The Book of U.S. Government Jobs: Where They Are, What's Available & How to Get One (10th edition) (Book of US Government Jobs)

Author : Dennis V. Damp Edition : 10th Number of Pages : 352 Publisher : Bookhaven Press List Price : $22.95 Amazon Price : $15.61 Used Price : $29.97

Product Description

The federal government s new recruiting, outreach, and retention programs are attracting new applicants with lucrative incentives. Today federal agencies can pay off new hires student loans, negotiate starting salaries, and offer relocation allowances for critical vacancies.

Readers will find an expanded application and résumé chapter that takes readers step-by-step through a typical job announcement and instructs readers on how to write effective federal style résumés and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) statements. Résumé samples, compiled by the author and Kathryn Kraemer Troutman, the author of Federal Résumé Guidebook, are included to guide job seekers through the sometimes confusing application process.

Considerable improvements were implemented over the past few years to the archaic Civil Service examination process. Uncle Sam has finally dropped most general and administrative written entrance examinations and substituted an Occupational Questionnaire and/or Self Certification in most cases. New applicants for certain occupations may still be required to take written tests, but most agencies, other than the U.S. Postal Service, forgo testing and opt to use Occupational Questionnaires.

Agencies are still evolving since the September 11 attacks and the massive reorganization that established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS was established to consolidate law enforcement and security functions, and 22 agencies transferred significant operational functions and personnel to Homeland Security since its inception.

The impact of this reorganization and the increased security requirements in all agencies have changed government demographics. An entire chapter is devoted to law enforcement and DHS careers and the many job opportunities that are now available in the government s third largest agency. DHS employs more than 154,000 workers in hundreds of occupations.

Many changes were initiated since the previous edition was published. Lucrative recruitment incentives were authorized by Congress, programs such as the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) were revised, and the student hiring program was reorganized under the eScholar program. This edition also added information on the Senior Executive Service (SES), and all these changes expanded the new 10th edition to 352 pages.

The federal government s total civilian workforce as of September 2006 was 2,700,392 and approximately 50 percent of the federal workforce is currently eligible for either early or regular retirement. This is creating significant employment opportunities for anyone interested in working for Uncle Sam. Over 1.3 million jobs will need to be filled as the baby boomers opt to leave government service.

This Tenth Edition of The Book of U.S. Government Jobs will help job seekers land high-paying, benefit-loaded, and secure government jobs. If you re looking for a position with good pay with excellent benefits, explore the high-paying and secure federal job market. The average annual salary for all full-time employees was $67,186 in December 2005, and you can work at thousands of stateside and overseas locations. Use this book s resources, including the Job Hunter s Checklist in Appendix A, to begin your personal job search.

Customer reviews

All-in-one Resource by .. T. Hooper (Osaka, Japan)
If you're thinking of changing your job and are looking into getting a job with the United States government, then this is the book that you're looking for. It includes everything that you need in order to begin and complete your quest for the job that you've been looking for.

If you're not familiar with the types of jobs, benefits, and pay scales that exist in the federal job market, you'll be able to find that information here. Also, you'll be able to find information on how to write a successful job application and on how to pass federal interviews.

For those who don't know what types of jobs are available, these are described in this book. In particular, there are chapters on overseas jobs, jobs with the postal service, and jobs with homeland security. If you're interested in any of these types of jobs, this book will give you a helping hand.

Good by .. jt (DC)
I think this book is good but feel it's a little outdated. He talks a lot about the paper submission of resumes and applications. I haven't applied for any government job that requires the paper method. He has incorporated discussions on the electronic resume, USAJOBS, etc but you can tell it's just an add-in. His story examples are from 1969 and I just really don't feel they work so well in today's government hiring model. I'd like to see updated success stories incorporated.

In spite of the above comments, his discussions on ways to enhance your resume to get your foot in the door helped. My resume has made it to the hiring official over 90% of the time since I read his hints and I've been called for 2 interviews. This is a marked improvement and I feel it's a matter of time before being hired. I've only been working with his book for 30 days and review it frequently for tid-bits I missed earlier.

I recommend this book to anyone trying to break into government employment. Good luck!

