Speech given by Jorge
E. Ponce, Co-Chair, Council of Federal EEO and Civil Rights Executives, at the
GREETING
Buenos Dias. Good Morning!!
I come with an open heart to address you this morning as a civil rights champion who is deeply touched by the diversity that is present this morning, in this room.
Distinguished guests, agency officials, HNIP officials, and, most importantly, HNIP interns.
I want to acknowledge the important role played by agency representatives to the success of HNIP. Without their dedication, hard work, perseverance, and financial support, HNIP would not be the great program that it is today. Let’s give them a round of applause.
I’m giving you advance notice that there is a webpage that I want you to take down in a few minutes. So take out your pens and be ready when I give the signal. But, for now, just relax and listen.
HNIP
It is always a privilege to address a crowd made up of the best that the country has to offer the Federal Government. Make no mistake about it. You are the best of the best! When you consider that you all had to maintain a 3.0 GPA to qualify for this program and that the average GPA in 2006 was 3.39, you all must feel very proud of yourselves.
But feeling is just one part of the equation. Acting like you belong is the other half. By this I mean behaving like you can make great contributions to your employer. Be confident of your skill sets, be humble and learn new skills, be a team player; but don’t be subservient to anyone or forget your cultural heritage. Your roots offer you the moral compass that steers you in the right direction every time.
We are at our best when we act as internationalists – as part of the global community. Consequently, it helps that most of you are bicultural and bilingual. Treat these as assets, and don’t allow anyone to tell you that they are liabilities!
HNIP is a great program. According to the 2007 HNIP report to commemorate its 15th anniversary, 91% of the students considered working for the Federal Government as a result of their HNIP experience, and 59% of the graduating interns were offered employment.
REALITY CHECK
Success does not happen in a linear fashion. It takes many detours – some pleasant and some unpleasant. The key to success is not to get stuck on the failures and unsavory moments – as well as not to get complacent on the pleasant occurrences.
At this moment, I like to quote from the late philosopher and musician, Barry White, who whispered in his incomparable voice, “Too Much of Anything Is Not Good For You!” This often happens when you become the go-to-person in the office – in other words, when you become irreplaceable. You become so good that your managers can’t imagine how the office could function without having you in your current job. However, you are not promoted. The best solution for this scenario is to take a risk and look for another job elsewhere where your talents will be rewarded. Of course, I’m not advocating that you change jobs every year. In my opinion, it takes a minimum of two years to make a difference in any organization.
Now, moving on to when things are not so good.
I quote the current salsa musician from the
As long as you dwell on your past failures or what life
could have been like if you had just gotten that law degree that you didn’t,
for whatever reason – or as long as you transport yourself to the future about
how much money you are going to make when you become a famous author who
publishes multiple best-sellers – you are bound to fail miserably if you don’t
take care of doing what you need to do
SUCCESS TIPS
Now, I will discuss some of things that I recommend for you to become successful in your federal careers.
1) It’s time to take out your pens. Check the website at http://www.fedcivilrights.org, and go to the EEO Job Bank directory. Everything you need to know about how to convert internships to permanent positions, can you work while going to school, what are the appropriate salary scales, and much more, you will find by going to this website. I know that the information is current because I updated it last night. Don’t assume that your supervisors will know about these things; most of the times, they don’t. Thus, you must become a subject matter on these things that could open up future doors for your success.
2) Do not wait until the last month or the last week to inquire about opportunities to be converted to a permanent employee or to return to the same office in the future. You must start looking at these opportunities after you have settled in on your first week of your internship. These will give all the time that you need to do your research and to meet the right people.
3) Your high GPA got you into HNIP this summer. You must maintain it going forward so that you will continue to take advantage of HNIP in the future. More importantly, you must work hard to ensure that you get your degrees. Competency is what will open doors for you in the years ahead.
4) You must also have courage and confidence. What’s the value of having all that competency, if you are unwilling to shake the trees and speak up once in a while when you think that something is not being done right or something is unfair? There is a world of difference between politeness and assertiveness. You have to speak up so that you can show your employer what contributions and talents you bring to the table. Supervisors have never been trained to be mind-readers.
5) Common Misperceptions about Landing a Federal Job
A) Contacting a current federal employee whom you may have met previously with the expectation that he/she can pull some strings for you. Your average federal employee is not a Padrino (Godfather), a Caudillo (strongman), or a Comandante En Jefe (Commander in Chief) who can forcefully or magically pull some strings and get you the job that you most desire. In reality, it does not happen like this. You must look for the jobs by checking the Office of Personnel Management website regularly, that you will find in the webpage that I previously gave you. This is how I look for vacancy announcements, and this is the way that everyone else does it. There is no magic formula. The Federal Govt. is bound by the merit principles, and anyone who ignores them does so at the risk of becoming vulnerable to a lawsuit.
B) Sending your resume to a federal employee with the expectation that he/she will make things happen – that he/she will determine the job series and the salary that you qualify for, as well as the geographic location with the highest benefits and the best weather. This is also the wrong way. You must apply for the jobs that you qualify for at the grade that you are eligible. However, it is up to you to answer all these questions by doing your own homework. Only you know what is best for you at all times.
