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

On June 30, 2025
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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How can I make the inside job contacts I need?

On July 31, 2017

In the August 1, 2017 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, an Army graduate needs help making inside job contacts to get around the personnel jockeys.

job contacts

Question

I am looking for work and I am studying your book. If you have any advice on how to build the contacts I need to land a good job, that would be extremely helpful. I recently transitioned out of the Army. I’m new in town and don’t know anyone. Without contacts, I’m at the mercy of those personnel jockeys — and I’m not having much success. Certainly someone in my area (Pittsburgh) needs an experienced information security administrator!

Nick’s Reply

Don’t worry that you’re new in town. Remember that new relationships are based on common interests. Key among these is your work. You need to identify — through the press, trade publications, local professional groups — a handful of key people in Pittsburgh who are experts in information security. The more respected they are, the better. The nice thing is, such folks are also visible. You’ll read about them in the media — it’s a free high-level professional directory. Your goal is to make them your new friends.

Study up on them.

  • What are they working on?
  • What are they most expert in?
  • What articles have they written?
  • What publications have written about them?
  • Familiarize yourself with their work.

Then call them, not as a job hunter, but as a peer who is impressed with their work and interested in what they’re doing.

How to Say It

“My name is Bill Smith. I just got out of the military where I was doing XYZ, and I’m new in Pittsburgh. This story I read about you [or your company] instantly aroused my interest because I’ve been working on related things in the Army. I’m exploring the state of the art in our field in the commercial world. So, I’m curious to know what is influencing your work — that is, what are you reading? Books, journals — materials that are influencing your thinking about security. Being new in town, I’m trying to learn where the most interesting work is being done here. Are there any local groups that you find relevant and useful?”

Making job contacts, making friends

Now you’re talking shop and making a friend. Where you take it from there is up to you and your new buddy.

A tip: Don’t try to turn the conversation into a job interview unless he does. (Leave that for another discussion.) Share your e-mail address and get his. Drop a note with a useful link to an article on the topic. Stay in touch. The point is to form a connection based on your work. This can lead to job opportunities if you’re patient and friendly without being pushy. Get it out of your head that jobs appear instantly on Indeed or LinkedIn. Worthwhile connections take time and effort!

Make job contacts anywhere

This approach works well in almost any field. You may wonder how this would work for jobs where there are no “recognized experts” — for example, a secretary’s job.

You’re not likely to find famous local secretaries in the newspaper, and they’re not likely to tell you what books they’re reading about “the state of the art.” But you will find secretaries (or programmers or sales reps) working for notable people. And you can call those notable people and respectfully ask them which managers and which companies in the area hire only top-notch secretaries (or programmers or sales reps).

People love to talk about their work, and they love to talk to others who are enthusiastic about their work. If you approach them with honesty and sincerity, without expecting a job, many will gladly talk with you for a few minutes. (Click here if you think making new contacts is awkward!)

Be respectful

This is key: Respect their time. If a discussion doesn’t pan into anything, don’t force it. Say thank you and move on to another. You need just one fruitful contact to say to you, “Hey, you ought to talk to Mary Johnson at Company X. Here’s her number. Tell her I suggested that you call.”

This is how a headhunter finds good people. You can use the approach to meet the right people and to find the right company.

This article may help you further: Network, but don’t be a jerk!

For a more in-depth look at building an honest, productive network, see “A Good Network Is A Circle of Friends,” pp. 27-32, in the PDF book, How Can I Change Careers?

I’ll bet one of the people you call using this approach knows a company that needs you. Don’t hunt for a job. Call people who do the work you do, and talk shop. That’s how you make the insider job contacts that will get you hired. One step at a time; patience and perseverance.

How do you build your network? What advice would you share with this Army vet who’s transitioning into the commercial world?

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Skip The Resume: Triangulate to get in the door

On April 8, 2013

In the April 9, 2013 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a transitioning military officer asks how to break through:

I have spent the morning drilling through Ask the Headhunter. Thank you for the time and effort you put into that forum. I especially appreciate the reasoned, personal responses you give to select comments on your posts.

I would like to ask you for some advice if you have the time. I am retiring from the U.S. Army after 24 years as a senior commissioned officer and rated aviator, but I want to work outside the defense industry. My skill set is very broad and leadership-focused. I’ve been looking for jobs at the executive level, and over the last three months I’ve selectively submitted resumes for jobs (7 total) that I think would rock my world. My evaluation of these job postings put them right in my round-house. I’m not getting any responses to my resumes, though, and I don’t know how to break through. Any advice you have would be appreciated.

Nick’s Reply

Thanks for your kind words about Ask The Headhunter — glad you’re finding it helpful. And more important to me, thanks for your service to our country and to all of us. I’m particularly troubled by how difficult it can be for military folks to transition into the commercial world.

I’ll try to offer a few suggestions.

First, please keep in mind that the average manager spends an average of 30 seconds reading a resume. That means you need to tell managers quickly how you’re going to address their specific problems and challenges. Here are a couple of short articles that might drive this home:

Tear Your Resume In Half

Resume Blasphemy

triangulateI recently gave a presentation to Cornell’s Executive MBA Program — these are managers who’ve been running companies for 7-15 years who invest about $145,000 for a two-year business degree. I’ll tell you what I told them:

When you hand your resume to an employer, what you’re really saying is this: Here’s everything you need to know about me. My education, my credentials, my work history, my accomplishments, my skills — Now, you go figure out what the heck to do with me!

