Bye Bye KSAs! But Maybe Not So Fast...

Bye Bye KSAs But Maybe Not So Fast...Bye Bye KSAs But Maybe Not So Fast...Bye Bye KSAs But Maybe Not So FastCelebration TimeNov. 1st welches Federal Hiring Reform Day. The Resume Place Certified Federal Resume Writers and clients are celebrating the end of the Long Narrative KSAs as part of the federal application for US government jobs with a Bye Bye KSAs cakeWe are all happy to say goodbye to KSA narratives. Many job applicants were turned off from applying for federal jobs because of the requirement for the long narratives required as part of the application. The most popular KSAs are Ability to Communicate Orally, Ability to Communicate in Writing, and Ability to Plan and Coordinate. Many applicants have writers block and struggle to write about how they can communicate orally and in writing. We often hear frustrated jobseekers say to us, What do they want to hear? Of course I can talk and write.Has the Process Changed?Skeptical hiring reform news was reported in the Washington deutsche post dhl today by Ed OKeefe in his article Federal Hiring Changes Bring Hope, Skepticism for Application Process. According to the article, the status of Federal Hiring Reform among agencies is summarized as Officials have backed off the presidents deadline, cautioning that only some agencies are ready. The departments of Commerce, Defense and Veterans Affairs and NASA are in good shape, but others are working through reforms that could take years to complete, according to the Office of Personnel Management.Therefore, only SOME agencies have done away with the long, one-page narratives about the most typical KSAs.Its true. Here at The Resume Place, people are wanting to apply for federal positions with a simple resume and cover letter. But in most cases, the simple application isnt here yet.The KSA Challenge Lives OnEd OKeefe quotes Kathryn Troutman, President of The Resume Place Troutman cautioned, however, that all the reforms wont necessarily make the hiring process eas ier. And although KSAs have been eliminated in the initial application, agencies may use them later in the process, after the initial screening.Is the government just shuffling around the information and giving KSAs a new name? Seems like it, to Resume Place Certified Federal Resume Writers and Consultants. We are currently finding requests in the vacancy announcements for various statements about your skills, including competencies, narratives, essays, questionnaires, knowledge statements, quality ranking factors, selective placement factors, specialized experience, and accomplishment record examples.Occupational Questionnaires are leise a consistent part of most federal job applications. These questionnaires include multiple-choice, Yes/No questions, and, occasionally, essay questions. We are seeing essays in about 1 in 5 vacancy announcements.Additionally, Troutman said that some job postings still require KSA statements without separate narratives. People are very confused on h ow to put them in, where to put them, and what to do with them, she said. If an application requests a traditional resume instead of KSAs, she recommends including short versions of accomplishments within the resume that explicitly demonstrate the applicants knowledge, skills and abilities.Hot Tips on Todays KSAsEd OKeefes article points out People looking for work with the federal government often call Kathryn Troutman and her company, The Resume Place, for tips on writing the perfect federal job application.Here are a couple of tips from Kathryn Troutman on how to make KSAs still stand out in your resume, even if you they are not explicitly required to be written in an essay form1. Write a compelling cover letter to state your case. This is NEW as part of the federal application. You can now write and include a cover letter to state why you believe you will be the best candidate and highlight your accomplishments.2. Add this information to your resume competencies and accomplishm ents to prove your knowledge. The accomplishments can be 100 to 150 words instead of one full page. The accomplishments are critical to help you get Best Qualified for a position.3. KSAs and your Accomplishment Record will be critical for the Structured Interview. Because you do not have to write the narrative KSAs for the initial application, the KSAs will become your talking points and examples for your structured interview. Prepare at least 5 accomplishments that will demonstrate you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the job. The hiring manager will be asking you to least 7 questions where you will give 5 to 7 examples of your past performance.Another Important Change Tighter Closing DatesWith Hiring Reform there are tighter closing dates, improved contact between you and menschlich resources, and faster hiring times. Open dates for submitting applications is SHORTER, so that the HR specialists can control the number of applications. Some closing dates are only 3 t o 5 days. Therefore, your federal resume must be written ahead of time, so that you are ready quickly to apply for the federal position.Ed OKeefe from the Post writes The prior process is already faster, said OPM Associate Director Nancy Kichak. From the time the president issued his memo telling us to get going, weve been going. The hiring process is now averaging about 110 days, down from 180, Kichak said last week.For More Help With YOUR ApplicationThe Resume Place, Inc. Certified Federal Resume Writers are experts at analyzing the application requirements. We are saying good-bye to the long narrative KSAs, but replacing these will be other application requirements. Ask for help with your all-important federal resumeif you would like to land a federal job.Cake design SugarBakers in Catonsville, MD

