Keys to Success: Building Excellent Relationships with Federal Agencies

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Keys to Success Building Excellent Relationships
with Federal Agencies
November 13, 2007
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A Few Things to Remember
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Interest Is High
Thinking in general about different types of
potential employers, please indicate how
interested you are or would be to work in each of
these types of places saying extremely or
very interested
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. . . But Knowledge is Low
Overall, how knowledgeable do you feel about
career and internship opportunities for you
personally in the federal government?
13 Total Extremely or Very Knowledgeable
54 Total Not Knowledgeable
7 out of 10 students are more likely to consider
service in the federal government after speaking
with a recruiter or a professor
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High-Touch is as Important as High-Tech
For each of the sources below, please indicate
how likely you personally would be to use that
source for career guidance or opportunities.
saying extremely or very likely
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Specific information tailored to a students
interest and background is key

• When giving students this specific information on
  interesting job opportunities, interviewees say
  it must relate to their particular academic area
  of skill and why they should consider
  government work over options available in the
  private sector

I would need to hear about job offers in my
field of interest or any connections to my field
at all. Clark Atlanta student
Information about specific government agencies
and what exactly they do on a daily basis and in
a larger sense. OSU student
I'm interested in working for magazines
something that is more inline with my personal
interests. I don't think the fed government
really has opportunities that cater to my
interests. UNM student
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In terms of content of information, students want
details about actual jobs and internships that
relate to their skills
Keeping in mind the sources you would most likely
go to from the previous question, which of the
following describes the kind of information you
have or would seek from those sources? Select all
that apply.
I would need to hear about job offers in my
field of interest or any connections to my field
at all. Clark Atlanta student
If I heard of a career panel about government
jobs that was being held in the union, I would
assume it was for poli sci majors. If it were in
the business school, then I would know it is
definitely geared toward business students and
that would make me interested. LSU student
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How best to reach students? Information must go
to the student both figuratively and literally

• Interview participants are quite clear in their
  desire to have information on federal careers
  opportunities come to them. Thus, recruiting
  activities should be tailored for specific
  academic disciplines not only in content, but by
  location.
• Students on-campus life takes place in a very
  specific area of campus, so the events need to
  physically occur there in their classes and
  departments

Have a representative go to specific departments
and set up a presentation, like in the lobby of
our building. If a rep sets up a table in the
lobby we will walk past it and it will catch our
eye...But if the rep is in the union or
something, we will never see it. LSU student
Maybe have a seminar and representatives on
campus with information to hand out, post flyers
about career fairs, and talk to the students and
not just the career placement center because a
lot of times students don't visit the center and
they miss out on a lot . Clark Atlanta student
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Helping Agencies Do Well on Your Campus
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Encourage agencies to

• Work closely with Career Services to establish
  good communication with the contact there NOTE
  Career Services contact needs a clear idea of
  what the agency is looking for in terms of
  skills/majors
• Have an dependable, long-term (if possible),
  can-make-things-happen point of contact at the
  agency
• Take time to understand your students and
  integrate that knowledge into their plan for
  working with your university
• Build relationships between the agency and the
  appropriate part of your university (college or
  department or school) from which the agency needs
  to hire
• Build relationships with key faculty in those
  departments or schools, with faculty students
  relate well to

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Encourage agencies to

• Make sure their Web site is clear, understandable
  and student-friendly make sure their Web site is
  easily accessed from the Career Services Web site
• Assure the regional/local part of their agency
  works closely with your university so
  students/faculty can get to know them
• Participate on campushelping out in ways that
  will establish relationships with students, such
  as conducting mock interviews, reviewing resumes,
  mentoring students
• Get to know student leaders across campus,
  particularly from relevant student organizations
• Establish dependable hiring and/or dependable
  internship offerings

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Encourage agencies to

• Share names of alumni working at the agency with
  you so you can direct interested students to
  alums Make a live person available to talk to
  interested students
• Send young alums and KNOWLEDGEABLE HR people to
  campus/career fairs
• Streamline their application process get back to
  students quickly with results
• Talk to their Career Services contact often about
  what is working and what can be improved
  change/learn from students
• Provide data on hiring results so your university
  can know if these efforts are successful, if the
  students get jobs
• PARTNER WITH YOUR CAMPUS

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What Can YOU Do to Help Agencies be Effective on
Your Campus?
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Resources
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Resources

• Federal Career Day Toolkit (Click Here)
• Making the Difference A Blueprint for Matching
  University Students with Federal Opportunities,
  October 2007, pages 1 -11 (Click Here)
• Back to School Rethinking Federal Recruiting on
  College Campuses, May 2007, pages 3 19 (Click
  Here)
• Where the Jobs Are (Click Here)
• Developing a Campaign to Promote Federal Service
  (Click Here)
• Best Places to Work in the Federal Government
  2007 Edition (Click Here)