Is a Candidate Development Program (CDP) Right for You?

Are you a GS-14 or GS-15 who feels that the Senior Executive Service (SES) could be in your future?

If so, you might want to consider a CDP. You can find plenty of detailed information from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), but here’s the overall idea: Imagine stepping out of your normal career path and daily activities to participate in a 12-month program (sometimes longer) designed to enhance your leadership, scope of experience, and executive potential.

Although each person’s experience will be a little different, during a CDP, you can expect to receive personal mentoring, an Individual Development Plan (IDP), specialized training, and a developmental assignment.

At the end of your CDP, you’ll have an opportunity to develop your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) essays and submit them for OPM approval. Going through a CDP doesn’t guarantee you an SES position, but it can certainly give you a competitive advantage. Plus, if you are selected for an SES position at some point, you may already have a certified set of ECQs. So while all of your competition is still working to get ECQ approval, you will simply need to show proof of your ECQ certification.

CDPs aren’t always available, and they are coveted opportunities among many federal employees. Not surprisingly, they are also highly competitive. In terms of applying, the programs are advertised on USAJOBS just like any other position. Make sure you read the entire vacancy announcement and submit exactly what they ask for—nothing more and nothing less.

Although we’ve seen CDP announcements call for a full set of ECQs just to apply, that is rarely the case. Usually, they require you to submit what we’ve coined a “5-Page All-Inclusive Resume.” This is simply a resume focusing on the past 10 years of your career that shows your executive potential.

Most importantly, these submissions require you to demonstrate your experience and potential in each ECQ category: Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, and Building Coalitions. So, if a CDP is something that interests you, it’s a good idea to start thinking about (and actively seeking) career experience in each of these categories.

 

Lee Kelley is an Iraq war veteran and former Army Captain who now serves as the senior writer on CareerPro Global’s writing team. Leveraging the company’s vast expertise in assisting thousands of SES and federal job seekers, Lee has personally developed hundreds of resumes and more than a thousand ECQs. He is also the Director of Training and Veteran Transitions, and has provided USAJOBS resume-writing workshops to hundreds of federal employees and our military. In addition, Lee is an author and executive coach. He co-authored the book Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application. His latest book is titled Inside Marine One: Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine, and the World’s Most Amazing Helicopter.

When ECQs Don’t Make the Cut…

Over the past decade or so, our Senior Executive Service (SES) writing team here at CareerPro Global has helped thousands of people develop ECQs (Executive Core Qualifications) that represent their accomplishments and executive potential in the best possible way.

Most of the time, our clients come to us for help early in the process. But sometimes, we get these calls: “Please help! I wrote my own application materials, and was offered an SES position, but my ECQs were disapproved by OPM!”

In these situations, we look at the problem areas and work with the client to get his or her ECQs up to par. Obviously, each set of ECQs is different, and each person’s career stories are unique. Still, let’s highlight some of the issues and best practices that we used on many of our “ECQ rewrites,” all of which have resulted in resubmission and subsequent OPM (Office of Personnel Management) approval.

Issue: Examples were more than 10 years old.

Best Practice Applied: Challenged client to provide examples from within the past 10 years (5-7 years is the “sweet spot”).

Issue: Examples were vague and did not use the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) format.

Best Practice Applied: Partnered with client to restructure examples and to ensure each one began with a clear CHALLENGE/CONTEXT paragraph, which served to “set up” the story by describing the individual’s job title, the timeframe, the scope and complexity of the organization/position, and then the “problem” or challenge that needed to be overcome/changed. Next, restructured each example to include three to five paragraphs of ACTIONS, followed by a robust RESULTS paragraph.

Issue: No evidence of executive leadership. ECQs read like project management descriptions.

Best Practice Applied: Worked with client to present examples that were “executive in scope,” such as influencing senior decision making, coordinating with interagency partners, participating in and leading strategic planning, changing major business processes, and achieving results that impacted the entire organization/enterprise/industry/division.

Issue: No evidence of the competencies in some, or all, of the ECQs.

Best Practice Applied: Educated client on how the competencies in each ECQ are the best guide for selecting which stories to use. If a particular story can’t be told naturally by addressing the competencies in that ECQ, then it may not be the best example.

 

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on T.V. and radio and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. She is the co-author of the book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.

 

SES Candidate Development Program: Are you Prepared to Apply?

Many SES CDP Programs are scheduled to open in 2014.

SES Candidate Development Program – Are you Prepared to Apply?

What is the SES CDP? It’s the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program that helps candidates get ready to take on Senior Executive Service positions.

