Book Reviews

New Guide Shows College Students & New Grads the Way to Opportunities with the Federal Government

Looking out at today's job market, college students and recent grads can feel challenged to find pockets of worthwhile opportunities. A new book, The Student's Federal Career Guide: 10 Steps to Find and Win Top Government Jobs and Internships, identifies and scouts out a massive market-the federal employment scene, where 300,000+ new hires are added a year. The first book to specifically lead students and emerging professionals through this vast marketplace, the guide manages to be comprehensive, eye-opening, reader-friendly and inspiring. An especially appealing feature is inclusion of thirteen real-life stories of successful, young jobhunters, with careers as varied as international relations, mechanical engineering, and biology. Their experiences give a face to federal jobhunting as their photos and stories introduce sections of the book.

The targeted student guide came to life after career counselor Vicki Hamby, from the University of South Carolina, e-mailed federal jobs expert Kathryn Troutman in May 2003; Hamby suggested that a "simple and quick" federal employment guide be written for Generation Y. Troutman was already a trusted voice on federal employment, with such previous titles as the popular Federal Resume Guidebook, and she serves as the official Federal Career Coach for Monster.com. To strengthen the student's perspective, Troutman wrote the Guide with her daughter Emily, a Master's of Public Policy candidate at the University of Minnesota.

The Student's Federal Career Guide is organized around Kathryn Troutman's proven 10-step formula for securing government employment, with special adjustments to the step-by-step process to make it relevant to its readers. An important alteration is in Step 3, now on learning about internships and other special opportunities for students and new grads; this subject, which has its own chapter, is key as many federal internships are paid and all the covered special categories can be career jump-starters. Also, particularly helpful will be a never-before-done chart equating 185 college majors to 300 specific federal job titles; this is important as job titles are often worded differently in government.

Before jumping into the 10 Steps, the authors offer an Introduction which explains why "going federal" can be a great choice for students and emerging professionals-i.e. the highly anticipated retirement wave in federal government, variety of jobs, great benefits, and personal rewards. Then in 10 concise but packed chapters, Kathryn and Emily Troutman conversationally describe their job search steps.

Beginning with the step of networking, the authors take a practical approach which will help readers get off to the right start in surveying this marketplace. Next, they suggest readers select particular agencies, a strategy that can make the federal world seem less overwhelming. The crucial internship chapter notes more than 100 opportunities, and also includes summer jobs, scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships. The job-finding chapter offers insider strategies for locating open work positions that will be the right match of pay, location, mission and responsibilities. Also particularly crucial is the chapter on writing paper and electronic federal resumes. There readers will get ideas for meeting the challenge of showing potential in a resume at an early stage of one's life. The chapter on KSAs is excellent too, offering insights into these narrative skills statements which are often required by the feds. Tips for marketing yourself for a position in cover letters are found there too. Other sections of the Guide clue readers into aspects of federal employment which may at first seem alien to them - the federal grade levels and related salaries, the densely written vacancy announcements, the concept of keywords, the special application systems, and fed-favored interviewing styles.

Adding even more value is the bonus CD-ROM that accompanies the Guide. Along with the 13 engaging jobhunting success stories, readers will find samples for federal resumes, KSAs, and cover letters along with write-over resume templates and builders for KSAs and cover letters. Important Web links are supplied on the disk for internships and job searching.

In creating a guide that would appeal to students and emerging professionals, the creators realized that size matters. Compared to common bulky employment manuals, The Student's Guide is light to carry around, measuring only 5" x 8" and coming to just 184 pages. The page layout is open and not crammed; the writing, understandable and non-bureaucratic.

An ideal period for those still in college to begin considering federal employment is the junior year, which allows time for application processes. But whether you're still hitting the books or have recently graduated, using The Student's Guide is the perfect way to get introduced to our nation's largest employer-the federal government. With the vast opportunities available, it's possible to find a great match for your talents. Such was the case for Scott Hampstead, one of the successful jobhunters featured in The Student's Guide. With his previous experience and degree in mechanical engineering, Hampstead nailed a Career Management Internship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Within six months, he will be earning $47,000, and he reports that the opportunity to learn in this position "is amazing."

For interviews, review copies, or info, call Sarah Bluzucki, The Resume Place Press, 888/480-8265 or 410/744-4324 in Baltimore, MD. Purchase The Student's Guide at www.tenstepsforstudent.org or Amazon.com. The Guide is distributed to the trade through Jist Publishing (www.jist.com) and Ingram.

Brian Friel, Editor, National Journal and Government Executive Magazine writes about the Student Guide:

“For university students and recent graduates seeking jobs in the federal government, Kathryn and Emily Troutman tell it like it is. Simply put, it is not easy to get a federal job.

Many positions are highly coveted and receive thousands of applications for just a few spots. In addition, the government imposes numerous application requirements, security clearance checks and other hoops and hurdles on applicants. Students need to know what to expect, and the Troutmans clearly explain the federal hiring obstacle course. Of particular use is the CD with stories of real, successful applicants, who explain how they were able to land their dream jobs. Hearing the realities of federal job-seeking from successes is one of the best ways to learn how to get a federal job yourself. In my years writing for GovExec.com--the must-read daily news Web site for government employees and managers--I heard from hundreds of frustrated, angry and disheartened federal job applicants. The Troutmans' new book can help you avoid being one of them. “

Hot Tip #1
Scholarships...
Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service. If you're interested in computers, specifically in protecting national security secrets kept on computers, this could be a good fit...MORE>>

Hot Tip #2
Internships...
The State Department wants its employees to be “the face of America to the world.” That includes the 900 interns it hires each year...MORE>>