Associated Resume Writers Federal Employment Services

BLUE RIBBON OPPORTUNITY FOR BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS

By Paul Maraschiello

 Although most of the articles I have written have been for the benefit of white-collar and law enforcement Federal job seekers, this does not mean that blue-collar workers cannot benefit from the wisdom contained within these articles. The advice I give to white-collar professionals also applies to blue-collar workers. BE THOROUGH, describe your training, skills, duties and accomplishments in DETAIL, no matter what your profession happens to be.

Last week, a gentleman came into my office requesting that I develop a really good Federal application so that he could apply for a supervisory position within the organization that had employed him for many years. He shared with me the fact that the job had been announced previously and he had applied, but was not selected. He told me that he was informed by Personnel, that all those that were selected for consideration had well-written applications and the proper managerial experience but lacked the hands-on experience necessary to do the job, therefore the job had been re-announced. He asked me to develop a really well written Federal application so that he would receive full consideration for the position. I created a Special Skills Section as an attachment to his application and rewrote his job descriptions.

 SPECIAL SKILLS SECTION

 PLASTERING - Possess over ten years of experience mixing and troweling on both coat and plaster walls and ceilings. Experience ranges from doing small patch jobs to entire new rooms. Expertise included installing black iron and wire lathe, building out with brown coat for base and finishing with smooth, straight plaster finish, ready for painting. Experienced estimating all the lime, gauging, brown coat, etc. necessary for any size job.

CERAMIC TILE - Experienced in seating ceramic tile both plumb and straight in shower stalls and bathroom walls. Can cut and shape tile to fit in and around shower handles using hand nipper to tile cutter. Ale to finish grout so that all joints between tiles are even and uniform. Also have set floor tiles using thin set mortar and masonry grout in bathrooms, officer, mess hall, and other applications.

CARPENTRY - Possess over ten years of experience in the carpentry/mason shop. Learned to use all the equipment and tools in the shop including jointer for squaring boards, 2x4's, 2x6's and other lumber. Experienced using a planer for milling boards and using both table saws for ripping down boards and plywood. Experienced operating both band saws for cutting stakes for concrete form work, radius cuts and other items.

Familiar with the use of the jigsaw for smaller and tighter radius cuts on both wood and plexiglass. Experience includes using a miter box saw to cut window trim and door trim at exactly 45 degree angles for perfect fit. Have used various table sanders, belt sanders, and hand sanders to finish surfaces and edges of wood. Possess extensive experience using a variety of hand tools. Experienced setting wooden forms for concrete sidewalks, roadways, curbs and gutters on the job site. Have built wooden partition wells sixteen inches on center and hanging drywall using a screw gun to fasten drywall to wood. Expertise includes setting metal track and metal studs for drywall, hanging drop ceilings level, straight and square and laying out the grid system to incorporate the lighting system, air-conditioning duct system for both air and return air. Experienced tearing out old windows and setting new windows and doors (wooden and metal).

CONCRETE. Worked two summers and extra jobs on weekends for more than one year and performed concrete work as an employee of the U.S.S.A.H. Mason Shop. Experienced finishing floors, sidewalks, driveways, curb and gutter foundation walls, etc. Able to build forms properly to withstand weigh, and pressure of concrete when being poured in the form. Familiar with all concrete working tools, including trowels, floats, jitters, edger, dares, bull floats, straightedge, etc. used in both smooth and broom finishes. Experienced estimating number of cubic yards of concrete and type of concrete for job, P.S.I., slump, air entrained, lamb block for color number of pounds per yard for color shade.

CARPET & TILES - Have removed and set floor tiles in offices, hallways, and living quarters. Experienced in cleaning and repairing floor surface for adhesive. Can cut tiles to fit properly along walls, door jams, around pipes, etc. Experience encompasses carpet floor tiles. Estimating experience includes tile and adhesive needs.

PAINTING - Experienced in painting walls and ceiling using latex paint with roller and paint brush for windows and trim. Can prime new surfaces for either latex or oil base paints. Experienced priming and painting wood floor, trim boars, doors, window and door trim, etc. Have replaced and glazed in window panes and door panes. Able to estimate the square footage of surface areas. Have assisted in suing sigh stencil machine and transferring to sigh surface area for painting letters and numbers.

 JOB EXPERIENCE

As a Mason, my duties included masonry work (journeyman level), supervising projects and related activities. Duties and Responsibilities: Developing cost estimates for jobs. Serving as supervisor on special projects. Developing schedules for jobs to ensure proper supplies and manpower are on hand at proper time and other trades have completed necessary work. Coordinating activities with other trades.

Mixing mortar for brick or block; Spreading mortar and laying brick and cinder block, ensuring they are in a straight line, face both level and plumb, and joint. Working with all types of materials including brick, block, stone, etc. Scaling off brick and block for height and length to exact measurement. Developing estimates of materials for jobs, including brick, block, sand, mortar, fur-a-wire, wall ties, etc. Performing layouts using a transit.

