Explain the intricacies of the SES.

content/_policies/hiring.md

@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ The @SES is outside of the General Schedule and not subject to these limits, as
 
 Typically, technology roles in government are GS 11 to GS 15. GS 11 and GS 12 roles are often more junior, GS 13 mid-level, and supervisory or highly-technical roles are often GS 14 or GS 15. Non-supervisory GS 15 roles are comparatively rare. However, it is up to an agency's discretion how they grade their positions. E.g., a senior-level technologist at a small agency might only be a GS 12, due to a lower total amount for salary & compensation for the agency. Agencies vary in how these slots are assigned, and may use either a cap on the number of positions at certain grades, a total salary cap per office, or a combination of the two.
 
-On the other hand, high-demand roles and specific agencies may have higher higher pay rates as well. For instance, there may be special pay grades for [Cybersecurity Roles](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/reference-materials/handbooks/compensation-flexibilities-to-recruit-and-retain-cybersecurity-professionals.pdf). The agencies that regulate financial institutions also typically have much higher pay scales, including the [Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)'s CG scale](https://www.fdic.gov/about/careers/benefits/compensation/) which reaches $199,590, and the [U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) SK scale](https://www.sec.gov/ohr/sec-compensation) which has 17 levels (instead of 15) topping out at $213,881 before locality adjustment. Combined with [special benefits and incentives](https://www.sec.gov/about/careers/overview-of-sec-benefits) the compensation at these agencies can rival large private-sector technology companies. As a result, jobs at these agencies are extremely competitive and difficult to get into.
+Although movement to a higher pay step can be easy, moving to a higher grade is extremely difficult, as most jobs are locked to a specific grade, and agency departments are often only allocated a small number of more senior grade positions - GS 14 and above. Promotions are rare compared to the private sector. As a result, it is common for people to leave government to go to the private sector for a few years, in order to come back at a higher grade - rather than expecting to find a promotion at their current agency.
+
+High-demand roles, and specific agencies, may have higher higher pay rates as well. For instance, there may be special pay grades for [Cybersecurity Roles](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/reference-materials/handbooks/compensation-flexibilities-to-recruit-and-retain-cybersecurity-professionals.pdf). The agencies that regulate financial institutions also typically have much higher pay scales, including the [Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)'s CG scale](https://www.fdic.gov/about/careers/benefits/compensation/) which reaches $199,590, and the [U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) SK scale](https://www.sec.gov/ohr/sec-compensation) which has 17 levels (instead of 15) topping out at $213,881 before locality adjustment. Combined with [special benefits and incentives](https://www.sec.gov/about/careers/overview-of-sec-benefits) the compensation at these agencies can rival large private-sector technology companies. As a result, jobs at these agencies are extremely competitive and difficult to get into.
 
 ## Categories & Types of Service
 
@@ -70,10 +72,24 @@ There are three "categories" of service in the government: **Competitive Service
 
 **Excepted Service** staff are federal employees without competitive status. These are typically, but not always, term appointees and/or those hired via [Direct Hire Authorities](#direct-hire-authorities).
 
-**Senior Executive Service (SES)** are senior leadership jobs in the government. These staff can be either career staff or **political appointees**.  Applying for SES jobs is especially difficult, and requires a special resume format that includes documentation of the [22 **Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)**](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/). Staff must be reviewed and approved by an SES board as part of the hiring process, but once approved they do not need to repeat the approval process. Existing federal staff must have been GS-15 or equivalent for at least a year beforehand.
+**Senior Executive Service (SES)** are senior leadership jobs in the government. These staff can be either career staff or **political appointees**. Staff must be reviewed and approved by an SES board as part of the hiring process, but once approved they do not need to repeat the approval process. Existing federal staff must have been GS-15 or equivalent for at least a year beforehand, but private sector folks only need to show equivalent experience. As mentioned above, this leads to many staff leaving government for the private sector for a few years to come back at a higher rank.
 {:#ses}
 
-@CIOs are almost always SES, but other "C-suite" staff may not be. At larger agencies, some or all staff directly beneath the CIO may be SES, but this is not comparatively common. It has [long been noted that the SES is lacking in diversity](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-04-123t), being predominantly older white men.
+Applying for SES jobs is especially difficult, and requires a special resume format *only showing experience from the last ten years.* The applicant must also submit documentation of their experience with the [22 **Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)**](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/). Agencies, when posting a job announcement, may choose that applicants supply one of two completely different resume formats for this documentation:
+{:#ecq}
+
+  * the older format is a stand-alone resume typically 5 pages in length with the ECQs as an attached 5-page document with narratives explaining competency in each specific area.
+  * the [new format](https://www.energy.gov/hc/articles/tips-preparing-resume-based-application) requires the ECQs to be documented as part of the main resume. This leads to lots of "keyword-stuffing" of ECQ language into the resume.
+
+In addition to ECQs, most agencies also require a job-specific set of Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) to be documented, similar to the ECQs.
+{:MTQs}
+
+@SOAPBOX Given how difficult these requirements are, many people spend thousands of dollars to have their resumes professionally written to apply for these jobs, but that is no guarantee of getting hired. For folks trying to break into the SES for the first time, sadly the most reliable way is having a personal connection with a senior leader hiring for one of the roles, and getting them to effectively "sponsor" the move to SES.
+{:.soapbox}
+
+@CIOs are almost always SES, but other "C-suite" staff may not be - notably, Chief Data Officers (CDOs) and Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) are usually not. At larger agencies, some or all staff directly beneath the CIO may be SES, but this is not comparatively common.
+
+It has [long been noted that the SES is lacking in diversity](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-04-123t), being predominantly older white men. This is especially problematic due to the SES board review requirement, which has only reinforced the lack of diversity over the years.
 
 All staff are also either categorized as **Career**, meaning regular federal employees, or **Political**, meaning they have been appointed by the President for that job. Typically political staff leave at the end of a president's term. Most senior leadership in an agency is usually political, but @CIOs may be either career or political.