A benevolent manager is one who delivers negative feedback and corrections to otherwise dependable staffers in a respectful, gentle style. Treat your staffers with respect, and they will respect you in return, and will therefore be more likely to follow your suggestions without push-back. Some tips on correcting staffers as painlessly and as constructively as possible: • Pick your battles. If the transgression was relatively minor and unlikely to be repeated, consider just forgetting it. • Verify your charges. Check that your staffer had been instructed properly and that his alleged mistake was actually his fault and really did happen…

The average age of federal employees is 46, according to the Office of Personnel Management. That means chances are good that you are in your 40s, 50s or possibly even your 60s. And if so, you should keep in mind a few things if and when you decide to start looking for another job, either at another agency or outside the federal sector. More to the point, let’s consider a few potential strategies for deflecting potential age bias when that time comes. Suppose, for example, that you find yourself sitting across from an interviewer who is much younger than you.…

Wow! It’s cool! It’s awesome! It’s great! I have recently heard these types of hyped-up, well-worn phrases used to describe everything from a new kitchen knife to a ho-hum press release to a shuttle liftoff. So nondescript and unspecific, such phrases are almost too vague to inform, impress or persuade anyone of anything; they are generic to the point of being meaningless. Then there are the ubiquitous bureaucratic phrases, such as: “We implemented a robust, multifaceted infrastructure.” My personal favorite: “your tour-of-duty” when referring not to the schedules of traveling soldiers but to the schedules of stationary, desk-bound feds. What’s…

Remember that reassuring line “I’m on your side” from the Simon & Garfunkel song, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”? Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone on your side at work — someone who would be willing and eager to offer you professional advice — a mentor? Some potential sources of mentors: Professional organizations devoted to a particular field. Find them by surfing the Web and asking colleagues and supervisors for leads. Once you find relevant organizations, search their Web sites for potential mentors and training opportunities. And if possible, participate in these organizations’ events. Even better, contribute to events in order…

My Dec. 7 column listed some tips to help members of the military and veterans make the transition to federal careers, as the Obama administration launches a program to boost veteran hiring. Here are more tips: * Start planning your transition early. Take courses in your field that will boost your marketability, and participate in Transition Assistance Programs offered at your base. Also, visit the Labor Department’s www.hirevetsfirst.dol.gov to access various transitioning resources, including advice on how to match your military specialty to civilian jobs, and how to tailor your applications to your target jobs. As one transitioner and federal…

Given the Obama administration’s launch of a new program to boost veteran hiring at federal agencies, here are some tips to help members of the military and veterans make the transition: * Surf these Web sites: the Veteran’s Employment Resource Center at USAJobs.gov; the intelligence community’s careers page at intelligence.gov; the CIA’s careers page for military transitioners at www.cia.gov; the Homeland Security Department’s veterans outreach page at www.dhs.gov; Defense Department opportunities for veterans at www.dodvets.com and www.godefense.com; and the Defense Logistics Agency’s information for prospective employees at www.hr.dla.mil. * Explore all options. Most agencies — including those in the Defense,…

Employers want to recruit new hires who will solve their problems — not create new ones. Here are five ways to prove to employers that you’re a problem-solver — not a problem. 1. Strategize your current projects. Long before you start looking for a new job, identify projects on your current job that are likely to produce tangible results. These might be reports, Web sites, training or new procedures that are likely to improve your office’s operations in concrete ways by, for example, cutting costs, increasing productivity or improving efficiency. Then, ask your boss if you can lead those projects.…

During your next job interview, you will almost certainly be asked some of those standard, clichéd questions that have been asked in interviews almost since the Spanish Inquisition. Some guidance to help you ace them: Q: Tell me about yourself. Unimpressive answer: A biographical filibuster that rambles on about your entire career and includes personal information that is irrelevant to your target job. Save that spiel for your retirement party. Impressive answer: A concise, logical summary of your relevant credentials — even if they’re covered in your resume. Emphasize recent (over ancient) successes, show your fire-in-the-belly, and conclude by describing…

Fellowships for experienced professionals are short-term assignments in various specialties that feature training, lectures and networking events. Fellows gain eye-opening experiences, expand their talents, and collect grist for their résumés and Rolodexes — all of which may enhance their effectiveness or help them land promotions. Some federal organizations run fellowships that exclusively recruit current feds, and some private organizations run fellowships that recruit from all sectors. Some tips from hiring managers on how to craft winning fellowship applications: *Make deadlines. Fellowship applicants are often rejected because they miss deadlines or submit applications that were “obviously dashed off on a last-minute…

Most online job application systems don’t accept cover letters. But if Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry gets his way, agencies will eliminate knowledge, skills and abilities essays (KSAs) and base their applications solely on cover letters and résumés. So if your next job application requires a cover letter, design it to quickly introduce yourself, convey your enthusiasm for your target opening and agency, concisely review your best educational and professional qualifications, and showcase your communication skills. As one hiring manager advises, “You will probably beat 95 percent of your competition just by submitting an error-free cover letter that…

1 9 10 11 12 13 14