As summer sun cools to fall, the Thrift Savings Plan (your retirement plan), has also made a turn. After a down July, all but one of the TSP funds are back in the black. All Thrift Savings Plan domestic funds recorded gains over the past month, while the I Fund, invested in international stock, fell 0.14 percent.Read… Read more »
There is arguably no more important skill for government career growth than networking. And doing it well can be the difference between landing a promotion or big project and being stuck in place. Here are 20 networking tips to get you started: Practice: Especially if you are shy, or have trouble speaking about yourself, practiceRead… Read more »
Each and every Wednesday, the entire GovLoop team convenes for an hour-long staff meeting where we go over assignments, new projects, projections, and any other issues that we face as a company — much like any other organization does on a regular basis. But the GovLoop team has a bit of a different twist on ourRead… Read more »
People are complex, variable and unpredictable. I like to think that we are more sophisticated than any 9-box grid, True Colors or personality test could ever hope to encompass. I feel violated when a marketer gets lucky and I suddenly “need” something I didn’t know even existed a few minutes earlier. Nonetheless, personality testsRead… Read more »
Guess who is at the very center of your People Garden? YOU! As with my first blog, this is about your People Garden work style. It is that time of the year where it is time for all of us to start our self-assessments for our Performance Appraisals. This whole concept has been ingrained inRead… Read more »
At various levels the federal government, there are structured, comprehensive career development (or mentoring) programs, like the Presidential Management Fellowship Program. Your agency might have its own version, but mentoring can be far less informal and structured, so long as it benefits both sides. If you are considering becoming a mentor to a new employee,Read… Read more »
Organizations have diverse teams focused on achieving a multitude of goals often with limited resources. Often, when resources such as staff or equipment are scarce some staff may engage in conflicts at work impacting office productivity. There are several ways to approach business conflicts: avoidance, acceptance or using a litany of anger. Business people learnRead… Read more »
So I might as well say it: I have a man-crush on Gordon Ramsay. And in case you hadn’t noticed, the guy is everywhere. Whether it is TV, commercials, events, or new restaurants (you remember he is actually a chef, right?), you can’t escape him. Some are turned off by his screaming and famously shortRead… Read more »
Here are 3 reasons why September is a good time to update your resume! Its nearly time for your annual performance review and you want to position yourself or a raise. One of your contacts approaches you with a great job opportunity and needs your resume, now! You learn that your job is in theRead… Read more »
“The greatest good you can do for another is not to share your riches but to reveal to him his own” – Benjamin Disraeli Before dive right into how to land your dream job, let’s do some internal work first. According to psychologist Sydney Jourard, 85 percent of your success in work is determined byRead… Read more »