David Marwick

Summer Jobs, 2024—Where to Look

Other /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist January 28, 2024 If you are looking for a paid or unpaid job or internship for this summer, here are three sources to consider. 1.  The federal government You can find information on most federal jobs, including summer jobs, at www.USAJobs.gov. You can search that site for — keyword (such as “summer), department, agency, and job title, and — location, such as city and state, or remote. Please note that the closing date to apply for most of these jobs is fast approaching, including some that close this week. In addition, about two dozen agencies (such as the Library of Congress and Public Health Service) are not included on that site. You can find a list of such agencies at: So far as I know, you have to search the website of each agency that interests you. 2.  Montgomery County Many County government offices offer specialized opportunities to intern or volunteer. These include the County Council, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Health and Human Services. You can find this list at: You are eligible if you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited college, community college, or university, or if you graduated from such a program.  I also found a list of summer jobs in Montgomery County (including a few outside the County) at: 3.  Your network Many non-governmental offices and businesses hire paid and unpaid summer interns to fill in for vacationing workers, to accomplish tasks that regular employees don’t have time for, etc. I don’t know of any comprehensive list of such jobs. Ask your friends’ parents and your parents’ friends whether their organization is hiring anyone for this summer. If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Resumes for Summer Jobs

Resumes and Cover Letters /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 4, 2024 To apply for most jobs, even summer jobs, you will most likely be asked to submit a resume. A resume is a marketing document.  Its purpose is to entice a prospective employer to set up an interview with you. Therefore, a resume should provide the information that can help a prospective employer make that decision and, to the extent possible, should be customized/tailored to a specific job opening. A resume is not the same as a CV (curriculum vitae), which lists–often in gruesome detail–what you’ve done since you graduated high school or college. There are two basic types of resumes:  (1) federal government resumes and (2) other resumes. Federal government resumes generally need to provide very specific content in a very specific format.  If you need to create a federal resume, there’s lots of helpful information at Kathryn Troutman’s website, www.resume-place.com and at Corliss Jackson’s website, www.FederalJobResults.com Other resumes should include Andy LaCivita provides an excellent guide to resumes for young job seekers, along with an example, at: If you have comments/questions about this resource, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com Other information on resumes is available at www.JobAssist.org

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Federal Job Search—Corliss Jackson

Federal Jobs, Other /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist November 6, 2023 Federal government jobs are highly sought after because of their pay, benefits, and stability. Corliss Jackson specializes in helping people land a federal job. You can learn more about her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/federaljobresults/ She frequently offers a free 30-minute webinar entitled “Cracking the Federal Job Code.” (You can find the schedule of upcoming events at: I found a link to an 80-minute version of this webinar (although it is not clear when it was recorded) at: She has posted a series of short podcasts on her YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@corlisstjackson), including: — Job interview tips (2 minutes) — Schedule A hiring (6 minutes) — Targeting the right federal job (5 minutes) — Writing an effective cover letter (19 minutes) — Networking tips (1 minute) — Perfecting your elevator pitch (7 minutes) — Building your federal resume in USAJOBS (14 minutes) — Responding to the self-assessment questionnaire (7 minutes) — Format and writing tips (12 minutes) — Students – Recent Graduates – Crack the Code to Your Federal Internship (15 minutes) — Creating your account profile on USAjobs.gov (14 minutes) Curiously, I did not find a link on her website (www.FederalJobResults.com) to these podcasts. On her website, you can also find information about: — Schedule A / Disability Resources — Students / Pathways / Internship Resources — Veterans / Military Resources — Federal Salaries and Pay Charts Resources — Federal Benefits & Personnel Information Resources — Federal Agencies Not on USAJOBS.gov (she lists 22 such agencies). As with other profit-seeking career coaches, she presumably offers some free information in the hope that you will be induced to buy some of her paid services. It is worth keeping in mind that state and local government agencies also hire lots of people and offer many of the same benefits. If you have questions/comments on this resource, please email  KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Andy LaCivita’s Career Achievements Journal

