Government Leader home > August 2005 issue
August 2005; Vol. 1 No. 3
Bookshelf: How to become a senior exec
By Trudy Walsh
Most books on how to find a federal job are about as interesting as the tax code. But Get Hired! How to Land the Ideal Federal Job and Negotiate a Top Salary offers a mountain of helpful advice in a visually appealing, easy-to-read format.
Author Lily Whiteman, a federal career coach at the U.S. Mint, based the book on the experiences of people she worked with who successfully found federal jobs.
Peppered with helpful tips, pull-out quotes and New Yorker cartoons, the book concentrates on breaking into the federal job market, but Whiteman also has advice for current federal workers who want to move up into the Senior Executive Service.
A GS-14 or GS-15 looking to move up into the senior ranks should put a lot of effort into the Executive Core Qualifications, or ECQs—the bane of every federal job applicant’s existence, Whiteman said. “Most people would rather eat ground glass than write those essays,” Whiteman said. To write a standout essay, Whiteman suggests you:
Write about your success stories. “Hiring managers want examples, examples, examples,” Whiteman said.
Provide objective feedback, not just self-promotion. Whiteman suggests you quote positive feedback from a performance review or any written or verbal kudos from anybody in the organization’s hierarchy.
List articles you’ve published. “It’s a great credential,” Whiteman said. “Once you’re published, it’s almost like having a Ph.D. People think you know what you’re talking about.”
Perhaps the biggest barrier to moving up the government ranks is a lack of perseverance, Whiteman said. “You might encounter rejection that has nothing to do with your skills. But keep trying. Your fate can turn on a dime tomorrow.”
|
![Government Leader[justice]](/images/govleader_smlogo.gif "Government Leader [justice]"){kind=small}