GOT THE INTERVIEW IN 30 DAYS!!! by .. M. Grant ()
I purchased and received this book two days before Xmas 2007. I was referred for a vacancy annoucement on January 4, 2008. The purchase of this book is a nobrainer. Mr. Damp gives all the details needed to analyze the annoucement and revamp your resume for the positions. Every penny spent here is worth the precious reciept of a certificate for a particular vacancy. The last thing I want to add is that I just started applying in November 2007. This book got me to the top of the list. Thanks Mr. Damp.

60 Days to a Recession Proof Federal Job; IT WORKS by .. Mark Shiraitori (Cyber Space, OH)
An INDISPENSIBLE guide to finding and getting a federal job. I used the information in the NEW 10th edition and was granted 5 interviews, 3 job offers and accepted a GS-12 position; then negotiated a significant PAY increase; just 2 month into my search. After arriving at my new position, I used the Federal Job career information section to obtain additional vacation time for my prior military service and to make the right decisions on my benefits. Dennis Damp hit a GRAND SLAM with this book; it is simply the BEST Federal Jobs Guide on the market today. If you are looking for a comprehensive federal jobs guide that really puts you ahead of the competition, this is the book to buy. Thank you, Mr. Damp.

A handy and easy-to-use resource by .. Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
Now in an updated ninth edition, The Book Of U.S. Government Jobs is a no-nonsense career resource that explains in plain terms where available American government jobs are and how to get one. From an overview of the federal employment process, to advice concerning the interview process, completing one's employment application, and passing civil service exams, to overseas employment opportunities, careers specific to the postal service or law enforcement, and much more, The Book Of U.S. Government Jobs is a solid primer of what to expect and thoroughly reflects the many changes in the American governmental employment process that have been wrought in response to the September 11th attacks. Point-by-point requirements, recommendations, and contact information for each institution from which one can seek employment form the heart of this handy and easy-to-use resource.

Neale S. Godfrey's Ultimate Kids' Money Book

Author : Neale S. Godfrey Number of Pages : 128 Publisher : Aladdin List Price : $9.99 Amazon Price : $17.99 Used Price : $23.47

Product Description

money -- it seems easy enough. You use it to buy cool stuff. But you've probably noticed there's more to money than just buying things. There are savings accounts, checking accounts, and money market accounts, not to mention credit cards, investments, budgets, and loans. Well, here to answer your questions -- plus ones you might not have known to ask -- is Neale S. Godfrey's Ultimate Kids' Money Book. From piggy banks to the Federal Reserve Bank, everything you want to know is at your fingertips. Neale S. Godfrey, an expert on money, makes it all so easy to understand, you'll be an expert on money, too!

Customer reviews

Very Appealing, Very Informative. by .. The Reading Site (Tucson, AZ United States)
This is a reference book that covers a lot of territory from the history of money and exchange to the nuts and bolts of opening a checking account and investing. I love the colorful layout and the "word bank" (new words are defined right on the page in which they are first used, in a special area). I also enjoyed the puzzles and games involving money because they keep the book from getting weighed down in the (often) boring details of economics. Illustrations include full color photos and colorful cartoon characters (that aren't too cute or hokey).

I found this book to be fairly up to date and accurate (I'd love to see a revised edition), but parents and educators should view this book as a "teaser," since the magazine style format does not accommodate any long discussions about any single topic. One would hope that with a book like this around the house or in a school library/classroom, kids would pick it up and thumb through, viewing only a little at a time to start. Interest in specific topics may take children to additional sources of information, but the book will remain a useful tool for reference through high school and even for some college students (!)

Younger Kids money book by .. ()
This book a little dumb but still cut. All parents out there who have 6 year olds who can read and like counting should buy this book. I like one page that shows how credit cards become money but that is pretty much it. The illustrater, Randy Verougstraete was decent but I guess it is hard to illistrate a money book

On a nicer note this is a really cute book for younger kids. My little sister loved it. It is really a matter of taste. This book had a lot of cool facts such as how tall is ten thousand dollars worth of nickles. A cute book but this book is better for 5 or 6 year olds not older.

Wonderful book on money for children by .. ()
(...)This book is just full of ideas, concepts, drawings, etc. all presented in a simple, colourful manner. This book would make a great gift for a child, to help them understand money concepts. The author has written some other great books on money and children, for adults to read.

