How to get a job in the Obama administration

Another key is figuring out what Obama will be concentrating on when he takes over the White House, says Kathryn Troutman, president of The Resume Place Inc. and author of the “Federal Resume Guidebook.”

“Typically, presidents write a whole plan on what they plan to do, their big ideas, and that’s included in the president’s agenda that’s published on the White House Web site,” she says. (Take a look at President Bush’s agenda to get a feel for how this works.)

Troutman estimates that an Obama agenda will show up on the Web site within the first 90 days.

So where do you find what jobs are available?

The jobs may pop up on basic job listing sites, but there are specific portals with the bulk of these federal positions.

One of the best sources, Troutman says, is USAJOBS. “These are not presidential appointee positions, they are federal civil service positions, but all of the people who hold competitive service positions perform services in support of the president’s agenda,” she says.

Troutman expects there will be numerous financial jobs within the government given the recent call for more regulations of the financial sector. So that means federal agencies will be hiring for various positions, including inspectors, auditors, accountants or compliance officers.

Health care jobs will also be in abundance, she predicts, in everything from Medicare to Veterans Affairs.

Another source for federal jobs, according to Matt Eventoff, communications strategist with PPS Associates/Princeton Public Speaking in New Jersey, is something called the “Plum Book” released at the change of each administration. Although this has not been updated for the new president, you can see past ones here.

The Plum Book includes job descriptions and even pay scales for different positions.

Since the party running the White House has changed, Eventoff expects that there will be lots of turnover in a host of government jobs.

Revamp that resume
Don’t expect Obama to make the job selections himself, Eventoff adds, aside from the highest-level posts.

The ones making the decisions for the thousands of other positions will be the president’s transition team. There will also be advisory committees named for particular federal agencies and departments, Eventoff says. If you can find someone who knows someone in these groups, you’ll have an advantage over the thousands of other applicants that will surely be vying for the jobs. If you have contacts who know any of the early Obama appointees, now is a good time to send them your resume.

Speaking of resumes, it’s time to revamp yours if you’ve only worked in the private sector.

“The average federal resume is three to four pages, while a private sector resume is two or less,” says resume expert Troutman. “You have to put in more details in a federal resume to demonstrate you have specific qualifications for the job.”

Resumes for federal jobs, she says, have to clearly spell out specialized experience at a salary level that was equal to what the federal job will be paying.

Once your resume is sent and your contacts are milked, patience will indeed be a virtue as you try and secure a job with the new president, says Gordon.

During the Clinton years, he says, about 3,000 administrative appointments had to be filled. The process took months to complete.

“If you have any relevant policy experience, or political experience, or a particular skill set the administration can draw on, that will give you a leg up,” Gordon says.

The first thing you have to ask yourself is if you’re committed to the new commander in chief’s legacy, says Mok, because government work consists of long hours for not great pay.

“There are two reasons worth serving,” he continues. “You want to understand how the American government works, and you want to help Obama be successful.”

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