Government workers who want a private sector role may have to tap the 'hidden job market'

• With a deadline looming to accept a buyout, federal workers might look to the corporate sector.
• Career coaches have been hearing from federal workers who wanted to beef up their résumés.
• They advised networking and making résumé adjustments for transitioning to private-sector roles.

Laura Labovich, who runs an outplacement firm in the Washington, DC, area, has been hearing from government workers like never before.

With a deadline looming for federal employees to accept a buyout offer, she has nearly two dozen consultations with such workers scheduled in the coming weeks.

Ordinarily, Labovich might only have a handful a year.

She said that, unlike in the past, some employees weren't saying they were frustrated by difficulties in getting a promotion or pay.

"They just say, 'I want to leave,'" Labovich told Business Insider.

The Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory group run by Elon Musk, has been looking for ways to slash federal spending. Federal workers are facing a February 6 deadline to offer their resignations and continue to be paid through September.

For government workers trying to dodge the DOGE — or who may just have philosophical differences with the new administration — landing a job in the private sector might require a different tack than getting ahead in government, career experts told BI.

The 'hidden job market'

To get started, Labovich said, workers should try to talk to people who are employed where they may want to work; they should focus on finding people and companies instead of open jobs.

So, for someone who wants to work in a marketing department, making contact through LinkedIn or being introduced by professional contacts with people who work in that unit may help someone stand out. Job seekers could ask to set up a brief call to learn more about the department, she said.

Labovich said that's important because of what's referred to as the "hidden job market." Unlike in government, where the race for a job often starts once a role is posted, it's better to be on a hiring manager's radar before a posting goes up in the private sector, she said.

Beyond going big on networking, Labovich said, one of the biggest changes in looking for a private-sector job will be the length of your résumé. She said that, unlike federal CVs that might run four to six pages, someone looking for a private-sector job should typically keep the document to two pages unless it's for a C-suite position.

Ayanna Jackson, who founded and runs AEJ Consulting, an executive coaching and career-development firm in metro Washington, DC, offered similar advice about what corporate recruiters want: "They're going to give you six to nine seconds, tops, to scroll two pages max," she said.

Don't just rely on AI

Jackson advised against solely relying on artificial-intelligence tools to compress a résumé that was a half-dozen pages into two. AI, she said, could introduce errors and leave a résumé bloated with empty phrases and inaccurate metrics.

"You've got to articulate your specific results," Jackson said.

For those remaking résumés for work outside the government, Jackson said it's important to avoid relying on acronyms or namechecking obscure agencies that hiring managers and recruiters might not know.

She recommended that those looking for work focus on soft skills that many employers say they want. This includes the ability to influence, communicate ideas, and solve problems.

Jackson also said getting coaching before an interview is a good idea, especially for candidates who haven't gone through the interview process in a long time. She said workers must be ready to tell their stories without rambling and able to demonstrate how they achieved goals and overcame obstacles.

Both Jackson and Labovich recommended that job seekers use the STAR method for answering questions. This involves describing the situation or task the worker faced, the action they took, and the results.

Consider other factors

Richard Poulson, a partner at the law firm Willig, Williams & Davidson in Philadelphia, told BI there could be unique factors that government workers might have to consider.

Poulson, who specializes in issues involving public-safety workers, said that when public-sector workers move to the private sector — in effect from being a regulator to the one being regulated — it might not be possible to work in the same field, with the same client, or on the same projects for some time.

"There may be restrictions in effect there," he said. "People need to make sure that they've got their eyes wide open before they make those decisions."

Stepped-up job growth in the private sector could worsen problems that some government agencies have had in attracting people, Poulson said.

He said he'd advise public-sector workers with a choice to consider how careers in government often span many power shifts in politics. Poulson also suggested that government workers focus on the importance of what they do.

"That tends to weigh more than the changes in administration that happen every few years," he said.

Are you a government worker, or do you have something to share about what you're seeing in the workplace? Business Insider would like to hear from you. Email our workplace team from a nonwork device at thegrind@businessinsider.com with your story, or ask for one of our reporter's Signal numbers.

An earlier version of this story appeared on November 19, 2024.