend to start looking the same to a Human Resources Specialist who has to review hundreds of them. Make yours interesting. Include stories Leverage your accomplishment stories to convey your value added through past performance and demonstrated excellence. We all like a good story, and telling stories about your accomplishments is the difference between a boring resume and an interesting one. Want to be referred? Want an interview? Include accomplishments in your r esume and give them the space they deserve.Yes, there are a few puzzle pieces. But put them all together and youll have hopefully a Best Qualified Federal ResumeWant to see samples of these RP Puzzle Federal Resumes?Try our award winning booksThe Federal Resume Guidebook,6th Ed. is the Number 2 best-selling resume book on Amazon and all book sellers today

10 Creative Tips for Your Cover Letter

10 Creative Tips for Your Cover Letter10 Creative Tips for Your Cover Letter10 Creative Tips for Your Cover LetterYouve probably read dozens of articles about how to write a professional, clean titel letter. So many, in fact, that you could write one yourself. Were going to spend this article talking about how to make a creative titel letter that stands out from the pack. After all, if were all writing the same professional cover letter, none of us are considered unique.Being unique is an extremely important factor in the hiring process. Sure employers want a team player as well as a solid individual worker. But the individuality aspect of your personality is far more important that your strength as a team worker. Employers want to know that you are special. They want to know that theres something more than cover letter tutorials and editors backing you up.So, we turn to creativity. Below are ten ways to make your cover letter attention-grabbing and interesting without going overbo ard. Well toss in an example for each one.1. Be passionate about your career.If loving to create is wrong, I dont want to be right. Im confident that the rest of the team at Sylvan feels the same way which is one of the many reasons why I think Id be a perfect fit for your next hire.Proving that the job means more to you than money is key when youre trying to impress a possible employer. You dont want to come across as someone who is generating a cookie-cutter cover letter that can apply in all fields. Be passionate about what you want to do convince your audience that this is the only career path for you. This makes for an intriguing, eye-catching cover letter.Its a bonus if youre actually passionate about your job but making those emotions obvious is the important takeaway here. Make sure to include the name of the company in your introduction, and do your best to tie in the position for which youre applying. A well-rounded intro is only good if you make it come back around.2. Be passionate about the job.I spent the vast majority of my childhood in Brooklyn, reading WSN newspapers and wishing I could be as talented as the resume writers on staff. I started writing myself. I kept that passion, and its helped shape my career from starting as a freelancer to leading a team of my own which is what led me to apply for this position at WSN.In the same way, that you need to convince your employer that you love what you do, you need to convince them that you love the company. This isnt always possible with small, upstart companies (its going to be pretty obvious what youre doing) but its absolutely possible with large, well-established companies that have been around since your teenage years. Arguing that the company had a personal impact on your life makes you a viable candidate. Your employer can make the safe assumption that youre committed to the team and that, in a way, this a dream come true for you.3. Start with an accomplishment.My previous employer u sed to poke fun of me for my inability to walk away from a potential sale which is what led me to become the top salesperson in my division after three months on the job. Im ready for a new challenge, and thats why Ive decided to apply for this position at General RV.If youre not ready for the passionate route, trying going to the all-out impressive route. Instead of plucking at your employers heartstrings, pull at their need for quality employees. If you were the top salesman at your last job, mention it. If you were given a promotion about just two weeks, mention it. If you won an award, mention it.Dont be over-the-top with it. Youre just stating a casual fact about yourself. But make it obvious that youre not someone to be overlooked you have an awful lot to bring to the table, and you know it.4. Grab their attention with humor.Thank you very much for offering me the