TAO Self-help

If you are planning to apply for an SES position anytime soon, then it's very likely that you have carved out an impressive career for yourself, and have gone through a number of job interviews. You've probably conducted your own interviews, as well.

All of the common things we hear about preparing for interviews are still fundamental and very useful: be prepared; research the organization; dress appropriately; be confident but humble. So, if you are invited to an SES interview, we recommend you do all of these things. In addition, the federal government often uses behavioral-based interviews in which you are asked to describe how you would (or did) perform in certain types of situations.

Along these lines, one of our clients recently completed an SES interview, and landed the job! Although the following questions have been fictionalized, they will nonetheless give you a powerful glimpse into what one federal agency asked their SES candidates in 2016 during final interviews.

- This is a newly created SES position that will oversee two GS-15s who were previously running their own separate departments. As those department directors may become division directors, and division directors may become branch heads, and so on, there will likely be a great deal of unrest regarding titles, roles, and perceived stature. Please address what you see as the key challenges and how you would address them.

- You have been associated with (insert your organization name) in some capacity for a significant time period. If you are selected as an SES, talk to us about the changes you foresee with integrating into our culture here.

- This department has offices across the world, and many of them have developed longstanding cultures wanting to "take care" of their own issues and not reveal negative issues to their chain of command. As the current leadership continues to work to change these cultures, we are uncovering challenging issues, such as inappropriate use of government computer systems. Talk to us about any related experience with this type of situation and what you would plan to do to address these challenges.

By considering these types of questions and applying them to the agency calling you for an interview, you can be even more prepared.

Lee Kelley is a former Army captain, Iraq war veteran, and author, who now serves as the Senior Writer and Executive Coach on CareerPro Global's SES 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 military personnel. In addition, Lee 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.

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.