The widespread dismissal of federal employees, the looming threat of additional firings, and the rapid shifts in workplace dynamics have created a challenging environment for both job seekers and those currently employed. The resulting instability and lack of job security can feel overwhelming, but there are proactive steps you can take to navigate these turbulent times with confidence.

Regardless of the transitions you may need to make—whether in your job role, industry, or career path—the strategies shared here are broadly applicable and beneficial. We encourage you to share these insights with colleagues who may find them helpful.

Career change can be intimidating. The fear of uncertainty, the possibility of failure, and the disruption of routine are natural concerns. However, embracing change is often the key to long-term success. We acknowledge these challenges and recommend these actionable strategies to help you navigate career transitions with confidence and adaptability.

Acknowledging the Fear of Change

Change can be daunting for several reasons:

1. Uncertainty: Losing a job often brings significant uncertainty about the future. Questions about how long it will take to find a new job, what opportunities will be available, and whether financial resources will last during the job search can create overwhelming stress. The lack of a clear path forward can make it difficult to stay positive and focused.
2. Loss of Control: Being laid off or terminated can feel like a sudden and unexpected loss of control over one’s career and livelihood. Unlike leaving a job by choice, job loss can leave individuals feeling powerless and angry. This can be particularly difficult for those who have tied their identity or self-esteem to their work.
3. Fear of Failure: Searching for a new job can bring up fears of rejection or not being able to secure a position that matches previous roles in salary, status, or responsibilities. The idea of having to start over, retrain, or pivot careers can be intimidating, making it difficult to take action or stay motivated.
4. Financial Insecurity: One of the most immediate concerns following job loss is financial stability. Without a steady paycheck, paying bills, covering expenses, and planning for the future can become sources of anxiety. The pressure of needing to find new employment quickly can create stress, particularly if savings are limited or if dependents rely on that income.
5. Disruption of Routine: A job provides structure to daily life, and its loss can lead to feelings of disorientation. The absence of a regular work schedule, interactions with colleagues, and a sense of purpose can make days feel unproductive or isolating. Establishing new routines and staying engaged can be challenging during the transition period.

Strategies for Resilience and Success

1. Acknowledge Your Feelings and Stay Resilient

2. Break It Down with Realistic Goals

3. Seek Support and Network Strategically

4. Educate Yourself: Upskilling and Reskilling

5. Stay Flexible and Open to Opportunities

6. Enhance Your Job Search and Personal Brand

7. Financial Planning for Stability

8. Maintain Structure and Prioritize Well-Being

9. Adapt and Stay Informed

10. Prepare for Interviews and Career Growth

11. Volunteer or Intern for Experience

12. Leverage Technology for Job Search Efficiency

13. Consider Further Education for Career Advancement

14. Stay Positive and Resilient

Challenges and Strategies for Transitioning from Government Jobs

Transitioning from a government job to the private sector or other industries can present unique challenges. Understanding these challenges and preparing for them can help make the transition smoother and more successful. Here are some common challenges faced by individuals moving from government jobs to other sectors, along with suggestions for overcoming them:

1.  Cultural Differences

Challenge: The work culture in government jobs can be quite different from that in the private sector. Government roles often emphasize stability, adherence to regulations, and hierarchical structures, whereas private sector jobs may prioritize innovation, agility, and a more dynamic work environment.

Strategy:

2.  Transferable Skills

Challenge: Government roles may involve specialized skills or knowledge that don't directly translate to the private sector. Identifying and articulating transferable skills can be difficult.

Strategy:

3.  Perception and Bias

Challenge: There may be preconceived notions or biases about government employees, such as assumptions about their work pace or adaptability to change.

Strategy:

4.  Networking and Connections

Challenge: Government employees may have a network that is primarily within the public sector, which can limit access to opportunities in other industries.

Strategy:

5.  Compensation and Benefits

Challenge: Compensation structures and benefits packages can differ significantly between government and private sector jobs. This can include differences in salary, job security, retirement plans, and work-life balance.

Strategy:

6.  Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge

Challenge: Government employees often have extensive knowledge of regulations and compliance, which may not be directly applicable in other sectors.

Strategy:

7.  Job Search Process

Challenge: The job search process in the private sector can differ from government hiring practices, which often have distinct application procedures, interview formats, and decision timelines.

Strategy:

By understanding these challenges and implementing strategies to address them, you can successfully transition from a government job to a new sector or industry. Embrace the opportunity to leverage your unique experiences and skills to make a meaningful impact in your new role.

Helpful Resources

For professionals in assessment, measurement, I/O psychology, and related fields, PTCMW offers dedicated support and resources to strengthen career resilience and foster professional growth. These include career guidance through our mentorship program, skill-building opportunities via learning sessions, and networking at PTCMW events.

To further support job seekers, PTCMW has created a dedicated LinkedIn group, providing a community for networking, sharing opportunities, and connecting with employers. We invite you to join this group to network, share opportunities, and support one another.

PTCMW will be publishing blog posts in the coming months with strategies to navigate employment changes. In the meantime, additional resources are available through the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP):

• Federal Policy Updates
• Career Center

Author: Jackie Martin Kowal, PDRI by Pearson

In today's dynamic professional landscape, keeping up (much less staying ahead) often means mastering new tools and technologies. I/O psychologists on the job market are familiar with the impact of listing expertise with new tools and technologies on their resumes. Research from the World Economic Forum suggests that by 2025, over half of all employees will require significant reskilling or upskilling due to technological advancements and industry changes. It is imperative that I/Os take the initiative to learn novel tools and technologies to stay competitive in today’s workforce. 

However, there are several barriers to keeping up with learning novel tools and technologies. In particular, if there is not clear structure or support for learning new tools and technologies through formal education or on the job, mastering the new tool or technology would require learning independently. This involves dedicating time (and sometimes money) outside other commitments. Furthermore, for popular tools and technologies, the overwhelming amount of information available can be daunting, especially in those fields outside of traditional I/O topics.

This article will explore the art of self-learning by providing a roadmap for mastering new tools and technology. I will provide personal experience and examples related to mastering Tableau, a tool for which I am self-taught. The strategies outlined here can be applied to learning any new tool or technology (e.g., RMarkdown, ChatGPT) or, more broadly, any new skill you are interested in (e.g., machine learning techniques).

