| 1. |
Develop a career plan. Think about what you want to do and
find out what's required to help you get there. Two great
tools that are sometimes used in the USGS are:
Another great resource is the Job
Profiles website. Here people who actually do different
jobs have already conducted the interviews for you.
|
| 2. |
Assess your skills and interests. What do you like to do?
Are there tasks you beg to do and others you have to force
yourself to do? What jobs match your temperament? Some web
sites you might want to check out are:
|
| 3. |
Research occupations that you are or may potentially be interested
in. Interviews are a good source of information, but
for
general information such as salary trends, outlook, etc., look
at the on-line Occupational
Outlook Handbook. |
| 4. |
Compare your skills and interests with the occupations you're
interested in. |
| 5. |
Choose your career goal - this is where you start planning.
Both a long-term and a short-term goal should be identified. |
| 6. |
Select training programs and other activities that will help
you develop in your current job, and help you get closer
to reaching that "dream" job. Three great sources
that offer training for government employees are:
Don't forget about your local colleges and universities.
If you don't have that degree and it's needed in your future,
begin to work on it as soon as possible.
|
| 7. |
What assistance is available to you? If the course is job related, your supervisor may be able to fund the course. If not, maybe you can earn a scholarship or grant from a school. Or maybe you have to pay for it -- is the investment now potentially worth the benefit in the future? |
| 8. |
Network, network, network. In the USGS, creating job possibilities
and getting the mission accomplished are often about networking.
Talk to people, let them know
what
you are interested in doing, sign up for that mentoring program,
etc. You've got to "grease the wheels" to make things happen. |
| 9. |
Get your application materials together. Keep an electronic
version of your OF612
or resume handy. Update your resume in USGS
OARS (On-line Automated Recruitment System).
Keep a database of commonly asked KSA's for the jobs you're
interested in. If you want some help working
on
your application materials, check out the information at the
USA
Jobs website. |
| 10. |
Check out some of these other internet resources.
|
The IDP is a tool that is highly recommended.
It's been around for a long time and
can help in completing steps 5-10. Click on the
Next button below to learn more about the IDP.
