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Learning AI May Help You Land Your Next Job

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist, 03.31.25   More and more employers seek employees who know AI (artificial intelligence). In a competitive job market, you may be able to give yourself a leg up by learning about AI and reflecting that knowledge on your resume. You can do this by including AI in your “success bullets” and by listing relevant courses you have completed and certifications you have achieved. A tech-savvy colleague compiled the following information on AI. “AI” can mean many different things. It can mean: — Using an AI tool like ChatGPT, that’s pretty much already designed for users, but you need to provide the right “prompt” to get the desired output (sometimes also called a “prompt engineer”). –Integrating an AI tool like ChatGPT into existing workflows and business functions.  This is usually closer to software development, but there are new tools coming out to make this even easier — Building new AI-based tools, like combining an AI tool with a particular type of data and some additional logic, so as to create a new product. This often requires some knowledge of how AI models are built and how they can be tuned.  This, in turn, requires some knowledge and skill and cannot be picked up by a beginner in a short course. — Building new AI capabilities entirely.  This is closer to data science / AI engineer/researcher type roles, which often require a PhD in math, AI, or machine learning. When most employers say “AI experience,” they likely want either the first or second bullet. The first can be learned in just a few minutes of playing on https://chatgpt.com/ or https://bing.com/chat and some googling for strategies. These resources may be helpful. Please note:(1) we believe that all of these courses are free and (2) we cannot personally recommend any of them. If you explore any of them, we would be very interested in your feedback.: Google AI Courses Google offers five courses to learn generative AI from the ground up. Start with an Introduction to AI and finish having a solid understanding of AI as a whole. https://www.cloudskillsboost.google/journeys/118   Microsoft AI CourseMicrosoft offers an AI course that covers the basics and then more.. Start off with an introduction and continue through learning about neural networks and deep learning. https://microsoft.github.io/AI-For-Beginners/ Introduction to AI with PythonHarvard University is offering a full 7-week course to explore the concepts and algorithms of AI. Start with the technologies behind AI and end with knowledge of AI principles and machine learning libraries. https://www.edx.org/learn/artificial-intelligence/harvard-university-cs50-s-introduction-to-artificial-intelligence-with-python Prompt Engineering for ChatGPTThis six-module course by Vanderbilt University offers beginners a starting point to writing better prompts. Start by learning effective prompting and complete the course knowing how to bend ChatGPT to your will. https://www.coursera.org/learn/prompt-engineering ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for DevsOpenAI in collaboration with DeepLearning is offering this course taught by Isa Fulford and Andrew Ng. Start off with best practices and finish with a better understanding of prompting with hands-on practice. https://www.deeplearning.ai/short-courses/chatgpt-prompt-engineering-for-developers/ LLMOpsGoogle Cloud in collaboration with DeepLearning is offering this new course taught by Erwin Huizenga. Go through the LLMOps pipeline of pre-processing training data and adapt a supervised tuning pipeline to train and deploy a custom LLM (large language model). https://www.deeplearning.ai/short-courses/llmops/ AI Applications and Prompt EngineeringedX has an introductory course on prompt engineering that goes beyond the basics. Start by learning the basics and end knowing how to create your own applications. https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-programming/edx-ai-applications-and-prompt-engineering

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Summer Jobs, 2024—Where to Look

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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Federal Job Search—Corliss Jackson

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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Short Podcasts on Career Change

Diana Y.K. Chan has recorded 12 short podcasts on navigating career change.The podcasts–about 1 minute each and called “nano tips”–provide a brief but comprehensive overview of the following topics: 1.  Identifying new possibilities 2.  Managing your mindset and expectations 3.  Positioning yourself for success 4.  Promoting and pitching yourself with confidence 5.  Deciding the right fit You can find the podcasts at: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/nano-tips-on-how-to-pivot-your-career-with-diana-chan You can learn more about Diana at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianachan/ Other content about various job-search topics is available at her website and YouTube channel:www.MyMarketability.comwww.youtube.com/c/DianaYKChan Other material on job search is available at our website, www.JobAssist.orgIf you have comments/questions about this resource, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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INTRODUCING CAREER CONFIDENTIAL

