Career

The Federal Coach: Waiting for the Federal Budget

Although we have yet again avoided a government shutdown for at least three more weeks with the passage of the latest short-term appropriations bill for fiscal 2011, the operating conditions created by the continual funding uncertainties are taking a toll on federal agencies. As a federal leader, you’re already doing more with less. Perhaps youRead… Read more »

Missouri, Connecticut get federal funds boost to support small businesses

Last September, President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. The act created the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), an initiative designed to support lending to small businesses. Yesterday, Connecticut and Missouri announced that their applications to be part of the initiative were approved. This approval will provide both statesRead… Read more »

Funding Opportunity for Green Innovators

Earlier this month, DOE and the Economic Development Administration’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship announced the $12 million i6 Green Challenge with the goals of encouraging entrepreneurship to support the green economy, strengthening US competitiveness and creating new jobs. This funding initiative, which is also supported by USDA, EPA, NSF, NIST and the Patent andRead… Read more »

Recruitment 411: Social Media Melting Pot

Social Media allows the IRS Recruitment Office to communicate and network with job applicants at any time and from any place. The key to our success is integration; every tool is part of a well-oiled social media machine. By using social media, the IRS accomplishes several important goals. First, we show the IRS is aRead… Read more »

A FRESH Approach to Going Green (Part 1)

I’m always fascinated when my 8th and 10th graders find an offer they are passionate about. Take the recent Baja Fresh in-store promotion, which asks consumers to save the Earth one cup at a time by refilling a reusable drink cup each time they visit. Why would two teen-aged boys who aren’t overly passionate aboutRead… Read more »

Mobile Cybersecurity…Things Really Have Gotten Wild!

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the AFFIRM Luncheon for an awesome talk on the state of cybercrime worldwide. Donald Codling, Unit Chief and DHS Liaison, Cyber Division from the FBI, took us through a very informative presentation on the topic of cybercrime on a mobile scale. I never knew there wereRead… Read more »

Large Company External Hires Come From Networking and Job Boards

CareerXroads has released their 10th annual Source of Hire study. The study surveys large companies to see where they find their new employees. The Source of Hire study surveys 36 large U.S. companies with over 1.3 million employees. These companies hired over 130,000 job seekers in 2010. For the firms in the study the numberRead… Read more »

The Federal Coach: Ask the FedCoach: Handling Tricky Promotions

This week’s question is how federal managers can best communicate promotions on their team. Please continue to share your ideas and suggestions for the column by commenting below and by sending in your questions to the [email protected]. How do you handle promoting someone who’s best for a position based on abilities and education over someoneRead… Read more »

Member of the Week: Vicky Marquez

This week we’re honoring Vicky Marquez, who began her career in public service via the HHS Emerging Leaders Program. She’s got some great ideas for improving government, as you’ll see below, and I hope she gets the chance to implement some of them in a future role. Here’s her story. 1 – What was yourRead… Read more »