3. How many clients have you gotten jobs for at defense Organization you focus towards? We have successfully assisted the employment efforts of numerous current federal employees and a number of new candidates who have obtained federal civilian employment as a result of our support.
5. Can you give me examples of FCPS services?
Limited or flat rate services include creating an effective resume, helping a client submit an on-line application to one of any US Federal Government Agency’s Vacancy Announcements (VA), or providing an intensive one-on-one two hour interview preparation session. These are also available for clients desiring employment within a specific Defense Intelligence Organization.
6. What are the advantages or disadvantages between limited and full service support?
Individual one-time fee simple support:
-costs less
-provides a client a highly effective resume conforming to any government agency’s on-line submission criteria
-provides a client one highly effective application targeted against a specific job announcement
-frees a client from the extensive man-hours required to prepare and submit a complete vacancy announcement application
- prepares a client to attend a job announcement interview and understand federal agency interview methods used in the session
Turn-Key Full Service rate Support:
-frees a client from the extensive man-hours required to prepare and submit multiple vacancy announcement applications
-most cost effective in the long run to obtain federal civilian employment
-provides best chance for client to obtain federal civilian employment at our targeted Organization and throughout the Federal government
-markets client aggressively against all potential job positions within rate category purchased
-FCPS saves our clients hundreds of man-hours required to monitor our targeted or any federal Agency web site for daily job posting announcements. This allows our clients to focus on their present job and/or prepare for military retirement or ETS.
-allows clients to pay on a monthly basis using six [6] easy payments to alleviate financial burden
7. How long does it take to prepare an on-line resume? First time applicants routinely take 24 hours or more to complete their on-line resume. This includes steps 1-9 within the Agency’s on-line application process when applying to our targeted Defense Intelligence Community Organization.
8. Why should I pay for your services to prepare KSAs? Many other firms are available with cheaper costs, are larger companies, and have longer experience.
-Federal Career Placement Services, LC provides dedicated & responsive individual support to each client. We develop a strong bond and personal relationship as we share mutually supporting goals
-we do not maintain hundreds of clients nor do we provide “Cookie-Cutter” mass marketing services that submit generic “one-size-fits-all” KSAs [knowledge, skills, abilities]. These simply do not work to a client's advantage when hundreds of applicants are competing against the same job announcement.
-FCPS helps our clients prepare highly effective, focused responses to each mandatory and highly desired Assessment Factor for specific vacancy announcements.
-FCPS has years of experience and first-hand familiarity with human resource practices, vacancy announcement submission review procedures, and Organization-centric clichés that get applicants referred for interviews.
-FCPS writes your KSA responses and prepares your resume in a manner that best resonates with an Organization’s hiring and selecting officials. Their KSAs are written very differently and in a particular style than those submitted for similar positions at other intelligence, law enforcement and federal Agencies.
9. Can Federal Career Placement Services, LC help me to obtain Organizational employment worldwide? I am trying to get a job in [Hawaii, Germany, Korea, etc]?
-yes we can.
-FCPS is most effective in this particular instance because there are positions available worldwide at all Combatant Commands (COCOM) and many other bases or locations within our targeted Organization.
-competition for these Organizational vacancy announcements outside the Washington D.C. area and in highly desired locations are extremely competitive.
-there is traditionally a long wait list of internal civil service personnel who traditionally obtain these positions due to their insider knowledge, experience and familiarity.
-the number of positions available by Pay Band and Job Category is extremely limited in most geographic areas outside Washington D.C.
-FCPS is very knowledgeable with many senior personnel stationed at these locations
-FCPS understands the particular aspects pertaining to vacancy announcements and focuses our client submissions to overcome these employment challenges
-FCPS gives our clients the competitive advantage over other applicants due to our familiarity with hiring practices
-FCPS helps its clients get there. A “get a foot-in-the-door” strategy is a strong option to start with if getting relocated to a particular area is that important to the client.
