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The Fallout around the JOLTS Report đ”âđ«
Plus ideas for transitioning from the federal government to the private sector, and some thoughts of major events in the news.
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Career Resources
Find our job board, a referral link to Zapier, and more here.
My network is hiring! Iâve worked with Chrisâs agency and am happy to make referrals here if this role piques your interest!
Saw this article from Emily Kurze around how pretty efficient and successful job search and thought the insights might be useful.
And this one is just for a laugh because if we donât laugh, weâll cry!
Very real issue that Katie Rakusin pointed out this week around typos in emails - I would guestimate that I see this in about 1% of applications (I try to correct them when I catch it, but often I donât notice until someone requests a status update).
Some powerful insights here from Professor Keon West. You can grab their book, The Science of Racism here. (For a non-Amazon option, you can grab it here but itâs 2x the price so wanted to offer both.)
Fraudulent Candidates
Last week, I spoke with Business Insider about candidates using AI in their job searches (itâs here, but behind a paywall - I havenât even read it!) and during that chat with the reporter, we went down a rabbit hole around fraudulent candidates. She was shocked to learn this is happening at all, but I reassured her, itâs pretty rare - maybe a handful a month that weâre aware of.
This week, I spoke with our ATS company (Ashby) about this topic, and was shocked to learn itâs way more common than I thought. They donât have great data here, but the person I spoke with said he estimates anywhere from 20-50% of candidates for remote engineering jobs are FAKE.
Engineering is definitely the big area these bad actors target, but this makes me think itâs likely much higher than expected for other roles as well in remote environments.
This is one reason I would really encourage all of you to be careful how you show up, especially for remote work - I worry as remote companies get more and more vigilante, even being perceived as AI (no picture on LinkedIn, AI-generated resume/responses, etc.), you could put yourself at risk.
In the News
The big headline this week: the firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the BLS. Thereâs many conversations we can have here - how is the data collected and why are we seeing such big revisions? Is this firing legal? What does this signal about our ever more fragile democracy? And how are we continuing to see historically low rates of unemployment if thereâs such little job creation? Iâve got a part one and part two!
The other big headline: updates to Workdayâs lawsuit! Workday is now being asked to provide a list of those who used it HiredScore features. Interestingly, the lawsuit claiming a decade of AI-driven discrimination via Workday was filed in 2023 while HiredScore wasnât implemented until 2024 so itâs hard to blame AI specifically for the discrimination those in the collective action claim (though that doesnât mean they didnât experience other. I continue to be super curious how this pans out. It may make employers even more cautious about implementing AI features as part of hiring processes, it may leave companies building platforms to aid in hiring more cautious around building AI features. Or it may reveal that AI tools actually arenât the problem, humans are.
đAnswering Your Questionsđ
This is a question I received via LinkedIn - I know itâs a relevant topic so I am incorporating it here as well.
I have a question for you, and I am also asking a few other recruiters to get your views. With the current displacement of U.S. Federal employees, many individuals like myself who have dedicated their careers to the Federal workforce are wondering how to compete in the private sector.
I am going to use myself as a prime example since there are a lot like me. I work in IT, and while many offices I've been in have provided training to stay up to date, they haven't allowed us to obtain certifications. Although most positions do not offer opportunities in marketing or sales, we possess skills and experience from similar work, training, and convincing other offices and bureaus that certain approaches are effective.
However, when my colleagues and I apply for positions in the private sector, I often find that our Government experience is met with skepticism. For instance, as a project manager, I oversee the IT budget, build contracts, vet vendors, and develop automated environments to support others. Periodically, I've heard that these responsibilities weren't part of my role because of my title.
Many Federal positions contain multiple duties beyond what the job title reflects. I make sure to highlight this in my resume, but I also try to trim it down to fit within two pages; otherwise, it would be too extensive. I understand that when applying for a role like IT Director, recruiters usually prefer candidates with experience at companies like Facebook or Google. Compared to a Federal employee with similar experience, the job titles differ due to the way Federal positions are labeled. Still, the relevant skills are outlined clearly in the resume.
Given all of this, how do you think U.S. Federal employees like myself, who have spent their careers in Government service, can effectively compete with candidates from the private sector?
I appreciate your honesty and the time you took to respond, which will help me to pass this along and tailor my job hunting accordingly.
Making major career pivots is always hard, but even harder when youâre in a competitive job market.
So a few tips:
Translate.
Most recruiters in a corporate environment arenât going to understand the scope of federal roles and the titling structures so make sure you frame your experience in language that resonates with your audience. They usually have lots of options and little incentive to figure out how your background aligns so the onus is on you to make your case.
This includes metrics around your impact, and translating your title (so for example, you can add in parentheses âDirector-levelâ if your project manager title might be confusing and misrepresent your experience.Target the right role and companies
I think a pivot calls for being realistic about where your experiences translate best. Coming from the government, you could bring a great perspective to companies that are government contractors. A sales or customer success role supporting government clients might be a good fit where your background gives you credibility.
School districts and non-profits often value generalist skills and may be a better fit as well.
On the flip side, you may have a tougher time being competitive for roles with large applicant pools and where youâre banking heavily on transferable skills - you may have build some skills relevant to marketing and sales through your cross-functional collaboration in your position but most companies can hire someone with more relevant experience so itâs unlikely youâll come out on top.Boosting credentials
You noted you havenât had the chance to get certifications and such; I would probably look across the jobs youâre applying for and identify a few that youâre most qualified for. Look for trends in their requirements and see if you can get 1-2 certifications that most align with whatâs being asked for.
You can also see themes in the platforms they want experience with and get familiar with those.
Finally, Iâve seen people give the illusion of a credential or training by saying things like âoperating with MEDDPICC principlesâ or âworking towards PMPâ for example.
The last thing Iâll share on this topic: I do not think most people need a resume writer or career coach (and I donât think you do either!) But I think it can be MORE helpful in these cases where norms across industries are so different. I would try it on your own for a bit but if you canât get traction, you might consider a coach who specializes in transitions from the government.
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