Interviewing, Resumes and Cover Letters /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist March 29, 2022 Keeping track of what you have achieved at work is very important. It can help you craft a resume, get ready for an interview, and prepare for a performance review.  Andy LaCivita, a highly regarded career coach, has compiled a free Achievements Journal to help you capture 14 relevant elements of each achievement. He suggests that you complete this journal for every project, whether it took 1 day, 1 month, or 1 Year. When you’re deeply involved in a project, you have all of the details at your fingertips, but–with the passage of time–the details may become fuzzy, and it may be hard to reconstruct them later, especially under pressure. Therefore, he suggests that you capture this information as you go, because this helps assure that it is fresh in your mind and accurate. To illustrate the level of detail in this Journal, here are three elements: STATISTICS: Identify anything quantifiable. This includes budget, timeframe, number of resources, number of customers, etc. Capture anything that shows magnitude and impact. BUSINESS PROBLEM: Identify the high-level business problem you and your company are trying to overcome, improve, and so on. THE PLAYERS: List everyone involved from stakeholders, contributors, key team members, units within your organization, partners, and vendors to customers or companies who are benefiting from your project. For example, in an interview, you will likely be asked to talk about (that is, tell stories about) various tools you used, obstacles you overcame, and goals you accomplished. These stories will be more compelling, and credible, if you include the specifics of the situation. You can download this great resource at: https://www.milewalkacademy.com/andrew-lacivita-career-achievements-journal-free-download Who is Andy LaCivita? After earning his B.S. in Electrical Engineering, he worked for Accenture for 10 years. He then became an executive recruiter, and in 2015, he started the Milewalk Academy, which provides career and leadership coaching. You can learn more about him at www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlacivita In addition to various for-pay programs, he provides lots of free content through his website, www.MileWalkAcademy.com and his YouTube channel. If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Applicant Tracking Systems

Resumes and Cover Letters /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 28, 2024 Applicant Tracking Systems, computer systems that scan resumes for keywords specified by an employer, have become an increasingly prominent part of the job-search scene. According to Coursera, “The vast majority of online job applications first go through an applicant tracking system (ATS).” Andy LaCivita, the founder of www.MilewalkAcademy.com and no fan, calls them Applicant Trashing Systems. Why do companies use an ATS? In the “good old days,” applying for a job was relatively costly to the applicant. You had to type, or at least copy, your resume, buy a stamp, address an envelope,  and snail-mail it to an employer. This required you to spend a certain amount of time and incur out-of-pocket expenses. Today, you can apply online with just a few keystrokes. Because it is so easy (and inexpensive) to submit an application, job seekers are far less choosy about where they apply, which means that employers sometimes receive a flood of applications. This shifts the cost burden to the employer, who will need to (1) pay people to do the initial screening of applications or (2) pay for an Applicant Tracking System to screen applications for certain keywords. How to navigate an ATS Because there are many such systems, it is hard to know exactly how to “defeat” them, but here is some common-sense advice from Candice White: You can read her January 2023 article, “Five Tips For Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems,” at https://jcsbalt.org/applicant-tracking-systems/ For further reading Rebecca Ahn, “What Are Applicant Tracking Systems and Their Best Practices,” January 8, 2024 (detailed article) Coursera Staff, “Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS): A Job Guide,” Updated January 5, 2024 Indeed Editorial Team, “13 Best Practices for Beating an Applicant Tracking System,” updated March 10, 2023 Carol Henger, “ Beyond The ATS: How And Why To Target Your Resume,” February 2023, https://jcsbalt.org/targeting-resume/ Aileen Laqui, “How to Beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): 10 Best Practices” If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Applicant Tracking Systems

Resumes and Cover Letters /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 28, 2024 Applicant Tracking Systems, computer systems that scan resumes for keywords specified by an employer, have become an increasingly prominent part of the job-search scene. According to Coursera, “The vast majority of online job applications first go through an applicant tracking system (ATS).” Andy LaCivita, the founder of www.MilewalkAcademy.com and no fan, calls them Applicant Trashing Systems. Why do companies use an ATS? In the “good old days,” applying for a job was relatively costly to the applicant. You had to type, or at least copy, your resume, buy a stamp, address an envelope,  and snail-mail it to an employer. This required you to spend a certain amount of time and incur out-of-pocket expenses. Today, you can apply online with just a few keystrokes. Because it is so easy (and inexpensive) to submit an application, job seekers are far less choosy about where they apply, which means that employers sometimes receive a flood of applications. This shifts the cost burden to the employer, who will need to (1) pay people to do the initial screening of applications or (2) pay for an Applicant Tracking System to screen applications for certain keywords. How to navigate an ATS Because there are many such systems, it is hard to know exactly how to “defeat” them, but here is some common-sense advice from Candice White: You can read her January 2023 article, “Five Tips For Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems,” at https://jcsbalt.org/applicant-tracking-systems/ For further reading Rebecca Ahn, “What Are Applicant Tracking Systems and Their Best Practices,” January 8, 2024 (detailed article) Coursera Staff, “Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS): A Job Guide,” Updated January 5, 2024 Indeed Editorial Team, “13 Best Practices for Beating an Applicant Tracking System,” updated March 10, 2023 Carol Henger, “ Beyond The ATS: How And Why To Target Your Resume,” February 2023, https://jcsbalt.org/targeting-resume/ Aileen Laqui, “How to Beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): 10 Best Practices” If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Summer Jobs, 2024