manager position at Buzzfeed Im more than willing to accept. Alright, I know we arent there yet. But, if we were , here are fifteen reasons why Id be a wonderful team manager and player.Maybe you dont like to brag. If you dont know how to write a passionate introduction, and youre really not sure what to do try using humor. You shouldnt tell an outright joke. That can get very cheesy, very fast. But try to be playful with your introduction.5. Open with a famous quote.Ghandi once said, Be the change you wish to see in the world. Well, actually, he said something much longer than that which was later translated to be the popular quote we know and love today. But he wasnt wrong. Im ready to make a change in the world through knowledge of our past which is why Im applying for the historian position at the Carnegie Library.It can be corny, opening with a famous quote. But it can also highlight your level of intelligence assuming, of course, that you dont choose a household quote that everyone and their grandmother already knows. If you pick something interesting that actually ties into the rest of your letter, it will be an asset rather than a mistake.6. Speak as if youve already been hired.When I ran across this job opening last week, I knew I had to apply. Ive been waiting for an opportunity to prove myself as a writer, and it looks like this is it. Not only do you have amazing clients, but the mission of your company matches closely with my personal mission. Together, I think we can do some pretty great things.This tactic just makes your letter easier to write. Youre not being too self-centered. Youre just being confident. When it comes to your resume and cover letter, confidence is key. Its not something that you should be ashamed of and, if done correctly, this particular strategy will be seamless. Your potential employer wont even realize that you used it7. Keep your introduction short and sweet.Writing can be prosperous when its done correctly. Let me show you what my writing experience can do for your company.Well keep the explanation short and sweet, as well. Employers like to-the-point attitudes.8. Use numbers to make a point.Eighteen basketball players. Six coaches. Two producers. One college president. These are the ingredients for a quality team, but youre missing one important flavor a manager. Luckily, I can help you there.Especially for managerial positions, using numbers in your introduction can show that you know what youre talking about. You shouldnt pull unterstellung numbers from nowhere they should be well-researched and used carefully. But its always a good idea to show off your knowledge of the craft. In this example, the applicant is showing off their knowledge of a particular basketball team. The result is smooth and collected.9. Be painstakingly honest.When I was five years old, I smashed my head through our front door during a particularly bad temper tantrum. Since then, Ive learned about mold and cheap wood and how neither of those things belonged in our mysteriously affordable Victorian home. This, and other perso nal experiences, leads me to believe that Im a great fit for the team manager position at Oswald Construction.This is about as close as you can get to making an actual joke in your cover letter. Play at the readers sense of humor. This is your opportunity to share a funny story or something embarrassing about yourself. Dont be afraid to be honest, even when it hurts. Youre showing your potential employer that youre capable of poking fun at yourself, and learning from the experience.10. Consider making a video.Weve provided examples for the rest of our tips, but weve simply going to provide a link for this one. To check out Graeme Anthony (an up-and-coming PR practitioner) and his online cover letter, click here.Going the technological route makes you look media-savvy and creative. It also takes a certain level of independence and time management to create a professional, but intriguing, video that doesnt completely lose the attention of your audience halfway through. By going this extremely unconventional route, youre showing your potential employer that you arent going to be outdone.Keep in mind, however, that most serious job applicants write separate cover letters for each job they attempt to acquire. Having one video is impressive, but it falls short of the individual attention employers except you to provide for their position. If youre going to commit to an online version of your cover letter, youll have to (1) make separate videos for each of your applications, or (2) only use your video for special positions.And there you have it ten ways to make your cover letter both interesting and professional.Good luck