Stay Positive During Your Job Search, Part 2

Stay Positive During Your Job Search, Part 2Stay Positive During Your Job Search, Part 2Ways to stay energized and keep your mind focused on the silver lining throughout your job search.In part one of this article, I shared with you three ways to keep your mind energized and focused on positive thoughtsRelive past winsIf you cant get out of it, get into itVisualize what you wantThis installment provides more tips on how to remain optimistic during your job search. And for 25 mora Career-Enhancing Dos, join Kirsten Dixson and I for an exclusive, complimentary Ladders.com Webinar on Friday, January 23 from 1200pm 100pm EST. Space is limited. Register today. To get you started, here are three critical tips to seeing the silver lining in your job search1. Anticipate and embrace change.Change is the only constant in the new world of work. Dont be hijacked by it. Get used to it, and get excited about it. If you view change as opportunity instead of threat, you alter your perspective and o pen yourself up to possibilities perhaps to things you hadnt even considered. Often, change brings with it serendipity and delivers options you had notlage even considered.I was speaking to a client who recently lost his job at a bank and he told me that once he got past the anger, sorrow and fear, he was excited about the infinite possibilities that just opened up. When he took the job, he had to leave LA, his favorite city, for the Pacific Northwest. He immersed himself in his work and never really made his new location home. Now, with a little severance package in hand, he realized that he is no longer tied to a city where he didnt feel comfortable. He saw that he could change where he lived, the industry he worked in and even the job function he held.How has your current job search opened up new avenues for you?Give some thought to motivational speaker, Brian Tracys idea You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and i n that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.2. Focus on strengths, not weaknesses.Its always to your benefit to apply your greatest strengths to the task at hand its absolutely essential when you are in the midst of a job search. When we lead from our strengths, we are more confident, attractive and successful. So as you take each step towards your new job, ask yourself how you can use your greatest strength to make each step of the process more successful.For example, if youre writing your career marketing tools and your greatest strengths are your quick wit and incredible sense of humor, think about how you can inject more humor into your resume or cover letter. If your greatest strength is your vast and diverse network, ask yourself how you can use your connections to find the perfect professional resume-writer who can paint your candidature to attract attention. When you inject your strengths into everything you do, you raise yourself and your cand idature to a new level.Whats your superlative and how will you apply it to all aspects of your job search?It helps to remember what Paul J. Meyer, author of success practices series, said, Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses on your powers, instead of your problems.3. Remember Nietzsche.The nineteenth-century German philosopher, Nietzsches poignant advice (That which does not kill us makes us stronger) reminds us that we can endure a lot more than we believe we can. When I look back at the most difficult experiences of my life, I realize that they all led to incredible growth in confidence, self-awareness, strength and focus. I am who I am today more as a result of the challenges I faced than the successes I enjoyed. As painful as they were to go through, I wouldnt give up any of them.How has adversity made you stronger?If you will call your troubles experiences, and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be, said John Heywood, an English poet and playwright.Know that in the future you will look at the current job search battle with a more affirmative view. And understand that whatever challenges you encounter or struggles you endure, they will all contribute to your confidence and your candidature for future opportunities.