This is a good route to take if you’d like to get promoted to an SES job from within, or even if you’re applying from the outside, the SES Candidate Development Program is a great head start. Many Senior Executive Service professionals get their start by entry into this program and you can too. Allow us to partner with you to develop your very important Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program resume and get your foot in the door for a future SES position.

What Does the SES Candidate Development Program Involve?

This program not only will help you get your application ready to gain employment or on the executive leadership track in the Federal government, it can also help you get additional experience to add to your federal resume and application package so you can jump when an SES job is available. SES jobs typically don’t stay open for very long, so let our SES Resume Writing Team help you be fully prepared for when that opportunity comes.

The SES Candidate Development Program also offers SES training for future positions. How does SES training work? Activities that help candidates learn the Five Executive Core Qualifications will be a boost when it’s time to get ready for your SES Application package. You’ll be groomed for an SES job using your skills as a leader, which will be further honed by SES tutoring.

Essentially, you’ll already be prepared with the skills you need once you get hired for an SES position. This will definitely set you apart from the other applicants and will ensure your success and future hiring prospects.

 

What Does the SES Candidate Development Program Involve?

This program not only will help you get your application ready to gain employment or on the executive leadership track in the Federal government, it can also help you get additional experience to add to your federal resume and application package so you can jump when an SES job is available. SES jobs typically don’t stay open for very long, so let our SES Resume Writing Team help you be fully prepared for when that opportunity comes.

The SES Candidate Development Program also offers SES training for future positions. How does SES training work? Activities that help candidates learn the Five Executive Core Qualifications will be a boost when it’s time to get ready for your SES Application package. You’ll be groomed for an SES job using your skills as a leader, which will be further honed by SES tutoring.

Essentially, you’ll already be prepared with the skills you need once you get hired for an SES position. This will definitely set you apart from the other applicants and will ensure your success and future hiring prospects.

 

Check out our SES CDP Services:  http://www.seswriters.com/SES-Candidate-Development-Program.shtml

Second Chance Landing a Senior Executive Service Position

Almost everyone would agree that landing a job in these tough economic times can be both challenging and stressful. And the higher the stakes, as in the SES, the higher the emotions can run.

After working with almost 4,000 SES applicants over the years, CareerPro Global’s writing team has gained a great deal of insight into this process. And, among other things, we’ve learned that there are second chances.

What if you make it through the selection process, receive an offer for an SES position, and then your ECQS are submitted to OPM for certification and approval? That’s great news, right? But what if (as does happen to some people) your ECQs don’t make the cut? Well, in almost every case, you will be given a second chance. OPM allows you to revise and resubmit your ECQs within a specific timeframe, and the hiring organization has several other options to resubmit your application.

Here’s another scenario: What if you simply don’t land the first SES position you apply for? As is true in all job searches—regardless of the level or the emotions involved—you always have another chance. This recent testimonial will help to further illustrate the point:

“… although not accepted for the first position I applied for with the ECQs and TQs CareerPro drafted, I was interviewed and accepted for the second position—and the ECQs and TQs sailed through OPM with no edits/questions at all (something the hiring director for my office said she had not seen in her 10 years there). I have now started my new position. While I consider myself a reasonably good writer, the ECQs and TQs I produced on my own were simply not good enough. I was not fully comfortable with hiring a writing service like CareerPro, but after some reflection, I decided that it was worth the investment. My writer worked with me intensively over the next three weeks, asking detailed questions and kicking several drafts back and forth with me to make sure they accurately captured my career in a way that ensured all of the ‘bases’ that both the hiring office and OPM wanted to see were covered. I also urge anyone looking for an SES-level position to not to be discouraged if they don’t get hired on the first try. In my case, I was not even asked back for an interview for the first position (though when I asked for feedback, I was told that the package itself was noticeably stronger than the initial submission I had drafted on my own—the problem was the hiring office did not consider me the right “fit” for the job). And my second SES application ended with my hiring.”

What’s the takeaway here? You might not be suited for every SES position for which you apply. Some agencies may be looking for specific experience to fit their team or environment, but those things may not be effectively expressed in the vacancy announcement. On the other hand, there are a number of unknown variables, such as stiff competition or backdoor politics (they already had someone in mind). We advise you to never give up, and to maintain a positive and proactive approach regarding your search for the right SES position.

Finally, just remember that highly qualified and driven leaders just like you sometimes don’t land the job on the first try; they need a second chance.

