DOGE’d Out of a Federal Job: How to transition to the private sector

On June 30, 2025 /   11 Comments
DOGE’d Out of a Federal Job: How to transition to the private sector

Question

A headhunter friend recommended I visit your website after I lost my federal job. I’ve been going from one pithy article to the next. Thanks for your expert lessons and clear writing style. It felt like we were having a conversation! And the comments from others are lessons in themselves!

I need your sage advice. I was forced out of my senior federal government job of 16 years in an early morning surprise attack by the DOGE boys. (Don’t even get me going!) I’m done with the government. I want to work in the real world. My skill set is very broad and leadership-focused. I’ve been looking for management-level jobs and, as you suggest, I’ve been very selective. No random job-board applications or resume blasts. I applied via resume for a carefully selected handful of jobs that I know I can do well. I’ve gotten not one response. I don’t know how to break through. I hope you can tell me what I’m doing wrong and more important, what to do next.

Nick’s Reply

I’m sorry that debacle of “cutting waste” cost you your job. If any corporate leader tried to cut a trillion dollars from a budget without heavily documented justification, they’d be the one fired! Don’t get me going, either!

federal jobSo, how do you transition from the totally prescribed job application process of the federal government to the freewheeling recruiting practices of the corporate world? It’s important to understand a few things.

First, the average hiring manager spends just 6 seconds scanning your resume. That’s barely enough time to sip coffee, let alone absorb your years of federal service. So your job isn’t to list everything you’ve ever done. It’s to quickly show how you’ll help address a company’s problems and challenges. And you can’t do that with a resume or a job board, and it takes lots more than A.I.

Second, your foray into the private sector requires just about the same approach everyone else needs to follow. Anyone using the approach I will discuss has a distinct advantage: few job seekers, no matter where they’re coming from, do it right. That means you may actually have a lot less competition if you use methods that have worked very well since businesses started hiring workers.

Federal job skills? What do I do with you?

I’ll tell you what I said to an auditorium of Executive MBA students (EMBAs) at Cornell’s Johnson School of Management. When you hand over a resume, what you’re really saying is: “Here’s everything I’ve done. Here are all my credentials, titles, jobs, and keywords. Now, you go figure out what the heck to do with me!”

Managers don’t do that! They’re not great at figuring it out, especially if you’re coming from a federal job. They’re buried under resumes, all filled with buzzwords and vague accomplishments. So, you need to explain to them what they should do with you! Please see Resume Blasphemy, and we’ll discuss “how to do it without a resume” in a minute.

Reframe your federal job experience

Being laid off doesn’t erase your value. You’ve navigated complex systems, upheld regulations, led initiatives, and driven outcomes in a highly structured environment. That experience is gold — if you can translate it into private-sector relevance.

Avoid the trap of “federal speak.” Instead, connect the dots between what this company needs right now and how you’re going to help make it happen. Focus on things like:

  • How you can save a company money and lower costs
  • How you can make the work flow better
  • How you can help manage risk better
  • How you can coordinate projects across silos

In How Can I Change Careers?, I talk about a powerful way to reframe your experience from one career domain to another; in this case, from a federal job to a commercial job. I’ll give you the short version.

You might not even need a resume

The essence of it is to show a manager that you’re the profitable hire for their specific organization.

This approach can be used to produce a “blasphemous” resume — but the work involved in writing it essentially eliminates the need to use a resume to get in the door. It’s all about doing your homework on the problems and challenges the manager faces, by talking shop with people connected to the company. They will educate you and tip you off on what to say to the manager.

The objective is to let these contacts lead you directly to the manager, while your competition is slinging resumes at an HR portal. Your script for what to say to that manager is your new, blasphemous resume.

This set of articles may also help you get started: The Basics.

Talk to people, not portals

Resumes and job boards are the slow lane. If you want real traction, start by talking to people connected to your target companies. Find vendors, clients, former employees, even competitors. Don’t ask for jobs — ask for insight and advice:

  • “What kinds of challenges is this company dealing with right now?”
  • “What would make someone invaluable there?”
  • “If I wanted to work there, what advice would you give me?”
  • “I don’t like sending resumes blindly. Is there someone at the company, other than HR, that you’d suggest I talk with to educate myself?”

