Career Management

1
Career Management

• Broadening Your Horizons

Cecelia Davis Federal Acquisition Institute
2
Objectives

• Identify potential career paths
• Align interests, skills, and experience with
  career paths
• Create a basic career plan

3
Topics

• Why Acquisition?
• What Is FAIs Role?
• What Are the different Career Paths?
• Which Path Is Right for Me?
• How Do I Get There?
• Conclusion

4
Why Acquisition?
5
Why Acquisition?

• Research, plan for, and procure goods and
  services
• Make strategic and innovative business decisions
• Act as business advisors to ensure agencies meet
  their missions

6
What Is FAIs Role?
7
What Is FAIs Role?

• Develop instructional material and performance
  tools
• Facilitate interagency intern and training
  programs
• Identify acquisition competencies
• Promote and coordinate Federal research
• Help identify and recruit acquisition
  professionals

8
What Are the DifferentCareer Paths?
9
Contracting

• Operations
• Pre-contract award
• Contract award/post-contract award
• Policy

10
Program

• Program/Project Manager (PPM)
• Contracting Officers Technical Representative
  (COTR)
• Contracting Officers Representative (COR)

Learn more about acquisition careers at
www.fai.gov
11
Which Path Is Right for Me?
12
Explore Different Agencies

• Align interests with agency missions and functions

Learn about agencies at www.usa.gov Learn about
agency jobs at www.usajobs.gov
13
Network

• Acquisition community
• Training events
• Workshops
• Conferences
• Professional organizations
• National Contract Management Association (NCMA)
• Project Management Institute (PMI)
• National Institute for Governmental Purchasing
  (NIGP)
• Work relationships
• Current and former co-workers
• Managers

14
Use Government Resources

• FAI
• www.fai.gov
• USA Jobs
• www.usajobs.gov
• Office of Personnel Management
• www.opm.gov
• Agency Career Centers

15
How Do I Get There?
16
Create a Career Plan

• Set goals
• Identify action steps
• Set target dates
• Involve others
• Review progress and make modifications

17
Set Goals

• Set SMART Goals
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic/Relevant
• Timely

18
Identify Action Steps

• Increase knowledge
• Formal training
• Workshops, seminars, conferences
• Independent research, self-study
• Build experience
• On the job
• Special assignments and projects

19
Set Target Dates

• Establish an overall timeline
• Set deadlines for each action step
• Set review dates

20
Involve Others

• Networking
• Formal
• Informal
• Management
• Individual Development Plan (IDP)

21
Review Modify

• Review progress
• Modify career plan

22
Closing Remarks

• www.fai.gov
• www.opm.gov
• www.usajobs.gov

23
QA

• Why Acquisition?
• What Is FAIs Role?
• What Are the different Career Paths?
• Which Path Is Right for Me?
• How Do I Get There?