Many workers have grown weary of the constant layoffs and downsizing going on in private industry, and many of those discouraged workers are looking to the Federal government for a steady paycheck and a more stable career. Those workers may be on to something. Even as multinational businesses and even small firms continue to shed workers and cut back on benefits, the Federal government is continuing its hiring boom.
This is certainly good news for workers around the country, as the Federal government offers a number of important benefits that the private sector simply cannot match. Besides stellar job security Federal jobs also tend to offer above average wages, excellent working conditions and great benefits.
But the fact that the Federal government is such an attractive boss comes with a price – namely fierce competition for each available job opening. In order to land a Federal job applicants must be able to make themselves stand out from the crowd, and that requires plenty of preparation, perseverance and hard work.
One of the best ways for applicants to set themselves a part from the crowd is to focus on the role they played at their last job. It is not enough to simply place a list of job duties on your resume -these job duties by themselves tell the hiring manager nothing about your real skills. Instead focus on the role you played and how you helped achieve real quantifiable results for your employer. If you worked independently, with sole responsibility for the results of your hard work, by all means say so. If you worked as part of a team say that as well. Either way you will be detailing both your work and your people skills.
If you worked as a project manager, or worked on multiple projects in another capacity, be sure to give a time line of the work you did and the accomplishments you were able to achieve. If you are able to show a consistent ability to bring projects in on time and under budget that will go a long way toward getting your resume to the top of the pile. Providing your would be employer with accurate time frames will also show you to be detail oriented and precise.
When applying for a Federal job opening it is also helpful to focus on the value of your experience, not just the start and end date of each position you have held. No matter how glamorous or unglamorous the job may be, each position we hold teaches us something about work and about life. By focusing on what you learned from each employer you will make yourself stand out in the eyes of any would be employer-whether that employer is the Federal government or the factory down the street.