Note that none of this is about your federal job skills or experiences. It’s all about you learning what a private sector company needs. Only then can you thoughtfully map yourself onto their business. These conversations give you the intel to approach managers with a compelling angle — and often, they’ll introduce you to someone closer to the hiring manager. This is how successful job seekers get in the door ahead of their competition.

Pursue companies, not jobs

You have already selected your target companies, so you’re ahead of the game. Most people don’t do this. They insist on applying for jobs they find, but that’s a losing proposition because job boards and Applicant Tracking Systems (HR’s feared ATSes) mean staggering levels of competition. (See Pursue Companies, Not Jobs.)

What if I want a job in federal government? Then you need to create a federal resume that comports with arcane requirements defined by the feds. My buddy Kathryn Troutman at the Resume Place has been the first and last word on applying for federal jobs since 1995. Her Federal Resume Guidebook has been the gold standard for 30 years.

Having specific targets is more than half the challenge. Homing in on them is the rest. If you do it this way, it almost doesn’t matter if they have open jobs. I’ve seen it again and again: managers open up jobs when they meet someone who can drop profit to their bottom line. It’s what a consultant does when pitching services to a prospective client: Show up with insight. Frame a solution. Offer a plan. Spark their interest.

You don’t need an open position to get in the door. When a manager meets someone who clearly understands their business and can drop profit to the bottom line, they find a way to make space.

Just don’t give away the whole blueprint — outline the opportunity, but leave some details behind the curtain until they’re ready to engage.

Bypass HR

Let’s not sugarcoat it: HR isn’t built for nuance, especially when your resume says “federal” and “layoff” on it.

The tips I’ve outlined above should help you avoid HR altogether. HR is where resumes and job applications go to die — if a human even lays eyes on them! (See Most resumes never make it past the bots.) Your goal is to reach the people with budget and urgency — managers, directors, founders.

Start high, and use referrals and conversations to work your way in.

For more cautionary notes about HR, please see Why HR should get out of the hiring business and this audio segment from KKSF talk radio: What’s HR got to do with it?

Final Tip: Control the narrative

If the layoff comes up, don’t talk about DOGE. “My role was eliminated during a restructuring, which gave me time to reassess what I want to bring to the private sector. I’m now focused on helping businesses tackle challenges in X, Y, and Z.”

Then pivot back to value. Don’t make your federal job or layoff the headline — make it the footnote.

You’ve got the foundation. Now it’s about being a fearless job hunter. Try what we’ve discussed here as you transition from your old federal government career to your new career in the private sector. I hope my suggestions help you overcome the daunting obstacles that stop other job hunters dead in their tracks.

Summary

You’ve probably noticed that little of what I’ve discussed is particularly specific to government workers. Successful job hunting is the same for almost everyone. There’s no magic to it. No high technology required. Just hard, smart work and a willingness to talk with people that do the work you want to do.

The best way to “break through” is to triangulate. Find and talk to people near the manager: customers, vendors, other employees, consultants — anyone who touches the operation. Never ask for job leads or to “take my resume in.” Instead, ask for advice and insight about the manager and his operation. Then close by asking if there’s someone in the operation you might talk to, to get more insight and advice: “I’m trying to figure out what I need to do to get ready for a job in this operation.”

Have you made the transition from a government job to a new career in the private sector? How did you pull it off? What advice would you offer? Or, has your planned transition not gone so well? What do you need help with? We’ll do our best to offer suggestions.

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Exit Interviews: Why you should just say NO

On June 23, 2025 /   19 Comments
Exit Interviews: Why you should just say NO

Question

I’m being shrunk (I mean “downsized”) at the end of the month. I have an exit interview scheduled before then. Any recommendations on what to say and what not to say during the interview? What’s the purpose of exit interviews in these situations anyway? Thanks.