Accomplishments: Received nine "Outstanding" performance evaluations. Received four Cash Awards. Selected to coordinate activities among the Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, Masonry, and other trades for the West Gate Building project, including overseeing the building of the Craft Center, including supervising a crew of six (1 foreman and 4 masons and 1 helper).

MACHINIST EXPERIENCE

The same week, a very experienced machinist came into my office. His SF-171 was very incomplete. He has prepared numerous applications in an effort to get promoted in the past, but his job descriptions were one line affairs.

 OLD JOB A

Responsibility includes precision machine work, Widget Machine, Printing Press Machine Repair.

 No wonder he never got promoted. I conducted an extensive interview with the client in my office (I also do this over the phone for my out-of-town clients) and then developed an excellent Federal Resume that included rewriting all eleven of his previous job descriptions.

NEW JOB A

As a Machinist, I work in the production support division of the Department of the Widgets. Duties and Responsibilities: Repairing and making parts for the Widget Machine. Making parts for the printing press, coil machine, and other equipment. Performing precision micrometer measurements to .0001 of an inch tolerance. Taking precision measurements. Use high gage layout equipment for parts to ensure a perfect fit. Setup, operate, adjust and repair Mills - Vertical, Horizontal, Universal, CNC, Vertical & Horizontal, Part-Off ± .001; Turret Lathe, 2^nd Operation; Surface Grinder V.0002; Shaper - Standard, Universal, Radius Cutting & Angle Cutting; EDM Machine - 100 amp; Service grinder, Sheering Machine, Metal Bending machine; Engraving Machine, Drill Press, and Punch Press. Using the following hand tools: outside micrometers 0-12" ball, blade; inside mikes 0-12" bore mikes, shoulder mikes; grinders & dial calipers 0-60"; depth mikes, 0-9" depth counterbores, countersinks, (straight and taper shank); square, edge finder, thread gage, PD wires & triangles, radius gages, surface gage & combination square; adjustable & rigid parallels; riffler & regular files, file cards; protractor, regular & special metals, metal alloys, and non metal materials used including: steel - hot rolled, forged, 1018 cold rolled, 4130 & aircraft lead-loy, stainless (magnetic 400 series & free cutting 303, 304, 316, inconel 625 & 718, hastelloy, 17-4 PH), and machining & welding, 2024 & 7075 aircraft: brass - naval, half-hard, SAE 62 bronze, oil-lite, babbitt, nickel, monel, titanium, magnesium, copper, lead; non-metals: plastic, delrin, nylon, ABS, syntectic foam, walox, bakelite, carbon, phenolic, fiberglass G-10, PCV, rubber, teflon, nylatron, polysufon. Reading blueprints, requirements and specifications.

 Performing Quality Control functions. Using trigonometry in conjunction with a 5" sin bar to set up pieces in the lathe and mill to ± 5 or 10 second accuracy. Using trigonometry formulas to set over a fly-cutter or wheel cutter to mill larger radius that the tool radius. Using geometry to calculate rotary table angles, to attain a required length are with a prescribed size and mill. Operating the GNC vertical mill to cut templates for the lathe with large radius and multiple angles for tracing purposes. Using ceramic and coated carbide insert tools on the lathe and mill. Using diamond-tipped insert tools for cutting material with a hardness of 60 Rockwell. Using Completing paper work and reports associated with job.

Accomplishments: Received a Cash Award, Suggestion Award, and Excellence Award. Received numerous "Outstanding" performance evaluations. Completed certification training in Fundamentals of Widget Repair and Installation.

HELP IS AVAILABLE

If you've been trying to get hired by the Federal Government and have not been successful, don't give up. There is help out there for you. My firm has helped many people find jobs and get promoted in the Government. I personally evaluate the Federal employment potential of every client interested in our services. I provide our clients with counseling, developed an effective Federal resume, prepare answers to KSA's and Ranking Factor Questions, and provide leads and referrals to job for our clients. I only charge clients for the actual work performed an even offer a money back guarantee to qualified job candidates. We have an excellent success rate with those clients that follow our advice.

If you are interested in my services, you are welcomed to call or contact me by e-mail for a free evaluation and quote. Send me a copy of your SF-171, SF-612 or Federal resume and I will give you an evaluation free of charge.

About the Author

Paul Maraschiello is the president of the largest resume writing company in the Washington, D.C. area and specializes in assisting people find Federal employment. For years Paul was a feature columnist with the Federal Job Digest. His articles can be found in any library. Associated Resume Writers is located in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. at: 262 M Cedar Lane, Vienna, VA 22180.

Telephone: (703) 208-9770

E-Mail: jobs@fedjobs.org