|
Hot Tip for KSA Writing from University Career Counselor
I've seen too many students fade when they approach the mountainous task of writing a whole series of KSAs. Sometimes, it helps to approach the task one at a time, looking at one KSA, and thinking of one example at a time, telling one story, writing it down - and stopping for a few hours. Then, doing one more, and later, one more. Breaking the task into a series of small tasks seems to help some students get into the task and complete it.
Kate Duttro, D.Ed.
Career Planning and Alumni Relations Coordinator
Univ. of WA, School of Marine Affairs
Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service, January 11th 2005 Deadline
If you're interested in computers, specifically in protecting national security secrets kept on computers, this could be a good fit. This National Science Foundation scholarship program is offering certain colleges and universities money to attract students in the "information assurance" field. It covers tuition, room and board, and books for up to two years of undergraduate or graduate-level study. There's also a stipend of $8,000 per year for undergrads and $12,000 per year for graduate students. In return, students become part of the Federal Cyber Service of informational technology specialists responsible for protecting the government's information infrastructure. Upon graduation after their two-year scholarships, the recipients will be required to work for a federal agency for two years to fulfill their Federal Cyber Service commitments.
Read more about the Scholarship for Service program here.
World-Class Internships at the State Department
The State Department wants its employees to be “the face of America to the world.” That includes the 900 interns it hires each year to help advance the nation's foreign policy agenda and maintain diplomatic relations throughout the world. The State Department is searching for students in a broad range of majors that reflect both the breadth and reach of its mission. International relations, political science and government majors are always in demand, but the agency is also recruiting business, science, economics, engineering, journalism and information management students to help its professional staff tackle the many diplomatic issues confronting the US.
Read more about the intersnhip programs here.
Read the President’s Budget and Study the Budget of Your Target Agency
Want to see which agency will be receiving the most funding for next year? Check out the President’s annual budget. The agencies with the largest budget will also be increasing their staff. But all agencies are hiring. This is great interview material – memorize the budget before your interview!
Read more here.
Get Smart thru Informational Interviews
Informational interviews help you get smart about a targeted career
field. Once you’ve located someone to talk with, call or e-mail
and ask for twenty minutes of their time. At the interview, stick
to the time limit. Afterwards, send a “thank you!” card
and be sure to let the person know when you’ve landed a job.
Join an Organization
Libraries usually own one or more directories of professional associations,
which list every possible group and give information about how to
join. Most associations offer low-cost student memberships with great
benefits like workshops, newsletters, job bulletin boards and member
lists. Member phone and email lists can be a great way to develop
your network.
Hot or Not?
Jobs opportunities in Federal agencies can be divided into two categories—classic
and hot. You can count on certain “classic” agencies to
continually hire people with your skill set. For example, if your
degree was in Biology, you can consider the Department of Agriculture
or National Park Service. However some agencies simply hire more employees
than others according to how much money becomes available and our
nation’s current employment focus. These agencies are “hot.”
#1 Internship Insight
The single most important thing to remember about government internships
is: deadlines. Summer may seem miles away, but federal internships
usually have deadlines four to nine months before the position’s
start date. In addition, many internships require security clearances.
These can take anywhere from four months to one year to perform.
|
