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.

What You Should Know About the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program

There are many ways to advance one’s executive career and potential in the federal government, and one of those is through the PMF program. If you are close to completing your graduate degree in any discipline, or have finished school within the last two years, then you may want to consider applying for this fantastic program.

Although there are a number of ways you can tailor it to best fit your individual career development goals and position you for the Senior Executive Service (SES), here are five things you should know about this unique program:

• It’s a full-time, paid federal position (GS-9-12) that lasts two years.
• Some participating agencies offer student loan repayment options.
• You will complete at least one 4- to 6-month developmental assignment.
• You will leave the program with an Executive Resources Board (ERB) or equivalent certification.
• For the upcoming 2014 PMF program, applicants with degrees in certain specialized disciplines may be eligible for the new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) track pilot.

Finally, follow this link to learn more about the PMF program: http://www.pmf.gov/opportunity/index.aspx

 

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.

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.

Top Reasons Why OPM Might Reject Your ECQs

There is not only one right way to develop an Executive Core Qualification (ECQ). Everyone has a different writing and communication style—not to mention unique career experiences and training.

However, over the years, and in working with thousands of applicants, CareerPro Global’s career advisors and writers have identified some of the top reasons that OPM’s Qualification Review Boards tend to reject ECQs.

Here are a few to keep in mind when writing your own ECQs:

• Examples are more than 10 years old.
• Examples do not demonstrate sufficient depth and breadth of experience that would indicate executive leadership.
• Examples read like highly technical descriptions of short-term projects, rather than executive-level essays.
• Examples lack evidence of the core competencies.
• Specific examples are not presented in the Challenge-Context-Action-Result format, but instead read like vague or general philosophy and description.
• Examples do not include significant, specific, or impactful results.

 

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.

SES RESUMES: Five Tips for Measuring and Recording Your Achievements

SES RESUMES: Five Tips for Measuring and Recording Your Achievements

If you’re reading this column, then you’ve probably already realized that SES resumes are not known for their colorful format or visual appeal. Although this may be a general statement, it is clear from past successes that the federal government appreciates “no-fluff” resumes with very little formatting and a sharp focus on accomplishments.

Further, while it is nice in the corporate sector to use a resume that perhaps integrates a little bit of color or some graphs, those things should never be more important than your career accomplishments. After all, what better way to market yourself than by focusing on the results you’ve been able to achieve? By doing so, you clearly demonstrate to potential employers that you’ve done this in the past, and have the skills to do it even better in the future.

Many people struggle with measuring and recording their achievements. Maybe they’re too humble, and more focused on the team than on themselves. Maybe they’re just too busy, and don’t want to take the time to develop an accomplishment-based resume. Whatever the case, many SES applicants simply use basic job descriptions on their resumes. Anyone can look up a basic position description and paste it into a resume, but this is not an effective approach—you can do better.

Resumes are often weakened by a lack of key achievements. Duties are your functions, and they can probably apply to anyone holding the same job title. It is certainly appropriate to include your duties in the resume, but you need to focus equally on your personal achievements for each position. The best way to do that is by using the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) format. You may have already used this format for writing ECQ or TQ narratives, but it is also very effective when writing bullets or sentences for your SES resume.

When writing accomplishments in the CCAR format, follow these five tips to help ensure your accomplishments are clear, concise, and compelling:

1. Balance humility and boldness. We’ve all seen those over-the-top resumes in which the applicant claims to be the “Best in the Universe.” Don’t be that person, but don’t be overly humble, either. An SES resume calls for bold (and true) claims about your visionary, results-driven, and relevant accomplishments, but you don’t want to go too far. Like most things in life, it’s all about balance.

2. Quantify whenever possible. Sometimes an initiative is ongoing, or you may have improved the overall morale of a dysfunctional team through open communications and team building. But whenever possible, use dollar amounts, figures, and percentages to demonstrate the scope of your responsibilities. For example, you might write, “Planned, managed, and justified a $4M annual budget while supervising a multifunctional staff of 24 personnel.” Or, “Found inefficiencies in acquisition process, revamped process, and saved the organization $600K annually.”

3. Use the last rating cycle. To ensure you cite current and relevant accomplishments, you may want to list every achievement from your last couple of rating cycles. Once you do that, you can pick and choose which ones to include in your resume. Hint: Read the vacancy announcement closely and use the ones that are most relevant to the job you want.

