How to Get Hired in Private and Public Sectors: Guides and Links

Practical ways for you to take the next step in your job search journey towards a rewarding career in the private or public sector

Searching for a new job can be lonely and tough. There is so much to do, I often get paralyzed at where to start, and what to do.

Here is a fun way to prioritize. Brian Banks created a Job Hunting Bingo Card. It made me smile in my daily slog. I feel real accomplishment as I crossed off squares on the way to Bingo.

Okay, now on to more serious matters..

How to Get a Private Sector Job

Mariela Vazquez once wondered: How do I transition into the private sector without losing my sense of purpose?

The comprehensive USAID to Corporate Roadmap answers that question. It is designed to simplify the private sector transition and empower you with the right tools, including:

• A Custom-formatted ATS Compliant Corporate Résumé⁣

• How to Leverage AI: Starter Prompts⁣ for You

• A USAID-to-Corporate Translation Tool⁣

• Industry Exploration Guide⁣

• Recruitment & Job Hunt Launching Pad⁣

This is a dense toolkit packed with insights, frameworks, and resources - be sure to read through the guidance carefully to get the most out of it!

How to Get a Public Sector Job

I am so proud of many state governors and public sector leaders. They are actively recruiting Federal staff, contractors, and consultants recently furloughed or laid off (or about to be) to state-level public sector jobs.

Several states are expediting the recruitment process for those recently separated from their dream jobs in the Federal ecosystem. Here are three that stand out:

• Fairfax County is helping fill 47,000 roles across Northern Virginia

• Hawai’i is promising an offer letter within 14 days of your application.

• North Carolina will have recruiters walk you through the hiring process

Take a moment and re-read that offer from North Carolina.

I have never seen a state assign a recruiter to you, for your benefit. This is an amazing recognition that Federal government layoffs are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the US public sector to hire the best and brightest candidates right now.

I can also personally attest that the Research Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) is parental paradise and waaay cheaper than the DC metro area, where I lived for 20 years.

Either Sector: Translate Your Job Title

We often had job titles that do not translate into a domestic role. What is a Chief of Party? Who are MERL experts? Where does PEPFAR experience matter?

We have a handy cheat sheet to help you rename your roles to be understandable by non-development hiring managers.

• Chief of Party - General Manager with high-level leadership, strategic planning, team management, P&L oversight.

• MERL - Data-Driven Decision Making with data analytics, impact assessment, business analysis, performance optimization.

• PEPFAR - Nationwide pharmaceutical supply chain optimization, customer insights and consumer trend analysis, Go To Market strategy implementation.

Now to be clear, don’t go and delete your old title. Just say it in a different way. I’ve seen success with this approach that helps recruiters understand your past work:

• Division Manager (Chief of Party)

• Business Performance Analyst (MERL Advisor).

What Else Do You Need?

We now have almost 11,000 subscribers to the Career Pivot. That is 11,000 different journeys towards a new job.

• How can we help you reach your goal? Please tell me!

Oh and do me a small favor. Share our resources with your friends. I know there are more than 11,000 people impacted by this Administration’s actions. I would love for Career Pivot to help them all.

Our sharing leaderboard shows you who else has referred people to Career Pivot. I’m sure you can be on there within a few clicks too.

Best of all, if you get 5 people to subscribe (free or paid), then you get upgraded to a paid subscription and can join our amazing Ask Me Anything events.

This week we are focusing on managing personal finances and starting a consulting practice. What should we focus on next week?