Sequestration: Fierce competition for current and future job holders

DoD Furloughs – mean harder to get hired…

What does it mean to you as a job seeker?  Hiring freezes or part-time jobs…

DoD furloughs to begin April 26, with almost no exceptions; 3/12/2013 by Jared Serbu, DoD reporter, Federal News Radio; (read the full article at: https://www.federalnewsradio.com/1103/3247853/DoD-furloughs-begin-April-26-almost-no-exceptions)

“The vast majority of the Defense Department’s civilian workforce will begin to receive notifications as soon as next week that they should expect to be furloughed for 22 days this year. Actual furloughs will begin before the end of April, and there will be virtually no leeway as to whether an employee is furloughed or for how long. Now that sequestration has taken effect, Pentagon officials predict civilian furloughs will actually begin within DoD on April 26. The date is a consequence of various legal notification timeframes the department has to meet. It is the only federal agency that must notify Congress of its intent to furlough workers: that particular 45-day clock began ticking when the Pentagon sent a letter to Capitol Hill Feb. 20.

Over the past few weeks, the military services and components have been compiling lists of employees that they believe should be exempt from furlough. The Pentagon now has those lists in-hand and expects to render final decisions on exceptions by this Friday. Robert Hale, comptroller, Department of Defense, told a town hall audience of Pentagon employees that very few civilian workers will be spared from the effective 20 percent pay cut. The only exceptions it intends to grant are for employees who are actively serving in war zones or who must be on the job on a given day in order to protect life or property. And even if a hypothetical DoD agency manages to find enough savings in other spending areas to offset its share of sequestration, it still won’t be able to exempt its employees from the across-the-board furlough.”

This means the job competition is going to be harder to get into any defense or government contracting jobs – even if the agency or department is hiring.  When and if you do get hired, there’s a chance you may only be hired for 80% of the job hours, or you may be offered a contingency letter for a future start date.

Competition for those few jobs are going to be fierce.  You must show you have more and better job skills to compete against others who are trying for the same position. It will revert back to a ‘hiring manager’s advantage’ when it comes to picking and choosing whom to interview and whom to leave on the back burner after the sequestration ends or peters out after the next six months.

Some government employees may decide they need to take on a part-time job or look for additional income on the side during their three-day weekend furloughs. They need to ensure anyone they speak with understands how strong a candidate they are against the other job seekers with less experience or knowledge.

If you are worried about losing your job, the 20% furlough and needing to find a new part-time job, or you have already lost your job due to the sequestration, it is time to get your resume updated, reviewed, rewritten, and revised for 21st century job searches.  Use a PROFESSIONAL – and get it done right – this is an INVESTMENT in your future!

Need a new resume?  Contact me today for more information on how to compete against the rest by being the best:  Dawn.Boyer@DBoyerConsulting.com

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Sequestration: Fierce competition for current and future job holders

DoD Furloughs – mean harder to get hired…

What does it mean to you as a job seeker?  Hiring freezes or part-time jobs…

DoD furloughs to begin April 26, with almost no exceptions; 3/12/2013 by Jared Serbu, DoD reporter, Federal News Radio; (read the full article at: https://www.federalnewsradio.com/1103/3247853/DoD-furloughs-begin-April-26-almost-no-exceptions)

“The vast majority of the Defense Department’s civilian workforce will begin to receive notifications as soon as next week that they should expect to be furloughed for 22 days this year. Actual furloughs will begin before the end of April, and there will be virtually no leeway as to whether an employee is furloughed or for how long. Now that sequestration has taken effect, Pentagon officials predict civilian furloughs will actually begin within DoD on April 26. The date is a consequence of various legal notification timeframes the department has to meet. It is the only federal agency that must notify Congress of its intent to furlough workers: that particular 45-day clock began ticking when the Pentagon sent a letter to Capitol Hill Feb. 20.

Over the past few weeks, the military services and components have been compiling lists of employees that they believe should be exempt from furlough. The Pentagon now has those lists in-hand and expects to render final decisions on exceptions by this Friday. Robert Hale, comptroller, Department of Defense, told a town hall audience of Pentagon employees that very few civilian workers will be spared from the effective 20 percent pay cut. The only exceptions it intends to grant are for employees who are actively serving in war zones or who must be on the job on a given day in order to protect life or property. And even if a hypothetical DoD agency manages to find enough savings in other spending areas to offset its share of sequestration, it still won’t be able to exempt its employees from the across-the-board furlough.”

This means the job competition is going to be harder to get into any defense or government contracting jobs – even if the agency or department is hiring.  When and if you do get hired, there’s a chance you may only be hired for 80% of the job hours, or you may be offered a contingency letter for a future start date.

Competition for those few jobs are going to be fierce.  You must show you have more and better job skills to compete against others who are trying for the same position. It will revert back to a ‘hiring manager’s advantage’ when it comes to picking and choosing whom to interview and whom to leave on the back burner after the sequestration ends or peters out after the next six months.

Some government employees may decide they need to take on a part-time job or look for additional income on the side during their three-day weekend furloughs. They need to ensure anyone they speak with understands how strong a candidate they are against the other job seekers with less experience or knowledge.

If you are worried about losing your job, the 20% furlough and needing to find a new part-time job, or you have already lost your job due to the sequestration, it is time to get your resume updated, reviewed, rewritten, and revised for 21st century job searches.  Use a PROFESSIONAL – and get it done right – this is an INVESTMENT in your future!

Need a new resume?  Contact me today for more information on how to compete against the rest by being the best:  Dawn.Boyer@DBoyerConsulting.com



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