Find Free Resources

For most tools, it will be easy to find free resources and the tougher part will be deciding how to narrow down the available resources into something manageable. My recommendation in this case is to focus on resources that are applied specifically to I/O psychology or Human Resources/Talent Management, since these will be the most relevant to your work. For Tableau, I googled “Tableau I-O Psychology”, which led me to Richard Landers’ training available on SIOP’s website. 

Additionally (or if I-O or HR specific training does not yet exist), I recommend checking out resources available from the tool itself. Tableau has many free training videos available. You may also consider self-paced online learning tools like Coursera, DataCamp, or LinkedIn Learning. Sometimes these tools offer discounts or free trials that you can leverage.

It can be challenging to find the most relevant and high quality training materials. To address this, I adopted a trial-and-error approach, dedicating initial time to sample a variety of resources before committing to one. This allowed me to gauge the relevance, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness of each resource in addressing my learning objectives. I paid close attention to the clarity of instruction, relevance of examples to real-world scenarios, and the depth of coverage on essential topics before choosing the best training resources to pursue.

Identify Resources Available Through Your Employer

Check with your workplace about available resources for learning the tool you’re interested in. Does your employer already have licenses available for the software? Is there training through work available? Can your supervisor provide dedicated professional development time for you to use work time to learn?

When I was learning Tableau, my workplace was able to provide me a Tableau license and an allotment of professional development hours. Additionally, their license to Tableau included Tableau training courses that I could take. It is important to advocate for yourself in this space. Most companies recognize the importance of providing opportunities for professional development for both job performance and employee retention. You may also consider enlisting the support of coworkers who are also interested in picking up these skills. A stronger argument for resources can be made to the company if there is a large group of employees interested in learning that skill.

Make A Plan

Once you've identified the resources you want to use and you’re ready to embark on your self-learning journey, tracking your progress and setting clear goals becomes crucial for maintaining motivation. Here's how you can effectively monitor your advancement and establish achievable goals:

• Set SMART goals: Ensure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). For instance, instead of setting a vague goal like "become proficient in Tableau," aim for a SMART goal such as "create three interactive dashboards in Tableau within the next three months."
• Use progress trackers: Implement tools or methods to monitor your progress systematically. This could involve using spreadsheets, task management apps (e.g., Microsoft’s To Do, Wunderlist), or specialized learning platforms (e.g., Coursera) that allow you to track completed modules, projects, or skill assessments.
• Keep running notes: Maintain running notes to document your experiences, insights, and challenges encountered during your self-learning journey. Reflecting on your progress regularly can help you identify areas for improvement. This will also be useful for you to reference to keep track of resources and remind yourself of key skills later on.
• Celebrate milestones: Acknowledge and celebrate each milestone you achieve along the way. Whether it's completing a challenging project, earning a certification, or mastering a new technique, taking time to recognize your accomplishments can fuel your motivation to continue learning.

Apply Your New Skills

Hands-on practice and experimentation are essential to mastering a new tool. Find a dataset or project that interests you that will give you the opportunity to practice your new skills. Below are a few recommendations for how to find such a project. These recommendations are listed in a progression from low stakes to high stakes applications. Working your way up from freely available datasets to a work-related project is recommended.

• Leverage freely available datasets: There are many sites where you can find freely available datasets. Tableau offers some here and Kaggle is also a great resource for datasets across a broad range of applications and fields.
• Volunteer your new skills: Ask a friend or family member if you can apply your time and new skills to a project they have or see if there is a way you can leverage your new skills. When I was learning Tableau, I volunteered to help members of SIOP create a membership dashboard  (SIOP login required) for their website. This was great practice using a large dataset that needed a lot of reformatting and cleaning prior to visualization in Tableau. It also provided the opportunity to practice implementing specific user requests. 
• Find a work-related project: Think through your current work projects and identify one that you could use your new skills on. Make a case to the project manager for that project about how this work could benefit the project. Be sure to consider the additional time required to learn and apply the new skill when building the project plan and timeline. When I was learning Tableau, I was working on a project where we were conducting a comprehensive literature review of military research to identify the top predictors of success in leadership roles. I thought using Tableau to create a visualization to summarize the research would be helpful since we were looking at hundreds of validity coefficients across dozens of constructs. Tableau allowed us to visualize this information in one place and to filter the constructs and articles on demand.

Mastering new tools and technologies independently is not just a professional advantage; it's a necessity in today's rapidly evolving job market. Remember, learning is not a one-time event but a lifelong process, and embracing this mindset can lead to opportunities for growth and development. Though learning new tools and technologies can be daunting, I hope the strategies listed in this blog will help you get started!

Have you learned a new tool recently? Please share your experience and any resources by leaving a comment below!

Author Bio: Jackie Martin Kowal is a Senior Consultant and Team Lead at PDRI by Pearson with experience in talent management and consulting spanning the private sector, government agencies, and military organizations.  Her experience includes work in the areas of job analysis, competency modeling, selection assessment development and validation, performance measurement, program evaluation, training development and evaluation, training needs assessment, and engagement survey development and analysis. Jackie received her Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida.

Author: Kira Foley, Perceptyx

Industrial and organizational psychologists are experts in measuring, diagnosing, and explaining human problems in the workplace. As a collective, we’ve helped build thousands (maybe millions?) of selection tests, performance assessments, and employee listening surveys. Our work has undoubtedly improved not only business performance but also the well-being of workers across the globe, all by bringing sound psychological theories and principles, psychometrics, and statistics to organizational decision-making. However, the true potential of the people analytics and Human Resources (HR) technology industry is stifled by one critical weakness: our products explain but don’t necessarily change behavior. In this blog post, I will explain why I am convinced that the behavioral economist’s idea of “nudges” offers a promising, scalable solution to our collective problem. 

What are nudges?

Nudges are behavioral interventions that require minimal action but help individuals act in their own best interest. Nudge theory assumes that we make many small decisions throughout our day and that the environment around us influences each of those decisions, for better or for worse. Nudges are environmental influences that make better decisions easier and more likely, whereas “sludge” is something in the decision-making environment that creates friction and makes good decisions more difficult. Because nudge theory is so focused on influencing decisions, much of the work in this area seeks to prevent common cognitive biases and heuristics in decision-making like “anchoring bias” or “the halo effect.” One important tenet of nudge theory is that nudges should be optional. For example, “putting fruit at eye level counts as a nudge; banning junk food does not” (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). 