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WRITTEN BY DAVID MARWICK FOR KEMPMILLJOBASSIST ON 26 OCTOBER 2017. This is the second is a series of articles about online resources, especially free resources, that can help in your job search. Peggy McKee founded Career Confidential in 1999. According to her LinkedIn profile, her website has provided free assistance to more than 1.5 million job seekers. It also claims she has helped over 21,000 clients in 90 countries, coaching over 1,000 individuals via Skype or recorded phone sessions through such issues as transitioning to a new career field or preparing for executive-level interviews. She provides a great deal of free advice through webinars, articles, downloadable reports, and e-books. For a fee, she also offers podcasts, coaching, and other services. Some of her free material may be found on her company’s web site, careerconfidential.com, and on her LinkedIn page, linkedin.com/in/peggymckee (a good resource for relevant articles). The examples below are but a small sample of her offerings. I encourage you to explore the two websites above. Webinars McKee offers a wide variety of webinars. “Why Online Applications Are Killing Your Job Search” and “60 Minutes and You’re Hired!” are two of her recent ones. Although her claims about what you will learn seem rather ambitious to me, she does provide a lot of valuable information. In “Why Online Applications Are Killing Your Job Search,” she promises to teach why you must stop applying online for jobs, how to get interviews faster than ever, and how to find the right person to contact at any company. In “60 Minutes and You’re Hired!” she presents the best ways to present yourself to your (hopefully) future boss, answer salary questions, and avoid weak language that keeps you from advancing. You can find a list of upcoming webinars at careerconfidential.com/training-webinars/. Articles McKee’s LinkedIn page includes links to over 140 articles. Here are three articles from 2017 that I’d recommend: “Job Interview Tips: 3 Opportunities to Make a Great Impression in the Interview” “How to Stay Motivated in Your Job Search” “3 Simple Things You Can Do to Strengthen Your Resume” Downloadable Reports McKee offers a variety of downloadable reports. Just be aware that you may have to listen to a lengthy sales pitch before you are able to download the report. Here are just a few examples of the reports available: “How to Write Attention-Getting Cover Letters” “How to Answer Interview Questions: 50 Tough Questions – Answered” “Guide to Getting a Job Over 50” E-books Finally, McKee has several e-books available on Amazon.com and elsewhere. Some of these are free; for others, there is a small cost. Here are two examples: Perfect Interview Answers: Answers for the Top 3 Tough Interview Questions (no cost) How to Ace Your Phone Interview ($2) The bottom line: Peggy McKee offers a great deal of information about your job search, much of it for free. I encourage you to explore both her company’s website and her LinkedIn page to gain a full appreciation for what she has to offer.

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ONLINE RESOURCES FOR FEDERAL JOBS

WRITTEN BY DAVID MARWICK FOR KEMPMILLJOBASSIST ON 24 AUGUST 2017. Understanding the federal hiring process is the first step in the process of applying for a federal job. These two for-profit companies provide webinars, trainings, online guides, and other services to those seeking federal jobs. Some of these services are free, but others require payment. Both companies offer email sign up lists for updates on new resources. Resume Place Kathryn Kraemer Troutman is the grande dame of federal job search. She has specialized in federal resumes since 1996. Her website is www.Resume-Place.com. According to the website, the company produces an average of 1,500 resumes a year and the website gets 15,000 visits a day. Troutman’s website includes tools to help construct federal resumes, accomplishments (using the CCAR — Challenge, Context, Actions, and Results — format), and cover letters. The website also features completed sample resources — such as federal resumes and accomplishment statements — and blog posts. Blog topics for 2017 include: “How to Get In On the Hiring Free-For-All for Border Patrol Agents” “Federal Employment Programs Offer Enticements to Students and Recent Grads” “What You Need to Know About Jobs in the Trump Administration at 117 Days” Among Troutman’s many books are “Federal Resume Guidebook—Writing the Successful Outline Format” (sixth edition) and “Creating Your First Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide to Write Your First Competitive Resume,” both published in 2016. This past May, Troutman recorded an informative interview with Mike Causey of Federal News Radio, entitled “Is it time to update your federal resume?” Federal Job Results Corliss Taylor Jackson is the new kid on the block, having started her company in 2007. In her 10+ years at the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Health and Human Services, she worked her way up to a GS-15 Human Resources Manager position. Her website is www.FederalJobResults.com. Jackson presents free in-person workshops in the DC area, but most are in Northern Virginia; workshops in Montgomery County are rare. She also presents free webinars on federal hiring and related topics. For example, in August, Jackson presented three 30-minute webinars: “Hiring Freeze Lifted — Five Steps to Take Now,” “Ace Your Next Interview,” and “The Senior Executive Service (SES).” In addition, she provides a substantial amount of on-demand content on her website, including a list of agencies that are not covered by www.USAJobs.gov, and about two dozen educational videos. Two of the videos are free: “Why Work for the Federal Government?” and  “Cracking the Code to Your Federal Job Search.” The other videos, at $4 each, cover topics specifically related to federal jobs, as well as topics of more general interest. Federal job topics include understanding the federal resume format, navigating USAJobs.gov, and security clearances. General topics include cover letters, LinkedIn, and networking. Last year, Jackson published a book titled “Cracking the Federal Job Code: Top Secret Tips for Today’s Federal Job Seeker.” The Bottom Line These web sites offer a lot of content, and it is worthwhile to explore both of them.

