Sunday, January 26, 2020
BEGINNING A FEDERAL OR GOVERNMENT JOB TIPS | What to do in Your First 30...
Would you like to know what to expect when starting your new federal or government job? Do you want to know how to negotiate you salary and vacation days? Discover the number one thing you should do within 30-90-days of getting hired into a new federal position.
======================================
🤔 Need help with that Federal Resume - Contact US
📕📗📘FEDERAL RESUME SUPPORT📘📗📕
👉 Visit https://www.fiverr.com/josephmercer/provide-usajobs-resume-writing-service for full details! 👈
======================================
💡 Subscribe:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtbwO0iNqFi7Pkg77taiXLQ?sub_confirmation=1
🔴 VISIT THE DISCUSSION BLOG
https://career-motivation.blogspot.com/
🔴 VISIT OUR WEBSITE
https://www.career-motivation.com
🔴 CONNECT WITH US
🔹Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careermotivation2
🔹Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycareermotivation
🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/blakrogue2
#josephmercer
#leadership
#motivation
#careermoto
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Friday, January 10, 2020
A Different Look: Private Sector vs Federal Job Resumes
Updated on JANUARY 10, 2020 by JOSEPH MERCER
Knowing the Difference Can Get You Hired!
A resume for one industry is not the same as a resume for
another industry. With that in mind, different sectors also have different
resumes. Federal jobs use a different style of resume than a private sector
job.
Why do you need to know the difference? In order to be the
best candidate for a job, you should have the right resume. To help you with
that process, we are going to take a look at the biggest differences between
private sector resumes and federal job resumes.
Specific Requirements
Most private sector jobs just assume that you know what
should be included in your resume. This isn’t very helpful for someone who is
applying to work in a position they have never held before. One great part of
federal job listings it that they will often include specific details about
what they are expecting from your resume.
These details include length, how far back information
should be provided for, what is relevant, and any other specific information.
Make sure to read this before starting to write your resume. You don’t
want to have to go back and change everything you have written.
A specific requirement to keep an eye out for is an essay or
short response section. Depending on the level of federal job that you are
applying to, you may be asked to write an essay or short response. Missing this
will almost always cause you to be disqualified from the position you are
applying to.
Generic Resume Vs. Specific Resume
While you might be able to get away with using one resume
for all of your applications in the private sector, especially if they are all
in the same industry, this doesn’t work for the federal resume. Your federal
resume should be tailored to the position you are applying for. This is
important as each position has different requirements and they are looking for
you to demonstrate those requirements on the resume.
Also remember the first bullet point. Federal jobs often
give specific requirements for how you format your resume and what to include
in it. A generic resume will not fit that need.
Length of the Resume
If you have ever written a public sector resume you know the
challenge of trying to pair the document down to one page, two-page max. Public
sector hiring managers do not want to read overly long documents and would
rather have a very brief overview of everything you have done in your career.
A federal job resume is far more detailed. Before being
considered for a federal, military, or contractor job, the government wants to
make sure they know who they are hiring. Instead of the two-page max, a federal
resume can end up being around 5-8 pages depending on your work experience and
education.
In the end, your private sector resume will be a quick and
easy read, guided by the bullet points, while the federal sector resume will
read more like a paper about yourself.
Detailed Contact Information Vs General Contact Information
One of the details that a federal resume requires is the
contact information for everyone listed on the resume. On your resume, you
should have your phone number, email address, and mailing address. You can
often leave at least the mailing address off private sector resumes now that
there is such a large focus on email communication.
For each job listed on a federal resume you also have to
list contact information for each supervisor or manager that you have had. At a
federal job, they will contact each manager or supervisor as a recommendation.
Bullet Points Vs Descriptions
When most people think of resumes, they think of bullet
point documents that list out a very brief description of either a task or
skill related to that job. These bullet points are typically limited to three
or four bullet points per job title you have had. Each bullet point is as
compact as possible, less than a line in the document.
In the federal sector, you are expected to write a paragraph
description for each position you have held. In this paragraph, you are
expected to give a detailed description of your job duties and skills
associated with that job.
Keywords
In general, on a private sector resume, you are going to
want to intersperse keywords throughout your resume to make it appealing and to
hit everything. With the federal style resume, you are going to instead put
keywords at the beginning of every section or paragraph. This helps to start
with the basic relevant information then get detailed from there. As you
imagine, this makes sorting through hundreds or thousands of resumes for one
position much easier.