What Job Descriptions Can Reveal About Employers

What Job Descriptions Can Reveal About Employers What Job Descriptions Can Reveal About Employers When you are researching a potential employer, there are numerous sources of information the companys website and social media presence, reviews on Glassdoor, and of course, good old-fashioned Googling. But dont overlook the power of job descriptions- theres a lot they can tell you a lot about a company.Just like your resume is a marketing document, selling you as the product, job descriptions exist to sell candidates on a company and a role. A job descriptions content and tone can provide job seekers with a number of insights about the employer.Workplace cultureFor example, start-up and tech companies often highlight their open and collaborative work environments. In many cases, this means they have an open office layout. Open offices have both huge fans and huge detractors. If youve never worked in an open office environment, be sure to read up on the trend as part of your job research .Many start-ups and tech companies use open office layouts. They arent for everyone.These companies want to attract top talent, so they offer unique benefits, and advertise them in their job descriptions. (Think in-office beer fridges on-site chefs preparing organic, locally-sourced meals or airfare allowances of thousands of dollars. These are all actual benefits offered by various start-ups and tech companies in Seattle.) But if you prefer to not blur the lines between work and play- and between your work life and your home life- such companies might not be your best bet.Company culture is an important consideration, because succeeding and advancing at work often comes down to not just ability or results, but to how well you fit in with the company culture. Many times, job descriptions can clue you in on what that culture is.Clarity and goalsIf you come across a job description thats full of jargon and buzzwords, but light on detail, youve likely found a company that doesnt know q uite what its hiring for. Another possible indicator is a job description that asks for impossibly wide-ranging skills, or numerousdifferent types of outputs expected on a regular basis. Measuring success in a role thats loosely defined can be tough- and it can mean that you miss out on chances for advancement.Overly broad or especially unclear job descriptions can also indicate that a company is trying to stretch its budget and hire one person to carry out the functions of multiple jobs. Some might view that as an opportunity, while others might see it as a burden. It all depends on your goals and expectations.Pace and focusFast-paced, deadline-driven work environments dont always leave time for pursuing big-picture goals.Constant deadlines and constant pressure do not directly translate into meaningful work they often mean busywork, and many small tasks in place of larger goals. If you are a big-picture person, a company that focuses on daily deadlines might not give you the time or opportunity to focus on anything else.If you find deadlines exhilarating, you might thrive on that tempo and feel aimless in a slower-paced job. Or maybe youwant a job where you work hard while youre there, but dont take your job home with you.Reading job descriptions carefully can give you a sense of whether a role is focused on numerous short-term goals or on fewer long-term ones. Fast-paced, urgency, and deadline-driven are just a few common terms that should be red flags for job seekers more interested in big-picture roles.Whatever pace you prefer, make sure your resume demonstrates it. Echo the keywords from the job descriptions throughout your resume wherever they fit to help build your candidacy.Knowing what you want in your next job is important. If your job search tactic is to submit as many applications as possible, youre incredibly unlikely to ever be among the top candidates for any job- even if your qualifications are a match. Only the top 2 percent of job applicants are offered interviews, according to Robert Meier, president of Job Market Experts. To be among the top 2 percent of candidates for a job, you need to not only be qualified, but to have customized your application for that specific job.To gauge how well youve targeted your resume for a specific job, run it through Jobscans online resume analysis tool. It offers not just a match rating, but personalized feedback on how to improve your resume.Read job descriptions carefully and then apply for the best jobs, not the most jobs. Submitting targeted resumes to carefully-chosen roles dramatically boosts your chances of landing in that top 2 percent of candidates. Thats how youll get an interview- and a job.