4. Draw parallels. Don’t make the reviewer feel like a puzzle master. Instead, make it easy for him/her to see the value you bring by creating parallels between the major duties in the vacancy announcement, and the things you’ve been doing in the last few years.

5. Focus on challenges you’ve overcome. Too often, people overlook the challenges they’ve overcome in the workplace, but this is great content for your SES resume. In these unpredictable economic times, many of us have to perform our missions at work with limited resources, with budgetary or personnel constraints, and amid ongoing change(s). When you can still thrive and create results amid the chaos, you set yourself apart as a strong leader who can overcome and adapt.

Remember that an SES resume will contain a lot of personal information, such as job announcement number, email address, and education. Just as you try to align your team’s efforts with strategic objectives at work, in order to create a stellar SES resume, you should include specific and relevant accomplishments that are aligned with the duties and qualifications in the job announcement.

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.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Candidate Development Program (CDP)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Candidate Development Program (CDP)

Have you ever thought about landing a Senior Executive Service (SES) position someday? If so, you are not alone. Many people apply for SES positions, and many more hope they’ll be ready “someday.” But while a positive expectation is a great attitude to have, hope alone won’t get you the job. And just climbing the ranks up to GS-15 won’t necessarily get you the job, either.

Being an accomplished GS-15 will certainly help when you apply, but these SES positions are highly competitive. To stand out, you must submit an application package that is comprehensive and compelling, and that shows your proficiency in the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)—and possibly even some technical areas.

So, while working your way up the federal ranks, you should take bold initiative when you can. In other words, seek challenging opportunities that can stretch your vision and broaden your perspectives. If you are a GS-13/14, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to study the ECQs and the competencies for each. In other words, understand what is expected for the SES, and then be proactive about designing your career.

This sounds great, you may be thinking, but how do you do that? Well, one fantastic idea is to get a head start by participating in a CDP. And it appears that with its new CDP, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is doing some succession planning by training future SESers.

This intensive leadership development program lasts approximately 12-18 months, and DHS welcomes applicants with various types of expertise. The following excerpt from the vacancy announcement will help to illustrate what a great opportunity this is:

“The SES CDP is designed to develop the talents and skills of individuals with executive potential in order to create a cadre of candidates who can assume senior management positions at the SES level as vacancies occur. Successful graduates of the SES CDP are eligible for non-competitive placement into target positions (Core Occupations, Support Occupations, and Law Enforcement), at any DHS component, at the SES level after approval by a DHS Executive Resources Board and certification by an Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Review Board.”

The announcement closed on June 1, 2012, but it might make sense to prepare for the next announcement now. What a great opportunity to propel your career to the next level!

You have what it takes. The time is now.

Step up to the challenge and get your application in. If you don’t, someone else will!

Finally, 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. 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.

 

Strong ECQ Statements Needed To Pass QRB Review

Quality Review Board and Strong ECQs

Getting your Senior Executive Service (SES) resume and application package approved for further review is an accomplishment; it’s another big hurdle to get “past” the Quality Review Board (QRB) a panel of experts who declare your application fit for further consideration. Obtaining the approval of the QRB is one of the more vexing tasks that SES candidates face and it’s why many of the successful ones choose to utilize the services of professional SES resume writers. These writers work with the SES packages every day and have insight and experience to construct Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) documents that win over the QRB reviewers. A good example is this testimonial offered by a successful SES candidate in a letter written to Barbara Adams, CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc., one of only a few companies to provide expert SES assistance and the only ISO 9001:2008 certified career services company.

Barbara,

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my extreme appreciation for all of Nancy Segal’s hard work which allowed me to be accepted into a Federal SES position.  I contacted CareerPro Global about nine months ago after my ECQs were rejected a second time by OPM’s QRB.  Nancy was assigned to my case at the time and she has been fabulous.  Nancy revised my initial ECQs within two weeks to tell a better story for my next SES opportunity.  Several months ago when I was tentatively selected for another SES position I contacted Nancy and she did not hesitate assisting me in revising the ECQs to make them more current.  Nancy responsiveness has been more than outstanding and her valuable input was much appreciated.  It was made clear to me that Nancy knows exactly what OPM is searching for in reviewing ECQs when I was informed yesterday that my ECQs were approved by the QRB.

Nancy’s efforts and work product allowed me to be accepted into a SES position.  I could not have done it without her.  I highly recommend Nancy to anyone interested in pursuing a SES Federal career.

Again, thanks to CareerPro Global and Nancy Segal.”

Regards.

David L. (last name withheld)