Expert's View:
The Age Penalty and Early Retirement
With early retirement opportunities popping up in the Postal Service and the usual speculation about them elsewhere, a lot of employees are confused about how the age penalty would affect them if they were to retire before reaching their normal retirement age.
When it comes to retiring early, FERS employees have a big advantage over their CSRS counterparts. If you are a CSRS-covered employee who retires before regular retirement age, your annuity is reduced by 2 percent (1/6 percent per month) for every year you are under age 55. . . writes benefits expert Reg Jones.
Pretty Good for Government Work
Consider using a functional resume, rather than the more traditional chronological resume. The functional resume allows you to focus on results on the first page of your resume, leaving employment history to the second page.
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| Published: December 21, 2005
Don't Be Your Own Worst Enemy
When we apply for positions either inside or outside the federal government, we often defeat ourselves by not emphasizing our strengths and why we are the ideal person for the job. There are several reasons we under-sell ourselves.
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| Published: November 30, 2005
Hot New Jobs
I bet that heading got your attention. Unfortunately, this article will not be a grab bag of currently open positions from which you can take your pick.
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| Published: October 26, 2005
Job Fairs
Attending a job fair is one of the many ways that you
can locate employment opportunities in both the public
and private sectors. In fact, some job fairs will have
both public sector and private sector employers participating.
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| Published: February 16, 2005
It’s Who You Know
Like all old sayings, the saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” contains elements of both truth and falsehood.
In seeking work in the private sector, there is a great deal of truth in it.
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| Published: January 12, 2005
Deciding on an Early Out
Most federal agencies have the authority to offer “early outs.” This article will address some of the items that you should be sure to address if you are considering accepting an early out.
The eligibility criteria for an early out are the same for CSRS and FERS employees.
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| Published: October 6, 2004
Highlighting Your Skills
Identifying your job related skills and highlighting them in your resume or in an interview is necessary to be considered for virtually every position in both the federal and private sectors.
When we think of skills, we tend to think first of skills that relate to a specific job.
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| Published: August 5, 2004
Benefits in RIFs
A reader asked what would happen to our government benefits and seniority if we found ourselves out of federal employment due to a downsizing or an outsourcing decision. Well, as with so many other items dealing with our federal employment, the answer is "it depends".
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| Published: July 7, 2004
What Do I Want To Be?
By John Grobe
What do I want to be when I grow up? Who would have thought that we would be asking the same question late in our careers, or as we prepare for retirement?
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| Published: June 2, 2004
Talking about Dates
Let's talk about dates. No, not the kind found on palm trees or the times when you take someone out.
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| Published: April 14, 2004