There are many examples of successful nudging in practice. One notable example is the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s effort to reduce restroom cleaning costs back in the 1990s. They added pictures of flies to urinals and effectively nudged patrons to reduce spillage by 80%. In another example, Volkswagen used nudge theory to encourage more people to take the stairs rather than the escalator in a Stockholm metro station. They installed a working piano to the stairs that played a note with every step, nudging 66% more commuters than normal to opt for the stairs. 

Around ten years ago, nudges started making their way into the workplace. Nudge theory has been adopted by HR and business leaders to encourage a variety of employee behaviors. However, it’s important to note that not all nudges are created equal and some nudge products on the market are not nudges in the scientific sense. For example, arranging desks to encourage socialization among coworkers is a nudge, but sending weekly email reminders to schedule more “heads down” focused work time is a notification not a nudge. The former intervention changes the environment to make a behavior (socializing) easier, whereas the latter intervention serves as an informative message or a request. What makes an effective workplace nudge can depend on the medium used to communicate nudges to employees, the timing of the nudge, and the extent to which the nudge is deployed ethically.  

A 3-step recipe to creating your own nudge

Now that you know a bit about what a nudge is, I’ve provided a simple framework below for developing an effective nudge with an example that is carried throughout the process to demonstrate how to apply the technique.

1. Identify the decision you want to influence. 

Example: I’m a project manager who’s about to start a new project and I want to get my team’s input on the project scope and goals. I plan to hold a live brainstorming session with my team, but I’m worried that the louder voices will dominate the discussion. To encourage dissenting opinions, I want to nudge team members who disagree to speak up.

2. Try to really understand the decision-making environment. Ask yourself:

a. What in the decision-making environment is fueling the desired behavior? Fuel is anything that makes the target behavior more appealing or likely.

b. Is there friction in the decision-making environment preventing the desired behavior? Friction is anything that gets in the way of people performing the target behavior. 

Example: The decision I want to nudge on is going to happen in a team meeting via a video conference call. One thing I know that fuels people speaking up is silence. Most people on my team are uncomfortable with silence and someone always speaks up to fill it. One thing that is likely to create friction that prevents those with different opinions speaking up is when many like-minded members publicly agree with each other. 

3. Pick one small behavior you can perform to change the environment in a way that encourages (but doesn’t force) the decision you want others to make. Your behavior is the nudge so ask yourself what does an effective nudge look like, quantitatively and qualitatively?

Example: Given how many unknown variables there are in the project team meeting itself, I will try to nudge my team before the meeting. To nudge members towards sharing their diverse opinions during the meeting, I will email the team the meeting agenda ahead of time so that everyone can choose to develop their own opinion before being influenced by the group discussion. My email with the meeting agenda acts as the nudge. A successful nudge will lead to at least one person voicing a contrasting opinion during the meeting and everyone feeling like it’s safe to speak up even when it seems like some of the team will disagree. 

How could nudges solve our behavior change problem?

Nudges, if both science-backed and applied ethically, can help us close the gap between just understanding workplace challenges and actually taking action to address them. Nudges do something unique from the behavior change interventions we’re used to. Unlike more targeted (and expensive) interventions like training or coaching, nudges are scalable. They don’t take too much of the employee’s time, and they can be used consistently over time to inspire lasting behavior change. In this way, nudges can help us change, not just explain workplace behavior at scale. 

However, the truth is that your average I/O knows very little about nudge theory and probably even less about the science of behavior change (at least the way it’s been done by behavioral economists and social psychologists). To be successful, we need to collaborate with others in the behavioral and social sciences, both in research and practice. We as I/Os deeply understand the human experience at work. Nudge experts like behavioral economists deeply understand human decision-making. Together, we could tackle the most pressing issues like manager burnout, bad bosses, and layoff anxiety. 

Author Bio: Kira Foley is a behavioral and social scientist passionate about the power of applied research to solve real-world problems. She earned her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from The George Washington University, where she published research on a variety of workplace challenges that affect leadership and teams in a variety of organizational contexts (U.S. Army Soldiers, women leaders, desk-less workforce). In her current role as a Behavioral Scientist at Perceptyx, she sits on the product team and plays a first-hand role in baking behavioral science into HR technology Software as a Service (SaaS) products.

Author: David Swiderski, PTCMW Blog Editor

There has been an increase recently in the discussion of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the personnel selection space.  One indication of the impact of this area on the field of I/O psychology is the recent announcement of the upcoming 2023 SIOP Leading Edge Consortium (LEC) on Talent Assessment Strategies of the Future with a focus on “new applications of AI to assessment development and scoring”.  The intent of this blog is to provide a brief roundup of recently published practical guidance on the use of AI in personnel selection decisions. 

AI has not been a focus of traditional education and training in industrial and organizational psychology but is an emerging force affecting how we understand and predict people’s performance at work.  It is imperative that those working in this space understand the implications of using these techniques and how they can be applied appropriately.  This is especially true in high-stakes contexts that can have a significant impact on individuals’ careers. 

The following documents can serve as a starting point for those considering the development, validation, implementation, and maintenance of AI-based assessments.

The Institute for Workplace Equality. (2022). Technical Advisory Committee report: EEO and DEI&A considerations in the use of artificial intelligence in employment decision making. Link

The Institute for Workplace Equality is a non-profit organization that strives to educate businesses on diversity and inclusion practices and equal employment opportunity compliance.  The Institute commissioned a 40-member Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) from domains such as industrial and organizational psychology, psychometrics, data science, economics, and employment law.   The TAC’s in-depth report approaches the topic of AI in employment decision making from statistical, ethical, and legal perspectives by aggregating information across the diverse group of contributors.  Additionally, each section of the report was shaped by the results of a survey of TAC members. Some of the topics covered in the report include:

1. Where AI is most prevalent in employment decision making.
2. Privacy and fairness issues around how AI data is collected, used, and stored.
3. How the concepts and principles described in the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures apply to AI-based assessments.
4. Analyzing adverse impact in the context of the unique challenges presented by using AI-based assessments.

Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. (2023). Considerations and recommendations for the validation and use of AI-based assessments for employee selection. Link

Undoubtedly, most readers of this blog will be familiar with the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the premier professional association for I/O psychologists.  In addition to the LEC mentioned above, SIOP has acknowledged the growing interest in AI by releasing a statement in January 2022 on the use of AI in hiring and offering a webcast on the topic featuring SIOP members with expertise in this area.   The most comprehensive response to date from SIOP in this arena has come in the form of a document from SIOP’s Task Force on AI-Based Assessments.  The document details recommendations from the Task Force on developing, validating, and using AI-based assessments.   The authors discuss how different elements of AI-based assessments relate to the concepts and procedures discussed in SIOP’s Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures.  The document delves into issues such as considerations for collecting validation evidence and how the collection of training data in AI-based assessments can influence their scoring and outcomes.  The document concludes with a discussion of the information that should be documented as part of the development and validation of AI-based assessments.

