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Thousands of federal workers and contractors across the country and in the D.C. area are now looking for work, after their positions were cut amid the Trump administration’s downsizing of the federal government.
As many federal workers begin the search for their next job, a career coach is sharing some tips for getting out there and getting noticed by possible employers.
Teresa Freeman, the author of “Lessons in Communication, Public Speaking, Interviewing and Networking,” said the first step is to pause and take a breath.
“Realize that you know there are things that are in your control and there are things that are outside of your control, and to the extent that you can kind of release the things that are outside of your control,” Freeman said.
Once you do that, she said the next step is getting your resume ready to go. While the government requires so called “narrative resumes,” those are not the norm in the private sector.
“You want information in your resume that is quantitative or qualitative, and you want that resume to show results and achievements, and you want to do that succinctly,” Freeman said.
Short and succinct bullets are best. You also want to make sure the language you use is easy to understand and avoid federal government acronyms when possible.
One tip for adjusting the language in a resume is reading the job descriptions in which you are applying for.
“You can use that to bolster your resume and start to use the language that’s going to speak to those opportunities that are in a different industry,” Freeman said.
Next, Freeman said make sure your LinkedIn profile has been recently updated, and one way to do that is to get inspiration and ideas for your profile from others who have made the switch before you, whether that be a former colleague, friend or family member.
“You don’t have to start anything from scratch, but there are key parts of that profile that are going to help you to be more marketable,” she said.
Also, create a template cover letter that you can customize for each application you submit. If you know someone at a company, she recommends including their name in your cover letter.
“I think a cover letter is still a good idea. It enables you to tell a little bit of your story,” she said.
Freeman said in addition to watching for job postings, jobseekers need to network because just submitting an application without a contact limits your opportunities.
“Maybe you have alumni events from former military or college, or other groups of people that are meeting. Really spend some time thinking about your network and then thinking about … connecting with them on LinkedIn, and then ask for a coffee, ask for an informational interview, put yourself out there,” she said.
Freeman said while it may be uncomfortable to talk about the situation you are in, doing so when at social functions or among friends can lead to tips or connections to possible open positions.
“People can’t help you unless they know,” Freeman said.
If you do land an interview or two, Freeman recommended practicing before the interview. She said it is common to think of an answer first in our head but have trouble articulating it while nerves are up during an interview.
Among the questions to practice out loud is “tell me about yourself,” which Freeman said is like your elevator pitch.
“You want to be able to talk about what your skills are, what your value is, how you can bring value to an organization — and that, you can do in about two minutes,” she said.
While the process of moving into a new career can be difficult, Freeman said many of skills federal workers and contractors have translated well into other positions.
“I’ve worked with a lot of people that have transitioned from federal to commercial or private, just because it’s their second act and they want to do something a little bit different,” Freeman said.
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