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THE IMPACT OF VETERANS’ PREFERENCE ON FEDERAL HIRING

WRITTEN BY EDITOR ON 03 AUGUST 2017. The good news for job seekers is that the federal government is hiring again. But two cautionary notes are in order. First, the federal government’s hiring process remains lengthy. Second, military veterans receive preference in hiring by law, which makes it more challenging for non-veterans to secure a federal job. An official of the Office of Personnel Management (the federal government’s human resources agency), testified in 2016 that such preference is part of a larger effort “to honor veterans for their service and sacrifice in defense of our Nation, including assisting them in re-entering civilian life and finding employment.” The data in this article are drawn primarily from a November 2016 report from the Office of Personnel Management. Unless otherwise noted, they relate to 2015. Please see below for a link to that report and a note on methodology. Veterans as a Share of Total Employees While veterans comprised 31 percent of total employees, the proportions ranged widely from one agency to the next. Seven federal agencies accounted for 82 percent of federal employees: Defense (678 employees, 47% veterans); Veterans Affairs (366 employees, 33% veterans); Homeland Security (187 employees, 28% veterans); Justice (115 employees, 25% veterans); Agriculture (97 employees, 12% veterans); Treasury (91 employees, 11% veterans); and Health and Human Services (85 employees, 7% veterans). Veterans as a Share of New Hires From a job seeker’s standpoint, the share of new hires who are veterans is even more important than the share of total employees. Overall, veterans accounted for 33 percent of all new federal hires. Again, there was a wide variance between agencies. At the high end was Defense (48%) and at the low end was Health and Human Services (9%). Three small agencies of local significance were the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (28%), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) (27%), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) (39%) Possible Reasons for Differences Among Agencies in Hiring of Veterans I did not find any convincing explanations of the wide divergence among agencies in the percentage of their total employees and new hires who are veterans. However, some possibilities include differences in the transferability of skills from the military to civilian agencies, agencies’ cultures, and agencies’ diligence in implementing veterans preference. Bottom Line If you are not a veteran, your chances of landing a federal job (other things being equal) are far better at agencies that hire a smaller share of veterans. A note on methodology: The Office of Personnel Management’s most recent annual report on the hiring of veterans was issued in November 2016. This report, entitled “Employment of Veterans in the Federal Executive Branch,” may be accessed at https://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/reports/EmploymentOfVets-FY15.pdf. The years cited are federal government fiscal years (October 1 through September 30). The report covers all 15 cabinet agencies and nine other agencies. It does not cover the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and certain other agencies.

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CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW JOB!