Nick’s Reply

exit interviewsShrunk, downsized, booted, fired, let go… pick a euphemism. The purpose of the exit interview is twofold (I’m sure some HR experts could come up with more). One, to help a genuinely interested company learn from your experience. Two, to protect the company from legal repercussions after you depart.

Stay out of exit interviews and stay out of trouble

I have never viewed exit interviews as anything but rote, senseless, useless — and risky. They tend to be conducted more for the second reason than the first.

My objective is more to keep you out of trouble than to help you be a company’s good buddy. Some may take issue with this, but my advice is to be polite, say as little as possible and get it over with. Better yet, politely but firmly decline the meeting altogether. You can part professionally and responsibly without the post mortem of an exit interview.

Little upside, lots of risk

You should of course follow your good judgment if you want to do that interview. But there’s nothing necessary about it.

There is not much upside for you in doing an exit interview. Sometimes a company will dangle an incentive like a gift card, free career counseling or quicker settling of what they owe you. They cannot withhold pay. Of course, some will tell you that your “feedback” will benefit other employees.

There can be significant risks in sitting for the meeting. If you’re critical or emotional, the company could retaliate if it is ever asked for references. If your comments are glowing and you wind up having to unexpectedly take legal action about your termination, your positive comments could be used to undermine your case. Because there’s nothing confidential about that meeting, HR could share your comments with your boss and other employees, which could cause unwanted tension.

Exit interviews are always too late

Don’t complain, don’t explain. You’re not going to help the company fix its problems or faults at this juncture. If what you think really mattered, the company would have asked your opinion long ago. And, if they were really willing to use your comments to good effect — and for your benefit! — you might not be leaving.

Bottom line: It’s a little late to be talking about your employment experience. If you want to offer anyone at the company your advice or comments, do it informally, privately and off the record.

Use your judgment. But, don’t use the exit interview to vent, and don’t assume you have any obligation. That’s my two bits. For more on this topic, please refer to Parting Company: How to leave your job.

I wish you the best on your next job.

What’s your experience with exit interviews? What benefits have you experienced? Problems?

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Forget job interviews. Make business meetings your objective!

On June 16, 2025 /   3 Comments

Question

You often talk about “triangulating“ to find a job. That is, getting several balls rolling from different directions to converge on your “job prey.” It works! Sometimes I’m cultivating two or three people to get into a certain company. They “run into” one another while discussing me — and it’s cool when they all realize they know me. It really helps establish my cred. It’s a not-so-intuitive job strategy! Have you got more methods like this?

Nick’s Reply

Sure. Stop thinking in terms of job-interview encounters. Make business meetings your objective. For example, try to start a business and see how that gets you access to people you might not otherwise ever get meetings with. Meetings that might result in a new business, or in a new job.

Business meetings

business meetingEver notice that some newly unemployed but smart folks are solving their “no job” problem by starting businesses? Ah, if only it were that easy! Get some funding and launch something new under the sun!

Smart business people don’t pursue just one path out of unemployment. They leverage every business meeting and every opportunity to open new paths to even more opportunities. You can, too.

Consider how headhunters work. We do a lot of work gratis. We are glad to share our insights and contacts to help anyone we think is worth helping, just like you might help out a friend.

I might spend a few hours with an entrepreneur, helping her figure out how she would staff a start-up. I might let a banker buy me lunch so he can pick my brain about how he can help a company he’s helping finance — to hire some key people.

None of these are search projects for me and none of them pay me a dime. But all create an opportunity that I cannot buy: They give me access to people I might otherwise never get to meet. Any of a variety of business meetings with any one of those people might lead me to my next assignment. (It sure beats doom scrolling through LinkedIn, looking for jobs I might try to fill or people I might place.)

Business meetings for a start-up

I know a successful sales executive who has never had a problem finding a gig — until recently. His network has dried up. That is, none of the people he knows are in a position to help him land a job or a consulting contract. So he’s licking his wounds by helping a buddy with a start-up.

Here’s what he just wrote to me:

“I need a break from my job search so I’m off to Chicago this week. I’m helping a former colleague who has started a new company. Unfortunately, he isn’t funded. One of those… well, you know the story! It’ll never lead to a job but I need to clear my head! Am I nuts?”