Very educational! by .. D.McConnell (Newnan Georgia)
The colorful pictures and easy to read diagrams make this a captivating book. Godfrey covers it all - from the history of money, government and taxes, credit and it's pitfalls to investing. Because the pictures tell so much of the story even young children will gain insights about money. This book should be a must read for all middle school students; it's a comprehensive lesson in civics that answers the questions "What are taxes?" and "How are your taxes spent?" in a way children can relate to.

A great book about money for ages 7 to 107. by .. ()
A great book about money. A must if you are interested in stocks, bonds, credit, ATMs, mutual funds, the history of money or money in general. For ages 7-107, making it great for school, while humorous cartoons make it fun to read. Ideas for thought, and projects for the family. Crisp, clear writing makes it easy to understand, whle Word Banks is mini glossary. Makes a great gift!

C.S. Lewis: The Signature Classics Audio Collection: The Problem of Pain, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, Mere Christianity

Format : Abridged, Audiobook, Unabridged Author : C. S. Lewis Edition : Unabridged Release Date : 2005-10-04 Publisher : HarperAudio List Price : $59.95 Amazon Price : $37.79 Used Price : $39.41

Product Description

Using allegoric narrative, stinging satire, reasoned insight, and his signature wealth of compassion, C.S. Lewis wrote highly entertaining and deeply illuminating essays and books of popular theology that revealed the shared beliefs of Christianity and explored the nature of good and evil. This collection of four of his most imaginative and intelligent works displays a scintillating brilliance that remains strikingly fresh and confirms C.S. Lewis’s reputation as one of the leading writers and thinkers of our or any age.

Collection includes:

The Problem of Pain -- read by James Simmons

The Screwtape Letters -- read by Joss Ackland

The Great Divorce -- read by Robert Whitfield

Mere Christianity -- read by Geoffrey Howard

Customer reviews

timeless truths by .. kc (SAN JOSE, CA. United States)
In a time where deep thought and contemplation of the deeper questions of existence are no longer that attractive, this work is, literally, a God sent!

CS Lewis Audio by .. A. Jun (Chicago)
PROS:
-great for the intellectual on a road trip

CONS:
-none

Would I BUY IT AGAIN:
-yes

Would I give it as a GIFT:
-yes

Wonderful listening... by .. K. Dorsey (Tulsa, OK)
I love Lewis, so of course I love these CD's. Anytime I take a roadtrip, these help me pass the time. They also sharpen my logic and my spiritual outlook. If you're even the slightest bit interested, I highly encourage this as an investment in a higher degree of listening. The voices perform the work well and clearly. It may not be good for workout music, but for what it is, it is amazing.

Deeply theological, 100% Christian by .. MarJan (Texas)
Just as the Bible, these books apply to past, present and future humanity! A very interesting incite to what we already know and need to be reminded of regularly. I will read (listen) to all of them again, as once is just not enough to grab it all! C.S.Lewis is a Master writer!

CS Lewis CD collection of 4 great books by .. Rose (Fredericksburg, VA United States)
The reading of each book was complete and well done. I had started 2 of these as books, "Mere Christianity" and "The Great Divorce", but I never seemed to find time to read them. I can listen to the CDs working around the house or in the car. "The Screwtape Letters" were great. A real reminder how clever satan is at making you think that the issue is solely yourself or others. He is called the deceiver for a very good reason. "Mere Christianity" is a very thoughtful book and one worth discussing with others (Book Club, Book study etc.) "The Great Divorce" has nothing to do with marriage, but our divorce from God and how he wants the best for us and we settle for so much less. After listening to this book you will make decisions differently. "The Problem with Pain" is intense. C.S. Lewis is indeed a critical thinker. Pain is the result of the fall from grace and about how grace restores you (much different from curing you). Each time you listen to one of these CDs you will learn more about yourself, God and your relationship with Him. If you are not certain of who God is and is satan is real these CDs will be very helpful.