10. How much does it cost for the various types of service Federal Career Placement Services, LC offers?
-we offer a number of great services priced individually or at full-service rates
-FCPS representatives traditionally conduct a free personal assessment with prospective clients to determine the best services and product offerings that would apply to their particular needs and goals. Understanding a bit about a particular client's career experience, education and employment desires helps us to discuss the relevant services and prices and not waste time on areas that do not apply
11. How do I pay, When do I have to pay, Do you accept credit cards?
-payment is due for limited service categories at the time a customer decides to request service. Payment for full service categories is now as follows: one sixth rate per category being desired is due at time of contract signing and is non refundable. The remaining five-sixths rate per category is due every thirty (30) days thereafter once the contract between Client and FCPS became officially binding and is non refundable. There is a maximum time limit of 365 days per full service category contract signed. Customers using the full service 6 payment plan option are required to pay a 5% service charge to cover applicable costs
12. Do you offer any discounts for example, to retired or active duty military members?
-yes we do. All military personnel regardless of branch of service [Army, Air Force, etc.], and Departmental status [reserve, national guard, active duty] receive a 10 percent discount when they purchase any Full Service Category turn-key Package. Regrettably this is only applicable to the service member and not immediate family members
-with established clients, we offer a client referral fee reimbursement incentive program that reimburses existing or former Tier Rate Full Service Category Clients who have previously paid in full a contract with FCPS. Individuals will receive payment of $75.00 USD from FCPS for every new Full Service Category Client they refer to FCPS who completes full payment on a contract
13. Do you offer a discount to DoD contractors or current employees?
-We are sorry but we do not
14. Why should I pay you for your services? They cost a lot of money and I have found other similar companies that charge less.
-Federal Career Placement Services works one on one with you
-FCPS offers both individual and full-service placement services. Our individual support helps clients obtain federal employment within all government agencies. Our full-service support is now tailored across the entire federal government but retains a tailored focus towards one defense intelligence organization to best assist clients
-FCPS on-line and hard copy resume preparation service provides our customers with a competitive advantage by assisting them to include all relevant information. We ensure job experience history is written in a manner that resonates best with hiring and selecting officials
-FCPS offers an unmatched service that other companies do not provide with our interview preparation sessions. We talk, coach and mentor our clients one-on-one over the course of a focused two-hour period to make clear to them what will occur during this critical event. We discuss in detail known interview questions and session techniques to make them entirely comfortable with what to expect. We describe what to/not to wear and bring, and guide clients through a process that makes their best impression during this decisive session. We also provide experienced coaching on how to conduct telephonic interviews which are frequently used for clients residing worldwide, or desiring employment in remote geographic locations
-FCPS representatives have served within defense intelligence and the federal government as selecting officials. They have personally reviewed thousands of vacancy announcement submissions, interviewed hundreds of applicants and selected dozens of individuals to be hired as entry level through Pay Band 5 / GG-15. This first-hand knowledge is precisely what enables FCPS to provide the decisive advantage over hundreds of others competing against you.
15. I need a job now / I’m going to retire/ETS in a few months, I want to become a GS "govy" for job security instead of being a contractor; How long does it take to get a job at a defense intelligence community member Organization that you focus towards or within the federal government?
-that’s an excellent question. Your answer is dependent on the category you fall into based on several important factors and we will ask you explain your status to determine which category applies to you
[1] from the time you see a vacancy announcement posted on our targeted Organization’s website until the time an individual receives a call notifying them of selection and a job offer routinely takes between 90-120 days. That is just a point of reference to begin from to answer your question. Please note every federal Agency has different timelines and procedures
[2] individuals currently employed within government service with an Intelligence Community “blue badge” TOP SECRET, Sensitive Compartmentalized Information [SCI] clearance take either one or two pay periods to move between jobs they are selected for, depending on supervisor approval. That means adding two to four weeks onto the 90-120 days and is applicable to current employees moving or promoted within the targeted Agency
[3] individuals currently employed as a contractor with an Intelligence Community “blue badge” TOP SECRET, Sensitive Compartmentalized Information [SCI] clearance take several weeks to have their clearance passed and recognized to begin employment as a civil servant in the job they are selected for. Depending on the responsiveness of the contractor’s employer and security personnel this could add four to six weeks onto the 90-120 days
[4] individuals currently employed within the Intelligence Community and U.S. Government outside the targeted Organization with an Intelligence Community “blue badge” TOP SECRET, Sensitive Compartmentalized Information [SCI] clearance routinely require anywhere from 3-5 weeks to have their non-Agency TS SCI clearance validated and accepted for employment. That means adding another one to two months onto the 90-120 days bringing us to a realistic report date between 5-6 months
[5] individuals currently employed in any manner, those unemployed, and regardless those not currently possessing a current/previous clearance will require anywhere between 3-9 months additional time between their acceptance of a job offer and the report date for their in processing. Not to belabor the point but to be clear, individuals without a security clearance have an extended timeline between the day of an Organizational vacancy announcement posting and the day they report to work and start getting paid. This routinely and realistically takes 9-11 months