Landers, R. N., & Behrend, T. S. (2022). Auditing the AI auditors: A framework for evaluating fairness and bias in high stakes AI predictive models. American Psychologist, 78(1), 36–49. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000972

Tara Behrend and Richard Landers have been prominent academic voices on the intersection between technology and human behavior in the workplace for over a decade.  Their recent article in American Psychologist focuses on the ethical use of AI through a set of guidelines for conducting audits of AI systems.  The authors broadly define high-stakes decisions beyond hiring individuals in organizations to many decisions made across different domains of psychology.  The example presented throughout the article focuses on a situation in which an AI algorithm is used to score interview responses.  The article highlights 12 components of AI systems that should be included in an audit and identifies important considerations to think through in the evaluation of each component.  Finally, the article concludes with an emphasis on the importance of collaboration and having an interdisciplinary lens for the adoption of sound AI auditing practices in the future.   

Tippins, N. T., Oswald, F. L., & McPhail, S. M. (2021). Scientific, legal, and ethical concerns about AI-based personnel selection tools: a call to action. Personnel Assessment and Decisions, 7(2), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.25035/pad.2021.02.001

The final document in this roundup is a journal article that outlines 11 concerns with using AI from three prominent figures in the personnel selection field.  The concerns touch on many different points in the assessment development and validation process.  The article also contains lists of questions that researchers and practitioners should take into account in light of the concerns stated in the article.  Finally, the article ends with a call to action encouraging I/O psychologists to play a central role in this space by considering how our professional standards and principles apply to AI-based assessments.  Similar to Landers and Behrend, the authors call for using an interdisciplinary approach to make progress in this area.

Note that this list is a brief roundup of several recent committee and refereed journal-produced documents. We encourage interested readers to be on the lookout for additional professional and scientific developments related to this space. If you would be interested in contributing your perspective to a future blog on AI in the workplace, please reach out to blog@ptcmw.org to discuss your ideas.

Author: Shelby Joseph

Hello everyone. My name is Shelby Joseph and I am in my final semester at George Mason’s Master’s of Professional Studies (MPS) program in Industrial and Organizational (I/O) psychology. The following is my reflection regarding the PTCMW Graduate Student Consulting Challenge (GSCC).

While in school, I sought out opportunities to build and develop my I/O competencies through extracurricular activities, which led me to connect with peers through local I/O gatherings. When PTCMW’s Graduate Student Consulting Challenge was first revealed to me through a peer in my program, I knew this would be an opportunity to challenge myself. Unfortunately, I had missed the registration window to participate in the GSCC in 2021. Registration for the GSCC is yearly and begins in October. I waited to apply for the 2022 GSCC and was thrilled when I was accepted to participate because at this point, I had completed most of my core I/O coursework and I knew this was my opportunity to test all I had learned up to that point. I expected the GSCC was going to allow me to experience what it is like to be an I/O consultant.

I knew preparation for the virtual final presentation would be intense based on the prior GSCC experiences of my peers. For example, I was told that preparation would require a lengthy time commitment during the competition as students are only allotted 3 days to respond to a proposal and they would need to come up with a focused plan to complete the response by the deliverable deadline. While this expectation was true of my experience, it was also exhilarating! During the initial GSCC meeting, PTCMW event coordinators and representatives from the sponsoring organization introduced our Request For Proposal (RFP). The RFP served as our guide to responding to stakeholders, who in this situation were judges from the sponsoring organization. Our goal was to address an organization’s needs and outline the resources required to meet this goal. My group consisted of 3 students, all in different phases in our I/O programs. One of us was a Doctoral student, another was a Master’s student preparing to graduate, and myself, who at the time had four more courses to complete before graduation.

What I liked most about the GSCC was my experience collaborating with my teammates. One of the reasons I believe our team succeeded in such a tight timeframe was because our collaboration was quick, efficient, and effortful. My teammates met with me immediately after the initial GSCC meeting to quickly review our approach to the RFP on Microsoft Teams. The RFP for the 2022 GSCC was focused on personnel selection. During the meeting, I created a shared Google Document to begin addressing the RFP. We also reviewed the RFP instructions to plan our tasks. Likewise, we agreed to reserve a large portion of our time in the evenings to collaborate and complete tasks. Our goal at this point was centered on the creation of a detailed report to address the RFP. The first two evenings were dedicated to completing our formal proposal report and appendices with supplemental material, as we agreed this would require the most work.

During the first two evenings of the competition, we stayed on a Microsoft Teams call for 5 to 6 hours with our cameras off as we took on pieces of the RFP. To split up the tasks, we took on work that we felt competent in or had recently completed in our programs. For example, one teammate was teaching a course on a job analysis and took on the material to cover this section, another had completed a job analysis at her job recently and had practice materials we could use. I had just completed my data analytics course and helped to tackle statistics-based questions such as an analysis plan for how we would demonstrate the fairness of our proposed solutions. Throughout the call, we would give updates on our completed tasks.  During moments of  minor disagreement we used rational debates and a group vote to obtain consensus on a way forward.

The day before the presentation we spent 4 to 5 hours curating our presentation slides. We also organized a shared script on a Google Document so that we knew when it was our cue to speak about our assigned portion of the presentation. By the end of the third day, all members had taken on an equal workload, including the speaking portion of slides. On the day of our presentation to the judges, my team members and I conducted a practice presentation one hour ahead of time to build our comfort in presenting all of the material.

Despite the projects I succeeded in while at George Mason, it wasn’t until the GSCC presentation to the judges that I realized the barriers organizations must navigate that are not always explicitly stated in a RFP that we as I/O practitioners must consider. This is where the GSCC allowed me to practice the skill of persuading key decision makers who may not have an I/O background. When presenting in front of a panel of 7 to 10 judges, it was apparent that we needed to deliver a compelling case. The judges’ behaviors mimicked stakeholders and high-level leaders concerned with results that will exceed their organization’s goals.