WRITTEN BY DAVID MARWICK FOR KEMPMILLJOBASSIST ON 20 JULY 2017. If you’ve just landed a new job, congratulations! Whether you’ve been looking for a month or a year, you must be relieved. Not to burst your bubble, but this job may not be your last. You may again be searching at some point in the future — later rather than sooner, you hope. Here are four steps you should take soon to repay the kindness others showed you in this job search and to pay it forward to others who may be looking for a job. Say thanks. You got the job, ultimately, because of what you offer. However, it is likely that many people helped you along the way. Jon Simmons, a contributor to the job search site Monster, suggests that you go on a “thank-you tour.” He says, “You didn’t get this job alone. It took a village. So be sure to thank everyone involved with helping you get hired,” he writes. Certified resume writer Melanie Brassfield explains the flip side, in a different article: “There is no faster way to burn bridges within your professional network than to neglect thanking the people who helped with your job search journey.” These include people who made time for informational interviews, passed along information on openings, gave you information about your target company and helped you network with people who already work there, helped with your resume and LinkedIn profile, conducted mock interviews with you, or served as references. Thanking them serves two purposes. First, showing gratitude is the right thing to do. Second, sharing the good news will make these people more willing to help if you are looking again. Update your LinkedIn profile. Once you’ve settled into your new job, update your LinkedIn profile and keep it updated. This will inform your network about your new position. Even if you are not actively searching for a job, it will be easier for recruiters and others to find you if they are seeking to hire someone with your skills. This is called stealth or passive recruiting. Keep track of your accomplishments. With the passage of time, the specifics of today’s big “win” at work — a major project finished, a suggestion implemented, etc. — may be forgotten or become blurry. Regularly keep track of your “wins.” This information will provide the raw material for your next resume and for updating your LinkedIn profile. It will also be helpful in preparing your end-of-year self-assessment. I suggest adding this to your calendar for a specific day each month. Pay it forward. Just as others helped you land this job, you should make time to help others in their job search, in the ways noted above. Again, not only is it the right thing to do, but it also broadens and deepens your network, which could help in your next job search. For further reading: “Here’s what to do after getting a job offer” by Jon Simmons, May 2017, https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/what-to-do-after-your-first-job-offer-0517 “5 Actions You Must Take After You Accept a Job Offer” by Melanie Brassfield, September 29, 2016 http://www.gijobs.com/actions-you-must-take-after-you-accept-a-job-offer/

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INTRODUCING CHAMELEON RESUMES

WRITTEN BY DAVID MARWICK FOR KEMPMILLJOBASSIST ON 16 FEBRUARY 2017. From time to time, we will highlight sources of free online information that can help in your job search. Although these sources are typically for-profit ventures, to interest people in their services they provide some information for free. Today’s focus is Chameleon Resumes (www.chameleonresumes.com). Lisa Rangel is the company’s founder and managing director. Her free services include webinars, “cheat sheets” on resumes and LinkedIn, an e-book, weekly podcasts, and a blog. Although she states that executives are her target, there is much of value here for executives and non-executives alike. Webinars Rangel provides periodic webinars on writing resumes and using LinkedIn. The webinars last about an hour. If you sign up for an online seminar but then can’t watch it live, you can usually get a link to view it for a couple of days afterwards. You can learn about upcoming webinars by visiting www.chameleonresumes.com and clicking on Events. Warning: Rangel typically provides only a few days’ notice before these webinars. “Cheat Sheets” on Resumes and LinkedIn The resume “cheat sheet” includes pithy comments about various sections of the document, such as contact information, summary, work experience, education. Similarly, the LinkedIn “cheat sheet” explains the importance of having a professional photo and a complete profile and details the amount of available space for various fields and the more effective content for those fields. http://resumecheatshTheeet.com/ http://linkedinprofilecheatsheet.com/h e-Book “99 Job Search Tips from an Executive Recruiter” (available at http://bit.ly/16ClDsA) explains how your LinkedIn profile can help hiring managers find you, how you can find your own job leads, and how you can use Google to avoid bad employers. Weekly Podcasts Earlier this year, Rangel started a series of weekly podcasts, about 10-12 minutes each, on the theme “Pretend You’re Fired Today.” The premise is that even though you could be fired with little or no notice, you are not prepared to start searching immediately for a new job. Be proactive, not reactive! Topics so far have included: Pretend You’re Fired Today: My Story Behind the Podcast Executive Resume Trends in 2017 Finding Keywords to Optimize Your Resume How to Write an Achievement-based Resume Recruiters Will Love Tips to Write a Powerful CIO Resume Blog Posts Rangel frequently adds blog posts to her website at http://chameleonresumes.com/blog/. Recent blog posts include: Is Your Resume Readable on Mobile Devices? Frequently Asked LinkedIn Profile Questions Answered Common (But Important) Resume Questions Answered 7 Ways Recruiters Will Attract and Hire Talent in 2017 To learn more about Lisa Rangel, visit her LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisarangel. Job Search Nuggets are provided by KempMillJobAssist. Please direct questions or comments to the author at DMarwick@JobAssist.org.

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