When adding keywords to a federal resume you can write them
all caps to help make them stand out.
Accomplishments
Not every civilian resume lists accomplishments but when
they do, it tends to be as a small part of the overall resume. Federal-style
resumes include an accomplishments section where you highlight things you have
accomplished through your career and in your education.
Education
Almost all resumes require that you put any education you
have gone through on them. The difference is that in private sector resumes you
tend to only put your school name, graduation date, and what you specialized
in. You might also put any clubs or extracurricular you participated in.
For a federal resume, you are going to want to put in all of
the details about your schooling. From your GPA to your years attended, to any
special accomplishments, you don’t want to hold back. The only thing you should
leave off is a list of your classes as that would likely be pretty long.
Veteran Status
If you are veteran apply for a federal position it is
essential that you make it clear on your resume that you served. Almost all
federal positions have what is known as veterans preference. This gives you
extra points when your application is being weighed. Depending on the position
that you are applying for, you may be able to get more than just extra points
due to your veteran status.
When writing a resume for any job position it doesn’t hurt
to go and look at samples. Just remember to look at samples that are as similar
as possible to the position that you are applying for. That includes looking at
private sector samples vs. federal samples. Make sure to use the right format
and the right language for each resume that you write. With this list, you
should be equipped to start your resume and craft a winning final product.
Need Help With Your Federal Resume?
I've have over a decade of experience writing reviewing and recommending federal job applicant resumes. CLICK HERE to learn more about how we can help you get hired for that dream federal position.
Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant to business, success, entrepreneurship, leadership, community enhancement, and personal development. You can find out more about us at www.career-moviation.com.
Sources:
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Ten Ways to Deal With a Lack of Motivation in Your Career
Updated on JANUARY 02, 2020 by JOSEPH MERCER
Being in a career with a lack of motivation is
a good way to become stagnant and find yourself in the same place for a long
period of time. A lack of motivation can lead to a lack of upward momentum and
some people even experience depression. Most people have at least one point in
their career where they experience a lack of motivation. The good news is that
there are multiple ways you can deal with a lack of motivation.
Know Your Career and Your Career
Path
It isn’t uncommon to take a job just to get
your foot in the door to an industry. Just being in a career though. You need
to determine what career you want to go into.
After you know what career you want to take
up, you are going to need to decide what the path to your end goal is. Do you
want to end up as a director? Running your own business? Manager? Etc. How are
you going to get there? You may want to move from being in your position to
being in a senior position doing what you do, to becoming a manager, and so on.
Chart out your career path and save this chart, along with all of the other
material you use when following these tips so you can reference it later.
Take A Look At All You Have Done
Chances are that if you are starting to lack
motivation in your career you have been in the field for a while. No matter
what you do for work if you have been in the field a while you have had a
chance to leave your mark. Take a look at all of the work you have done. That
work is an accomplishment you should be proud of.
Use that accomplishment to motivate you to
continue doing well and to exceed your past performance. Challenge yourself to
do more.
Set Goals For Yourself
Along the same lines as the first tip, you can
use goals that you establish for future work to help as motivation. Create a
list of achievable goals that you can use as a reference while you work to
achieve them. Without written goals, most people have a hard time following
through.
Make sure that your goals have milestones so
that your progress can be tracked. Progress helps to build motivation in
between the achievement of individual goals. For example, if your goal is to
make 50 sales in a month, a milestone might be to be halfway there in the
middle of the month.
Take Stock and Be Patient
Sometimes we tend to expect forward momentum
consistently throughout our careers. This is rather unfair to ourselves. We
can’t move forward until we have thoroughly learned our current position and
had the time to demonstrate it as such.
Take a few deep breaths when you are feeling a
lack of motivation and remember this is helping you get to where you want to
be.
Make Time To Sleep
According to the CDC, only 2 out of every 3
Americans get enough sleep. Per the guidelines that the CDC has set forth, they
recommend that an adult get no less than 7 hours of sleep in order to function
properly and recuperate every day.
Being emotionally and physically exhausted
often stems from a lack of sleep. If either or both happen, you will have a
very hard time finding your motivation. For the sake of your career, it is important
to make time to sleep.
