HOW TO GET FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT
By: Tommy Reynolds
At the behest of Image Impact International, Craig Weitzel, a seasoned investigator and federal employee, reached out individually to students with disabilities who were interested in pursuing a career in public service. The students were engaging and receptive to his thoughts and advice.
Craig Weitzel has been a member of the Image Impact Board of Directors for six years. He became interested in donating time to Image Impact International through other work he was involved in, while helping his 23-year-old autistic, non-verbal son.
Craig is an experienced regulator. The first seven years of his career were spent as a fraud investigator in private industry. For the last eleven years, he has been an FDIC special activities case manager based in Atlanta. His responsibilities include managing a portfolio of banks in South Georgia, reviewing bank examiner reports, and coordinating fraud alerts with local and federal agencies.
Craig volunteered to help the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP.gov) after being made aware of it via a posting at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The WRP is a job board that is available to veterans and people with disabilities. Federal and local government agencies, along with private companies, access the WRP job board. It is a program that greatly aids veterans and those with disabilities to find employment. It is also a great resource for employers who are looking to hire disabled individuals and veterans.
City College of New York LEADS (Linking Employment, Academics, and Disability Services) Advisor Pat Bianchi posted a request for a volunteer to talk to an individual who had received an offer from Veterans Affairs and was having difficulties negotiating his duty station. Craig offered to help and gave advice on how to approach the last step of obtaining an offered position.
After Craig successfully aided the individual, Ms. Bianchi asked Craig if he was interested in hosting one-on-one workshops with City University of New York (CUNY) students on how to obtain federal employment. Craig enthusiastically accepted. Craig interviewed fifteen students with disabilities from Baruch College and other New York City schools over the phone or via Zoom. After determining the career path they were looking to choose, he advised them on how to navigate the federal job application process, which agencies to target, and how to put together a resume that would attract the attention of hiring managers. Drawing from his eleven years with the FDIC, Craig also provided insights on how to manage one’s career once employed by the federal government.
Among the numerous pieces of wisdom Craig offered was that an individual may have to start at a less desirable location as a way of getting a foot in the door. Spending the first three to four years of a career in South Dakota could lead to a position in Atlanta, Chicago, or even New York. He also advised the students to set up daily alerts from agencies they were interested in working for.
The one-on-one support that took place between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2020 lasted 60-90 minutes. The students were extremely responsive, open to advice, and eager to learn how best to avoid the pitfalls that befell Craig during his search.
At the behest of Image Impact International, Craig Weitzel, a seasoned investigator and federal employee, reached out individually to students with disabilities who were interested in pursuing a career in public service. The students were engaging and receptive to his thoughts and advice.
Craig Weitzel has been a member of the Image Impact Board of Directors for six years. He became interested in donating time to Image Impact International through other work he was involved in, while helping his 23-year-old autistic, non-verbal son.
Craig is an experienced regulator. The first seven years of his career were spent as a fraud investigator in private industry. For the last eleven years, he has been an FDIC special activities case manager based in Atlanta. His responsibilities include managing a portfolio of banks in South Georgia, reviewing bank examiner reports, and coordinating fraud alerts with local and federal agencies.
Craig volunteered to help the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP.gov) after being made aware of it via a posting at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The WRP is a job board that is available to veterans and people with disabilities. Federal and local government agencies, along with private companies, access the WRP job board. It is a program that greatly aids veterans and those with disabilities to find employment. It is also a great resource for employers who are looking to hire disabled individuals and veterans.
City College of New York LEADS (Linking Employment, Academics, and Disability Services) Advisor Pat Bianchi posted a request for a volunteer to talk to an individual who had received an offer from Veterans Affairs and was having difficulties negotiating his duty station. Craig offered to help and gave advice on how to approach the last step of obtaining an offered position.
After Craig successfully aided the individual, Ms. Bianchi asked Craig if he was interested in hosting one-on-one workshops with City University of New York (CUNY) students on how to obtain federal employment. Craig enthusiastically accepted. Craig interviewed fifteen students with disabilities from Baruch College and other New York City schools over the phone or via Zoom. After determining the career path they were looking to choose, he advised them on how to navigate the federal job application process, which agencies to target, and how to put together a resume that would attract the attention of hiring managers. Drawing from his eleven years with the FDIC, Craig also provided insights on how to manage one’s career once employed by the federal government.
Among the numerous pieces of wisdom Craig offered was that an individual may have to start at a less desirable location as a way of getting a foot in the door. Spending the first three to four years of a career in South Dakota could lead to a position in Atlanta, Chicago, or even New York. He also advised the students to set up daily alerts from agencies they were interested in working for.
The one-on-one support that took place between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2020 lasted 60-90 minutes. The students were extremely responsive, open to advice, and eager to learn how best to avoid the pitfalls that befell Craig during his search.