Yes, I know the story. I’ve invested a lot of my time with people like that. Why do I do it? Here’s what I wrote back to him:

“You’re not nuts. There may not be a job opportunity for you with this start-up. But while you’re with your old buddy, try to meet with others connected to this project. Offer to help him negotiate with any potential investors or bankers or consultants he’s got lined up. Offer to help him talk with vendors, distribution channels, even competitors he’s studying.

The contacts you make while doing these business meetings may help your old buddy launch his new business, but all of them are also potential sources of jobs for you.

Consider the objective of applying for jobs and sending out your resume. The goal is to get that interview — that business meeting with someone that might give you a job. And you know how difficult it is to get that meeting thanks to all your competition. Well, by helping your buddy with his meetings, you’re meeting all sorts of business people that can lead you to a job without all those competing resumes and job applicants!”

Business meetings to find a job

This is one way to get access to people who otherwise might never talk with you: CEOs, line managers, bankers, lawyers, technical people, investors, real estate brokers. These are people who know executives in companies that need help. These are execs who are, or who will be, hiring — or they know someone that’s hiring.

Going to meet with an unlikely start-up founder need not be just about helping him start his business. It’s about job hunting, too.

People you can do business with

This is the territory that headhunters roam, exploring the business landscape for opportunities. Not just one opportunity. All opportunities. All those people you read about who are trying to launch businesses — they know many of the best sources of funding, raw materials, distribution channels, real estate, legal and accounting advice… well, you get the picture.

People you do business with lead to jobs

Job opportunities don’t just come from job-interview meetings. They come from business meetings with movers and shakers — as many as you can schedule. But you can’t do that from an armchair or by sending out resumes or applying for jobs online. It’s far better to go do some work for someone, even if it doesn’t pay.

More than once I’ve helped out an entrepreneur gratis and in the process I’ve met people that I could do business with. That’s where I meet new clients.

That’s also where jobs come from.

In what unconventional settings have you found a new job? Have you ever created a job opportunity without looking or applying for a job? What kinds of settings or business meetings create unexpected job opportunities?

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How to Say It: Your HR department sucks

On June 9, 2025 /   19 Comments
How to Say It: Your HR department sucks

Question

I found a position listing with Company A, where I interviewed a couple of years ago. Back then, it was a contract job, but the interview with the hiring manager went very well. Then the job was cancelled due to funding constraints. Too bad, because I really hit it off with the manager. So I moved on to Company B where I accepted an offer for a permanent position.

how to say itFast forward two years. Company A again has a position, but it’s permanent this time. Great, I think, so I contacted Ms. Hiring Manager. She remembered me and said she would be very glad to talk with me again, as I definitely have the skills they are looking for. So far so good, right? She says she will have someone call me to set up a time for an in-person interview.

Company A’s HR person called in the middle of the work day. Here’s how it went:

“Hi, this is [Ms. HR] from Company A. Is this a good time?”

“Uh, sure,” I say as I leap from my desk to go somewhere I can talk to her, expecting a quick conversation to make an appointment with Ms. Hiring Manager.

Ms. HR: “I want to make an appointment for you to come in and talk with Ms. Hiring Manager.”

“Great,” I say, “When would be a good time be for Ms. Hiring Manager and me to meet?”

Ms. HR says, “Well, first I need to be sure you are qualified for the position.”

Me: “Huh? I already spoke with Ms. Hiring Manager yesterday about the position, and she said you would call and make an appointment for us.”

Ms. HR  “Well, I don’t want to waste Ms. Hiring Manager’s time.”

(Me, silently, “Wha…? Okaayyy.”)

Ms. HR: “I see you applied for a contract position with us before.”

Me: “Yes, I did. That’s why I contacted Ms. Hiring Manager when I saw that a permanent position was open in her department.”

Ms. HR <snarky tone>: “Well, are you ready to make a commitment to a permanent position since you applied for a contract position last time? We want someone who will stay with us and make a commitment!”

Me: “Umm, wasn’t the position I was talking with Ms. Hiring Manager a permanent position?”

