| To date, there are over 5,600 SES (Senior | | | | professionals. |
| Executive Service) employees within the federal | | | | Replacing the ECQ's described in the August 1994 |
| government. With thousands reaching retirement | | | | issue of Guide to SES Qualifications, the new |
| age, many current SES vacancies can be found at | | | | ECQ's are: |
| the Federal Government's official job website | | | | • Leading Change |
| shown below. There are premier senior resume | | | | • Leading People |
| writers that can assist you in writing your SES | | | | • Results Driven |
| Application. | | | | • Business Acumen |
| Although the SES Application can be quite daunting | | | | • Building Coalitions |
| to develop, it is extremely important that you | | | | These ECQs and their underlying leadership |
| read the entire vacancy announcement to | | | | competencies and key characteristics were issued |
| determine the type of documents that will be | | | | in September 1997. The competencies identified |
| required. Typically an SES Application will include a | | | | the personal and professional attributes that were |
| federal style resume, five ECQs (Executive Core | | | | critical to successful performance in the SES. The |
| Qualifications) and in most cases job specific TQs | | | | key characteristics identified the activities or |
| (Technical Qualifications). | | | | behaviors associated with the ECQs. |
| In the 21st century, Government executives face | | | | In 2006, OPM completed a review of the ECQs |
| special challenges. They must be visionary leaders | | | | which included the leadership competencies and |
| with a strong commitment to public service. They | | | | key characteristics. The review resulted in: |
| must be able to apply "people skills" to motivate | | | | • Development of fundamental |
| their employees, build partnerships, and | | | | competencies |
| communicate with their customers. Finally, they | | | | • Revisions to ECQ-specific competencies |
| need solid management skills in order to produce | | | | • Modified definition of each ECQ |
| optimum results with limited resources. | | | | • Removal of the key characteristics |
| The Office of Personnel Management helps make | | | | The fundamental competencies and ECQ-specific |
| sure the Government selects strong leaders by | | | | competencies replace the leadership competencies |
| developing the core qualifications used to test | | | | described in the January 1998 version of the |
| new career appointees to the Senior Executive | | | | Guide to SES Qualifications. |
| Service (SES) and by administering peer review | | | | Senior Executive Service candidates will find this |
| boards which evaluate whether candidates | | | | publication useful as they assess and describe |
| possess these essential leadership qualifications. | | | | their executive qualifications, in preparation for |
| The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) are | | | | review by selection officials. |
| based on extensive research of the attributes of | | | | In addition to helping applicants, the Guide will be |
| successful executives in both the private and | | | | useful to individuals charged with reviewing |
| public sectors; they are collaboration, reflecting the | | | | executive qualifications, including agency personnel |
| best thinking of many senior executives and | | | | and executive development specialists and |
| associations, as well as agency human resources | | | | members of agency Executive Resources Boards. |