The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics

Author : C. S. Lewis Number of Pages : 752 Release Date : 2007-02-06 Publisher : HarperOne List Price : $26.99 Amazon Price : $15.15 Used Price : $15.61

Product Description

Seven Spiritual Masterworks by C. S. Lewis

This classic collection includes C. S. Lewis's most important spiritual works:

Mere Christianity
The Screwtape Letters
The Great Divorce
The Problem of Pain
Miracles
A Grief Observed
The Abolition of Man

Customer reviews

Great Piece of Literature! by .. Mike Glassmyer (Hastings, NE USA)
This book is amazing. In the opening pages, C.L. Lewis grabs the reader and pulls them in!

If you are looking to be swept up... by .. Olivia A. Robles (modesto, ca)
And you are an avid reader of CS Lewis you will not be disappointed at this collection of truths. He makes one feel a sense of obligation to be a better person, a more informed soul and a true desire to share in the journey of knowing such salvation. From start to finish the origin of his storytelling can only be described as breathtaking!

C.S.L. Sig Cla by .. Sherman E. Good (Indiana, PA USA)
Excellent format, however a bit oversized for my library. Lewis has been a favorite for a long time. Good to have the entire Classics in one volume.

Great All in one Book by .. Kyle Neterer (Carmel, IN)
this book is great because it is all in one, and also has a nice clear font with a good size. The actual writings of CS Lewis are amazing.

This book is HUGE! by .. C. Gonzalez (Lamar, CO USA)
I usually know when my husband is asleep when he drops his book, which usually lands on my head. As he climbed in bed with this HUGE text-book sized book, he said to me, "Been nice knowin' ya."
It's neat to have all CS Lewis' books together in one place, but this thing really is huge. Too heavy to hold to read comfortably unless you're at a desk and it's laying flat. Or maybe if you're sitting up and it can lay in your lap. But for snuggly bedtime reading, no go. (Except it will put you to sleep since it takes so much concentration to understand Lewis' deepth of thinking.)

Little Black Book of Stories

Author : A.S. Byatt Number of Pages : 256 Release Date : 2005-02-08 Publisher : Vintage List Price : $13.95 Amazon Price : $7.92 Used Price : $4.98

Product Description

Customer reviews

Stories about stories by .. Roger Brunyate (Baltimore, MD)
Although billed as "fairy tales for grown-ups" like the author's earlier collection, THE DJINN IN THE NIGHTINGALE'S EYE, fantasy plays a major part in only one of the five longish stories in this book, and two are entirely realistic. But they are connected nonetheless by a strong sense of the fabulous, for all five are about the making of stories themselves, or the ways in which art is hewn out of life.

Sometimes literally so. The central story, "A Stone Woman," features a middle-aged woman who feels herself turning slowly into stone, and her friendship with an Icelandic sculptor engaged in the reverse process, of finding the life hidden in rocks and boulders. The woman's observation of her own transformation shows Byatt's writing at its most iridescent: "She saw dikes of dolerites, in graduated sills, now invading her inner arms. But it took weeks of patient watching before, by dint of glancing in rapid saccades, she surprised a bubble of rosy barite crystals, breaking through a vein of fluorspar, and opening into the form known as desert rose, bunched with the ore flowers of blue john."

Compare the simplicity with which the book opens: "There were once two little girls who saw, or believed they saw, a thing in a forest. The two little girls were evacuees, who had been sent away from the city by train, with a large number of other children. They all had their names attached to their coats with safety-pins, and they carried little bags or satchels, and the regulation gas-mask." As the simple details pile up, Byatt takes us back, not just into childhood, but the specific childhood of Londoners of our generation at the start of the Blitz. Rather at C. S. Lewis does at the start of THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, she creates a context of dislocated reality, in which fabulous things can happen. Lewis's children grew up and had to leave Narnia behind, but Byatt's two schoolgirls are affected for the rest of their lives, though in different ways. One seeks refuge in objectivity and becomes a scientist, the other becomes a storyteller, but both feel a strong need to revisit this first magic at least once in later life.

In "Raw Material," a teacher of creative writing praises the work of an older student of extraordinary talent, but is ignorant of the real-life circumstances that give rise to it. In "The Pink Ribbon," the husband of a woman suffering from senile dementia (itself a form of story-making), receives a surprise visitor who persuades him to rewrite the narrative of his marriage from another perspective -- a situation not unlike the ending of Ian McEwan's ATONEMENT. And in "Body Art," a male gynecologist strikes up a friendship with a homeless art student who is creating Christmas decorations for his hospital. But what begins as an artistic debate gradually begins to invade real life, eventually taking a physical form that leaves both of them changed.

