Your Postal Career: �A Path, not a Puzzle

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Friday, June 4, 2021

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Welcoming YOU as you continue

your USPS career journey!

A presentation by Alabama Chapter of UPMA

Welcome & Agenda

SHERRY HYCHE

Postmaster, Crane Hill

Agenda

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• First Class Hero Profile
• Hero Conversations
• Talent Pool Search
• eCareer Profile & KSAs
• Interview Skills

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

A successful Postal Service career starts with a great work ethic.

Be the best that you can be in your present position.

• Outstanding work performance.
• Be an engaged employee!
• Excellent attendance.
• Be regular in attendance and report to work on time.
• Dress to impress EVERY DAY!

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Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

At times career advancement takes stepping out of your comfort zone and trying different things.

Career development requires off-the-clock effort, including:

• Hero self-development courses.
• Networking.
• Attending career awareness conferences.
• Attending State convention and other

UPMA sponsored events

• LiteBlue Employee Deals page list more than 20 higher education institutions that offer discounts to USPS employees.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Creating a First Class Hero Profile

YOUR HERO PROFILE

• OVERVIEW & DEMO FOR ATTENDING EMPLOYEES

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

THE GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE A 1^ST CLASS STATUS

• YOUR PROFILE WILL CREATE MEANINGFUL CAREER PREFERENCES THAT GUIDE CONVERSTATIONS BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR MANAGER.
• YOUR PROFILE WILL ALLOW OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP STRONGER AND MORE DIVERSE NETWORKS.
• THROUGH THE HERO, LEADERS WILL BETTER UNDERSTAND PROFESSIONAL GOALS OF THEIR TEAMS.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

1. SUMMARY�2. SKILLS�3. INTERESTS�4. SUBJECTS�5. ADDITIONAL INFO�6. TEAM

BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF

YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER

& KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS

DISPLAY FAVORITE TRAINING SUBJECTS

UP TO 25 SUBJECTS

CAN BE ADDED

SELECT IMPORTANT TYPES OF SKILLS THAT YOU VALUE AND USE

SHOWCASE YOUR

WORK EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, & CAREER GOALS

FOR MANAGERS

• UPLOAD A WORK-APPROPRIATE PROFILE PHOTO
• CREATE A PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
• KEEP YOUR SUMMARY BRIEF AND CONCISE
• ADD PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
• ADD SUBJECTS TO YOUR CURRENT POSITION.

TIPS & GUIDELINES

• ADD CONTENT THAT IS INACCURATE OR MISLEADING.
• LEAVE OUT VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT HELPS DEMONSTRATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS.
• ADD OTHER POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT RELEVANT TO YOUR CAREER GOALS.

DO

DON’T

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

ABOUT REQUIREMENTS

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ADD TO YOUR SUMMERY (750-CHARACTER MINIMUM

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COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF THREE INTERESTS

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

TOPIC: ABOUT

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

RESUME REQUIREMENTS

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A MINIMUM OF 5 SKILLS

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A MINIMUM OF 3 KEY STRENGTHS

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2 ADDITIONAL SECTIONS (EXCLUDING USPS POSTAL HISTORY & LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

TOPIC: RESUME

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

CAREER PREFERENCE REQUIREMENTS

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ANSWER THE 1^ST 3 QUESTIONS

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QUESTION #1 & #2 NEED TO BE A MINIMUM OF 20 CHARACTERS

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QUESTION #3 HAS A DROP-DOWN OPTION / PLUS THE MORE QUESTIONS

YOU ANSWER HERE, THE BETTER

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

TOPIC: CAREER PREFERENCES

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

SELF DEVELOPMENT COURSES

• MANAGING FOR RETENTION I & II
• COACHING
• COACHING TRAINING
• EFFECTIVE LISTENING
• LISTENING TO IMPROVE CONVERSATIONS
• LISTENING WITH SKILL
• POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE
• USING ACTIVE LISTENING IN WORKPLACE SITUATIONS
• LEADERSHIP

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Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

HERO Conversations

Career Conversations

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What are they?

