TOPS Corner
I heard
from a couple of you – the page will stay up, and updated, at least for a
while
This page will present timely information from the Maryland Council TOPS Representative, Jim Dittbrenner. TOPS is The Officer Placement Service, a MOAA-provided source of information for those of us entering the Second Career phase of our lives, or those already in the Second Career phase who are interesting in moving on.
You can reach Jim at jimditt@verizon.net.
Click here for the latest list of Career Fairs and Open Houses, as of 22 Aug 2010
Here are some recent Job Postings (links will
usually be removed from this page after two weeks):
·
31840730 - Dir job
announcement (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
ClearedJobs.net
Position Listings - 4 8-17-10 (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
HR Jobs to Share 8-13-10
(added 24 Aug 2010)
·
JOTW 32-2010 8-9-10 (added 24 Aug
2010)
·
JOTW 33-2010 8-16-10 (added 24 Aug
2010)
·
POAC Job Announcement 8-14-10
(added 24 Aug 2010)
·
POAC Job Announcement
8-11-10 (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
POAC Job Announcements 8-19-10
(added 24 Aug 2010)
·
POAC
Position Announcements Postings 8-10-10 (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
POAC
Position Announcements Postings 8-16-10 (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
POAC
Position Announcements Postings 8-22-10 (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
Potomac Tech Job Blast
-- Aug. 18 (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
Top Jobs Of The
Week In IT 8-20-10 (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
Top Jobs
Of The Week In IT - 8-13-10 (added 24 Aug 2010)
·
Veterans
Expo Flyer - 8-27-10 Baltimore Convention Center (added 24 Aug 2010)
Notes
from 22 Aug 2010
The employment picture is
beginning to offer some conflicting data. Executive Search is gradually
moving up and the IT and Financial career fields are
showing growth along with the health care. However, the IT and Financial
fields are also the most vulnerable due to the fast changing technologies in
those fields. For these two career fields it is critical for those
professionals to continue their own technology growth. While not
seemingly directly involved in career strategy it is obvious that the two
activities are integrated.
Developing a career
strategy is essential for ongoing as well as future success in any career
field. While there is a need for a strategy for each search there is also
a need for an overall strategy that allows for the greatest collection of
useful information that can be applied to more than one search. This
requires me to have long term goals and short term goals that support the move
forward towards the longer term goals. These long term goals really begin
with identifying my life goals, then my family goals (I define
‘family.’). Then come my financial
goals, and fourthly my Career Goals. I need the financial goals in order
to clearly set my objectives in the career area, particularly for negotiatons. From the career goals I can then look at
the variety of position opportunities and needs to set my strategies for the
positions of interest. Here again, the opportunities that I look at need
to be within my career field. Further, I need to recognize that the old
“tried and true” career ladders are no longer relevant as they once
were. This only increases my need to have a career strategy not just a
strategy for secure my next role. Along with developing my overall career
strategy I need to incorporate into that effort an ongoing learning process in
my career field and continue to expand my professional and personal network of
contacts.
Perhaps now it is more
obvious as to why I need to have my own Board of Directors rather than
References that would need to vary according to my search. My Board
members quickly become my primary advocates while References are reactive in
nature and need to be changed more frequently than Board members.
Notes
from 1 Aug 2010
The employment picture is
a challenge I need to face and not to get discouraged and want to walk away
from everything. I read that we lost 8 million jobs during 2008 and
2009. I also read that we have added 7.5% of those jobs back over the
past seven months. There are a number of actions that I can and need to
take to ensure that I move forward to find my role of choice. My attitude
is certainly a key action to retain at the positive level. Learning new
technologies is another. These are ongoing endeavors. Two that I
need to work on immediately are getting a board of directors for me and putting
together a career strategy that will get me the roles and exposure I want and
need to move my career forward over the rest of my working life.
Corporations have
them. “C” suite types and executives have been encouraged to
develop their own for the past 20 years. Executive coaches work with
their clients on developing personal boards of directors. The better
transition coaches have been encouraging their clients to develop their own
board members. So, why have I not done this? It takes time and
effort and I have my “references.” Okay, so I know having a
board is better but where do I start?
If I think of my board as
a combination of “inside” and “outside” consultants
with me as the CEO, what should I have? These are folks who know both
some of my skills and talents and how I have used them. They also know me
as a professional and as a person. They know many of my professional and
some of my personal aspirations. All of my “board members”
will know enough of who I am that they can and will speak on my behalf; and
counsel me both when I ask and when they see the need. These are the
professionals I admire and respect as well as like. When I think of
networking, these individuals will be the most inner circle. They will also
become my advocates on a career level and contribute to the ever expanding pool
of network contacts that we all need. These “board members”
will become my most effective “references,” that will help me
identify and plan career moves and choices. And, as time moves forward,
like corporate boards my existing members and I will periodically separate as
our interests and needs grow more diverse.
