Book on Student Opportunities in Government Arrives Amidst Positive Changes

Book on Student Opportunities in Government Arrives Amidst Positive ChangesBook on Student Opportunities in Government Arrives Amidst Positive ChangesBook on Student Opportunities in Government Arrives Amidst Positive ChangesStudents Federal Career Guide, 2nd Ed.Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) December 12, 2011 In recent years, every US President has considered revamping the hiring system for federal jobs, and Obama has taken this a step further by instituting a set of reforms. Certain reforms, like the proposed Pathways Programs, are good news for students, and they reflect Uncle Sams desire to improve students federal career options as well as streamline the application processes. A new book, Students Federal Career Guide, 2nd Edition, written by Federal Job Guru Kathryn Troutman and Federal Career Counselor Paul Binkley, provides a fahrplan for the many current programs, as well as info on how theyre changing. With the current job market, there are fewer jobs in the private sector for new g rads, notes Troutman. Federal student opportunities are out there, but students need this book to figure out how to find them and learn how to apply more successfully.Why should college students and student veterans consider Uncle Sam as an employer? One very important reason is that federal internships have a different application system, in which the students compete only amongst themselves (as opposed to someone with, lets say, five years experience at Verizon). Troutman and Binkley agree that internships are one of the best ways for these groups to enter federal employment. There is also the Federal Student Loan Repayment program, through which a new hire for a federal job can negotiate the repayment of up to $60K along with their salary after their internship. Veterans can get tuition, books and housing under the GI Bill, secure a federal internship, and use the 5 or 10 points they get added to their federal resume scores when applying for a federal position when their internsh ip is completed.I tell my students that the federal government is the largest employer in the country, bar none, shares Binkley, who works at George Washington University. You can find just about any job inside government.Students Federal Career Guide, 2nd Edition, was written with both regular college students and student veterans in mind. With troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (40,000 expected from Iraq in the latest wave alone), many exiting soldiers are going back to school to prepare for their post-military careers. Veterans tips are included in every chapter, with special formatting. The eight case studies include three veterans. Troutman estimates the books emphasis overall to be 30% veteran and 70% regular student.The guides format is an easy-to-follow and sensible Ten Step approach, a hallmark of Troutmans federal career books It departures with networking, and also covers figuring out which agency and job title is right for you, understanding the student programs, finding positions, analyzing the announcements, writing resumes for internships and federal jobs, dealing with the KSAs, cover letters and questionnaires, applying for jobs and internships, tracking and following up on applications, and handling the interview.An outstanding chapter is Step 3 Programs for Students. It describes the best ways for students to get into government under the current system, including STEP (Student Temporary Employment Program), SCEP (Student Career Experience Program), FWS (Federal Work Study), and Internships and Fellowships in general. The government will be offering its current programs until Obamas new proposed Pathways Programs consolidate and replace most of them. There are so many programs out there that students dont know about, says Binkley, and they dont know how to find them either. This book will enable them to become their own advocates.The guides winning resumes are great samples. Studying them will be crucial for students, since internship resumes and federal resumes are different and longer than private industry resumes. Also, veterans often struggle to figure out how to translate what theyve been doing in the military into a resume, says Troutman. Students have to blend in courses, majors, papers, projects, all theyre doing in college. Both regular college students and student veterans are guided in the book on how to present their experiences in resumes and cover letters. Plus, three of the eight case examples are on the books website (www.tenstepsforstudents.org) in Word as templates. Troutmans Resume Place offers resume writing and job coaching for those who want more assistance.The book explains that Obamas Pathways Initiative has three parts (1) Internships (merging SCEP and STEP), (2) a new Recent Grads developmental program leading to federal employment, and (3) an improved Presidential Management Fellowship program. The projected time of implementation is around May 2012. Pathways updates and other fedjob n ews for students will be provided on the books website.This book provides massive information important to both students and their counselors, says Troutman. Its for anyone whos going back to school and wants to go into public service. Have it with you from Day One your freshman year to start building your internship resume. Contact Information KATYRYN TROUTMAN, The Resume Place, (410) 744-4324