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17 Pass It On: Newsl. Gov't & Pub. Sector Law. Div. 1 (2007-2008)

handle is hein.journals/passit17 and id is 1 raw text is: FaIl 2007 Volume 17, Number 1 I L aii si PSLD lbent and Public Sector Lawyers Division PASS Asso0,,UI SECTOR.......... LAWYES ONsi I HE NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN BAR Asso................. SECTOR ON Finding Your Way Through the Federal Legal Hiring Thicket By Anne Dewey-Balzhiser W hen I graduated from law school in 1975, 1 chose to take my first legal job in the federal government. I was excited to practice law that served the public interest, but honestly thought that I would leave in two to three years for a position in the pri- vate sector. I retired in 2004 after a 28-year career in the public sector, working for five federal agencies in some 15 different jobs. it is my firm belief that the federal gov- ernment, although not perfect, offers many more opportunities for advancement and career satisfaction than other sectors of the legal profession, for several reasons: It has open, articulated, and fair hiring processes, performance standards, and promotion standards; It offers many opportunities for profes- sional development, including a well- designed management training program; * Achieving a satisfactory work-life balance is easier to accomplish in the federal sector. Hiring, Performance and Promotion Standards By law, the federal government must pub- licly articulate its hiring, performance and promotion standards. While these processes are certainly far from perfect, a clear understanding of these factors is very helpful. Also, the fact that diversity is val- ued and equal employment opportunity is a stated goal means that anyone, regardless of such extraneous factors as color, race, ethnicity, or gender, has a fair chance of succeeding in the federal sector. Knowing how to use these standards to maximize your chances of achieving your desired career progression is the key. Hiring Processes Many who seek a federal job bemoan the volumes of documents needed to complete a job application as well as the lengthy period from submission to job offer. Indeed, many agencies' and departments' hiring processes can certainly stand improve- ment. One distinct advantage of the federal hiring process is that the actual hiring standards for almost all federal jobs are openly available. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website (www.USAJOBS.opm.gov) provides a nationwide listing of available jobs, searchable by region and job specialty. Every federal agency or department provides vacancy announcements for each open job to OPM, which compiles them into a searchable database. For example, on a day in April 2007, there were 54 open attor- ney positions in the greater Washington, DC, area, with pay ranging from $55,000 to $154,000. (First, click on the tab Search Jobs. Under Location Search, specify DC-Washington and under Job Category Search, specify Legal and Claims Exam- ining.) Each job posting provides a link to all of the information needed to submit a complete application. While it is important to submit all docu- ments that are requested, it is essential to demonstrate that you meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required for the position. These are clearly delineated for each job opening, usually in the section called Quality Ranking Factors. (After you've identified the listing for a specific job opening, click on the tab for Qualifica- tions and Evaluations). Your application must, at a minimum, demonstrate that you possess these KSAs, or it will be eliminated from further consideration. For example, if one of the Quality continued on page 2 Division Delegate Report, P.4 Fall Meet Infonnation, p. 5 Division Election Results, p. 6 0 Volume 17, Number I Fall 2007

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