"I've got no skills! How am I going to qualify for a job after I graduate?" This is a common lament among college students, particularly liberal arts majors who don't see how their education will translate to the real world. But if you ever worry about not being attractive to employers, you shouldn't. First of all, nobody likes a whiner. A ...

Applying for a government job? Be careful. While all federal agency job listings and application tools can be accessed through USAJOBS, federal agencies don't all use the same resume builders and databases. Lose track of the agency and the resume builder on which you've last updated your resume, and you could lose your opportunity to land that next job. Take the ...

Ads That Don't Add Up  Federal and postal job scams are among the biggest rackets in employment, preying on consumers who are unemployed or underemployed and can least afford to be "taken." But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is working to protect consumers by tracking down and stopping companies that make deceptive claims about federal and postal jobs. Gregory Ashe, ...

When you travel overseas, ever notice how native speakers welcome your efforts to communicate in their language? While no one may take you for a local, people appreciate when you show respect for their culture and point of view. Similarly, if you’re interviewing for a job these days, chances are good that you’ll be meeting with people in multiple areas of ...

When asked a traditional question like, "What would you do if you had a customer who wasn't interested in buying the product?" you can make up a story. But when you're asked behavioral questions, the interviewer is listening for specific examples of how you have handled situations or problems in the past. When presented with behavioral questions beginning with phrases like, ...

"I am my biggest critic and always "play down" my accomplishments. HELP ME!" - Frustrated Job Hunter This is what one federal job seeker wrote this question to me this evening. I suggested that he do some self-talk to build up his confidence and convince himself that he is a GREAT candidate for a new job. Script for Self-Talk “I really ...

When the Office of Management and Budget's Peter Orszag put out a memo in June saying "the Federal hiring process needs to be reformed. The current process is lengthy and encumbered by burdensome requirements and outdated technology systems," DHS was listening. Read the OMB memo here Homeland Security is well on its way to hiring as many as 1,000 cybersecurity experts, ...

The largest pool of federal job listings can be found at USAJOBS. Based on your bachelor's degree and years of experience, look for jobs at the GS-7 level and higher . Other options include: _Federal Internships_: These can be found at USAJOBS or by searching the Web site of the agency you're targeting. Many offer pay with benefits. _The Presidential Management ...

Supreme Court Judge Samuel Alito used this SF-171 form to apply for deputy assistant attorney general in 1985. Here's my assessment of his application and what you can learn from what he wrote: Work Experience Job A's description is 28 words, while Job B's is eight words, and Job C's is four. These are way too short for government applications in ...

Federal agencies are catching on to the social media craze and leveraging that technology to attract job seekers, especially young recruits. For example, the Labor Department advertises open positions on Twitter and plans to upload its recruitment videos to YouTube. The State Department regularly updates its Facebook page and maintains the @DOSCareers Twitter account. But conventional wisdom, which holds that recent ...

All sorts of people use the Department of Labor (DOL) Web site. Here is a list of pages that workers, students, employers, and our other customers are going to most frequently. -Occupational Outlook Handbook -Consumer Price Index (Statistics) -Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment and Unemployment Data -State Minimum Wage Laws [widget:10_steps_to_a_government_job] -Compliance Assistance: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) -Find It ...

This time he really means it: Uncle Sam wants you. Not to fight in World War I, as in the old Army poster, but to fill one of tens of thousands of positions available each year providing services to the American public. After a number of false starts, the government has now definitely committed itself be being an employer of choice. ...

Agency Information Gateway Doing your research? Here's a one-stop shop for information on government agencies with student employment opportunities. Studentjobs.gov has collected exclusive profile articles, as well as links to agency home pages and student employment information pages. Agency/ Office Profile Article Web Site Employment Information Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts N/A www.uscourts.gov Employment Information U.S. Air Force Article ...

You've sent your resume to three (or 16 or 110) prospective employers, so you've done your part. Now all you have to do is sit back and wait for the phone to ring. But why is nothing happening? We've got news for you: Your phone will never ring. The fact you sent your resume in response to job postings means very ...