Many will argue that they are too busy every
day to get enough sleep. Sleep is important enough that you need to make time
to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, if not more. With sleep, you will find
that you will be energized and ready to work.
Take A Vacation
A good amount of the time when we start to
lack motivation it is because we haven’t taken a break from work. Doing the
same thing every day can quickly get tiresome and feel repetitive. Take a break
away from work and relax.
If your current employer does not offer
adequate vacation time, it may be time to move your career to a new place of
business.
Find A Mentor
Most businesses do not have a formal
membership program, although that is slowly changing. Big companies like Intel,
General Electric, Time Warner Cable, Boeing, and Liberty Mutual have
high-quality mentorship programs in place. For those of us who work at a
company that doesn’t have one of these programs in place, we need to find our
own mentor
.
Once you have a mentor they will help you to
develop a plan for your career. They can’t tell you what your motivation is or
where you should go but they can help you work to discover it.
It May Be Time To Move Up
Sometimes a lack of motivation is a sign that
you have been in your position too long and it is time to move up or start
learning to take a new position. Start looking into new positions at your
employer or studying content that will help you move up.
Consider Moving To A New Company
Not every company is the same to work for.
Every company has different benefits packages and different specific niches.
Take a look at your company and evaluate if it is where you truly want to work.
If the answer is no, it is time to look for a new employer so you can start to
find your motivation again.
Change Your Work Environment
It can be pretty difficult to find motivation
in a career if the workplace isn’t designed to fuel motivation. Take a look at
your environment and determine if it needs a change.
The first thing to do to make an environment
motivational is to make it a caring and visually appealing environment. Stock
white walls with no decorations and glaring fluorescent lights make a place
feel inhuman. A little decoration can go a long way towards motivating
employees.
By adding standing desks or desks that can
raise, you can get employees off their feet and help to stimulate blood flow.
With this ability, they will be better able to find their motivation.
These are just a few tips to change your
environment. If you don’t have your own office, talk with your employer to get
permission to change your environment. Going into that discussion armed with
statistics, facts, information, and sources can help you to demonstrate to an
employer how the changes can benefit their business.
Using these tips you can start to overcome a lack
of motivation. An important part of that is being committed to success. If you
do not commit you will find yourself having trouble discovering your
motivation. Get out there now and seize your career.
Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant to business, success, entrepreneurship, leadership, community enhancement, and personal development. You can find out more about us at www.career-moviation.com.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
10 Tips for Getting Your Dream Job in 2020
Updated on DECEMBER 17, 2019 by JOSEPH MERCER
The new year brings the hope of new opportunities and change
for many individuals. Many people are making New Year’s resolutions to do
everything from getting in better shape to quitting smoking. But what about
that old job that you have been working on for years that seems to be going
nowhere? Or what about those that are still struggling to find gainful
employment.
 |
| 10 Tips for Getting Your Dream Job in 2020 |
Well, 2020 is a great year to look into gaining better
employment, improving your quality of life and getting on the pathway to
success. The ManpowerGroup North America, based out of Milwaukee, recently
predicted employment increases in many sectors of the American job market in a
recent Employment Outlook Survey, which highlights the employment plans of
employers across America.
With those facts in mind, we need to start preparing now to be
ready to take advantage of employment opportunities in the year 2020.
Here are my ten tips for getting that dream job in 2020.
1. Create a Listing of Your Accomplishments
Tracking your accomplishments equips you with the
foundation information needed for the resume and interview phases of the job
search process. An accomplishments list is a record of the accomplishments and
achievements you have obtained in your career. It outlines the major
contributions you have made to each career position you’ve held and any
recognition you received on or off the job. It is not a description of your
job duties; it describes the results from you doing these duties.2. Build a Recommendations Portfolio
The cornerstone of any Job Seeker's employment campaign
should always be their recommendations. You should reach out to people you know
and trust and try to gain good recommendations from them and ask if you can
also use them as a reference for any potential employer inquiries. Be sure to
obtain their current phone numbers, email addresses, and appropriate times to
call. LinkedIn is an excellent platform for requesting and displaying
recommendations.
3. Manage Your Online Reputation
These days your online reputation is often reviewed by
potential employers when considering you for employment. In many cases, your
social profiles will be the source of your first impression to the hiring
authority. So, get some professional-looking photos on your LinkedIn profile
and other professional networking sites. Update your LinkedIn profile and
optimize it so that it has the most UpToDate information, contacts,
recommendations, skill information, etc. These factors will go a long way to
making a positive first impression on a potential employer and provide a chance
for you to highlight your skills and accomplishments.4. Create a Professional Development Plan
What is a professional development plan, and why is it
important for those currently in the job market?