The Role of a Senior Executive Service (SES) Writer and Coach

In the challenging executive workplace of today, more and more busy professionals are turning to executive writers and coaches to assist them in developing their application materials.

We have worked with more than 3,000 GS-15s, corporate executives, and senior military officers over the past two decades, and we are well known at the highest levels of numerous government agencies. Still, some people don’t understand the role (and benefits) of an SES writer and coach.

Although it is a highly personalized, interactive, and dynamic service that varies based on each person’s unique personality, writing style, education, and career accomplishments, here are some of the main aspects of the coach/client relationship.

Client Assessment: First, the coach will help the client to decide if he or she is qualified to apply for a particular SES position, or for the SES in general. This part of the process includes a review of career documentation to assess the client’s strengths (and weaknesses) in the various leadership competencies. Additionally, the coach and client may hold several phone calls to determine the best path to the SES.

Information Gathering and Coaching: Once they agree upon a game plan, the coach sends out custom ECQ and TQ builders, and a resume questionnaire. These documents require the client to provide specific career stories, examples, and information. Throughout this period, the coach guides the client through filling out the builders, and telling the right kinds of stories that address the competencies and are executive in nature. This guidance comes in the form of written feedback and phone conversations, as needed.

Writing and Editing: Once the writer has all of the information from the client, to the writer helps revise and streamline everything to make the client’s unique career stories read as smoothly and effectively as possible, while also ensuring that the documents integrate the best practices that OPM likes to see (such as strong emphasis on the ECQ competencies, Challenge-Context-Action-Review format, recent and relevant examples, and proper formatting/character counts).

Project Review: Once the first drafts are complete, the writer delivers them to the client for review and approval, and makes any changes the client might want. When the client is satisfied that the package represents them accurately, it’s time to start applying!

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on T.V. and radio and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. She is the co-author of the book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.

5 Tips for Developing an Effective SES Application Package

5 Tips for Developing an Effective SES Application Package

Generally speaking, an SES application consists of a resume, the five ECQs, and several TQs. We’ve also seen positions without TQs, or with up to six or seven TQs. Further, we’ve seen the full spectrum of formatting and length restrictions that various federal agencies decide to impose on applicants’ ECQs, TQs, and resumes.

At the end of the day, you need to make sure you address the specific requirements in the job announcement. Along those lines, leveraging experience from helping more than 3,000 people do this, we give you five fundamental tips for developing an effective SES application package. If you follow these, then you are positioning yourself for success. As 2013 progresses, we will share even more specific tips, best practices, and tactics.   1. Limit your resume to five pages. Here’s the deal. A few years ago, we were still developing 8-, 10-, and yes, even 12-page comprehensive resume presentations for SES clients. After all, these are often folks with decades of experience. Throughout the past three years or so, and concurrently with federal hiring reform, we’ve seen a definite trend toward shorter SES resumes.

2. Tailor your resume for each position or type of position. People often ask if they need a different SES resume for every position for which they apply. Well, the answer is yes… and no. To a certain extent, your work history is what it is, in terms of start dates, major duties, and overall chronology. And if you are applying for very similar jobs, you might very well be able to use the same resume. But many of you have a diverse set of skills, experience, and assignments. As a result, you may qualify for SES positions with varying requirements. In those cases, we encourage you to “tweak” your resume to ensure you showcase your relevant experience. Don’t leave it up to them to assume. Make it very clear that you have the exact or very similar experiences to the ones they outline in the job announcement.

3. Use the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) format in all ECQs and TQs. For the ECQs, this is fundamental. It seems so simple, but we’ve seen lots of people write their own ECQs, ignore this guidance, and get rejected. Maybe there were more problems with the narratives, but the boards definitely expect examples to be presented in the logical CCAR format. Additionally, people tend to forget that this is a great approach to ANY type of narrative presentation—like your TQs.

4. Make sure that your resume complements the ECQs and TQs. We recommend that you complete the resume last. Not only should you tailor your five-page resume as mentioned in points 1 and 2 above, but you should include the fantastic accomplishments you described in the narratives in your resume, as well. A good way to do that is to review your ECQs and TQs, and rewrite some of the key actions and results into bullet points, again using a CCAR format, so that whenever possible, the bullets have a problem, action, and results.

5. Ask for meaningful feedback. We consider ourselves the best SES writing team in the world, and we send ALL of our work through our staff proofreaders. The point here is that whether you hire a professional to write, edit, or critique your work, or you ask a colleague (an SES maybe) to review it, or you have your awesome niece who is an English major to check it out, get a fresh set of eyes on it, and then take the constructive feedback to make the presentation more succinct and error-free. Don’t ask people who are going to tell you what you want to hear and “yes” you… ask those who will actually give you meaningful and objective feedback.