Now, where do I get my
board? The books suggest that two of my board members come from my
industry, two from outside and different industries. My fifth board
member would be, in a perfect world, a consultant to the industry that I want
to be a part of. Perhaps I am already in that industry, but in
today’s world that does not have to be the case. A way to start
could be with my current top five references. I can approach each and ask
if they would be willing to serve as a board member for a specific period of
time as a tryout. My one caution is to keep my board to an odd number so
I can always get a consensus.
What is also nice with
the board approach is that my board members do not have to be located
geographically together. Rather, as time goes by, they can and will be
spread out over the country. This will give me a stronger picture of what
is happening elsewhere that could affect what I am doing. More later. Next time I need to look at my career
strategy.
Notes
from 6 June 2010
On this the 66th anniversary of D Day it is appropriate to pause, and again give thanks, offer a prayer and honor our military for their strength, credibility and humanness in addition to their bravery. Not just for D Day but for all the “D Days” each time there is a conflict somewhere in our troubled world.
On the local level, a few items have surfaced that possibly impact on our job search. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced that it will be hiring some 300 individuals to support the new initiatives in healthcare. These positions are to be located in Bethesda, Maryland. Hiring is to begin later this year.
A rumor has been floating that
there will be a freeze in Government hiring next year (2011). Derrick Dortch, in his Jobs Chat column in Sunday’s
Washington Post (June 6, 2010, Page H1) points out that a number of federal
agencies that he has consulted indicate they are or will be hiring. These
include DoD, Department of
Justice, the Intelligence Community with its 22 agencies; the Veterans Affairs
and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The VA announced earlier that it
was intending to hire 5,000 in 2010. Congressional funding is the key to
all of this. Derrick’s column will be on the Washington Post Web
site. He will be on the Post’s online discussion on 11 AM
Wednesday, July 9th. The link is www.washingtonpost.com/
The federal government has also established a Veteran Employment Office in each agency. This office is to serve as the Advocate for the veteran interested in stepping into a federal position. References have been made to the website www.fedshirevets.gov; however, the site currently has information and links to information that are a bit dated. If one is trying to play “catch up” on general information it is a start.
Karol Taylor, a metro Washington DC career coach, cautions her LinkedIn network to read Government announcements closely and follow directions completely. Do diligent research on each agency that lists positions of interest including the agency’s web site, Google the position for new, relevant information; and be sure to read carefully the material you have keyboarded for accuracy, for relevance, and for completeness. This is after very carefully reading the vacancy announcement and identifying each and every requirement. She applies for positions to ensure that her counsel is current and accurate. When following directions completely she has had success in her applications. As she points out, the resume has only the purpose of getting one the interview. She also points out that the “effort” does not stop there. It is up to the individual to continue the research, practice handling different types of interview style and format, and to research the culture of the agency for fit.
While looking at the search process one can feel overwhelmed. Stay cool, take the process one step at a time, do it fully and accurately and move forward. And be sure to step away periodically to have a bit of fun.
Notes
from 16 May 2010:
Why should I go to a Career Fair or
an Open House? Let’s take Career Fairs first. There are a
number of reasons, and we need to remember why we go to Career Fairs.
Here are primary reasons:
Going to Open Houses is another
story. Whether I am required to register, send an advance resume or just
show up, I need to really research the company and what it does, who are its
sub contractors (if any) and who are the prime contractors (if any). I
also need to carefully review my background so I can comfortably discuss how I
can contribute to the potential employer. Using focused
Accomplishment/Achievement Statements to illustrate my points
shows that I come prepared and have researched the company. Here are
reasons to participate in Open Houses, whether held at the employer’s
facility or at an outside location such as a hotel:
If I am asked to complete an application I know that I want
to ask to take it home so I can be sure I cover all relevant information and so
I can take the time in completing the Application so it is neat and fully
legible. I can indicate this so it is clear why I am asking. If I
am required to complete it at the Open House I need to remind myself to go
slowly enough that I can neatly print my information.
Notes
from 28 Mar 2010:
Good evening,
Derrick Dortch,
President of the Diversa Group and weekly commentator
on the Washington Post’s weekly online column, advised an inquirer on
responding to a posted federal position. His clear and relevant advice is
to “make sure your package is powerful, persuasive and targeted.”
Additionally, Dortch
points out one needs to tell relevant success stories
showing how one can truly benefit the specific agency should they hire you.