15 real ways to make your kid feel independent

15 real ways to make your kid feel independent15 real ways to make your kid feel independentYour toddler still cant do much by himself - tie his own shoes or make himself breakfast. But tzu siche are actually quite a few things two-year-olds can do for themselves, and its important that they begin to take ownership of these tasks - however small - as it helps them understand the importance of being independent.Yes, there will be some tears and meltdowns associated with your childs pursuit of autonomy. But there will be even more cheers and applause as your youngster discovers he doesnt need Dad every time he has to use the bathroom or wants to play a game. Looking to encourage your childs sense of independence? Start here.1. Allow them to turn the page.A small gesture, but an important one Involve your toddler in story hour by having him turn the books pages. He can even hold the book as you read - the goal here is to simply make them feel like they are dictating the pace of the activity rather than sitting passively as you do it for them.2. Let them take the lead with potty training.Some kids catch on quickly. Other kids take their time learning the when, where, and how. The important thing is that you let them figure it out on their terms, and in their own time. Your job is to show them what to do (and repeat as many times as necessary), and cheer them on when they do it. Their job is to connect the dots between the urge to go and the place to go in. Using Pull-Ups Training Pants will help bridge the gap between these two concepts until theyve mastered it.3. Praise their efforts.Doing something on their own for the first time is exciting And while hovering over them is absolutely not the right approach (this is about independence, remember?), jumping in with a Thats amazing once the mission is accomplished (flushing the potty or throwing the wrapper in the trash) makes toddlers practically burst with pride at what theyve achieved.4. Have them eat like an adult.Youre not your kids line chef. That said, offering a variety of foods at mealtime doesnt just increase the odds that your toddler will find something she likes to eat, it also gives her that grown-up feeling of choosing what she wants for dinner, just like adults do. At the same time, you should give them some limited choices. For example Tonight we have two vegetable choices. Should we have peas or carrots? In phrasing it this way, you are taking away the bigger question (Do you want vegetables?) and replacing it with an either/or option makes your toddler feel like he is in control of his dinner choices. You are also giving him an opportunity to make decisions not just for himself, but for the whole family.5. Have them choose their own outfit.Getting dressed on his own is a major milestone, if only because it buys you a few extra minutes to get dressed yourself in the morning. Most kids wont master this skill until grade school, but you can plant the seed by asking him to de cide what outfit he wants to wear for the day.6. Have them help cook dinner.At this age, two-year-olds are obsessed with doing whatever it is that dad and mom do, whether thats folding the laundry, ironing a shirt, or chopping vegetables. None of that, of course, is appropriate for your toddler, but they can help by doing simple things Placing the chopped veggies in a salad bowl, for instance, or stirring the cake batter with a wooden spoon. Assign your kid a task that makes him feel like hes contributing to the family meal it drives home the idea that every person plays a small parte in the bigger picture.7. Forget about being perfect.Trying to do things for themselves is tough on toddlers. So tough that actually about half the tasks your toddler completes will bear no resemblance to your intended outcome. Thats OK. This is one time where the overused phrase its the thought that counts really is true.8. Give them control of the toy box.What comes out must go back in. Young children arent capable of complicated cleanups, but if they are able to remove all their action figures from the well-stocked bin on the floor, then they are also coordinated enough to put them back once playtime is over. Dont make it feel like a chore - crown them King and Queen of the Toy Box, and explain as rulers, they must make aya their loyal subjects do as they are told and return home after their adventures in the kingdom are over.9. Go halvsies.If he puts on his left shoe, youll put on his right one. If she pulls on her shirt, youll do the buttons. Encourage independence in a reluctant child by splitting the task at hand in half.10. Have them get their own snack Keep easy-to-open jars of pretzels, bowls of washed apples, and other healthy choices on a low shelf in your pantry that your youngster can reach. When snack time comes, tell to your toddler to retrieve a snack from the shelf. (You might follow him into the kitchen the first few times to supervise.) Kids derive real satisf action out of self-feeding.11. And clear their own plate.Rituals around umgebung and clearing the table are a great place to begin teaching kids that dinner doesnt just appear like magic - it is lovingly provided by someone doing hard work in the kitchen. Toddlers cant carry anything heavy or hot (or anything that will likely spill). But they can pitch in with bringing napkins, utensils, and non-breakable plates over to the table, and removing the items when the meal is finished.12. Ask them to draw you a picture.Or color in a shape from her activity book. While arts and crafts might not scream independence-building activity, the concept of making something is linked to the idea of autonomy (See what I can do?). Help your little Picasso shine by requesting drawings of dad, mom, and siblings, and celebrate like crazy when she delivers.13. Let them fight it out.If your kid gets into a squabble with another child at the playground, give them a little space to see if they can sort thi s out by themselves. They may only be a toddler, but they are starting to learn that other people have feelings, too, and not everyone thinks exactly the way he does about playtime or sharing toys. If the fight does not resolve, you can step in but still allow the kids to work together to find a solution. Ask each one for his side of the story, then repeat it back to be sure everyone hears what the other is feeling. Request each child think of a way to help his friend feel better about the situation. Try to implement their suggestions as best as possible, and move on.14. Put them in charge of the hamper.Hes not ready to vacuum and mop, but your toddler can contribute to keeping his space clean by placing dirty clothes in the kid-sized laundry basket in his room after he wears them. The important thing to emphasize is that this is your childs domain, and as the ruler of said domain, hell want to be sure everything is in its proper place. Keeping his room tidy isnt punishment, its a p rivilege that comes from being in charge.15. Let her brush her teeth.Youll fruchtwein likely have to follow up with a more thorough scrubbing afterward until around age four, but if you want to fast-track your kids sense of personal responsibility, let them apply the gel to the brush, and the brush to their mouth. Have them watch you first - especially the spitting in the sink part at the end. Then do it together facing the mirror, so you can check that all systems are a go.This article firstappeared on Fatherly.