What
they never told you about applications and you were afraid to ask.
What
they never told you about applications and you were afraid to ask.
¨
Punctuation
¨
Grammar
¨
Accomplishments
¨
Examples
¨
Special
Outside Interests that apply to the elements.
Brag
about your:
·
Accomplishments
·
Abilities
·
Outside
Activities
·
Awards
·
Education
and Training
·
Experience
§
The
content addresses the elements listed in the vacancy announcement.
§
Do Not
just list your present job description.
§
Do Not
list how many years you have been doing the same thing as everyone else.
§
Think
about what makes you different from everyone else.
v
I
recommend making a special folder for promotion stuff.
v
Type each
element at the top of each page.
v
Get some
post-its and start writing down thoughts & accomplishments and attach them
to each page.
v
Add items
every time you think about something else you have done.
v
Remember,
each element stands on it’s own.
v
You may
want to attach the same post-it with the accomplishment, training, experience,
etc. on several of the elements.
v
Just
because you mention an accomplishment on element #1 does not mean you will get
credit for it on the other elements.
Ability
to Observe and Verify a Variety of Plant Operations, Conditions, and Situations
to Assess Compliance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
Plan(s), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure (SSOP), and Applicable Food
Safety Laws and Regulations.
·
HACCP
Compliance
·
SSOP
Compliance
·
Food
Safety Regulations
You
Must address these items to receive any points on your application.
Element
A – HACCP Compliance
·
This is
where you place HACCP training, On Job Training, alerting IIC or GS-8’s about
HACCP, SSOP, or other food safety regulatory problems in the plant.
·
Also
explain how and what part you actually played in identifying, documenting, and
evaluating preventative measures and corrective actions and a review of records.
Give the final outcome!
Element
A – SSOP Compliance
·
List
pre-operational and operational Sanitation here (monitoring and verification
activities).
·
Give
examples of what you identified, corrective actions taken, documentation of
deficiency on a NR and any follow up necessary.
·
Give
examples of outcome and compliance.
Element
A – Food Safety Regulations
·
Discuss
any examples of items that apply to food safety regulations that you either
encountered and or brought to the attention of the GS-8/9 or the IIC.
·
Give an
example of the deficiency and what was the outcome or change made to correct the
deficiency.
¨
Review and Analyze Records and Documentation
¨
Looking for Regulatory Compliance with SSOP and HACCP.
¨
Looking for Regulatory Compliance with Applicable Food
Safety Laws and Regulations.
Element
B – Review and Analyze Records &
Documentation
¨
Give
examples of how and what you have done to analyze records.
¨
If you
have not looked at records before, start reviewing NR’s that have been
written.
¨
Ask for
help in what to look for while reviewing records.
¨
Learn
this skill!
¨
It
is the future for FSIS!
Element
B – Regulatory Compliance with SSOP,
HACCP, Regulations & Policies
¨
This is
where you need to stress your ability to review and analyze records and
documentation looking for mistakes, inaccurate documentation, items that may
have been changed or altered as well as potentially falsified records.
Ability
to Write Accurate Narrative Reports Based Upon Observations of Plant Conditions
or a Review of Records and Documentation.
Job Element C – Key Words
§
Ability
to Write Accurate Reports.
§
Observations
of Plant Conditions.
§
Review
of Records and Documentation.
Element C – Ability
to Write Accurate Reports
§
Stress
your ability to write reports.
§
Stress
education or training in writing skills (example
– a class in high school or from the Training Center in English writing or
composition)
§
Give
examples of reports you have written.
§
Give
examples of NR’s that were clear, accurate and supportable.
Element C – Observations
of Plant Conditions
§
Give
examples of items you have observed, what they were, how you handled the
condition, if it generated an NR, and what the outcome was from your
observation.
Element C – Review
of Records and Documentation
§
Start
learning how to review these records and plants documentation now!
§
Give
examples of what and how you have found problems while doing a review of the
records.
§
This is
the direction this agency is moving for the future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Job Element D
Skill
in Oral Communication to Deal Effectively with Industry Representatives and
Agency Officials and Employees to Assure Industry Compliance with Applicable
Regulations and Policies.
Job Element D – Key Words
v
Oral Communication Skills.
v
Deal with Industry Representatives.
v
Deal with Agency Officials and Employees.
v
Assure Compliance with Regulations and Policies (HACCP and
SSOP)
v
List all training or education, such as Speech Classes,
President of PTA, etc.