During the presentation, we did not know the exact questions the judges would have concerning our technical approach. The ability to address the judges’ questions was parallel to what I would expect in an actual consultation with a business leader or stakeholder. My group did our best to anticipate questions by identifying beforehand the advantages and disadvantages of the solution we proposed.

An example of a particularly challenging question was related to budgeting as none of us had experience creating budgets for a business before. One thing that helped us navigate this question was a prior discussion during our preparation that my team had on the disadvantage of proposing a large budget. This required us to determine why the return on investment was likely more beneficial in the long run and not a risk to the organization. While there was no textbook answer to address this, our team explained our decision to the judges by providing our rationale for how we came up with a budget. This included identifying base hourly pay rates for certain positions and estimating the number of subject matter experts needed to implement procedures that would result in the successful implementation of our proposed solution. This experience of providing on the spot responses and present a compelling case to the judges showed me that not all answers are simple or found in a textbook.

After the evaluative portion of the presentation was over, the support and feedback from the judges was encouraging because it helped remind us that this was a learning experience. Once the presentation ended, I recall the moment my team and I reflected on how much we learned through applying the knowledge and skills we gained while in our respective I/O programs. This experience helped to reinforce that learning is more than just explicit knowledge, it requires practice and application. When it was announced that we won the GSCC, I knew it was because of our seamless collaboration with one another.

Since my participation in the GSCC, I now have a clearer understanding about what competencies are necessary to be a successful consultant. While having the foundational I/O knowledge is necessary, I learned it is just as important to explain what we know in a way that can be understood by our stakeholders. I also learned that it is especially important to not only provide solutions, but tailor our solutions in a way that aligns with an organization's business values and mission. This experience helped me to showcase my I/O knowledge in a way that was meaningful and easy to understand for those without an I/O background.

Additionally, I have leveraged the relationships resulting from my participation in the GSCC to expand my professional network within the field. Competing and winning the GSCC helped open internship opportunities that I would not have applied for had I not participated. For example, winners of the GSCC were provided an invitation to the PTCMW Fall Event. Attending this networking event helped me to connect with more experienced colleagues in a welcoming setting and also gave me a chance to familiarize myself with available full-time I/O positions. I have since obtained an internship with an organization that I was able to talk to during the Fall Event.

If you have completed your core I/O coursework and would like a realistic job preview of being an I/O consultant, I urge you to participate in the GSCC! The skillsets you gain from collaborating with peers, defending your decisions to experts in the field, and presenting in a manner that can be understood by your stakeholders will likely assist you as you set forth in your I/O career. No matter where your I/O trajectory leads, I hope you are inspired to participate in the GSCC!

Author: David Swiderski, PTCMW Blog Editor

Call for The Point Blog Contributors

The Point Blog is the official blog of the Personnel Testing Council of the Metropolitan Washington area (PTCMW), an organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of industrial and organizational psychology through high-value professional growth and networking opportunities. The Point Blog strives to inform, educate, and entertain our membership and the broader community while maintaining our position as a creative, inclusive, and curious voice in the I/O psychology blogosphere.

The content that will reside on the blog will focus on the scientific study of human behavior in the workplace. Potential content areas will include topics typically discussed in a graduate industrial and organizational psychology program or at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) annual conference. We aim to publish on a variety of topics within the field and encourage writers from diverse backgrounds to submit their ideas to expose our readership to a range of perspectives on the issues confronting our field. Submissions can come from members or non-members of PTCMW. Graduate students in industrial and organizational psychology or related fields are encouraged to contribute to the blog by submitting ideas for posts they would like to write on the blog. Leveraging our position as an evidence-based field, claims and arguments made on the blog should be backed by rigorous methodology and critical thought.

What Makes a Good Submission?

Submissions should be made via a Microsoft Word document submitted to blog@ptcmw.org. Submissions may come in the form of a quick summary of a research program or project, an applied approach to solving an organizational challenge, an opinion piece on an issue that the field is facing, or a perspective on a professional development experience that others would benefit from hearing. Submissions outside of these broad guidelines will be accepted but should be focused on topics related to industrial and organizational psychology. Examples of topics for post submissions include ideas like:

• A short summary of the findings from a recently published article examining “return to work” policies on employee engagement
• A high-level overview of a novel approach to a high-volume pre-hire assessment context within an organization
• A post challenging common assumptions about work motivation
• A personal account of formal and informal experiences learning a statistical programming language such as R or Python

When submitting an idea for The Point Blog, it is not necessary to submit a fully written post, but we should have enough information to evaluate whether it would be a good fit for the blog. A submission should be at least a paragraph in length (4-5 sentences), although longer submissions will be accepted. Please include the following elements in your submission:

• A summary of the main point of your post that includes any key takeaways that you will want readers to remember. This should include why readers would be excited to view your post and why it matters in the broader context of the field of industrial and organizational psychology.
• A brief description of the types of information you will be using to back your claims or tell your story. If you plan to include any tables or charts, include a description of how you’d like to present this information and how it supports your story (e.g., “I’d like to include a chart that shows the distribution of performance management ratings collected using two separate methodologies to demonstrate the impact of our new approach to performance management.”)
• A short post author biography and an email that we can use to contact you regarding your submission.

You are welcome to submit more than one idea for a blog post or to frame your idea as a series of blog posts, but please make it clear in your submission if this is the case.

What to Expect from Us?

As blog editors, it is our job to support you in a way that is transparent, efficient, and quality-focused. We will aim to make decisions on whether to proceed with turning a submission into a blog post within two weeks of receipt of the submission. If you do not receive a follow-up or acknowledgement from blog@ptcmw.org within two weeks of sending in your submission, please assume we are not interested. Editing times may vary depending on the content of the post and resources available to support the editing process, but in general we aim to publish content at least once per month.

Throughout the editing process, we’ll be thinking about the following:

• How does the post align with the objectives of The Point Blog and with PTCMW?
• Is the idea worthy of professional discourse (i.e., could the post be the focus of a 10–15-minute conversation with a colleague at school, work, or other professional settings)?
• How does the piece reinforce, add to, or reshape public knowledge on the content area?
• Is there a clear takeaway or a clear sense of the story being told?
• How does the evidence submitted illustrate the points being made?
• How well does the writing adhere to the style guidelines and grammatical conventions?

Style Guidelines

To create a unified voice and appearance for our readers, there are a few things you should try to keep in mind while writing a post for The Point Blog.