6) Network. You are going to have to get over your shyness, and meet all kinds of people. It is the people that you meet at these places who can mentor you and inform you about opportunities at their own agencies.
7) What’s the use of meeting all kinds of people at networking session if you don’t give them anything to contact you in the future? You must always carry your business cards and be ready to hand them out at the right time, to the right person, at the right place. And, more importantly, the business cards must be tastefully designed. When you are no longer around, it’s the business cards that will do the talking for you.
8) Be situationally aware. Look at what’s happening around you. Who’s got the power? Who’s well liked and why? Who’s not liked and why? How do the rest of the employees dress in the office? How long do they take for lunch? Are they punctual when attending meetings? Do they show up to work on time and do they leave when they are supposed to – or do they stay after when they have to complete an important assignment? Do not ignore the office culture. If you do, there will be unfortunate consequences.
9) Develop your own network with your fellow HACU interns. They may know of opportunities that are not available to you where you are currently placed. If so, you may take advantage of these when you are an intern next time.
10) Use common sense. Even if the dress code is casual in the office, dress for success when you have a meeting with top managers, when you are participating in a briefing, when you are networking. First impressions are important! Also, before turning in your assignments, use the spell-check feature.
11) Some of you speak with an accent. If managers hold this against you, think of what I always say when faced with a similar situation: While we may speak with an accent, we don’t think with one. Be tactful, but be assertive; remind everyone that your accent will not interfere with your ability to complete your assignments. However, this is not to say that it is okay if your oral and written skills are not up to par. If you want to succeed, they have to be very, very good.
12) Think outside the box. Talk to William Gil about whether there is a database of HNIP interns who have graduated and are looking for federal jobs. If there isn’t one, then think about setting one up – of course, charging a fee for it. I’ve listened to plenty of federal managers complain that while they would like to hire more minorities and women, they simply can’t find any who are qualified for their vacancies. This is what I call the audacity of pretending to be for diversity, while, in reality, being against it.
13) Success means something different to most people. To me, it means something more than just getting my next promotion. It means standing for something much bigger than myself – something that I will be remembered for after I’m retired from the Federal Government. Being a mercenary has its own downside with most supervisors and executives. If you are pursuing degrees because of your parents’ expectations or because of the amount of money that you’ll be making, these are the wrong reasons. In the future, you will be limited by the narrowness of your aspirations and you will become existentially bored.
14) Work hard, learn a lot, but have fun too. Latinos and Latinas always like to mingle business with pleasure. If you are not Latino, this is a good habit to emulate – as it is a great remedy to reduce your stress, keep your sanity, and save you a lot of money in doctors’ bills. I’ve posted a hyperlink to the DC salsa scene in the webpage that I gave you before.
LESSONS FROM MY OWN TRAJECTORY
Now, I’d like to share some vignettes from my own work trajectory that hopefully will be of some help to you.
I started my federal career as a summer intern with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). At the time, I had no clue how to get a job with the Federal Government. A friend of my mother called this lady to tell her about the wonderful internship opportunities that NAVSEA was offering to college students. This phone call was made to pass this information to my mother’s friend who had a son attending college. It was not made with me in mind. Nevertheless, my mother mentioned it to me that night, and I asked her to get additional information about these opportunities. She did and I applied for one and got hired that summer. The lesson to be learned here is that sometimes you find out about great opportunities when you least expect them. If you can benefit from them, you need to pursue them aggressively.
After getting a Master’s in Library Science from
After getting a GS-12 supervisory position, I found it very difficult to get promoted beyond the GS-12. This was my first experience with the infamous “glass ceiling.” Thus, after being bypassed several times for promotions by applicants who were less qualified than I was, I filed multiple discrimination complaints. I prevailed in one, and this is how I transitioned into the civil rights arena. This is one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my life, as I would have never been promoted in my old job as much as I have in the civil rights field. My decision was risky and added significant stress, but like the saying goes “without any guts, there is no glory.” This is not to say that you should file a discrimination complaint any time that you don’t get your way. You have to be strategic, realistic, and wait for the right moment when making this decision. Nevertheless, it should always be an option in your arsenal of choices.
I have reached the highest grade that can be achieved in the General Schedule system. My next goal is to get promoted into the Senior Executive Service – where decisions are made and budgets are approved. Every morning and every evening, I check the OPM job webpage. I am being proactive because I will never place my destiny in anyone else’s hands. If I really, really want to achieve this milestone, it’s on me to make it happen.
CONCLUSION
You hold the keys to your own destiny. If you listen and look at how others have succeeded and you use common sense and adjust the newly gained knowledge to the realities of your current environment, in the words of the late civil rights activist Cesar Chavez – SI SE PUEDE!! However, you have to be ready on day one to make a difference!! After all, experience does count!!
Muchas gracias. Thanks you all, and let’s get busy in going Pa’lante!!