In today’s digital landscape, all companies need more technologists — and that urgent need for technology talent will only grow. Unsurprisingly, the United States government faces the very same problem: There just aren’t enough tech-minded candidates to go around.
One of the questions that I get asked the most is if cover letters are dead. The truth is, no, they are not. As I wrote about last month, ATS is scanning resumes for keywords to filter them more carefully. Due to this, some believe that cover letters slow down the screening process because they force hiring staff to read another document. This isn’t necessarily true, however.
HR departments receive more resumes than ever because job applicants have more options than ever to apply. This also means that resumes must be filtered more carefully. To handle the increase in applications, more and more organizations are turning to Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS to scan resumes much more quickly.
The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) is a recruitment and referral program. This program connects students with disabilities to employment opportunities for federal and select private sector employers nationwide. WRP is managed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Diversity Management Operations Center (DMOC).
Applying for a government position is a lot different from applying for a private-sector job. Unlike the latter, government or public-sector applications often require a cover letter or personal statement. Landing a job in a government agency takes a special approach and the cover letter is the hiring manager’s first glimpse at your skills and qualifications. At the same time, it serves as an introduction to your personality and interests.