Yearly Archives: 2014

The Public/Private Imperative to Protect the Grid

Last week, three high-powered flares erupted from the Sun in a single 24-hour period, emitting electro-magnetic energy particle toward Earth and throughout the Solar System. The flares were categorized as X-class flares, capable of inflicting damage to the electrical grid. Also last week, a power station in Nogales, Arizona, was targeted for attack by aRead… Read more »

See the Big Picture and Stir Things Up

In ancient Greece, privileged countrymen consumed a sacred drink called barley wine containing barley, grated cheese, and wine. But the if drink was not kept in a constant state of movement, the contents would harden and became undrinkable. Just like the barley wine, if we settle for comfortable routines, our thinking becomes rigid and ourRead… Read more »

The GovLoop Unofficial Guide to Getting a Federal Job

Approximately once a month, I get an email from a family member or friend that goes something like “My cousin/neighbor/babysitter is really interested in getting a federal job. S/he can’t figure out the process. Can you give her some inside guidance?” Whether OPM wants to admit it or not, the process is still way tooRead… Read more »

Practice Makes Perfect: Improving Your Skills

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect.” While many dismiss this idea as well-worn and antiquated, the concept of meaningful practice has been embraced by neuroscientists and life coaches alike in recent years. Author Daniel Coyle champions practice as the means to achieving excellent in his book The Talent Code. The idea is thatRead… Read more »

Take the Time to Explain

In this age of email and text messaging, we often see evidence of taking short cuts and stating conflicting ideas to one another. In doing this, sometimes the spirit of the message is not understood and often interpreted a negative way. When this happens we sometimes have to spend even more time trying to explainRead… Read more »

3 Ways Leaders Can Get More From Social Media (With Some Help from Motown)

If you’re a chief exec or a leader, you’ve probably given Twitter, blogging or even Facebook a go. Maybe you love it. But are you getting the most from it? Sometimes people tell me they’re on social media, they’re starting positive conversations about their work but they’re fed up of the same old topics croppingRead… Read more »

Why Automation is Key to Your Cybersecurity Success

Government needs to become more agile and efficient in the way it combats cyberthreats. Explore our latest guide on the Continuous Diagnostic and Mitigation (CDM) program to learn how. Today, cyber professionals are operating in a world with more threats, increased complexity and fewer resources. “Everybody is trying to do more with less, and withinRead… Read more »

If You Really Want It — Be Persistent!

Here’s a FABULOUS ARTICLE for future Govies! Reprint of an article on LinkedIn by Elizabeth A. Medina I’ve been trying to get into Civil Service ever since I left my campus work study job as a Biology and Chemistry lab assistant 14 years ago. Obviously, all that changed less than a month ago and IRead… Read more »