These are five varied stories that will amuse, challenge, move, and chill their readers by turns, leaving them above all with a sense of wonder at the mysterious human power of telling stories -- especially when the voice is that of such a master as A. S. Byatt.

NEVER RECEIVED ITEM by .. Marilyn B. Brooks ()
i HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS ITEM, BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER RECEIVED. i DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE SELLER SENT IT, AS SHE SAID SHE DID, OR BUNGLED THE ADDRESS, OR JUST POCKETED THE MONEY.

Beautifully written by .. A. Malouin ()
I first discovered A.S. Byatt's work a few years ago when I picked up this book, quite honestly because the cover was pretty. This little volume hooked me into her style right away, and I've devoured all of her other works since.
Her short stories have a quality that is so unique - many of them are set in the real world that we know, but have that one element of fantasy, mystery, or horror that tips them over the edge and makes for fascinating writing. "A Stone Woman" is my favorite in this collection, the story of a woman who, in her grief for her mother (and after a minor operation of her own), finds that she is slowly becoming encrusted in a kind of stone casing that slowly encompasses her whole self. The descriptions of her transformation are so vivid you can almost feel the crystals on your own skin, and hear them clinking as the woman moves.
Each story is a work in its own right, and each has its own merit as a piece of art. If I remember correctly, a review inside the book calls the stories "gems," which is precisely what they are - gems of stories to be discovered and treasured. If you're looking for an introduction to Byatt's style and artistry, this one is for you.

Not completely uninteresting, but... by .. Sarah J. Haynes (Tokyo, Japan)
This is my first foray into Ms. Byatt's work and I wanted something in short doses that I could read on the train on my way to work. However, I was also a bit disappointed. Her prose style is spare and austere and interesting for that reason. I must admit, I liked her writing style, which is probably the only thing about her stories that accounts for the adjective "eerie" in so many of the descriptions of these stories. But I must agree that further description of these stories as horror or "dark" is not so. They are contemplative and moody and occasionally thought-provoking, but not so much that I felt grabbed or hooked or even very much-compelled to keep turning the pages. And please do not dismiss my remarks as coming from someone who does not appreciate fine literature when she sees it. While I can't speak for others who did not like the book, for myself, I count The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment, Les Miserables, Jane Eyre, Austen's works, Dicken's works, and others among my favorites, in addition to works by more modern and less 'classic' writers such as Douglas Coupland, Chuck Pahluniuk and Tom Robbins. If I were to put my finger on it, the stories attempt to conjure a depth of plot and of character that simply isn't there when all is said and done, and instead leaves you with a sense that it's all just a touch overly maudlin/melodramatically sappy to be taken seriously as a worthwhile read. Not for the reader interested in genuinely intellectually and/or emotionally stimulating reading.

Other Authors Must Be Intimidated by .. Sandra Jones (Angel Fire, New Mexico)
Little Black Book of Stories by A.S. Byatt, 5 stories that will seize your mind and show up in your dreams.
There are authors that are so good they discourage everyone else, and suck all the air out the room (put this book in the `I wish I could write that' category).
Story one uses a disgusting mythological beast to portray a spiraling crisis for two women, from a shameful secret held for years to a final set of choices. Who dies, and who survives, will surprise.
Story two portrays two dysfunctional characters (one from a frame of conservatism and one from a Smashing Pumpkins script) and their accidental, reluctant mentor, trapped into not loving each other and loving the new child.
Story three is by far the most gifted story of the imagination in many years - metamorphosis and the wild winds of Iceland.
Story four talks about facades, talent, poor writing, a beastly end for a person, and the smug complaisancy of the wanna-be creative.
Story five: imagine being a frail man with a shock of white hair, caring for your wife as she slides deep into demetia. Imagine that a young dark, beautiful woman suddenly flees into your house from a mugger, and herself and calls herself Dido. Imagine her return and imagine her telling you that she knows what your wife knows, and remembers, and wants now. Its tangle of three people winding to unexpected conclusions.
Don't keep this book, read it to a friend.