This wise counsel can also be found
in Karol Taylor and Janet Ruck’s new
“Guide to America’s Federal Jobs” and also in all editions of
Kate Wendelton’s “Targeting the Job You
Want.” The better recruiters will also tell us that to be effective
with the resume it has to be focused to the specific role we want to go
after. So, for most of us that means that we will have
a number of resumes, no two exactly alike. Beyond that, part of
the responsibility I have as a job seeker is to research the role or roles I
know I can perform extremely well, their location and determine my level of
interest in each. I am reminded of an article in the Wall Street Journal
back when it published its Employment Weekly publication. The story dealt with
Astronomers and pointed out that in that particular year there were 20 new
Ph.D. graduates in Astronomy but only five positions available. If this
is my situation, whether because there are only so many positions or only so
many in the geographic area or areas I am willing to consider, then I need to
look at other types of opportunities and determine what additional training,
education and/or skills I will need to secure a role that will meet my
requirements. I also need to reassess my criteria if I have not done this
over the past few months.
Today, this is critical if I am to
be successful in securing another position. Once again it has been announced
by Government officials, following a year behind the more knowledgeable
economic prognosticators, that it will be at least 2014 before the nation
returns to the 4.5% to 5.0% unemployment rate that we have come to understand
as the most viable level of unemployment. Don’t mean to be negative
but rather a strong advocate for follow-on education and training as well as
possible volunteer experience to better prepare for the challenges over the
next few years. I need to recognize and accept that even with the best
connections I am not likely to find and retain a position of worth without
being fully prepared and able to perform any role I seek. Remember also,
a positive attitude goes a long way in getting and keeping me prepared.
I leave you with warm wishes for a
quality and warm Easter holiday. Stay well and stay safe that we may meet
again on the 11th of April.
Jim Ditt
Skillful behavior may be said to be
guided by master programs in individuals’ heads, programs that
automatically produce the behavior in everyday life. … Chris Argyris
Notes
from 14 Mar 2010:
Good afternoon,
In today’s
tightening job market I know that the two most prominent and pre-eminent hiring
sources are Employee Referral Programs and Networking. For me to connect
with Employee Referral employers I need to do my research. I must
identify those employers with Employee Referral Programs,
establish which ones offer the types of roles that I am most interested in and
where I can perform quite well. Then I need to identify the
decision-makers with those employers and begin reaching out to my
network. Where I do not have current connections with or into those
selected employers, I need to let my network know what it is that I am looking
for and what I bring to the employer’s table.
Along with the excellent
books on networking by Lynne Waymon and her sister
Anne Baber, Harvey MacKay, Kate Wendleton, and Howard
Armstrong, Maribeth Kuzmeski
offers solid counsel on networking in her book, “The Connectors: How the
World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win
Clients for Life.” Ms. Kuzmeski strongly
suggests:
Networking is not easy
for many, but practice does make for greater comfort in the activity. As
Lee Travino says, “the more I practice, the
luckier I get!”
Make it a good week for
yourself and someone else.
Jim Ditt
Always dream and shoot
higher than you know how to. Don’t bother to be better than your comtemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than
yourself. …William
Faulkner.
Notes
from 28 Feb 2010:
Good afternoon,
I keep hearing that I need to have my profile completed on LinkedIn and that a lot of job seekers are going to Facebook. I do know that recruiters search LinkedIn, particularly for the passive candidates. LinkedIn is seen as the professional website. The other sites are social networking sites whose initial and primary purposes are social rather than career in focus. I need to clearly consider the fact that my information would be open to the public. Using the social networks for career search needs to be carefully examined. What do I want from the social networks?
Last
Sunday the Washington Post, in its Jobs section, had an article on the
U. S. Labor Department and its spotlighting of job sites chosen in an online
contest, www.careeronestop.org/
In years past, when it was not so much a buyers market, I could apply for positions where I had most of the required qualifications as well as others and stand a chance of getting an interview. Not today. Today I need to identify those employers that interest me, and then find positions that those employers have where I hold all those qualifications. Then if I am really “with it”, I will network my way in while at the same time sending my resume in via the employer’s web site.
I need to remember that the successful employers have identified Employee Referral as their number one source of new hires. Therefore, that is where I need to spend much of my effort. I need to network with the focus of making connections with the decision-makers in those employers of my choice.
This is where my own Board of Directors comes into play. These individuals are going to be my best resource for making the connections I need. If I have not yet developed my own Board, then I can reach out to my References. And when I reach out to these individuals I truly need to be able to present who I am and what I bring to the tables of my choice. Until I can do this I know that this is what I need to work on. Until then make it a great two weeks, see who you can help and be sure to take time to have some fun.
Jim Ditt
It is not enough to aim, you must hit. … Italian proverb.