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on T.V. and the radio, and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. CPG recently sent a team to instruct senior officials at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia in best practices for developing their SES application materials. She is the co-author of the new book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.

Integrating the Competencies into Your “Leading People” Narrative

by Barbara Adams, President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc.

With very few exceptions, almost every Senior Executive Service (SES) position you apply for will require you to submit Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) narratives. While it is obviously important to ensure the examples you provide match the ECQ titles of Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, andBuilding Coalitions, that’s actually not enough. The best way to write ECQs is to first select a topic that makes sense for that particular ECQ, and then look at the specific competencies and ask yourself whether you can address most or all of them effectively.

For example, let’s talk about Leading People. Imagine a senior military officer who is retiring after 20 years of distinguished service and trying to enter the SES. Now, imagine that he/she is writing his/her Leading People narrative. This individual is clearly a strong leader, and had led organizations of more than 1,000 people and provided executive oversight to 12 different organization comprised of more than 100,000 people stationed around the world.

Now, let’s say this individual provides a great description of all this leadership, but focuses purely on leadership philosophy and the complex missions the organization had to accomplish. Shouldn’t those folks in the Qualifications Review Board (QRB) still be able to tell what a great leader this person is? Maybe, but maybe not. Even though this individual is clearly a seasoned leader with worldwide experience in a variety of field and office environments, the ECQ likely won’t pass muster and the board will deny it.

Why?

Because the competencies were not addressed. The important thing to remember here is that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has been very specific about HOW it wants examples presented. So, even though every example is different, every career is different, and there is no “cookie-cutter” way to write an ECQ narrative, there are certain criteria that a strong ECQ should meet. First, OPM wants specific examples presented in the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) format. However, more importantly, OPM wants the examples to be expressed through the “lens” of the competencies. If these criteria (along with a few others) are not met, the board will probably reject the applicant’s ECQs.

Let’s get back to our example. It’s not enough that this individual provided an example that clearly “proves” his/her leadership experience. Unfortunately, this applicant failed to tell the story though the lens of the competencies. In other words, while providing this great story of leading large organizations through major challenges, this individual failed to describe how he/she built the team, developed individual members of the team, leveraged diversity, and managed conflict (the four competencies required for Leading People).

One of the best ways to ensure you address the competencies in any ECQ is to turn those competencies into questions, and then answer those questions in the “action” section of your narrative. Regardless of what a great leader you are, and how logical it seems that your Leading People examples demonstrate your leadership, go back to the competencies. If you don’t weave those into the narrative, you are at serious risk of being rejected by the QRB. Here are some of the questions you might ask when writing up your Leading People narrative:

• What did you do to specifically build a more cohesive team environment? Did you hold weekly meetings or social gatherings, or provide incentives, awards, time off, etc.? (team building)

• Did you have to handle conflicts between two or more employees or offices? What did you do to resolve the situation constructively? (conflict management)

• Did you provide opportunities for or encourage staff to enroll in professional development opportunities or extend anyone’s responsibilities to a higher level of job description or expectation? (developing others)

• Did you encourage female candidates in a traditionally male-dominated field or recruit to minority groups? (leveraging diversity)

• Did you select teams for projects that included a diverse mix of individuals—professionally, educationally, culturally, etc.? (leveraging diversity)

• Did you utilize intern programs, fellowships, or other professional development programs to recruit young talent? Did you then arrange for them to be mentored into the mainstream? (developing others/leveraging diversity)

You can find job-winning, OPM-approved samples of SES application packages and a complete set of ECQ builders in our book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service. Get your copy today by clicking on this link or searching the title on Amazon.

 

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on TV and radio and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. CPG recently sent a team to instruct senior officials at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, in best practices for developing their SES application materials. She is the co-author of the new book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.

ALJ Hiring Update

The 1954 musical Brigadoon featured a mystical town in the Scottish Highlands that appeared to mere mortals only once every hundred years for one day, thereafter to disappear into the mists of time for another century. Similarly the ALJ register opens only for brief periods, then to close again, sometimes for years.

