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Open Up the TSA Career Toolbox
For Resources and Timely Information
By Sue Aiken, MA, NCC, TSA Career Coach
- Want a copy of the TSA Career Plan?
- Need TSA's exact definition of the Decisiveness competency in order to write a KSA?
- Curious about what a Program Analyst does at TSA?
- Heard about the career planning model often referred to by the Career Coaches?
- Interested in learning more about Online Learning Center (OLC) courses that can be applied towards professional certifications?
All this and much more can be found at the TSA Career Toolbox website or by clicking on TSA Career Toolbox at www.tsacareercoaching.com.
In my work as a TSA Career Coach, I often advise clients to check out this valuable and timely resource. It is especially useful as part of their job application and career planning processes, because it can help them to:
- Understand the meaning and significance of the core competencies identified by TSA as important for agency positions. Why would you do this? To better address them in the written application essays, resume and oral interview required any time you apply for a different position.
- Improve performance in the competencies attached to TSA positions you aspire to. Why would you do this? To be best prepared when opportunities within TSA open up for which you wish to apply.
Let's take one of my TSA clients, "Lisa," a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) with two years of experience at TSA. She is ready to move into another position but does not know which one. She enjoys detail work, is very organized and has many years' experience using office computer software.
Checking online at USAJobs.gov, she sees a job titled Program Analyst. What is that, she asks me?
Simultaneously, we each go on our computers and visit the TSA Career Toolbox, where I instruct her to click on SOAR, and then click on TSA. There we find a list of several TSA positions including Program Analyst. Clicking on this link leads to a job description and a list of relevant core competencies.
Lisa is unsure about her skill level in one of them, Planning and Evaluating. Under TSA Competency Development we find a definition of this core competency, as well as developmental activities and an OLC class.
Lisa is now one of many who have used the Career Toolbox to locate important information that may give them a competitive edge as they prepare themselves for a possible promotion. By starting now, she will be better prepared to address the essays, job specific accomplishments and inevitable interview questions.
Another example is a Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO) who plans to apply for a position as Transportation Security Manager (TSM) as soon as one becomes available. He is currently working on raising his level of expertise in Problem Solving, and other leadership core competencies linked to the management position.
On the Career Toolbox site he finds the definition of each core competency, including expectations of that skill at the beginner, mid and management level.
In this case, the STSO will be ahead of the game because he is already working and thinking like a TSM as he improves his skills and abilities each day on the job as a supervisor. This will help make him job-ready when the management level position opens up.
Professional Certification Resources
What professional certification courses are available to TSA employees? How can I learn more about them? Here is what the Toolbox tells us:
The Office of Human Capital provides numerous web-based training courses on the Online Learning Center (OLC) that can be completed for continuing professional education credit and/or examination preparation for the following professional credit programs:
Visit this section of the Toolbox to see what is currently offered, what the qualifications are and what is required.
The TSA Career Plan
Many of you use the TSA Career Plan form to create your annual Individual Development Plan (IDP). Look for this link in the Career Toolbox and you will find a Word document that can be downloaded to your computer or printed. It comes with instructions and an example.
You are encouraged to consider up to three competencies on which to focus. Deciding on your desired outcomes and identifying developmental activities are the next steps in writing your TSA Career Plan.
You can find additional instructions for completing the TSA Career Plan in the Toolbox under TSA Career Planning Guide. Step 4 of the Career Development model is Drafting Your Career Plan, and Step 5 is Having a Career Conversation with your Supervisor.
Sharpen your self knowledge, your core competencies, your resume, and so much more by visiting the TSA Career Toolbox on a regular basis.
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