Ms. HR: “Yes, but you have had a lot of contract positions.”

Me: “My last three jobs have been permanent positions. As for the contracts, you do know what’s been going on in the IT field and the economy the last few years, right? I took the job that was available, and sometimes it was a contract.”

Ms. HR (interrupting and in a loud voice): “WE NEED TO BE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO A JOB.”

Me: “I applied for a permanent position, so that is what I am looking for.”

Ms. HR, changing direction: “What salary do you expect for this job?”

Me: “I don’t generally discuss salary until I have a better feel for the job responsibilities and benefits.”

Ms. HR: “I need to know what you want so you are not wasting Ms. Hiring Manager’s time. We can’t bring you in here if you want TOO MUCH MONEY!”

Me: “I’d rather discuss that with the hiring manager.”

(Several back and forths about what I want, and the reasons I must tell her, that she delivers in an increasingly nasty tone of voice.)

Ms. HR (changing tactics again): “Okay, so what are you making now?”

Me: “My compensation is confidential. I don’t disclose it when I’m negotiating for a new job because it gives an employer an unfair advantage.”

Ms. HR: “In all my years in HR I have NEVER heard anyone say that! (Raises voice, in a nasty tone.) Never, never! I’ve never heard of that!”

Finally, I realize she has just sprung a phone interview on me with no warning, under the guise of scheduling a meeting, and was verbally abusing me. Whoa!?

Me: “Your company is not a good fit for me. Thank you for your time. Goodbye!”

Generally speaking I was a good candidate for the job, but the company is not a good candidate for me, if this is an indication of the culture. I really have to wonder if Ms. Hiring Manager is aware that Ms. HR is driving away the very candidates the manager wants to interview, instead of attempting to recruit them. Or does the company only want to hire people whose self-worth and self-esteem are so low that they would put up with this type of behavior?

What do I say? I really do want to let someone know. Honestly, I was so upset by the whole thing I couldn’t address it right away, because my response would have been unprintable.

So, what do I say to Ms. Hiring Manager, if anything?

Nick’s Reply

What’s glaringly missing from that HR “interview” is any discussion about your qualifications, which she emphasized from the start was the purpose of her unscheduled phone call. That tells us everything we need to know.

I’m printing your entire dialogue to demonstrate just how disconcerting and ridiculous an “HR screening phoner” can be. This is very common among employers that permit HR to run the show. It can be an enormous PR disaster in the professional communities from which a company needs to recruit.

I’d call Ms. Hiring Manager, since you already know one another, and since she directed Ms. HR to schedule a meeting. And, since you’ve already made your decision not to pursue a job there (I think this is the right call), here’s how to say it to the hiring manager who invited you in, only to let a mad dog chase you away.

How to Say It

“I enjoyed talking with you once again last week and I was looking forward to meeting to discuss the job you have open. I’m flattered that you remembered me from our interview two years ago! Unfortunately, the call I received from your HR department was very disturbing. I’m sorry to tell you this, but I believe it’s important to be frank. As a result of that call, I’m not sure I’d ever consider a position with your company. Is your board of directors aware of how your HR staff portrays your company, and how they treat job applicants?”

She will ask you what you’re talking about. Don’t get into it. Just send her the transcript you sent me, and add a note.

How to Say It

“I hope we get to meet again under better circumstances, perhaps at another company — because I’m impressed with the way you present yourself. I did not produce this transcript for you. I wrote it up for a friend. But I think you will see what I mean when you read it. I wish you the best, and I’d always be glad to talk with you in the future. I don’t consider this experience any reflection of you. Kind regards…”

The point is to rattle HR’s cage and make sure the manager is aware of a serious recruiting and public relations problem. You did the right thing shutting down Ms. HR. She was loaded for bear, and anything that moves looks like a bear to her. But let’s not forget about Ms. Hiring Manager. She needs to stay on top of her HR department or this kind of experience will continue to cost good candidates and undermine her own success.

Just ask yourself, how would the board of directors respond if they were to see this crank in action, representing her company to its professional community?

Sheesh!