Pro Tips for Closing Your Sales Opportunities

Pro Tips for Closing Your Sales OpportunitiesPro Tips for Closing Your Sales OpportunitiesIf you asked a hundred ausverkauf professionals what their best tips forclosing a sale are, you would get a hundred different responses. You would hear the old school crowd preaching the benefits of the assumptive and Colombo closes.The newer breed would claim that a sale is simply the result of the relationship and therapportyou have to build with the customer. While closing techniques are as varied as the schlussverkauf professionals employing them, there are some tried and true tips to effectively close a sale. 01Earn the RightBefore you can expect to close a sale, you must first earn the right to ask for the sale. You earn the right by delivering on your promisesand by following up on customer questions. You earn the right by showing up for appointments on time, prepared and eager to serve the customer. Focus each call on how you can help the customer instead of what you can get from the cus tomer, and you will eventually earn the right to ask for the sale.02Ask for Next StepsAfter any customer call or completed action item, ask the customer what he or she thinks should be the next steps. If they are unsure, make suggestions of next steps that move you closer to a close. Remember that the next step could be to close the sale. Often, inexperienced sales professionals add too many steps before trying to close a sale.03Begin With the End in MindEach step you take in a sales cycle should be leading you towards partnering with your customer. With each customer interaction, remind yourself of where you want to go and focus your efforts on moving in that direction. Without knowing where you are going, you may find yourself taking steps that lead you away from closing the sale. Keep focused on your purpose during each step in the sales process.04Give and ReceiveIn most sales cycles, your customers will ask for something. Whether they ask for information, a lower price, product demonstrations or customer referrals, expect that you will be giving a lot during the sales cycle.A good rule to remember is that you should always ask for something after you give something. For example, if the customer asks for a demonstration, ask for their commitment to move forward to the next steps if the demonstration proves that your product or service will fulfill their need.While it may be better to give than to receive, in the sales world, giving and receiving are both equal players with equal amounts of importance.05Sell More ValueIn a price-sensitive market, the winner is the one who can show mora value than the asking price. Value is determined not by the market but by your customer. Show them that your product or service has more intrinsic value than the price, and the sale is yours.06Under PromiseA mistake that many rookie sales professionals make is to promise something that they cannot deliver. For example, if you are selling a product that requires the item be shi pped, tell the customer when to expect the item and never suggest that you can get it to them sooner than what is realistic. It is better to tell them that delivery will take longer than what it probably will.?07Over DeliverIf you followed tip No. 6, you will have ample opportunity to over deliver. Delivering an item earlier than expected will be seen by most customers as you going above and beyond for them. However, if youve over promised, youve probably set yourself up to under deliver. This creates a diminished sense of value in the customers mind, making it more challenging for you to close the sale.08Be Nice To Your EnemiesYou will have competition in every sale. Competition can come in the form of another company or from the potential of your customer making no decision. If you put down your competition, you immediately put the customer on the defensive. Doing so may cost you the sale. Instead, praise the competition where they are strong and point out where your company outsh ines everyone else.09Prepare and PlanIf youve done your work and have built more perceived value than the price you are asking, its time for you to prepare and to plan for the close. Preparing includes gathering all the information, paperwork, forms, etc. that the customer will need to move forward. Planning means to anticipate any last-minute objections and how you will respond to them.10Close Your MouthThe golden rule in sales is simple After a closing question is asked, the first person who talks loses. In other words, if youve earned the right to ask for a sale, ask for the sale then say nothing. Rookie sales professionals often talk themselves into and out of a sale.Their excitement and nervousness put their mouths on auto-drive, and they often end up either missing a buying signal or, worse yet, keep talking and end up bringing up something that the customer hadnt thought about yet. New thoughts in a closing situation usually result in sales delays.The temptation to talk is gr eat, but once you learn how to resist the temptation and how to close your mouth, your sales closing percentages will increase.

