Transition Insight

Where to Find Federal Jobs

By Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, CMRC, CFRW
www.militaryresumewriters.com and www.careerproplus.com

Now that we barely scraped by a government shutdown at the eleventh hour, the federal government is still hiring, will always be hiring and even though some federal agency(ies) will experience budget cuts, people will continue to retire, transfer, move, quit and most positions will be filled.

The United States (U.S.) government regularly lists more than 20,000 vacancies per day in all disciplines and locations, including both the homeland and overseas. There is something for everyone, no matter what his/her experience or educational level. If job seekers are flexible in terms of the location and federal agency in which they are willing to work, they gain the extra advantage of being able to select a broader range of vacancy announcements to which they can apply.

There are two primary sources where you can find federal jobs: USAJobs.gov and Agency Direct.

USAJobs.gov is the official employment website of the federal government. In January 2010, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the agency behind USAJobs.gov, launched a streamlined design of the USAJobs website to make it easier to find jobs according to user-input search criteria, as well as to apply for these jobs with just a few keystrokes, in most cases.

OPM's new site allows visitors to register and set up a personalized account to compile an online resume and to receive e-mail alerts for job vacancies. Not all agencies use OPM's services; however, you might start out on USAJobs.gov and be redirected to an agency's specific application system.

For example, the Army uses Civilian Personnel Online (CPOL) to fill its civilian vacancies and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses Automated Staffing Application Program (ASAP) to fill its openings.

Every system requires a separate account; again, it's important to read the announcement and to ensure you set up an account on the corresponding system(s) once you have identified the agency(ies) in which you have an interest in gaining employment.

Applicants who are recent college graduates or entry-level applicants may also want to establish a search agent on studentjobs.gov.

Using Agency Direct simply means that you visit the official website of the agency(ies) in which you have an interest. While the vast majority of the agencies list their vacancies through USAJobs.gov (and, as such, their employment links will redirect you to this site), there are some agencies that fall under the "Excepted" hiring category; this means that they are not required by law to list certain positions on USAJobs.gov (though more and more agencies are recognizing the value of including their vacancies on USAJobs.gov).

Barbara Adams, President and CEO of CareerPro Global (CPG), the parent company of www.careerproplus.com and www.militaryresumewriters.com, has been a member of the careers community for the past 20 years. Ms. Adams holds four prestigious industry certifications. CareerPro Global is the only ISO 9001-2008 Certified Career Service in the industry, as well as one of the fastest-growing Military, Federal, and Civilian Resume-Writing and Careers-Coaching companies. The team of Certified Professional Federal and Military Resume Writers at CPG assist thousands of clients in applying for and gaining employment each year. We can help you land your military to civilian job.

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7-Eleven Promotion Benefits Veterans

Hire Heroes USA (HHUSA), a TAOnline.com partner, will soon be receiving financial assistance from 7-Eleven, and it's franchise owners.

HHUSA offers transition, job search and job placement assistance and services for returning veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, particularly those who have been wounded or disabled during their military service. HHUSA utilizes the TAOnline.com job database as a resource in helping their clients find meaningful employment.

"None of us can do enough to thank the wonderful American men and women in uniform who have served, and who continue to so selflessly serve, to protect our liberty and freedom," said 7-Eleven president and CEO Joe DePinto. "From my perspective, there is no higher calling. In many instances, these service members have paid the ultimate price or incurred wounds that will forever alter their lives. Hire Heroes USA is doing important work to ensure that when these veterans return home, they are able to find employment opportunities to support themselves and their families."

7-Eleven has pledged to fill at least two field consultant positions with qualified vets where available, and company representatives will participate in military-base workshops to discuss employment and franchising opportunities.

Additionally, the National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees (NCASEF), an umbrella organization of 7-Eleven U.S. franchisee associations across the country, has pledged its support to HHUSA and will donate the proceeds from its annual golf tournament this July, expected to be as much as $100,000, to the veterans' assistance organization. Last year, the NCASEF raised $100,000 for Hire Heroes through its Joe Saraceno Golf Tournament.