A professional development plan is a list of actionable
steps to achieve career goals. Not only does it help you to define your
aspirations for the future, but it also shows potential employers that you are
seeking continual improvement and that you will become an even greater asset to
their organization in the future. Things that should be included in your development
plan are reading lists, certifications to obtain, seminars to attend, and professional
training and college courses.
5. Join Professional Organizations
Joining a professional organization or club related to your
job field is a very important step for a job seeker. First, it is a great
networking opportunity where you will meet lots of people in your field and
sometimes potential employers. Second, professional organizations provide
insight into the type of skills and certifications required to advance within
your career field. Most importantly, stating that you are a member of a
professional organization on your resume shows that you are an active member of
your career community and that you consider your employment as a profession and
not just a job.
6. Review Job Listings
When you first start to look for a new job, it is important
to do your research and get to know what is available out in the job market. In
other words, do your research. Don’t just look for variations of your current
job; look for career alternatives as well. Create a target list of companies
that you would like to work for and the types of employment opportunities that
you would like to pursue. Finally, create job alerts on popular job search
websites that will inform you when jobs that fit your search profile are
available.7. Set Aside a Daily Time for Job Searching
To be successful in your job search, you have to be
consistent. The best way to do this is to have a dedicated time set aside each
day to work on your job searches and your application submissions. This time could
be in the morning before your day gets busy or in the evening before you go to
bed. Whenever you decide, make a ritual out of it and stick with it.
8. Update Your Resume and Cover Letters
A blanket resume designed to fit all positions is no longer
an option in today’s job market. You need to keep your resume updated and
ensure that you tailor each resume submission to fit the requirements of each
job announcement. Make sure to identify all applicable skill sets required for
the position and you highlight your accomplishments rather than your duties.
Your cover letter should not restate your resume. It should highlight how you
plan to contribute to the employer’s organization and the skills and experience
that you have to offer them.9. Know Your Worth
One of the most important aspects to think about when
considering new employment is how much you are going to get paid. You should
conduct salary research within your career field to set reasonable expectations
for yourself when conducting job searches and conducting interviews.
10. Refresh Your Wardrobe
As previously stated, a great first impression goes a long
way with hiring officials. Updating your interview attire is a simple way to
gain a win in the first impression category.
Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant to business, success, entrepreneurship, leadership, community enhancement, and personal development. You can find out more about me at career-moviation.com.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Get Prepared for Your Opportunity
Updated on NOVEMBER 30, 2019 by JOSEPH MERCER
I've often heard it said that it's better to be prepared
than to be lucky because luck may gain you access to something but preparation
and knowledge will help you keep it. The same is true with opportunity, many
people sit around waiting for the perfect opportunity to occur for them; but
what is an opportunity if you are not prepared to take full advantage of it
when it occurs. Preparation is the key to "sticking the landing" when
it comes to opportunity.
“Success is
where preparation and opportunity meet.”
- Bobby Unser
Chances are, your career won't start out at the top. You
will have to strive for success and spend countless hours reaching for what is
destined to be yours. But if life does provide you with that opportunity; you
have to be ready when it arrives. Ready to seize the moment and claim your
destiny. But “getting ready for life’s opportunity” is easier said than done.
How can you get ready for a trip you have never been on before?
1. When opportunity knocks do not complain about the noise
One thing to remember about opportunity is that it will
never show up in a form that you expected. Benjamin Disraeli,
said that we are often surrounded by opportunity but we are too busy with our
lives to recognize it. Opportunities show up in our lives everyday and they
pass us by because we do not recognize them as opportunities. 2. When opportunity knocks be up and dressed
Many people are living their lives driving in the slow lane
with their gear set on neutral. They have the belief that when opportunity arrives,
they will miraculously shift into high gear, skip three lanes over into the Fastlane
and conquer success. Opportunity only works if a person is prepared for the challenge.
Don’t expect the opportunities in your life to slow down or wait for you to
catch up. Remember, an opportunity is an opening in the Fastlane not a reduction
in speed.3. Open the door before opportunity knocks
Being prepared takes more than practice, you have to assume
the role and start thinking like you have the opportunity prior to its arrival.
