How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job: Your Complete Guide to Opportunities, Internships, Resumes and Cover Letters, Application Essays (KSAs), Interviews, Salaries, Promotions and More! (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: federal résumés, noncompetitive appointments, online application systems, Writing Killer Application Essays, The New Yorker Collection, Capitol Hill (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Peppered with cartoons and a touch of wit, Whiteman’s book is the layman’s field guide to a federal job search…The book is based on hundreds of interviews with federal hiring managers and job hunters.  Unlike other similar guides, it focuses on process rather than just aggregating information about agencies.  This book provides step-by-step instructions on crafting successful résumés, cover letters and essays that get applicants out of the pile and into the interview.  As readers gear up for the hot seat, Whiteman lets them in on the do’s and don’ts of interviewing for a federal job.  And when an offer does roll around, readers can find tips on negotiating salary and climbing the ranks.” - Roll Call, the Newspaper of Capitol Hill

“An excellent resource for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in securing an internship in the public sector… A great resource for new career professionals and mid-career professionals who seek a federal career and are interested in ‘insider’ tips to navigate the federal hiring process…describes the myriad diversity programs for women, minorities and disabled job seekers…provides for easy reading and a straightforward approach…will almost certainly ensure that job-seekers submit an A+ application…. Anyone looking for a federal job, or any job for that matter, would definitely benefit by reading this book.” - Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

"Bottom Line: This book provides clarity, insider advice, and hot tips into the federal government and its hiring process in an entertaining and informative way." - Oh My Gov! (OhMyGov.Com – News, Knowledge and Networking)

"For people who want to explore job and career options with the federal government...this excellent book is the dream resource they have been hoping to find. It's a 'how-to' book packed full of compelling, specific, tested advice and an impressive array of resources from a skilled federal career coach....This book is a timely and welcome addition to the literature on government careers. Job seekers in other sectors--private, nonprofit, state, and local government--will find a surfeit of superb counsel in these pages as well" -- NACE Journal

Review

"This book will become an instant classic. It is chock-full of make-or-break advice -- available nowhere else -- about every phase of the job-search process and about getting ahead in government."

--Kelly Paisely, former Deputy Director of the Vice-President's National Partnership for Reinventing Government

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; Pap/Cdr edition (September 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814401724
• ISBN-13: 978-0814401729
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,065 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Resumes
  #25 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > Government
  #26 in	Books > Reference > Job Hunting

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good resource for all job-seekers, November 3, 2008

By	H. Anderson "Andy" (Mission Valley) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found this book to be of great value even though I used it in the hunt for a good position in the civilian world and not within the government.
A friend in the "G" gave me a copy of this book and told me that it was "hilarious." Granted, Ms. Whiteman has some funny cartoons in it and her style is an easy read. But more importantly, gave me the get-up-and-go attitude to put on my game face and apply for jobs with more than a modicum of confidence.
The book comes with a CD of resume templates and other useful cheat sheets, if you will. It helped me get my career organized in a tidy, presentable fashion. It also inspired me to produce some attention-grabbing cover letters that conveyed my skills persuasively and attractively in my application packets. After studying it, too, I felt that I was prepared for interviews, or I was after I conducted the practice sessions that she suggests where someone sits and asks you potential questions. It makes you think on your feet!
"How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job" made a world of difference in helping me stay away from vague and long-winded answers and I was finally able to connect with prospective employers, including the one that actually hired me just last week. Whew.
I would really recommend this book to any harried jobseeker, whether they want to work for the government or a company. And I plan on using it again in my efforts to move up in the world for an even better position down the road.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book that has it all , September 14, 2008

By	Diane (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

How I wish this book had been around when I began my federal service more than 20 years ago. For the first time, a book exists that compiles all the information candidates need to apply for their first federal job, or to apply for a better job if they are already in the system. What my husband and I found especially helpful are the worksheets. It is so much easier to write about a work experience using these outlines. It ensures that the narrative will follow a logical structure and reminded us not to leave out the most important points. With this book, my husband was able to revise his application into a much stronger document and I have updated my resume and related documents to be a step ahead for the next opportunity.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on federal careers available, August 31, 2008

By	jayday - See all my reviews

Other federal career guides are written by people who have either never worked for the government or are long retired. But this book is written by a very experienced, successful fed and career coach who knows the federal system inside out. As a result, this book is packed with savvy, insider advice available nowhere else about getting great government jobs and quickly moving up in the system. Plus, this book is written in a uniquely reader-friendly, engaging and even humorous style. I highly recommend this book to job-seekers of all levels and to current feds.