16. I don’t have a clearance; do I need one to get a job within the federal government of your targeted Organization?
-no you do not need one to apply. Many jobs however will require you to obtain one within the US government
-already having a clearance, a TOP SECRET in particular, makes you much more marketable and competitive by an Organization’s hiring/selecting officials. They are intimately aware of the timelines necessary to potentially get you a clearance, and the lengthy time they will/have already had an empty seat in the office with others picking up the workload
-FCPS applies its intimate knowledge of a defense intelligence community Organization and the federal government to work one-on-one with individuals lacking a TS SCI clearance to give them a competitive edge and help them get employment. This is our decisive edge that makes our services of greatest value over our competitors or those choosing to go it alone
17. I have never worked within the federal government or a defense intelligence community Organization before; is it even possible for me to “break in” and get a job their?
-absolutely. This again is why we encourage clients to use our services to help them gain employment within a highly competitive market that affords advantage to those with previous or current employment
-many Organizational hiring and selecting officials look for outside candidates who are not restrained by their legacy performance attributes or previous cultural limitations. The current and recent series of Leadership have embraced a strategy to bring external candidates and new ideas in, from college graduates on up through the senior executive ranks
18. How does the federal government select someone applying for a job?
-Each agency has a formal hiring process focused towards itself. Individuals submit application packets to vacancy announcements, competitive candidates are selected for interviews, and the best qualifying applicant is offered conditional employment, pending final administrative and security processing.
19. Can I apply for more than one job at a time?
-yes. We encourage our clients to enroll in our full service category services to obtain maximum advantage and potential for employment. Clients selecting full service support frequently have 10 or more vacancy announcement applications pending simultaneously and are therefore most competitive for obtaining employment
20. What if I am not satisfied with your services? Is my money refundable?
-we have yet to receive a formal complaint or have a client tell us they were dissatisfied with our services.
-FCPS will work with our customers and make every effort to ensure they are satisfied with our service support
-customer payments are non refundable and FCPS will provide all services agreed to in the Fee Agreement terms and Conditions
21. How can I get a hold of you?
-please e-mail us at any time at fcpslc@live.com or feel free to call us toll free at 1-877-242-0044. We will respond to you as soon as possible. Prospective candidates are encouraged to go to our informative web site at www.fcpslc.com for wide-ranging information about us and our process.
22. What benefits do I receive as a Federal employee?
-we encourage you to visit the official Office of Personnel Management website as well as official defense intelligence community organization home pages and check out specific benefits officially provided by these organizations. Please check out the unofficial benefits summary provided on our web site to see an example of potential benefits available
23. How much will I make working as a GS/GG-13, 14; Pay Band 4 etc.?
-your salary depends on a few things to determine final take home pay
-your base salary is determined first by the Pay Band or Government Service Grade you are selected for. Federal Intelligence employees currently are falling under the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) and no longer use the old Government Service (GS) or Government Grade (GG) system. Many government agencies still use the General Schedule for pay grades and steps and recent guidelines may cancel DCIPS altogether
-remember, at Agencies using Pay Banding, your job will fall within a wide pay band so your actual salary is determined at the beginning when you are offered the job from human resources. Federal Career Placement Services, LC provides our clients a number of key talking points that have assisted their efforts to start off at higher salaries than they otherwise would have obtained on their own
-once you have agreed to and obtained your base salary, a cost of living allowance is added to it to determine your final base pay. In the Washington D.C. area that is around 23%
-These federal employees are paid twice a month during 26 annual pay periods
24. What do I tell a human resource representative to get a higher starting salary?
-our representatives work with our clients to give them key negotiation points to discuss
-in fairness, and we hope you will understand, we only discuss that with our established clients and do not share that with prospective customers. Our negotiating service is an exceptional value in comparison to the significant salary increases individuals have been obtaining
This is a key advantage we provide as a service due to our knowledge of how Organizations negotiate salaries and again illustrates one of the many values you receive