Workshop: Getting a Government Job

WORKSHOP CANCELED 4/20/2015

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Applying for a government job: how to make your application shine in a tough job market 

The purpose of this workshop is to teach attendees successful strategies in applying to State and Federal jobs, writing resumes and responding well during job interviews.
Three natural resource professionals from state and federal agencies will demystify the government job application processes, guiding you through the state (OR) and Federal hiring processes, while providing tips and tricks for making your application and interview the best they can be. They will provide agency perspectives to help you navigate the process and be competitive. Instruction will include suggestions on how to build your resume to highlight your unique skills, exercises to help perfect your interview skills, and personal experiences from professionals about the state and federal hiring processes. Agency specific processes for online application and interview procedures will be explained. Learn what to expect from agency employees that are involved in their agencies hiring programs. In addition, learn how to take a resume from average to outstanding!

Instructors

This workshop will be presented by Heather Bernier, Laura Tesler and Jeff Everett. Heather is an Assistant Field Manager with the Lakeview District BLM, Klamath Falls Field Office in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Heather has ten years of experience as a hiring supervisor for natural resource positions for the BLM. During this time Heather coached early career professionals and developed successful techniques and strategies that have resulted in her employees getting interviewed for more jobs. As an employer, Heather has seen a consistent trend in the format and content of resumes for this group of employees, and has identified a critical need for natural resource professionals to receive more training in the purpose, methodology and techniques to these job seeking aspects for career advancement. An employer’s perspective is needed to help guide this group in their pursuit of furthering their work experiences and career advancement.
Laura Tesler is a Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program Coordinator with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Salem. Laura has 20 years of experience in the natural resources field and has participated in many interviews and job selection processes. Laura has served as a mentor to many prospective employees and has some good inside tips to impart on using the statewide job application system, surviving a state interview process, and how to make yourself stand out in an interview in a challenging sometimes rigid process.
Jeff Everett is a Wildlife Biologist with US Fish and Wildlife Service in Portland, OR. He has over ten years of work experience doing fish and wildlife work with the agency and has recently been involved in the hiring process. This has given him insight into the inner workings of the hiring process of Federal agencies.

Detailed Agenda:

8:00    Building your resume: how to make your C.V. stand out.
Heather Bernier will teach you how to highlight your unique skills, even if you don’t have a lot of experience. This workshop will cover successful techniques to format your resume and provide effective detail to better ensure that you get qualified for positions. Methods to develop a logical progression of complexity to demonstrate your depth and breadth of work experience will be taught, no matter where you are in your career.
9:00    Effectively expressing your value and experience in an interview
Learn a simple strategy to make the most out of any interview in which you can handle any question asked and differentiate yourself from yours peers so you can ace your next job interview!
10:00  State of Oregon application procedures tip & tricks 
Laura Tesler will describe the state process in filling positions and will teach you what you need to know about the state hiring process to better prepare yourself for applying for state jobs. She will share her own experiences as an employee and suggestions on how to gain experience with an agency and will walk you through the state online application process, offering her own tips and tricks about interview strategies, and will teach you what to expect out of the state hiring process.
11:00  Federal Government application procedures tips & tricks
Jeff Everett will describe his personal experience as an applicant and a selecting official with application procedures for the federal government.  He will share his personal experiences to give you tips and tricks for submitting a more competitive application.
12:00 Adjourn for lunch