Facts, Fiction and How Many Skills to Put on Resume

Facts, Fiction and How Many Skills to Put on Resume Definitions of How Many Skills to Put on Resume Employers want to realize that you have what it requires to be successful at work. They are likely to favor applicants who do bedrngnis need extensive cash-handling experience. How Many Skills to Put on Resume Can Be Fun for Everyone Some of the greatest buzzwords arent trendy, and you dont will need to appear far to locate them. Then make a list of your matching skills that youre able to incorporate in your resume. Look out for keywords to spell out your core qualifications, key professional and individual skills. Double-check if youre utilizing the ideal abilities and experience keywords. A willingness to learn is likewise an indication which you know the significance of adapting to new conditions. In the majority of cases, soft skills are always more considered since they are difficult to produce and build. As stated earlier, assessing soft skills is significantly more difficult. Hard skills to put on a resume are things which you can do that are especially linked to the job in question or the industry youre going to be working in. The How Many Skills to Put on Resume Stories Most standard resume formats incorporate a skill section at or close to the bottom of the resume. The skills section of your resume must encompass all your very best qualities and attributes in a quick summary. In reality, there are particular jobs in which its important to platzdeckchen a skill section at or close to the top of the resume. Perhaps your skill set is totally different. How Many Skills to Put on Resume and How Many Skills to Put on Resume - The Perfect Combination In other words, skills are definitely the most significant part any resume and candidate and if youre writing a resume for your next job, you ought to take a look at the very best skills in demand for virtually any job in the business. So its vital to be certain you highlight the appropriat e skills. Hard skills arent skills that are really hard to learn. Some skills could be relevant while others arent. So, having the capability to drive is most likely the top rated hard skill you have to have to do the job. If you get a particular job in mind, youll want to look for the skills necessary to do that work well and include the ones which you share which are relevant. The Secret to How Many Skills to Put on Resume Completely free certifications arent the only way how to construct a resume to have a dream job. If youre interested in turning in an application for a particular job, review the post carefully and pay attention to the list of skill requirements. Rather than treating the experience section as a boring collection of earlier employers, harness its power with the addition of bullet points which will offer information regarding the skills you used or mastered at work. You may find below a list of the greatest skills you may put on your resume based on the sor t of job that you are applying for. For example, if you try to apply for a Chinese-English interpreting job, you have to be fluent in both languages otherwise you would not really qualify for the position. To begin with, if youre seeing a great deal of hard skills that you just dont have, it could be better to move on to the next position. On occasion youre likely to be requested to send your cover letter as an email in the area of distinct document. If you ought to be requesting for work away from the usa, start by means of a template to acquire a CV as an alternate to a resume. Review their About Us page and see whether your soft abilities or attributes are aligned with the providers core values. You should simply opt for the one which you must use and then use your resume example in order to make the very best letter for your resume. Life, Death and How Many Skills to Put on Resume If youre working in an organization, there are chances that you must work in a team. Your capacity to listen helps them understand that youre customer focused. The competitive climate of the work market has gotten to a fever pitch lately. There are scores and scores of people with the exact same graduate degrees aiming for that 1 place in an organization.

The Fundamentals of Real Life 101 Resume Writing Revealed

The Fundamentals of Real Life 101 Resume Writing Revealed Effective networking may have a domino effect and set you into contact with professionals who can help open doors of opportunity for you both now and later on. Volunteering is another good method to develop new skills. The 5-Minute Rule for Real Life 101 Resume Writing Finding a job requires more than merely a certification. Adjusting your mind within the first couple of years is a costly choice. When you would like to share a guide, right click on an namen in the short article, buffer the image together with the article connection. If you would like to learn how to make your work meaningful, Skillshare offers over 17,000 classes full of modern abilities and techniques from experts in their area. Only as long as you do the proper actions. Following your initial premium payment, you can decrease or increase the sum of your death benefit. Regardless of the sort of life insurance you get, most policies require that y ou meet certain guidelines regarding your way of life and medical history. There are many sorts of life insurance policies based on your aims. You believe you are too old to prosper. Sure, it could be a slow progress, but its still an advancement. Volunteer and life experiences might be more valuable and marketable than you believe. You will even be made to stop. It is possible to discover an endless number of great courses. Term life insurance is a favorite choice on account of the lengthy rate-guarantee periods. You keep both busy, you will be here a very long time. At the conclusion of all of the outside forces at the moment, you are going to be pleased you started at some point. Be sure to update all the on-line profiles youve got, in order for your story is consistent. The purpose of the fish story is merely that the absolute most obvious, important realities are frequently the ones which are hardest to see and chat about. My luxury in life is I dont need to work to death just to earn a living. In case you have something to say, speak to them. Dont pray for a rolle to hire you just so you may acquire experience. If a person responds, speak with them. Saying you own a lot of really close friends may force you to appear to be a liar or a shallow individual. There are lots of techniques to upskill outside work. If youre really very good at selling health insurance, perhaps you need to try to figure out the way to apply your skills to selling cars. Japanese individuals eat white rice each day, sometimes adding noodles. Everybodys career is apparently flourishing. The perfect way to explain self deception is to provide you with direct examples of it. Getting experience with real-life products is the very best approach to learn UX. You might even discover you really delight in working with a particular cause or organization. After the school has an emergency, shes frequently the person who must field the calls from worried parents and keep calm in hectic circumstances. Lets take a second to think of the aims of the organization you wish to work for. For instance, an excellent answer might be, I understand the school is among the greatest in the state for its bilingual program, and I fluently speak Spanish.