Overall Approach /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 29, 2024 If you are looking for a paid or unpaid job or internship for this summer, here are three sources to consider. 1.  The federal government You can find information on most federal jobs, including summer jobs, at www.USAJobs.gov. You can search that site for — keyword (such as “summer), department, agency, and job title, and — location, such as city and state, or remote. Please note that the closing date to apply for most of these jobs is fast approaching, including some that close this week. In addition, about two dozen agencies (such as the Library of Congress and Public Health Service) are not included on that site. You can find a list of such agencies at: So far as I know, you have to search the website of each agency that interests you. 2.  Montgomery County Many County government offices offer specialized opportunities to intern or volunteer. These include the County Council, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Health and Human Services. You can find this list at: You are eligible if you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited college, community college, or university, or if you graduated from such a program.  I also found a list of summer jobs in Montgomery County (including a few outside the County) at: 3.  Your network Many non-governmental offices and businesses hire paid and unpaid summer interns to fill in for vacationing workers, to accomplish tasks that regular employees don’t have time for, etc. I don’t know of any comprehensive list of such jobs. Ask your friends’ parents and your parents’ friends whether their organization is hiring anyone for this summer. Alumni networks are also a good source of leads, because alumni of a college or university are more likely to be receptive to inquiries from alumni or students of that college. Good luck!

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Ways to Update Your Resume:

Resumes and Cover Letters /

Advice from Alan Carniol and Lisa Rangel by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist March 21, 2024 The “best” format for your resume—a marketing document designed to interest an employer in interviewing you—is a moving target because it changes over time. At the end of this article, we list two resume features that were once standard, but are now considered outdated. Here are two short podcasts, from well-established career coaches, on how best to format your resume to grab an employer’s attention. Alan Carniol:  11 Ways to Upgrade Your Resume In a 6-minute podcast, Alan Carniol identifies “11 Ways to Upgrade Your Resume.”  Here’s the list: 1. Your resume has one job title at the top, the name of the job you want. 2. You identify the specific skills that are most important for this job title. 3. Your resume highlights the specific skills for this job title. 4. You cut out experiences that are not relevant to this job title. 5. You explain each job at each company. 6. You highlight what you accomplished in your jobs. 7. You use numbers and details. 8. You trim out the fat. 9. Everything is up to date. 10. Make the formatting look nice and be easy to read. 11. Check the spelling and grammar You can access the video at: Alan is the founder of www.InterviewSuccessFormula.com You can learn more about him at: Lisa Rangel:  2 Quick Resume Fixes To Attract Recruiters’ Attention In a 4-minute podcast, Lisa Rangel identifies “2 Quick Resume Fixes To Attract Recruiters’ Attention.” They are: 1.  Put the title of your target job at the top of your resume, under your contact information. 2.  Under the title, include two key achievements that relate to the target job. You can access the video at: Lisa is a former recruiter and the founder of www.ChameleonResumes.com You can learn more about her at: www.ChameleonResumes.com Outdated Resume Features First, it was once standard practice to include this statement:  “References available upon request.” This statement is unnecessary now, because it is assumed that you will furnish references if asked. Also, this statement uses space that can serve you better in marketing yourself to an employer. Second, it was once standard practice to include an objective statement. This also fell into disuse because such statements (1) tended to be generic and (2) used space that could serve you better in marketing yourself to an employer. If you have comments/questions about these resources, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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“Tell me about yourself”–How to answer

