Upward Mobility
Purchase a copy of the IDP Workbook
by Dennis V. Damp
Take Charge of Your Federal Career
The potential for upward mobility in the federal sector is excellent for
those who know how to aggressively pursue their career goals. Federal
employees that take the personal initiative to plan their future have a better
than average chance to succeed and be promoted. Uncle Sam is this
countries largest employer and hires about 2 percent of the total civilian
workforce. Federal government jobs are now growing at their fastest rate in
decades due to massive government expansion into healthcare and new regulatory
responsibilities in the financial sectors. The diversity of work and the ability to transfer to other
agencies and locations further improves your chances. There are so many options
available that you can easily get side tracked if you don’t focus your efforts on
realistic and targeted opportunities.
Most federal agencies encourage employees to develop their careers through
Individual Development Plans (IDPs). The process, names, and forms may differ
between agencies, however, the planning is essentially the same. it’s the
employees responsibility to initiate the process and to develop personalized and
realistic plans (with their supervisor's assistance) to achieve their short and
long term career goals. All agencies provide training to improve your skills for
the position you now occupy. However, they don’t automatically provide training
that is outside the duties and responsibilities of your current Position
Description unless you discuss your desires with your supervisor and develop an
Individual Development Plan.
The opportunities are almost limitless when you consider the
numbers. Hundreds of thousands retire or leave government each year and
with many baby boomers retiring abundant opportunities exist if you are
prepared. The federal government employs over 2,000,000 workers, not counting
Postal workers, and the Average
annual salary for full-time federal government jobs now exceeds $79,197. Federal
government jobs can be found in every state and large metropolitan area,
including overseas in over 200 countries. The average annual federal workers
compensation in 2008, including pay plus benefits, was $119,982 compared to just
$59,909 for the private sector according to the United States Bureau of Economic
Analysis.
Explore the Keys to Success to
understand the process and to begin developing your tailored IDP plan. A
journey of a thousands miles begins with the first step and by visiting
this site today you are well on your way to making the career changes in
life that you desire.
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