• Blog posts will follow the latest American Psychological Association (APA) style guidelines for in-text citations and references.
• Given the debate and diversity surrounding the name of our field, we believe it is important to note that any references to the field should be written as “industrial and organizational psychology” and should be abbreviated as “I/O psychology”.
• Avoid gendered terms (e.g., “mankind”) or terms that assume a person’s gender (e.g., use “parenthood” instead of “motherhood/fatherhood”).
• Avoid ableist language (e.g., “tone-deaf”, “blind to…”, “crazy”). These terms are exclusionary and could likely be said in a different way.
• When giving examples, use “e.g.” to reference an incomplete list that is part of a larger list of items. Use “i.e.” when restating a phrase to clarify an earlier statement.
• Abbreviations and acronyms: Always spell these out on first reference. Include a parenthetical of the acronym if you think it won’t be obvious for the reader.
• Numbers: Outside of tables and figures, write out the numbers one through nine. Use numerals for numbers 10 and above unless they’re the first word in a sentence.

Thank you for taking the time to consider submitting to The Point Blog and we hope to bring our readers content that will enrich their professional development and strengthen the connections among those in our community.

Dear PTCMW Communications,

Happy New Year PTCMW Members and Friends! The 2022 PTCMW Board is excited to kick off another successful year for PTCMW. Please keep reading for some important updates from the Board.

Monthly Educational Sessions

We held our February virtual panel career discussion on February 15, 2022, that focused on offering career advice to students and early career professionals. We want to thank the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) I/O Psychology Graduate Program and Blacks in I/O Psychology for co-sponsoring the event; as well as our panel members Jeffery Godbout (ICF International and the Global Organization for Humanitarian Work Psychology), Shavonne Holman (Blacks in I/O Psychology), Mike Litano (BetterUp), Shyriah Marshall (Blacks in I/O Psychology and Marshall Career Consulting), and Kathy Stewart (U.S. Customs and Border Protection). With nearly 50 in attendance, it was a tremendous success! Just a reminder that members can access the recordings of any of our 2022 (and earlier) sessions in our webinar library.

Our next monthly presentation will be on March 23, 2022, at 5:30pm ET. Laura Fields (Spectrum) and Chantale Antonik (Modern Hire) will present a session titled, “Using Selection Science to Source Talent and Identify Fit.” Registration will open soon.

PTCMW is continuing to provide members and non-members the option of attending our monthly programs without being charged the normal fee – in light of COVID-19.  To attend the session without charge, simply email the secretary (secretary@ptcmw.org) to receive a code for registration.

Member’s Corner Now Live!

I am excited to announce the launch of the Member’s Corner page on the PTCMW website! The Member’s Corner was developed based on input received from the member survey distributed in 2021. As a PTCMW member, you have access to mentoring resources, exclusive access to recordings of previous monthly speaker sessions and events, and a member directory for networking and information sharing.

Member Event Survey

As we continue to navigate the uncertainty of COVID-19, we want your input for how to best continue to provide our members with educational content and networking opportunities. Please take a few moments to complete this survey so we can gauge interest in both formal and informal events, virtual and in-person. Your feedback will be used to make decisions for the rest of the 2022 event calendar. Complete the survey by visiting the Member's Corner here.

Get to Know your 2022 PTCMW Board Members – Spotlight on Phil Walmsley, President-Elect

With the new year comes new PTCMW Board Members. In each President’s message for 2022, we will spotlight a Board Member, so you can get to know them.

I am a Lead Personnel Research Psychologist in the Selection and Promotion Assessment section of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Human Resources Solutions (HRS) division. On behalf of federal agencies, I conduct job analyses, develop assessment and measurement strategies, evaluate the use of a variety of pre-employment and leadership assessments, deliver training sessions, and conduct large-scale data analyses. I also serve as an advisor on the design of technology systems used for talent acquisition across many agencies. This has given me the chance to participate on teams composed of HR and staffing experts, web programmers, UX designers, data scientists, and multi-organization user groups. A substantial portion of my client-focused work has focused on law enforcement and public safety occupations, but I have had the good fortune to collaborate with people working toward a variety of missions across the federal sector.  

I previously worked in the Personnel Research and Assessment Division of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is a group with a long history of operational and scholarly achievement. I try to present and publish work regularly and am a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Selection and Assessment. I received an M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Missouri State University and a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. In 2022, I received the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology’s Distinguished Early Career Contributions-Practice award. I am happy to have the opportunity to serve as PTCMW's current President-Elect and am looking forward to engaging with our community. 

Outside of work, I enjoy exploring the history of the DC area and Alexandria, VA, where I reside with my wife. I’ve visited many of the U.S.’s national parks, and try to check out and play live music when I can.

Call for Nominations: Bemis Award

The PTCMW Board would like to hear your recommendations for this year's nomination for the Bemis Award. Recommendations for the Bemis Award nominee need to be sent to president.elect@ptcmw.org by Monday, March 14, 2022.

I am very excited to serve the board as President in 2022 and look forward to all the exciting things we will accomplish this year! We look forward to seeing you at one of our events this year.

Thank you,

Marni Falcone, 2022 PTCMW President

president@ptcmw.org

Hello PTCMW Members and Friends! I hope everyone is having a great Fall so far. I wanted to share a few updates on the PTCMW operations.

Monthly Educational Sessions

Last month we had a presentation from Anne Scaduto (Senior Manager, Talent Assessments at The Hershey Company) and Ann Kwak (Talent Assessment, People Strategy and Analytics at Capital One) on Burnout. It was a very successful event and networking session with approximately 25 in attendance.

Then this month we conducted the Graduate Student Consulting Challenge. This event, which was sponsored by FMP Consulting, kicked off on October 14^th with 5 teams of approximately 6 graduate students on each team. They received the RFP and then worked over the weekend to create their written response and prepare for an oral presentation on October 18^th. The written responses are currently being reviewed/rated and the winners will be announced during the Fall Event.

Speaking of the Fall Event, it is scheduled for Thursday, November 4^th from 4-8pm. This year’s event will be virtual, and registration is open through Monday, November 1^st at 11pm EST. You can register here: http://www.ptcmw.org/event-4527552. The event will begin with the announcement of the PTCMW Service Award as well as the winners of the Graduate Student Consulting Challenge. Then the featured speaker will be Dr. Richard Landers where he will speak on “Fixing the IO Psychology/Technology-Interface: Avoiding Both IO-Tech and Tech-IO Conflict”. Following the featured speaker there will networking, raffles and virtual booths for sponsors. We will be leveraging Orbits, an immersive online venue for virtual events, which enable richer networking among attendees and permit sponsors to have virtual booths for recruiting candidates for open roles or providing information about services and offerings. In order to maximize the Orbits software, we do need everyone to register by Monday, November 1^st. We realize that many often wait until the day of to register, but we are asking everyone to please register by Monday, November 1^st. The recorded webcast will be available to PTCMW members in the webcast library.