Managers suck at figuring this out. Just consider that they’re looking at hundreds of resumes — not just yours.

In How Can I Change Careers?, I talk about how show a manager that you’re the profitable hire for his or her specific organization. This process can be used to produce a “blasphemous” resume — but the work involved 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 sending in resumes.

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

You have already selected your target companies, so you’re already ahead of the game. Most people can’t do this. They insist on applying for jobs they find.

Please also check this article: Pursue Companies, Not Jobs. Having specific targets is more than half the challenge. Honing in on them is the rest. If you do it this way, it almost doesn’t matter if they have open jobs. Believe me, 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. She shows up with very specific solutions.

One caution: Don’t deliver so much up front that you’re doing free work they can poach from you. Offer a plan for solutions, but leave them hanging a bit, until they make a commitment to you.

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.”

Finally, avoid HR at all costs. See last week’s column: 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?

I hope you land the job that rocks your world!

How would you advise this military officer in transition? Please post your suggestions in the comments section below.

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You blew the interview? Fess up and fix it.

On August 15, 2011

In the August 16, 2011 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a rejected job hunter fesses up that he got cocky and didn’t prepare for his interview.

Question

I have five years experience in a technical job and I want to move into a related management role. I’m the go-to guy in the department and I am considered a “vital” part of the team by both my peers and senior management. When I presented a case for the creation of a management role and development of a team, it was largely ignored and placed on the “long finger.” The whole experience made me realize I need to focus on moving my career forward.

I recently interviewed for a management job with a company that I have long admired. The job itself is a carbon copy of my current position, but it would include two or three people working under me. I was called back for a second interview, but I was unsuccessful in moving forward to the next phase.

On reflection, there were several reasons I probably didn’t move forward including being too cocky leading up to the interview, and thus not being 100% prepared. I don’t think my desire to change jobs was shining through in the interview.

The logical next step for me is management. How can I make this transition? Many thanks in advance.

Nick’s Reply

You probably nailed the reason why you failed the interview. You weren’t prepared for the meeting, and maybe a bit cocky. You blew it. While you seem to have admitted your mistake, you said nothing about what you plan to do about this. It’s not even clear to me that you care — you just want to move on to the next opportunity.

A manager doesn’t just tackle a project. A manager gets it done. And if the manager makes a mistake, he doesn’t just walk away. The key here is that you recognize what you did wrong. A good manager figures out what he did wrong, tunes up his approach, and goes back at it. Is it possible that the employer who interviewed you thinks you’re not interested in correcting your mistake? I don’t know, but my concern is that you don’t seem to care.

Before you move on to the next management opportunity, fix what you did wrong this time. There’s probably nothing to lose in taking another shot, and what you’ll gain is self-respect and perhaps a second chance. My advice is not to give up so quickly. Go back to the employer who already invested in two meetings with you.

I’d either call the manager, or send a short note. Fess up and fix it. The note is for fessing up, and the plan that you attach is for fixing it.

How To Say It

“I apologize for being a bit cocky in my interview. The truth is, I was distracted by some issues at my current job, and I didn’t carefully analyze your needs to formulate a useful response. While it may be too late, I need to do this for the sake of my own integrity. Attached please find an outline of my understanding of the job you need done, and what seem to be the key problems and challenges. Along with that, I include a brief plan for how I would do the job for you, describing how I’d achieve the three main objectives, and my estimate of how my work would contribute to your bottom line. This is how I try to approach any job, including the one I’m doing now. I didn’t accomplish this in my interview with you. I’m sorry if I wasted your time when we met. I want you to know I take every job seriously, whether I win it or not. Thanks for your time. I hope you find something useful in what I wrote for you. If you find my comments worthy of further discussion, you won’t regret meeting with me again.”

The details of this approach are covered in detail in How Can I Change Careers?, a PDF book that I should probably re-title, because it’s not just for career changers, but for anyone who’s changing jobs and wants to stand out in the interview. It teaches how to show an employer that hiring you will be a profitable decision. If an employer can’t figure out whether it’s worth giving you a shot at a management job, you must prove that it’s a wise choice. The interviewer won’t figure it out for herself. That’s why you must submit a plan showing how you’ll do the work.

If you want to be the “go-to guy” in a management job, I think you need to get back in touch with that employer. Show that you know how to handle rejection by changing your approach and by acting like a versatile manager. If you hear nothing back, chalk it up to learning. Either way, you will have developed the plan you need to approach any promotion to a management job.

(Here on the blog, I usually print only a part of the advice I offer in the Ask The Headhunter Newsletter — and we discuss the topic here. This week, I ran it all. Next week, it’ll be a partial reprint once again. But don’t miss another issue! Be on top of the discussion! It’s free!Sign up for the weekly newsletter!)

Can you go back after the employer says No?

It happens to everyone at some point. You blow it in the job interview. You know why, and you feel like a dope. You could have performed much better. Can you go back for another bite at the apple? Have you done it? Did it work?

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