Susan K. Nichols
Lunder Education Chair
Smithsonian American Art Museum
750 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 3300
Washington, DC 20001-4505
Phone: 202-275-1586
Fax: 202-275-1713
[log in to unmask]

>>> Constance Badowski 01/18/05 11:40AM >>>
If there's an opportunity to add to that conversation:

- the first review of applications will definitely be done by someone other
than the hiring office.  HR does sometimes use contractors but generally
these are former HR staff. 

- 'cold and quick' is not far off the mark in terms of reviewing
applications.  If you receive 100 applications for a job and spend a minimum
of 5 minutes looking at each one, you're going to spend more than 8 hours
reviewing applications. 5 minutes doesn't sound like nearly enough time to
devote to an applicant - but 8 hours is a long, long time and it's hard to
stay consistent if you break the task up.

- HR must treat everyone the same, which means no reading between the lines
on somebody's application.  It's ALMOST like writing for a monkey... but
don't be rude.

- It doesn't hurt (usually) to send a copy of your application to the
office doing the hiring.  Just don't be annoying.

- A resume is perfectly ok if you write an expanded version, not the
corporate one-page variety.  Instead of writing a single sentence or two to
describe each job, write a paragraph or two.  Put enough detail in for HR to
figure out how complicated your jobs were and how much independence and
responsibility you had.... but don't write so much it's tedious to read. 
Attach a separate sheet listing your name, the job announcement number and
title, and covering the selective and quality ranking factors.  Selective
factors are pass/fail.  Quality factors actually earn points, so you want to
give a detailed description of when/how your experience and education gave
you that knowledge, skill or ability, and specific examples of that.  Don't
just say:  "I did this" - if you can't put it in writing, I'm not so sure
you did.


>>> Susan Nichols 01/18/05 09:02AM >>>
FYI conversation in Museum Education listserv about getting one's
application to first base...

Susan K. Nichols
Lunder Education Chair
Smithsonian American Art Museum
750 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 3300
Washington, DC 20001-4505
Phone: 202-275-1586
Fax: 202-275-1713
[log in to unmask]

>>> [log in to unmask] 01/15/05 04:25PM >>>
Also, HR does not do the primary screening of applications, that is 
contracted out.  The first two people to read your application doesn't have

any experience in the job that you are applying for.  Just write your 
application (do not send a resume) as if you were trying to convince a 
monkey that you are qualified for the job.

Unless your application gets all the way to the selecting official(the 
person who will be the supervisor for the job), there is very little chance

that you will hear from SI.

Trish
current SI employee


>Dear Cecelia,
>
>A couple of years ago I talked to a contact in the Smithsonian about 
>applying for jobs after years of my own frustration trying to get a job 
>there. Numerous times, here in the DC area, I have heard SI referred to as

>the Black Hole in to which applications disappear because acknowledgement

>of their receipt is rarely made.
>
>The important points she made were:  First of all, primary screening of
the 
>application is made not by the department within SI seeking applicants,
but 
>by the front office of all powerful bureaucrats who will disqualify the 
>application for any inadequacy they interpret in the application.  She 
>related how often she has had to argue for a particular applicant with HR

>over too strict interpretations of the job announcement requirements.  But

>the good thing here is that if the particular dept knows you are applying,

>they apparently will fight for you if they really want you.  That means, 
>somehow, making contact with the dept and letting them know who you are
and 
>that you are applying.
>
>Secondly, she underlined the necessity to stay on point when answering the

>questions under Selective Factors.  Address the mandatory requirements 
>clearly and directly and do not wonder off into tangential discussions.  
>I'm guessing that HR does not have the special subject background that
each 
>hiring dept in SI would, and also they probably have to deal with many 
>hundreds of applications, so they most likely employ a cold and quick 
>approach in eliminating those who seem not to be right on target in their

>applications.
>
>I wonder what kinds of experiences others have had with SI.
>
>Rich Vidutis
>============================================================
>From: Cecelia Ottenweller <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: 2005/01/14 Fri PM 05:04:18 EST
>To: [log in to unmask] 
>Subject: help with smithsonian applications
>
>Hello All,
>
>I'm interested in applying for a few positions within the Smithsonian and

>am concerned that I will
>botch the job because of not knowing the proper protocal for presenting my

>resume. Is there anyone
>out there who could help me with this?
>
>Thank you,
>
>Cecelia Ottenweller
>
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