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Hello!
How to Get Through to HR
Offices
On the Phone and What To Say?
Dear Advisor:
I am not a casual Federal job seeker, but a sincere and earnest
one. My work background is in business administration. Last
month, I was offered an “early out” package from the
company that had employed me for 16 years. Recently, I heard
through the network of other job seekers with whom I have
established contact that a Federal Agency in my city is hiring in
my field. When I called the Agency, however, I had difficulty
getting a live person on the line and the automated service that
picked up my call instructed me to leave my name and address on
the voice mail. It would be comforting to hear the details about
job vacancies from a real person on the other end of the line.
What’s the trick to getting through?
Sincerely,
M.M.
Albuquerque, NM
Dear M.M:
As you have learned, when calling a Federal Agency, you may find
your call routed through an automated voice mail system. The
Federal government recruiters receive thousands of telephone
calls every day, and in order to best serve everyone, these
systems have been set up to provide the most efficient channels
for obtaining information. You may access vacancy hotlines this
way and listen to detailed information about job openings. You
may also be asked, as you have been, to leave your name and
address on the voice mail.
You should be aware that the phone/mail method of distributing
vacancy information is no longer preferred by Federal Agency. The
internet is the preferred delivery method for Federal job
information, because it is fast and inexpensive.
Internet Is Key
Just about all Federal Agencies, big and small, now use
the internet not only to distribute Vacancy Announcements, but
also to process applications. On-line applications are more than
50% of all applications and growing. The on-line version of the
application collects the same information as the mail-in version.
Your Federal resume is still the crucial piece of information.
The difference is now Agencies want to receive your resume not by
mail or fax or even email, but via the internet.
Vacancy Announcements
Every job opening in Federal service is described in a
document called a Vacancy Announcement. The Vacancy Announcement
runs two or more pages in length and includes job description;
qualifications, salary and a section entitled “How To
Apply”. You must have the Vacancy Announcement before you
can make an effective application for a job. Vacancy
Announcements can be delivered to you on the internet, or, by
phone or mail. Again the Federal recruiters prefer the internet
method.
You can view a copy of the full Vacancy Announcement for any job
on this site. Just type the Announcement Number into the window
on the website. The full Vacancy Announcement will display, if
the position is still open.
In addition, many Federal Agencies maintain internet sites that
include job information. The formula for Federal Agency websites
is: http://www.agencyname.gov For example, http://www.dod.gov or
http://www.interior.gov
Getting Through By Phone
As important as the internet has become to a Federal job
search, the phone still has importance. Phone numbers to
personnel offices almost always appear on Vacancy Announcements.
If you can not obtain the information you need by internet, you
may find phone numbers of the Agencies in your area by looking in
the blue pages of your local phone directory under “U.S.
Government Agencies”. If this is unsuccessful, you may find
phone numbers to the local facilities of a Federal Agency on its
website.
When your call to an Agency puts you directly in contact with a
live person, you must be prepared to make the most of this
opportunity. It is not enough to request to speak to someone in
the personnel department. The individual with whom you are
connected may be well intentioned but may not have the type of
information that you seek. For example, you may reach a Personnel
Clerk, whose job may not give him/her access to information
related to job openings.
Connecting With The Right Person
Therefore, the first step when you reach the personnel
department is to ask for the Personnel Officer, Staffing
Specialist or Recruitment Specialist who is responsible for the
occupation you are seeking. For example, if you are seeking a
Budget Analyst job, ask for the Personnel Staffing Specialist who
is in charge of budget and accounting positions. This specialist
will be informed of the openings that exist or that may exist in
the future in that field.
Interview the Decision Maker
Depending on the level of the job of interest to you,
the HR specialist listed on the Vacancy Announcement may or may
not be the hiring decision maker. Generally the higher the job
the more likely a line officer and not an HR Specialist will make
the hiring decision. When speaking to an HR Specialist who
handles a job, you may ask for the name and phone number of the
decision maker. The request may be declined, but you have nothing
to lose by asking. If you do get the decision maker’s name,
by all mean call him or her and ask him to explain the job in
more detail to you. Make careful note of how he describes the
job. His description will probably contain clues to the kind of
skill sets he is seeking.
Keep Records
Good record keeping is important. Keep a notebook to
record information as you make your calls: The name of the
Agency; the person to whom you spoke, that person’s direct
telephone number, job title, and the hour of the day that you
reached that person; the date you called, a date to follow up;
and any other notations about your conversation.
Finally, you must keep in mind that the average Federal job
search takes about four to six months and that persistence is the
key to securing a government job. However, a systematic, well
organized search should ease your frustration and help you
achieve a successful outcome.
To submit questions to the Federal Jobs Advisor, write to:
Federal Jobs Advisor, PO Box 693, Emmaus, PA 18049. We regret
that not all questions may be answered.
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