Element D – Oral
Communication Skills
v
Give
examples of your Ability and Skills to Think
and Talk at the same time.
v
This is
the area where examples of how you successfully handled situations especially
involving HACCP may give you some extra points.
v
Don’t
be bashful about your abilities to speak to people.
Element D – Dealing
with Industry Representatives
v
Stress
good working relationships, which involve oral communication and are not
examples of Command and Control (ability to navigate in the shades of gray).
v
Stress
the importance you play in explaining a situation to plant personnel and what
the results were (using sound, critical thinking skills).
Element D – Dealing
with Agency Officials and Employees
v
Stress
teamwork with all levels of agency employees to accomplish our mission.
v
Give
examples and how you played a key role in working with other agency people.
v
Take
credit for your contributions as a team member (example- I recommended something, and team adopted my idea, I assisted
a C.O. in an investigation, etc.).
Element D – Assure
Industry Compliance with Regulations and Polices
v
Give
examples of items you found and addressed which demonstrate your ability to
communicate the requirements and that the plant was able to show compliance.
v
Use HACCP
or SSOP examples if possible.
v
Describe
meetings with plant management and how you contributed.
Job Element E
Ability
to Perform Mathematical Calculations Involved in Monitoring Plant Operations.
Job Element E – Key Words
Ø
Math
Calculations
Ø
Monitoring
Plant Operations
Element E – Math
Calculations
Ø
Describe
any education or training you have in MATH (example
– high school or college course in math).
Ø
Give
examples of what and how you use math.
Ø
Give
examples of errors you have found while reviewing Government records.
Element E – Monitoring
Plant Operations
Ø
Give
examples of how what mistakes you have found while reviewing plant records or
documentation.
Ø
Describe
your ability to interpret charts, graphs, and other data.
TIPS
q
Remember
to read the definitions under each job element.
q
Words
used in these definitions often give you ideas about something you may have
forgotten that you did during your career.
q
Try to
use the same kind of language in your descriptions as used in the definitions.
q
Go out of
your way to gain experience.
q
Volunteer
for new ideas and projects.
q
Don’t
forget what part you may have played in the implementation of new forms of
inspection (example – implementation of
MeynMaestro system, NELS, SIS, Modified Traditional, on NTIS in Turkeys).
q
You can
use a different format for your application as long as you make sure all parts
are there.
q
Don’t
forget activities outside the work environment that may apply to the elements.
Your outside activities may be the deciding factor in a selection.
q
You can
always submit a new application for promotion after you have changed or added
some things to it.
q
This
should be added to and reviewed every month or two to make sure it is current.
q
Try to
place more emphasis on where the agency is going such as HACCP and SSOP rather
than where we came from.
q
Typed or
computer generated applications are easier to change, update, and read than hand
written applications.
q
Have a
second person read your application for spelling, grammar, etc. prior to sending
it for consideration.
q
Don’t
exceed TWO pages per element on the application.
q
Training,
Education, and Awards can be placed on a separate page prior to addressing the
elements.
q
If you
place these on a separate page, then point out in the text of the element that
you have special training, education or awards that relate directly to that
element.
q
Outside
Experience is work experience gained prior to being employed by USDA.
q
Outside
Activities which may pertain to the element can be listed in Outside experience
and often paint a good picture of how you will perform in the new job.
q
If using
a computer, Do Not go below a 10-point
font and choose
a font that is easy to read.
q
These
applications are often projected on a screen or may be copied a number of times.
Therefore, make sure it is clean, crisp and legible.
DON’T FORGET
ü
Did you
sign the ORIGINAL Application?
ü
Did you
attach a copy of your MOST recent rating?
ü
Did you
address the proper elements?
ü
Did you
write your Social Security Number on the top of EACH page?
You may also number each page consecutively.
ü
Did you
include the Zones where you wish to be considered?
EXAMPLE
v
I was on
the Circuit Safety Committee for two years in 1995 and 1996.
¨
Where
does this fit in the application?
¨
How could
this be made more efficient?
¨
Could
this be used in more than one element?
¨
Is this
really important anyway?
v
Place
this on a post-it in the front of the folder.
v
Think
about what you actually did while on the Circuit Safety Committee.
v
Then try
to make it fit as many elements as possible.
v
Do the
same thing for anything else that you think of that you have done that might
apply to any of the above elements.
GOOD LUCK
The
selecting official’s goal is to select the most qualified applicant for the
position. However, it is up to you
to provide the information used to make this determination.
The selections are made solely on the information provided, and not on
what someone thinks you know or do.
Only
you can paint a picture of yourself and your qualifications for a promotion.