Thanks for sharing! On to the next, hopefully a better one! If you hear anything back from the hiring manager, I’d love to know. Please use your judgment with my suggested How to Say It comments to the manager. Shape and change the message and words so they suit your objectives.

In your experience, how common is such HR behavior when employers are trying to recruit good hires? If you’re a hiring manager, have you seen such missteps from HR? How much of the time does this happen? Should this job seeker attempt to get an interview anyway? How should she say it to the hiring manager? If you work in HR, please tell us what gives?

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They won’t give me the job offer letter

On June 2, 2025 /   15 Comments
They won’t give me the job offer letter

Question

I am not surprised that a key employee quit on me. I did all I could do to retain him. I can’t fault him for taking a new job since we recently had some layoffs. I even told him I’d welcome him back if he ever wants to come back. I also told him, “If they pull the job offer letter or you change your mind, please let me know right away so I can stop the resignation process. If you get there and find out it’s just not the right job, please let me know and I will make every effort to hire you back.” I left the door open.

job offer letterThe offer is a higher raise than our company can give on its own, but we can often make a counteroffer that large. To do that my company requires that the letter of offer be presented to us for documentation. However, the new company required him to come in person to read the offer letter but would not let him take the offer letter with him until he signed it.

This for me is a giant red flag. Every job offer I have had is such that they let me have the letter of offer, usually by e-mail.

Bottom line: In most U.S. states employment is strictly “at will” so I have no problem with somebody resigning, backing out on an offer they accepted, or walking out. Companies don’t hesitate to let people go without notice. So what do you think about a company that won’t let you take the job offer letter with you?

Nick’s Reply

It seems like a small thing, but it’s a big deal. I think it’s a bad policy.

I’ve known employers that require a decision on the spot. Some employers will make only a verbal (or oral) offer but will not produce a written, signed offer until the candidate accepts orally. While I’ve also had client companies make offers on the spot, at the end of only one interview, it’s very rare.

Get the job offer letter

I advise against accepting a job offer on the spot, mainly because it’s too easy to make a poor decision without time to think it through — especially if you’re considering other opportunities.

I also insist a job offer letter must be delivered in writing, signed by a company official — because otherwise the commitment cannot be relied upon. And if an employer refuses to let you take the offer letter to forestall competition, that may mean they’re not competitive in other ways — so why would you want to work with them?

It’s not real if it isn’t in writing

I’ll share an analogy. We recently wanted to replace a lot of carpeting in our house. We belong to Costco so we decided to try them (that is, their carpeting contractor). The guy came over with loads of samples, measured every room, spent quite a while working up a detailed quote — well over an hour total. Nice guy. Showed us the quote and asked us to sign it as a legal work order. We’d never spend that much money without sleeping on it. He pressed us gently but realized we needed a day to consider.

He wrote the total number on a piece of paper and handed it to us. He would not leave the itemized quote.

We said goodbye and didn’t return any of his many calls because he wasted our time. We shopped the job and hired a contractor who was more confident and didn’t play games. It turned out to be the right choice.

Job offer letter and counter-offer

I think playing games with a work quote or a job offer letter is a stupid way to do business. If I were your key employee I would have told that company, “I don’t consider your offer bona fide if I can’t take it with me and think about it. It’s troubling that you seem not to have faith in your job offer. You should decide what you want to do next.”

I know very well that people try to leverage offers to get counter-offers. In fact, I’ve written extensively about why under most circumstances a person should not do that. It has nothing to do with ethics. It’s about knowing what you want.

Nonetheless, if I were this guy, I’d accept the offer. I assume at that point they’d let him have the written version. (If not, go back two paragraphs.) Assuming there is no other compelling reason to change employers, I’d bring the offer letter to you and if you matched or bettered it (in writing, of course!), then I’d rescind my acceptance and stay with you.

(For anyone that believes changing their mind after accepting a job offer is unethical, please refer to Should I renege because I got a better job offer?)

What would you do if an employer wouldn’t let you take a written job offer with you? Is a job offer real if it’s not in writing and actually given to you? How else might the employee in this episode deal with the situation?

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