-Career Conversations facilitate an environment for employees and managers to have meaningful conversation about the employee’s career aspirations, organization’s needs, and a path for developing and achieving career goals.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

• All Postal employees are encouraged and may request to have a Career Conversation with their direct manager.
• A request may be made by either making an in-person request to their manager or by using the Career Conversation Request form located on the Career development landing page.

Do I need a completed HERO profile before requesting a career conversation?

Can I request a Career Conversation with any Manager?

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

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Do I need a completed HERO profile before requesting a career conversation?

No, However enhancing your HEROProfile will help both you and manager better prepare for the Career Conversation.

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Can I request a Career Conversation with any Manager?

Yes, you can request a Career Conversation with any manager. However if you are requesting a conversation with someone other than your direct manager, you must request the conversation in person or via email. The disadvantage of having a conversation with someone other than your manager is that it will not be documented or hosted in HERO.

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Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

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How do I prepare for a Career Conversation?

• Completing all 3 sections of your HERO Profile: About, Resume and Career Preferences tab.

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Think about the following prior to the conversation:

• What is your desired outcome of your Career Conversation?
• Where are you in your career right now?
• Where do you want to be in the next 6 months to a year? How would you like to get there?
• What would you like your Manager to take away from the conversation?
• Communicate what you feel would make these discussions meaningful.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

��Building Your eCareer Profile & KSAs

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Welcome to Alabama

Virtual Career Conference

Building your eCareer Profile & KSAs

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eCareer is the online application on Blue and LiteBlue that allows you to search and apply for USPS jobs. This presentation will show you how to:

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• Log into eCareer from the LiteBlue internet using a non-postal computer

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• Log into eCareer from the Blue intranet using a postal computer

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eCareer Personal Page

Click on Candidate Profile

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Communication Data

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Work Experience�

Education

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Training

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Training (cont.)

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Special Skills / Associations

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Summary of Accomplishments�

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Your Summary of Accomplishments is what you complete when you are ready to apply for a position. This section will be addressed further in the presentation. Keep in mind that every job posting has KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) that need to be addressed.

You will address these KSAs in the Summary of Accomplishment section of your eCareer profile.

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Attachments

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Attachments (cont.)�

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Review your information on the screen in “Data Overview”

Patience! This may take a few moments…!

Advance to the “Finalize Profile” tab (9).

Finalize Profile

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Candidate Profile Completed

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Search and Apply for a Job

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Click on “Search for Jobs”

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Complete required fields.

Click “Start Search”

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Job Search

Displayed are the lists of jobs that met your search criteria.

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Job Search

Click Apply/Display Application

Click the box for the job you are interested in…

Application Wizard Notes

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Ways to Navigating the Application Wizard

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Communications Data

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Work Experience

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Education�

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Special Skills / Associations

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The system displays “Data saved successfully.”

Advance to “References” (7)

References

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References (cont.)

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Attachments

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Method of Internet Access

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Summary of Accomplishments

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This has a 6,000 character limit.

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Your SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS address the qualifications/requirements that are listed on every EAS Job Posting. These are referred to as KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

Below is an example of how KSAs appear on a job posting:

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completing your Summary of Accomplishments you need to elcome to

Albany NY District

eCareer Seminar

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When addressing the SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, keep in mind that your application may be your “only spokesperson”. The Review Committee or Selecting Official who will be reviewing your application will look for specific examples which demonstrate that you possess the qualifications necessary to perform the duties of the job.

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It is recommended that in addressing the KSAs, you use the “STAR” format

What was the Situation/Task?

What Action did you take?

What was the Result of your actions?

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It is also recommended that you be concise and use dynamic action words

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Data Overview

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Finalize Application

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To view status or withdraw application…

Under Career Opportunities, click “Applications”

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Select appropriate posting

Then click “Delete/Withdraw”

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KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER:

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• When looking at job postings, make sure you are eligible to apply before submitting an eCareer application. Every job posting lists Persons Eligible to Apply.
• For example, if the persons eligible to apply are All non-bargaining (EAS) career Postal employees, then only EAS employees should be submitting applications.
• If the persons eligible to apply is All Career Postal employees, then any career employee can apply.
• If applying for different job titles you need to make sure you address the KSAs for those job titles. For instance, if you submit an application for a Supervisor, Customer Services position and also want to apply for a Postmaster position, those jobs have different KSAs and therefore you need to ensure you’ve addressed the appropriate requirements.
• If one or more of your KSAs are given a Zero by the Review Committee or Selecting Official, you will be deemed NOT MINIMALLY QUALIFIED and will be disqualified in moving forward.
• There is a 6,000 character limit in the Summary of Accomplishments.
• When copying and pasting from Word into eCareer, double check the characters and spacing; they may have changed.
• Be sure to click “Save” after each page.
• Save your information for future reference.