Customers can support the effort by purchasing specially marked products during April and May at participating 7-Eleven stores. A portion from the sale of each item will be donated to HHUSA. Tags designating the donation amounts will be featured prominently throughout the store along with a special display of participating products.

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Marine For Life assists Marines and Sailors in Transition...and Beyond

Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

After spending 11 years in the Marine Corps, Ricardo Slowly decided it was his time to leave, but after he hit the job market looking for a career opportunity, he soon found out the Corps never left him.

He got in touch with Marine For Life, a program that assists Marines who have been honorably discharged from the service, by helping them transition from the Corps back into the civilian world.

Created in 2002 by then-commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James L. Jones, Marine For Life was designed to connect with the Marine-friendly networks that already existed to strengthen the Marine Corps’ ties with the civilian community.

However, in 2004, out of necessity, the program, under the direction of then-commandant, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, shifted focus to the Marine For Life Injured Support Section to assist those wounded from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Once the Wounded Warrior Regiment was fully established in 2008 the Marine For Life program got back to its original mission of assisting all transitioning Marines.

Since then, Lt. Col. Jerard Brewer, Marine For Life's southeast district officer in charge stationed aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, has been actively engaging employers in the community to spread the program's message.

"We are here to assist Marines and even sailors who have been attached to Marine units when they decide it's their time to leave the military," Brewer said. "We do this by partnering with veteran friendly and Marine-preferred employers in the public and private sector and assist Marines with their life's goals."

Before service members can leave the military, it's mandatory for them to attend the Transition Assistance Management Program, which provides service members employment assistance, vocational guidance and transition information. This is when Marine For Life representatives make their presence known.

"Many Marines do not know about us," Brewer said. "We give a brief about what we can do for Marines and sailors who are transitioning back to the civilian world and let them know that they can come see us any time throughout their career."

Brewer added that the program's title should be taken literally.

"Whether you have been out for four years or 20, any time down the road, Marine For Life will assist in any way," he said.

The program, fully staffed by Marine reservists, assists by developing interviewing skills and producing resumes and even offers to make contact with an employer on the service member's behalf.

"Transitioning from active-duty military to civilian life is one of the hardest things a service member will ever go through," Slowly said. "It will do a lot more harm if no one uses this program than if they did. This program is solely designed for that and the opportunities are definitely there."

For more information about Marine For Life, go to www.m4l.usmc.mil/marines.html, or call 1-866-645-8762.

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Activision’s Call of Duty Endowment Awards Half Million Dollars
in Grants to Combat Veterans’ Unemployment

Five national non-profit organizations will each receive $100,000 to assist them in their efforts with career training and job placement throughout the country. The programs chosen each have a different avenue and audience as to how they are combating the unemployment issue.

The USO will provide career support to wounded warriors and their families through the creation of two new facilities at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and a new medical campus at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Student Veterans of America works mostly with younger veterans on college campuses, while Amvets will expand their Career Centers pilot program, which has been helping veterans living in Ohio. Veterans Green Jobs, based out of Colorado, looks to train veterans in the emerging field of sustainable green jobs, and Military to Medicine provides veterans with online healthcare training and employment assistance in the medical field.

"It is a great honor to support these organizations that are training and placing our military men and women in 21 st century careers," said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, Inc. "For those who give selflessly to defend our freedom, we must continue to increase the public's awareness of this problem, and we must work together with businesses around the country to find our heroes fulfilling and sustainable jobs."

Sloan Gibson, president of the USO expressed his gratitude to Activision and Bobby Kotick for the Call of Duty Endowment's grant, "Considering their character, drive and discipline – our men and women who serve in the Armed Forces - should be seen as ideal candidates to hire for any employer. I hope that more companies will help promote that theme, just as Activision and Bobby Kotick have done through the Call of Duty Endowment."

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