Interviewing /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 29, 2024 In an interview, the first question is likely to be “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your resume” or something similar. Do not take this question at face value. The question is really “Why should we hire you?” A company wants to know whether you can meet its needs and whether you are a good fit for the company’s culture.  On a deeper level, the company may want to discern whether you are a serious candidate; whether you have figured out how to “play the game.” To convince a company that you are the right candidate, you need to be very selective about what you say.  For example, they are not interested in where you were born, which clubs you joined in high school, and what your favorite Italian restaurant is.  Instead, they care very much about your education (especially if you are relatively new to the workforce), accomplishments, career path, and aspirations. The process offered by Scott Barlow, founder of www.Happen to Your Career.com, can help you develop an effective response. Barlow advises his clients to use what he calls “the ‘Present/Past/Future’ framework.” Interviewer: “So, tell me about yourself.” You (smiling internally):“Well, currently I ____________. (present) Before that I ___________________. (past) In the future I _______________. (future)” In constructing your present/past/future answer in advance of an interview, carefully analyze the vacancy announcement to determine the target job’s requirements.  Next, determine how your education, experience, and accomplishments match up against their needs.  Then, choose concrete and easy-to-understand examples, preferably with quantified results, that demonstrate what you’ve done and accomplished. Finally, try to define what makes you better than the others interviewing for that job. Imagine that a hiring manager is interviewing you and four other people whose resumes look like yours. If you were asked why you and not the others should be hired, what would you answer? Answering this question for yourself should take time and introspection.  Perhaps your contribution was internal to an employer (for example, you recognized a problem and came up with a solution that saved money or processing time).  Perhaps your contribution was external to an employer (for example, you smoothed over a problem with an important client, which helped the company retain that client). Bottom line: You know it’s coming, so prepare for it carefully.  Combine Scott Barlow’s three-step approach with your experience and accomplishments that most directly relate to the target position, and make sure you stand out from the crowd. True story #1 A client who was completing a master’s level program was advised toanswer the “Tell me….” question by saying that she was from New York and liked to bake. That suggested answer was dreadful. Using that answer would have deprived her of the opportunity to “sell” herself to an employer. (This incident prompted me to write this article.) True story #2 I was working with a recent and highly-qualified college graduate (good degree = engineering; good school; good grades).  She was selective about where she wanted to work, and was finally invited to a full day of interviews with a great employer.  Before her interview, we discussed how she might answer the “Tell me . . .” question and developed an answer that highlighted her very impressive credentials. Her full day of interviewing consisted of seven people interviewing her, one after the other, and each one of them began with: “Tell me about yourself.”  Later, she was told that she had made an excellent impression on the interviewers.  I’d like to think that her well-prepared answer helped. For further reading Scott Barlow, “Tell Me About Yourself” in Three Simple Steps If you have questions or comments about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Applicant Tracking Systems

Resumes and Cover Letters /

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 28, 2024 Applicant Tracking Systems, computer systems that scan resumes for keywords specified by an employer, have become an increasingly prominent part of the job-search scene. According to Coursera, “The vast majority of online job applications first go through an applicant tracking system (ATS).” Andy LaCivita, the founder of www.MilewalkAcademy.com and no fan, calls them Applicant Trashing Systems. Why do companies use an ATS? In the “good old days,” applying for a job was relatively costly to the applicant. You had to type, or at least copy, your resume, buy a stamp, address an envelope,  and snail-mail it to an employer. This required you to spend a certain amount of time and incur out-of-pocket expenses. Today, you can apply online with just a few keystrokes. Because it is so easy (and inexpensive) to submit an application, job seekers are far less choosy about where they apply, which means that employers sometimes receive a flood of applications. This shifts the cost burden to the employer, who will need to (1) pay people to do the initial screening of applications or (2) pay for an Applicant Tracking System to screen applications for certain keywords. How to navigate an ATS Because there are many such systems, it is hard to know exactly how to “defeat” them, but here is some common-sense advice from Candice White: You can read her January 2023 article, “Five Tips For Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems,” at https://jcsbalt.org/applicant-tracking-systems/ For further reading Rebecca Ahn, “What Are Applicant Tracking Systems and Their Best Practices,” January 8, 2024 (detailed article) Coursera Staff, “Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS): A Job Guide,” Updated January 5, 2024 Indeed Editorial Team, “13 Best Practices for Beating an Applicant Tracking System,” updated March 10, 2023 Carol Henger, “ Beyond The ATS: How And Why To Target Your Resume,” February 2023, https://jcsbalt.org/targeting-resume/ Aileen Laqui, “How to Beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): 10 Best Practices” If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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