Navigating steps, grades, and competition through USA Jobs can be overwhelming. This session will teach you the strategies and tips for boosting your federal career. You’ll learn how to maximize your resume, accelerate your advancement, and make a lasting impression on your organization.
reStartEvents 5:9 DC metro & Beyond V-Career Fair Employer Directory.pdf
Movin’ on Up: What you’ve always wanted to know from HR about advancing your career
1. Movin’ on Up:
What you’ve always wanted to know from HR
July 26, 2012
Presented by :
Michelle Lipinski and Rebekah Geiger
2. Agenda
•GS Grade and Step System
•Promotions in the Federal Government
•Core Competencies
•Qualifying for the Job You Want
•Applying Your HR Knowledge
2
5. Core Competencies
o Personal Mastery
o Creative Thinking
o Interpersonal
Effectiveness o Systems Thinking
o Customer Service o Technical Competency
o Flexibility/Adaptability o Organizational
Stewardship
Ten Steps to a Federal Job by K. Troutman
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6. Federalizing Your Resume
o Vacancy Announcements
• Overview
• Duties
• Evaluation
o Qualification Standards
o Classification Standards
Federal Resumes Require More Detail Than Standard Resumes
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7. USOPM Qualifications Standards
Group Coverage Qualification Standards for
Administrative and Management Positions
gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp
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8. What is Specialized Experience?
o One year at the next lower
grade level
o Experience related to the
position
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13. Moving Up In Your Career
o Make a lasting impression
o Identify your career plan
o Advocate for yourself
o Be creative
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14. Resources
NIH Jobs Website (Federal Resume Tips) - http://www.jobs.nih.gov/jobsearch/FederalResume.htm
Federal Agency Core Competencies - www.vetfedjobs.org/competencies.doc
USAJOBS Resource Center - https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Main_Page
Classification Standards for White Collar Work -
http://www.opm.gov/fedclass/html/gsseries.asp
Qualification Standards by Series -
http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp
Subscribe to an OPM List - http://apps.opm.gov/Listserv_Apps/list-sub.cfm
Ten Steps to a Federal Job (Kathryn Troutman) - http://www.resume-place.com/
Emotional Intelligence (Daniel Goleman) - http://danielgoleman.info/topics/emotional-
intelligence/ 14
See last bullet. I also added a slide so there wasn’t an awkward transition; however, it can be deleted
The General Schedule (GS) is the predominant pay scale within the US civil service. The GS includes the majority of white collar (professional, technical, administrative, and clerical) positions. As of September 2004, 71 percent of federal civilian employees were paid under the GS, with the remaining 29 percent were paid under other systems such as the Federal Wage System (WG, for federal blue-collar civilian employees), the Senior Executive Service and the Executive Schedule for high-ranking federal employees, and other unique pay schedules. Starting in 2009, some federal employees were also paid under Pay Bands. All of which are administered by the Office of Personnel Management.The GS is separated into 15 grades (GS-1, GS-2, etc. up to GS-15); each grade is separated into 10 steps. At one time, there were also three GS "supergrades" (GS-16, GS-17 and GS-18); these were eliminated under the provisions of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and replaced by the Senior Executive Service and the more recent Senior Level (non-supervisory) pay scale.The GS-1 through GS-7 range generally marks entry-level positions, while mid-level positions are in the GS-8 to GS-12 range and top-level positions (commonly front-line or mid-level supervisors, high-level technical specialists, or physicians) are in the GS-13 to GS-15 range. A new GS employee is normally employed in the first step of their assigned GS grade, although the employer has discretion to, as a recruiting incentive, authorize initial appointment at a higher step (other agencies may place the employee at a higher grade).Permanent employees below step 10 in their grade normally earn step increases after serving a prescribed period of service in at least a satisfactory manner. The normal progression is 52 weeks (one year) between steps 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4, then 104 weeks (two years) between steps 4-5, 5-6, and 6-7, and finally 156 weeks (three years) between steps 7-8, 8-9, and 9-10. However, an employee can be rewarded for outstanding work performance via a "quality step increase", which advances the employee one step within grade regardless of time at the previous step.Banded Systems create broader pay bands or “clusters” within which employees fall. They are less specific than the GS pay scale and are promotion-based. Each agency sets its own band expectations and salaries. Promotions are typically more merit-based than seniority-based. Banded systems include a pay-for-performance system: bonuses and salary augmentations based on accomplishments and pay increases are not necessarily accompanied by promotions.If an agency is not on the GS pay scale:Ask for their pay banding chart, which should include what the range of salaries is for each pay band.Ask if they have information on how to overlay the GS scale on top of their pay bands.Federal employees can (and do) change jobs between agencies, so the agency must be able to translate from GS grades and steps to their own system of pay bands. While the pay bands may not overlap perfectly with GS levels, there should be a clear, explainable relationship.For example, consider a theoretical agency that might have the following three pay bands: band I - $35,000 to $60,000; band II - $60,000 to $90,000; band III - $90,000 to $115,000. At such an agency, GS-12 steps 1, 2, and 3 might fall into pay band I, while GS-12 steps 4 and above might fall into pay band II.Departments and agencies that have utilized pay banding programs for some or all employees include:Department of Homeland Security (DHS)Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Government Accountability Office (GAO)Intelligence Community AgenciesInternal Revenue Service (IRS)National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Articulate the difference between competitive and non-competitive promotions………..Depending on the agency and the work description, a GS position may provide for advancement within a "career ladder," meaning that an employee performing satisfactorily will advance between GS grades, normally on an annual basis, until he(she) has reached the top GS grade for that job (which represents full performance). Advancement beyond the top grade (to either a specialized technical position or to a managerial position) would be subject to competitive selection. Not all positions, however, provide for such a "career ladder," thus requiring employees who seek advancement to consider other career paths, either within their agency or outside it.The two-step promotion rule states that a GS employee promoted to a position in a higher grade is entitled to basic pay at the lowest rate of the higher grade that exceeds his or her existing rate of basic pay by not less than two step increases of the grade from which promoted. For General Schedule employees, simultaneous pay actions are processed in the following order: Process general pay adjustments before any individual pay action that takes effect at the same time. General pay adjustments include an annual adjustment in the General Schedule under 5 U.S.C. 5303; an adjustment in LEO special base rates; an adjustment of a locality pay percentage under 5 U.S.C. 5304 and 5 CFR part 531, subpart F; the establishment or adjustment of a special rate schedule under 5 CFR part 530, subpart C, or similar legal authority (e.g., 38 U.S.C. 7455); and an adjustment of a retained rate under 5 CFR 359.705 or 536.305 based on the establishment or adjustment of a pay schedule. Convert the employee's rate(s) of pay to reflect a change in the location of the employee's official worksite, if applicable. (See Geographic Conversion Rule below.) Process any within-grade increase or quality step increase to which the employee is entitled under 5 CFR 531, subpart D or E. Process any promotion action using the rates of pay and rate ranges in the sequence prescribed in 5 CFR 531.214. Process remaining individual pay actions (see 5 CFR 531.213) that take effect at the same time in the order that gives the employee the maximum benefit.