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Interview Skills

Interview Skills – DO’S AND DON’TS

• Before the Interview

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• During the Interview

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• After the Interview

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Before the Interview

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Before the Interview

DO’s

• Research the Office/Plant
• Research the position you’re applying for
• Research common interview questions
• Practice your answers

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Before the Interview

DO’s

• Dress appropriately for the job you want
• Be neatly groomed and dress relatively conservatively
• Bring breath mints
• Map out how to get to the location
• Plan to arrive 10 minutes early.
• If something happens and you must be late, phone the office as soon as you know that you are running behind.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Before the Interview

DON’Ts

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Before the Interview

DON’Ts

• Rehearse your answers so much that you sound like you’re just reciting from memory.
• Dress too casually, too flamboyantly or in revealing clothing.
• Arrive smelling (too much perfume, cigarette smoke, etc.).

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Before the Interview

DON’Ts

• Be late to your interview
• Arrive stressed
• Bring anyone else with you
• parent, spouse, friend, child,

pet, etc.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Before the Interview

DON’Ts

• Address your interviewer by their first name until invited to do so.
• Assume you know how to pronounce their name.
• Do - ask the receptionist to be sure. Don’t assume that a female interviewer is a Mrs. or a Miss; use Ms. unless told otherwise.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DO’s

• Offer a firm handshake and make eye contact when meeting someone.
• Repeat the person’s name to help you remember it.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DO’s

• Maintain good eye contact during the interview
• Approach the interview with enthusiasm about the job and the Postal Service
• Stress your achievements and talents

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DO’s

• Give detailed answers to questions with examples
• Explain how you would go about tackling the assignments and challenges of the position
• Have an opinion when asked
• Answer questions like, “What’s your biggest flaw?” intelligently, but honestly
• Show off any research you’ve done about the Office / Plant & position with examples or educated questions

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DO’s

• Take time to think about how to answer an unexpected question.
• You can repeat the question to give yourself a little extra time.
• Ask intelligent questions about the Office / Plant.
• It pays to prepare a few before the interview.
• SELL YOURSELF!!!!
• Close by indicating that you want the job and asking about next steps.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DON’Ts

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DON’Ts

• Be self-aggrandizing, insinuating that you are perfect and have zero flaws
• Take out any frustrations about your current position or prior interviews on your interviewer
• Speak negatively about your current or former company, boss, or coworkers
• Lie

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DON’Ts

• Offer up any negative information about yourself if not asked
• Make excuses
• Be afraid to ask for clarification if you don’t understand a question
• Answer every question with a simple “yes” or “no” answer

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DON’Ts

• Bring up personal or family problems.
• Ask personal questions of your interviewer.
• Answer your cell phone, check messages, or text during an interview.
• Act as though you’re desperate and would take any job.
• Act as though you’re just shopping around or interviewing for practice.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

During the Interview

DON’Ts

• Indicate that you’re only interested in the job because of the salary, benefits, or geographic location. Don’t indicate that you intend the job to be a “stepping stone” to something else
• Bring up salary, benefits, vacation time, or bonuses until after you’ve received an offer
• Say that you don’t have any questions

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

After the Interview

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

After the Interview

DOs

• Get business cards from your interviewers, or at least make a note of the correct spelling of their names.
• Write down some notes after your interview so that you don’t forget any details of what was discussed.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

After the Interview

DOs

• Write a thank you note
• email and send it within 24 hours of the interview.

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

After the Interview

DOs

• Call immediately after the interview to find out if you got the job
• Make repeated phone calls.
• Be rude or unprofessional if you DON’T get the job!!

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021

Alabama UPMA State Convention 2021