Just a reminder that members can access the recordings of any of our 2021 (and earlier) sessions in our webinar library.

PTCMW is continuing to provide members and non-members the option of attending our monthly programs without being charged the normal fee – in light of COVID-19.  To attend the session without charge, simply email the secretary (secretary@ptcmw.org) to receive a code for registration.

Blog and Resource Sharing

Yesenia Avila and her team continue to be busy implementing the blog/resource sharing strategy. In September we posted a blot by Emily Kimble and Benjamin Kerner on job hunting tips in the post-COVID world of work. Members can access this blog at The Point.

We are planning to continue to post at least 1-2 blogs per month. So, if you are interested in generating a blog please let us know! And if you have resources you think would be useful for the PTCMW membership, please let us know that as well. You can reach out to Yesenia (blog@ptcmw.org) or me directly (president@ptcmw.org).

Members Corner (Coming Soon to PTCMW Website)

Based upon input received via the member survey earlier this year we are working on a “Members Corner” page on the website. Examples of what will be available here include ways for researchers to reach out to members who would be willing to participate in research, open forums for members to discuss specific topics, and ways for clients/customers to post RFPs. This site is almost ready for use so be on the lookout for the official release.

IPAC Student/Early Career Learning Series

The IPAC Student/Early Career Learning Series will present on “Current Topics in Pay Equity”, facilitated by Lisa Harpe, Ph.D. This program will be featured on Thursday, November 4th, 12:30 - 1:30 EST. For more information and online registration you can visit: IPAC Student/Early Career Learning Series Presents: Current Topics in Equity Pay. This event is geared towards students and early career professionals but is open to ALL! IPAC members and non-members at any point in their career are welcome to join. Individuals can contact info@ipacweb.org with questions.

Membership Dues and Bundle Rates for Fall Event

When registering for the PTCMW Fall Event, you can take advantage of the bundle rate that includes membership for 2022. The professional rate for 2022 Membership is $40 and the student rate for 2022 Membership is $20. And the professional rate for the Fall event is $40 and the student rate for the Fall Event is $25. However, you can save $10 if you bundle these when you register for the Fall Event. Specifically, the bundled professional rate that includes the Fall Event and 2022 Membership is $70. And the bundled student rate that includes the Fall Event and 2022 Membership is $35.

Get Involved with PTCMW – Board Member Positions and Volunteer Opportunities

If you are looking to get involved with PTCMW, we are still recruiting for PTCMW’s elected positions for 2022. The four positions up for election are President-Elect, Vice-President for Programs, Secretary, and Recorder. This is a fantastic opportunity to make new connections, gain professional recognition, and contribute to the local I-O community! All nominees must be PTCMW members prior to serving in any of the elected positions. You can visit http://www.ptcmw.org/positions to learn more about the responsibilities for each elected position, or contact any Board member or committee chair with questions. All nominations should be submitted by Friday, October 29, to Emilee Tison, Past PTCMW President and Nominations/Elections Chair, at past.president@ptcmw.org.  

And then in addition to the board member positions, we are always looking for individuals to serve in other volunteer positions. Please reach out and let us know if you are interested. You can email us at president@ptcmw.org or  secretary@ptcmw.org!

We look forward to continuing our efforts to connect, share, and grow with you.

Thank you,

Rob Calderón, PTCMW President

president@ptcmw.org

Job Hunting Tips in the Post-Covid World of Work

Authors: Emily Kimble & Benjamin Kerner

Our names are Emily Kimble and Benjamin Kerner, and we are Human Resource Analysts at DCI Consulting Inc. who graduated from George Mason University’s I/O Psychology MA program. We started searching for jobs during the peak of the uncertainty that was 2020 and can attest to the struggles of job hunting and the novelty of onboarding during a global pandemic. Below are some lessons we have gleaned over the last year, which we hope will be helpful for those beginning their job search in a post-covid environment.

Be Patient and Don’t Get Discouraged

Tailor Your Job Search for You

1. Just as an employer wants to find the right fit for the job, you should also take time to tailor your resume to the specific job you are interested in. It can be tempting to apply to any and all jobs, as the market has felt uncertain, but it will be more beneficial for you to find a company that values its employees and a role that motivates and excites you.
2. Use the company’s response to this pandemic as insight into their processes, functions, and even their culture. For example, was it a smooth transition to work-from-home? What technology platforms does the company utilize? What does the company do to keep employees feeling engaged and like a team? How does the company support its employees?

Prepare Yourself for the Virtual Interview Process

1. The nature of interviewing has dramatically changed. We had all our interviews virtually, utilizing various platforms and formats (e.g., phone calls, Teams, Zoom, WebEx). Virtual interviews can create barriers to our typical social interactions. Unlike an in-person interview, you are unable to sense body language, and it can feel intimidating to be on camera. Especially in the case of phone interviews, you are also hindered from seeing the recruiter’s facial reactions and nonverbal communication (e.g., head nods). No matter what the interview platform may be during your job hunt, try your best to go into them with a positive mindset and tone of voice.
2. Even though you may not be in the same room with the recruiter, pretend you are. Dress up as you would in an in-person interview. Focus on speaking at a good pace, and loud enough to be heard through a microphone. It is important that you sound positive and confident. If you are on video, focus on the nonverbal cues in your face, especially eye contact.
3. Always test out the platform you will be interviewed on. Prior to your interview, make sure that it is downloaded and installed. Companies will likely offer you assistance with this. For example, we were able to log in early with members of HR teams to test the connections and interface. Additionally, check that your camera and audio work, that you are in a location that is quiet, has strong internet connection, has good lighting, and does not have a lot of background noise/distraction.

Utilize Your Online Professional Networks

1. We often utilized LinkedIn and other professional job sites in our searches. These networks can highlight virtual job fairs, conferences, and professional development events in your area, all offering incredible opportunities for personal growth and networking—even if the environment is virtual. Virtual events also make it easier to foster connections with professionals from all over the country.

