Career

I would’ve eaten glass to get this job

Moving to the bureaucracy from the world of NGOs, for me, meant serious growing pains. I really, really wanted a job in the public service. I would have eaten glass in sharp, jagged pieces to make my casual position a permanent job — if my manager would’ve asked. I did whatever I was told, evenRead… Read more »

The Gamification of Public Works

Most people my age have been schooled with the “sit and listen” method. But today’s teachers are breaking out of that mold by tailoring lesson plans for different learning styles using gaming ideas and platforms. So to better understand this shift in education, I am taking a summer class offered through Boise State that focusesRead… Read more »

The Federal Coach: HUD Chief of Staff Laurel Blatchford on Risk Taking and Engaging Employees

Laurel A. Blatchford, chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) since 2009, previously worked for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg first at City Hall and then at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). During her time in city government, Blatchford worked with agenciesRead… Read more »

Trainer as Leader: the Human Factor

It’s easy to think of the trainer as the leader–at least in the moment, but he or she is a leader in other ways, too–keyed to the human factor that makes the company work and its people resource rewarded and fulfilled. The trainer/leader listens to his audience and works with them. He or she teachesRead… Read more »

OPM Pathways Programs Proposed Regulation Live

This is big news in federal HR community – check it out – http://www.opm.gov/HiringReform/Pathways/ Regulations will be announced in Federal Register tomorrow. More analysis forthcoming. Forum discussion – What do you think of OPM Pathways Programs? OPM Issues Proposed Regulations to Help Recruit and Train Students and Recent Graduates Proposed Pathways Programs Will Help BuildRead… Read more »

Your Post-Military Job: What You Can’t (And Can) Take With You

Knowing what you can’t, and can, take with you to your next job is incredibly important, especially when it comes to the military. Whether you realize it or not (I know it’s hard to stay awake through all of those preseparation counseling sessions) there may be restrictions concerning where you can work post military andRead… Read more »

Thursday’s political law links

OPPO IN THE MAINSTREAM. Politico. “Opposition research, long vilified and romanticized as a kind of political dark art, has stepped out of the closet for the 2012 presidential campaign, in which current and former opposition researchers are taking prominent roles, the self-described ‘high road’ candidate has an extensive research operation and the climate couldn’t beRead… Read more »