As a recruiter in the federal government (USDA), I receive DAILY messages from a variety of applicants across the nation on why they aren't getting interviewed or called back from hiring managers. Unfortunately, I don't have a great answer for this other than: 1. Keep applying - your job is out there, it might not be now, but its out there, believe in yourself and keep going! 2. Many federal jobs (especially in HR) have seen hundreds or even thousands of application (especially for remote jobs). Imagine being that hiring manager and having to sort through hundreds of application? Its so daunting, I don't even want to think about it. Your chances are slim when that many apply. 3. The resumes that I've seen recently are not good for federal employment. For example, many required items are missing from standard/private industry resumes. Almost no one is tailoring (or their version of tailoring is different from HRs version of tailoring?) Not sure. 4. I have an unorthodox idea as of today on how to stand-out more! Stay tuned for my idea!!!! [The article below hits-home, and for so many other applicants that I've talked to recently. Just keep going, don't give up!]
This article really sums up what it’s like to be in the job market right now. You feel like you’re doing everything right but then you get no results. After a while you begin to question if it’s not you, especially given the media’s talk of how great the economy is doing. There’s also the matter that you get used to being successful. I’ve done well in my career. I’ve achieved my goal of going to Yale School of Management and doing well there. Hunting for a job and having no success, or even feedback about why you’re not succeeding, after succeeding in everything else you pursue is frustrating and demoralizing. #layoffs #opentowork
Dave S.
3mo
Hi Samantha. Thanks for commenting on the article. Your response is something I’m actually familiar with. I have several friends who have encouraged me to apply for government positions citing a need to bring in fresh, capable talent and a huge demand to fill those positions quickly (Hi Ariel S. Gold!). Here’s the issues I’ve encountered with that process. The resume format that the government seeks is the diametrically opposite of what the private sector asks for. You mentioned this to a degree. If government wants a particular format they should make their expectations clear from the start, especially with people not familiar with it. The process is filled with self-imposed bottlenecks that hurt both the user experience and the chance to get the best possible candidate. For example, the waiting period that occurs between closing the application period and reviewing applicants means that you are going to create an enormous backlog of work that must be processed before you move to the next step in the process. And given the amount of info you must consume in the resume as mentioned above, that’s a tremendous amount of work. That processing delay also disincentivizes good candidates from applying.
Roger Loesch
3mo
On of the most recent panels I was on, another speaker said be sure to have a cover letter and tailor it to that position so you standout
(Retired) Human Resources Specialist, Strategic Business Partner, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
3moLove this article. One of the other options would be to seek out HR staffing to assist in reviewing their resume. Sometimes it might need a little tweaking. DOD was great for doing this, and it reduced the number of EEO complaints that were received for non-selection.