Attorneys who aspire to join the ranks of Administrative Law Judges will have to be prepared at the moment that the “town” appears. With no exam since 2009, many ALJ aspirants are awaiting the opening of this much anticipated event. The ALJ hiring process begins with the establishment of a register of qualified candidates which is maintained by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Names of qualified candidates are added only when the examination is announced, an event that has occurred about every 13 months in the last few years. The opening of the exam is long overdue by this standard, and it leaves those anticipating its arrival guessing about the next steps. Unlike Brigadoon, the exam’s appearance does not occur at regularly scheduled intervals. Another large unknown in the process is the uncertainty of Congress’ budget dealings. No examination or hiring can occur until the budget for 2012 is set.

Hiring reform aimed at eliminating arduous narrative-heavy applications was implemented for competitive service positions throughout the federal government in late 2010, but thus far, the ALJ examination process has been untouched from its last few iterations. OPM has formed groups to study the ALJ hiring process to see how it might be streamlined or improved, and there is some speculation that the exam will not open until this new process is established and implemented. Competing rumors say that the existing examination process will used once more in the spring of 2012 under a repeat of the recent, more-familiar process.

Whatever your guess, the Social Security Administration just announced that it will hire retired ALJs to serve on temporary contracts to help alleviate the agency’s backlog while it awaits funding to fill positions on a permanent basis. This may be a clue that we will all wait a little while longer to join the desirable land of ALJs.

What can you do to be ready? Regardless of how a revised process might affect the specific format of the ALJ exam, we bet it will still require a fair amount of writing. Preparing an application based on the last examination announcement will save you invaluable time and help you have your required details all in one place. An effective application features your unique career achievements—with measurable results—that demonstrate why you are a standout among candidates. You will need a federal style resume, as well as narrative content that speaks to your accomplishments in specific competency areas. These are detailed in the 2009 ALJ examination announcement which can be viewed online.

What else can you do? Join online discussions about ALJ issues to stay informed about the latest musings and happenings about ALJ hiring and other relevant issues. Set up an automatic job posting search on www.USAJOBS.gov to receive alerts about ALJ related job postings. And stay tuned right here for future updates.

Elizabeth Juge is CareerPro Global’s primary expert on federal attorney applications, including Administrative Law Judge qualifications and application processes. Drawing on her experience consulting with federal jobseekers and potential ALJ candidates, Elizabeth co-authored Roadmap to Becoming an Administrative Law Judge: How to Find ALJ Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your Application. She has helped numerous job seekers earn “best qualified” status in their applications and positions on the ALJ register.

Administration unveils new senior executive performance measurements

(Reposted from GovExec.com)

The Office of Personnel Management on Friday unveiled a new performance management system for the Senior Executive Service.

Originally slated for completion in September 2011, the new measurements aim to streamline the way top managers in the federal government are evaluated.

“Under the new system, agencies will be able to rely upon a more consistent and uniform framework to communicate expectations and evaluate the performance of SES members,” OPM Director John Berry wrote in a statement Friday.

“This system focuses, in particular, on the role and responsibility of SES employees to achieve results through effective executive leadership,” Berry said. “The new system will also provide the necessary flexibility and capability for appropriate customization to better meet the needs of all agencies and other federal organizations (e.g., offices of inspectors general).”

The President’s Management Council started a working group in 2010 to examine ways to improve SES performance evaluation. The recommendation to create a standard system came out of that group.

In a February 2011 memo to SES members, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management Jeffrey Zients and Berry wrote that tight budgets, along with a growing workload, impending retirements and limited opportunities for development were straining the executive-level workforce.

Under the new management system, the core qualifications that determine a candidate’s entry into the SES are applied to performance evaluations — a move that makes sense, said Carol Bonosaro, president of the Senior Executives Association. The five core competencies are: leading people, leading change, results driven, business acumen and building coalition.

Executives who receive a final rating of “unsatisfactory” will be removed or reassigned; those who receive two ratings at less than Level 3 (of five levels) within three years will also be removed or reassigned, as will those who receive two level 1 ratings within five years. Overall, the SEA is “pleased” with the new system, which Bonosaro said “does tighten the level of performance.”

Some senior executives have expressed concern over whether they will be rated fairly under the new measurement, fearing an administration could give out lower performance ratings for its own political benefit.

Under the current system, “plenty of executives have seen their ratings lowered without explanation,” Bonosaro said.

In fiscal 2010, more than one third of all SES members received the highest possible rating.

“Having clarity about performance standards, that’s all fine, but I think [senior managers] are just going to see if this is going to produce a different experience, or a better experience” with performance evaluations, she added.

Happy New Year

Dear Readers,

The entire staff of CareerPro Global wishes you and yours a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2012. Let’s make it the best year ever.