In addition to tips for job hunting in this new environment, we wanted to highlight some ways in which individuals starting out in their new position can better acclimate to their new organization and working life. Our careers at DCI are our first full-time positions related to our Industrial and Organizational Psychology degrees, and we would recommend the following tips for adjusting to the next phase of your career.

Tips for Starting Your New Job and Onboarding into a Fully-Virtual Position

1. If working from home, try to set up a dedicated workspace separate from where you sleep, eat, or relax—of course, space permitting. This can help to draw the line between your work and home life, which can often get blurred when working from home. Additionally, make sure you have the tools and technology that you need to complete your work efficiently and productively. Your company should provide you with the tools you will need for remote work, so be sure to communicate with them on this. Last, make sure your internet connection is strong enough to accommodate your work. Some individuals may enjoy utilizing shared workspaces. If you wish to go this route, make sure the area is generally quiet and that you have the ability to keep your work confidential.
2. Suggest bonding activities with your new team. This can include virtual happy hours, trivia, or even something as simple as quick, one-on-one meetings designed to get to know your coworkers better.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! New employees may hesitate to reach out for help out of intimidation, or even fear of coming across as incompetent, upon starting their new position. Asking questions, however, is one of the best ways to not only ensure you understand the tasks assigned, but also to show your teammates that you are committed to learning and growing as a professional within the company.

Hello PTCMW Members and Friends! I hope everyone has had a great Summer so far. I wanted to share a few updates on the PTCMW operations.

Monthly Educational Sessions

Earlier this month we had Dan Putka and Martin Yu from HumRRO present on the research HumRRO has conducted over the past few years that explored leveraging natural language processing (NLP) in fun and interesting ways to address measurement development related challenges. Namely, streamlining item development processes and forecasting how items may perform in the absence of pilot/field test data. It was a very successful event and networking session with over 50 in attendance.

Then this week we will have a panel and workshop on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in Organizations: Moving from Reactivity to Proactive Strategy. This will occur this Wednesday, August 25^th starting at 4pm EDT. This workshop will be focused on the current state and future directions in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. And specifically examine how we move from a reactive state to build a more proactive, forward-looking DEIB strategy. Sertrice Grice (Consulting Officer & Co-Founder of Mattingly Solutions); Caren Young (President at The Professional Adult); Mahesh Subramony (Professor of Management at Northern Illinois University); and Keli Wilson (Senior Manager of EEO Compliance and Diversity, Principal Consultant at DCI) will serve as expert panelists. And Ruth Imrose (Research Science Specialist at McKinsey & Company) and Shannon Cheng (Research and Knowledge Fellow at McKinsey & Company) will serve as workshop facilitators.

And in September we will have a presentation from Anne Scaduto (Senior Manager, Talent Assessment at Capital One) and Ann Kwak (Talent Assessment, People Strategy and Analytics at Capital One) on Burnout. The date and time for the September monthly event is still TBD, but specific sign-up details will be sent out in early September.

Just a reminder that members can access the recordings of any of our 2021 (and earlier) sessions in our webinar library.

PTCMW is continuing to provide members and non-members the option of attending our monthly programs without being charged the normal fee – in light of COVID-19.  To attend the session without charge, simply email the secretary (secretary.ptcmw@gmail.com) to receive a code for registration.

Blog and Resource Sharing

Yesenia Avila and her team continue to be busy implementing the blog/resource sharing strategy. In early July we posted a blog by Matisha Montgomery on how we need to do a better job of collecting and examining data to ensure equity outcomes can be accurately evaluated. Members can access this blog at The Point.

And then in late July we posted a blog by Don Lustenberger examining office ergonomics for the post-COVID-19 world.

We are planning to continue to post at least 1-2 blogs per month. So, if you are interested in generating a blog please let us know! And if you have resources you think would be useful for the PTCMW membership, please let us know that as well. You can reach out to Yesenia (blog@ptcmw.org) or me directly (president@ptcmw.org).

2021 Bemis Award Announcement

We want to congratulate Dr. Nancy Tippins who is this year’s Stephen E. Bemis award winner. Nancy was co-nominated by both PTCMW and IPAC and the award was announced at the 2021 IPAC Conference in July. For awareness, the Stephen E. Bemis award is presented to an individual in our profession who is:

• An accomplished personnel measurement practitioner, recognized for their ongoing commitment to the principles of merit and fairness;
• A professional who has made an impact in the field by their practical contribution(s) that have either resulted in an improved or new procedure; and
• A concerned individual who is recognized for their commitment to assisting, being available, and freely calling on fellow practitioners.

Congratulations to Nancy, as she is a well-deserved recipient of this award!

Graduate Student Consulting Challenge

The 2021 Graduate Student Consulting Challenge (being held virtually) will be occurring October 15^th-18^th. FMP Consulting has agreed to sponsor the event this year. Similar to years past, there will be five teams of 6 members (students) participating. And the registration fee will be $15. A call for student participants will be occurring in September, so be on the lookout for more information soon!

PTCMW Board Member Spotlight – Marni Falcone – PTCMW President-Elect

I am currently a Managing Consultant at FMP Consulting (www.fmpconsulting.com). I received my MA in I/O from George Mason University in 2008 and started my career at Fields Consulting Group developing assessment centers for public safety organizations (police, fire, and corrections) both locally and at various larger jurisdictions across the country. Fields provided me with the opportunity to directly apply my studies in a real-world setting, which is where I fell in love with the “I” side of I/O. In 2012, I moved over to FMP Consulting to gain broader human capital experience. Since working at FMP, I have led many of our larger scale competency development and implementation work to include competency model development, gap assessment/analysis, career pathing, selection and assessment, and strategic training needs analysis. I also lead some of FMP’s projects related to employee engagement, program evaluation, strategic planning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. I support a wide variety of clients across the federal government to include the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as some state and local clients.

Outside of FMP, I am active in presenting at conferences (IPAC, SIOP, and SHRM) and lead some of FMP’s thought leadership activities relating to competency development and strategic implementation. I live in Alexandria with my husband and two young boys. With what little free time I have, I enjoy taking a Barre3 class, cooking, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Get Involved with PTCMW – Volunteer Opportunities

If you are looking to get involved with PTCMW, we still have many volunteer positions available. Please reach out and let us know if you are interested. You can email us at president@ptcmw.org or  secretary.ptcmw@gmail.com!

We look forward to continuing our efforts to connect, share, and grow with you.

Thank you,

Rob Calderón, PTCMW President

president@ptcmw.org