This means networking, volunteering, and studying practice being in the Fastlane
before the opportunity arrives so that when it does you will be ready to roll!
Opportunity preparation is about doing what you can do
within your control to increase the odds of you recognizing the opportunity,
being in the right place for the opportunity, and being prepared for the
opportunity.
Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate
your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, or
LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social
media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant
to business, success, entrepreneurship, leadership, community enhancement, and
personal development. You can find out more about me at joseph-mercer.com.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
How to Survive in a Toxic Working Environment
Updated on NOVEMBER 24, 2019 by JOSEPH MERCER
Toxic work environments not only affect our work life but they also affect our home life and our relationships too. There have been many discussions on how to deal with working in a toxic working environment but I would like to challenge this topic from a different approach.
Its often said that the best way to deal with a toxic workplace is to tune it out, stay positive and to not bring your problems home with you. I think that this is impossible. You are intimately effected by your surroundings as nature has shown us time and time again. Rather than ignore the situation and hope for the better I believe that there are other positive steps that you can take to change your situation from bad to good.
Toxic Work Place Signs
- Narcissistic Boss: Your boss is a spotlight seeker who loves to be the center of attention. Dominates meeting conversations and other discussions. Very reluctant to give credit to subordinates or offer recognition for your accomplishments. He or she will drop names of important people often and remind everyone of their position in the organization. They often have a self-centered agenda and want to exploit you as a means to achieve it. Routinely calling upon you to work beyond your job description and established responsibilities.
- Everyone Wants to Leave: When morale is low and the environment is exceptionally dysfunctional, everyone wants to leave and find a better situation. They seek to move to a different department or even to a new organization. If the attrition rate is high in your organization then this is a clear sign of a toxic work environment.
- Everyone's Pissed: No one seems to be in a good mood or inspired by the work they are doing. The conversation is always centered around the employees' unhappiness and discontent.
- Bad Communication: Changes occur without being staffed or communicated with the rest of the employees. Meetings are held in the absence of key stakeholders resulting in poor decisions and planning efforts for the business or organization.
- Employee Sickness: Employees suffer from high levels of illness due to burnout or fatigue. Some employees call in sick because they just do not feel like coming to work and dealing with the stress.
- "My" Leadership Philosophy: Bosses and managers reference employees and resources as personal belongs. Degrading the team dynamic and the concept of employee ownership within the organization.
- Boy's Club Mentality: An exclusive group of men within the office , which may not be senior leaders, serve as the gateway and decision making authority for the organization.
- Culture of Discrimination: Qualified women and minorities are often passed over or not considered for promotions and raises, which are given to under performing men.
Toxic Workplace Affects on Employee Health
The affect of a toxic workplace does not stop when you get off the clock in most cases it follows the person home and they think about their work problems at home. The more toxic the environment the dramatic the effect is on the employee's home life.
Toxic Workplace Affects on Employee Relationships
Your relationships with your friends and family can also be adversely affected by a toxic environment at work. In many cases the emotional baggage and stress one feels at work is taken home with them and displaced on the ones they love. This cause critical issues in relationships and broken homes some of which never be recovered.Prolonged exposure to a toxic workplace can lead to use of alcohol, prescription drugs, and even illegal substance abuse all of which can hurt a person's personal and family life. Life is too short to live under these conditions. There are things you can do to improve your situation.
Escaping a Toxic Workplace
If you find yourself in a toxic work environment, you need to know that its not your fault. Many people have found themselves in the same type of situation, but you have the power to change it for the better.1. Change What You Can Control
A toxic workplace exists because people allow toxic elements to go uncontested in their organizational culture. Address these issues with your Human Resources Department and/or Senior leadership if necessary. Allow them a chance address your concerns.2. Value Yourself
In a toxic work environment it is easy to become depressed and loose self-value due to the way you are being treated and/or disrespected on the routine basis. Remember that you have value and that you are critical part of the team.3. Seek Community
Find a community of people who appreciate and respect you as a person. This will reinforce your since of belong and provide you with a since of self-worth that you may not be getting at work. You can find this at church, a charity organization, or even a community sports team.4. Be Authentic
Be true to yourself. Do not let the things that occur at work change who you are inside. Speak up for yourself and say what's on your mind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)