Included these skills and core competencies in your Federal resume. Are you creative? Do you have outstanding customer service skills? Do you continually strive to learn more? Are you flexible and adaptable? Say so in your resume. Personal Mastery – takes initiative for continuous learning (professional training, conferences, volunteer participation).Interpersonal Effectiveness – building relationships, handling conflicts, communication skills (“recognized for interpersonal skills with customers and co-workers”)Customer Service – designs work processes that are responsive to the customer (include feedback)Flexible/Adaptable – accommodates new situations, remains calm in high pressure situations (handling multiple projects; being a change agent in your organization)Creative Thinking – creative problem solving, thinks outside the box (“created a new process XYZ, that resulted in a savings of XYZ”)Systems Thinking – know how your role relates to others in the organization, thinks in contextTechnical Skills – understanding the process, procedures, standards, policies, etc. Organizational Stewardship – commitment to people, works to accomplish the business plan, links the individual to the organization (predominately for TLs, supervisors, and managers)Agencies are looking for flexibility, customer service, interpersonal skills, team membership, technical creditability, and continual learning skills in today’s federal employees.
Overview Section is critical: promotion potential; opening/closing date; who may apply (status [MP] vs all us citizens [DE]); key requirements (education/licensure).
This qualification standard covers the following series: 301, 341, 343, 560, 1001, and 1083.
Experience with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the positionTypically in or related to the work of the position to be filledMust have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
Program Analyst: reviewing internal processes and procedures, interpreting findings resulting from studies performed, developing recommendations for work method or procedural changes, developing statistical tables and reports in support of studies and findings.Management Analyst: employing qualitative and/or quantitative evaluation techniques to conduct studies, analyze findings, and make recommendations on substantive operating methods or procedures; conducting detailed analyses complex administrative functions and work processes such as production standards, workloads, and appropriate staffing levels; developing guidance on evaluation techniques; and developing manuals and directives covering the administrative aspects of procedures or program operations.
Classification standards are used to determine the grade of position descriptions within the federal government. Some positions have a classifications standard associated with the series (i.e., 560’s are covered under the accounting and budget standard), but many positions are classified via functional guides. For example, the Administrative Analysis Grade Evaluation Guide covers the following series: 301, 341, 343. The work covered does not require specialized educational preparation, but it does require a high degree of qualitative and/or quantitative analytical skills, the ability to research problems and issues, written and oral communication skills, and the application of mature judgment in problem solving.
Too briefContains only general informationWork is show that is unrelated to the position
Your resume should be written in an– Situation, Tasks, Action, Result format .For example, “In my current position as an XYZ, I increased the efficiency of our task completion rate from 55 to 86% over a one month period by revising the incoming review process.” Never assume that someone reviewing your application will understand your jobs based on a job title and salary level.
Bekah, I didn’t know if you want one slide as a sort of transition. You will not hurt my feelings.
Need new picture….. Move the slide possibly after the federalizing your resume…..Need summary of the top three core competencies from K. TroutmanIncluded these skills and core competencies in your Federal resume. Are you creative? Do you have outstanding customer service skills? Do you continually strive to learn more? Are you flexible and adaptable? Say so in your resume. The government needs creative, flexible and customer-focused employees.For General Schedule employees, simultaneous pay actions are processed in the following order: Process general pay adjustments before any individual pay action that takes effect at the same time. General pay adjustments include an annual adjustment in the General Schedule under 5 U.S.C. 5303; an adjustment in LEO special base rates; an adjustment of a locality pay percentage under 5 U.S.C. 5304 and 5 CFR part 531, subpart F; the establishment or adjustment of a special rate schedule under 5 CFR part 530, subpart C, or similar legal authority (e.g., 38 U.S.C. 7455); and an adjustment of a retained rate under 5 CFR 359.705 or 536.305 based on the establishment or adjustment of a pay schedule. Convert the employee's rate(s) of pay to reflect a change in the location of the employee's official worksite, if applicable. (See Geographic Conversion Rule below.) Process any within-grade increase or quality step increase to which the employee is entitled under 5 CFR 531, subpart D or E. Process any promotion action using the rates of pay and rate ranges in the sequence prescribed in 5 CFR 531.214. Process remaining individual pay actions (see 5 CFR 531.213) that take effect at the same time in the order that gives the employee the maximum benefit.