Applying for a SES position and getting selected is difficult enough, but there is one more important hurdle. Your ECQ package must be certified by the OPM administered Qualifications Review Board (QRB).

What To Expect

Clients that come to SES Service need help and assistance. Some have started and finished their ECQ package, some have been rejected by the OPM QRB while most others are in the planning stages. Sometimes it’s easier to start from scratch. Most of the ECQ narratives we get from clients have to be rewritten because they don’t follow OPM guidance and probably would not pass QRB certification. Either way, writing the narrative is a highly collaborative process which requires effort from the client and writer.

My job is to help you think through your work accomplishments and map them to the appropriate ECQ. It is usually considered dated material to include training, awards, speaking engagements, positions over ten years. We will ask you to think through the last five-ten years of your career and write down what you think are your top ten accomplishments. Why ten? We have five ECQs and need two accomplishments for each.

Remember, you’re applying for an executive level position, so the accomplishments need to reflect that level of experience, e.g., the GS-15 level. To assist you, I provide a template to help you think through the accomplishments. I am always available for consultation because sometimes clients need help and have a hard time thinking through the stages.

Your Responsibility

  • You are responsible for identifying significant accomplishments and providing me background information about your accomplishments.
  • You are responsible for telling me the significance of the accomplishment; i.e., why is it an executive success story.
  • You provide responses to my ECQ questionnaire.
  • You are responsible for reviewing work product drafts and making any minor technical corrections of factual information; organization, acronyms, timelines, numbers, dollars, resources, percentages. You may add, edit or delete sentences while in draft mode. Any proposed changes should be made with track changes for my review.
  • You are not authorized to rewrite my drafts in part or in whole without my permission.
  • You may make changes to the final product as you see fit or if other significant accomplishments occur after final acceptance.

My Responsibility

  • I will coach and mentor you in terms of understanding each ECQ and the CCAR format.
  • I will work with you to develop a strategy for addressing core competencies.
  • I will work with you to clarify your feedback as it relates to the CCAR format.
  • I will work with you to help you decide what stories/examples are the most effective.
  • I am responsible for writing the narrative in a story like fashion, ensuring CCAR format compliance and core competencies are addressed.
  • I have final decision-making authority over the narrative as a whole, other than minor technical corrections listed above.
  • I will ensure grammar and syntax correctness and that you will get a professionally written document.

How is the Service Initiated?

  • Call (703) 380-6834 or email us to request a free consultation or to contract for services. The free consultation takes about 20 minutes and is helpful in determining your specific needs.
  • I will provide you with a cost proposal that shows the cost, deliverable’s and estimated time frame for completion.
  • Upon approval of cost proposal, I’ll send you a PayPal invoice.
  • Once payment is received via PayPal email notification, work begins.

When is Work Completed

Work is complete after final acceptance. Upon final acceptance, you will receive a professionally prepared document in Microsoft Word format. Final acceptance occurs after the 2nd pass through the document. The 1st pass is the draft building and client review phase. The 2nd pass through the document is a final review by the client to check for accuracy and completeness and then by myself to check for CCAR compliance, core competences, syntax and grammar and OPM format compliance (1” margins, 12-point Times Roman, 10-pages total, 2-pages per ECQ, active voice, etc.) .