IT virtual job fair scheduled

The federal CIO Council has chosen April 22-26 for its nationwide "virtual" information technology job fair, the first of its kind.

"This Virtual IT Job Fair is intended to save agencies time and money in recruitment while widening the doors of federal employment to top IT talent," Ira Hobbs, acting chief information officer for the Agriculture Department and co-chairman of the council's workforce and human capital for IT committee, said in a notice posted recently on the council's Web site.

Richard Whitford, acting associate director of the Office of Personnel Management's employment service, co-authored the notice.

The job fair aims to hire GS-2210 IT specialists in varying specialty areas at grade levels GS-7 through GS-13. "The applicant evaluation method will use a blend of competency-based testing, technical skills self-certification and USA Staffing to expeditiously assess candidates," the notice said.

Job seekers will go to OPM's USAJobs Web site (www.usajobs.opm.gov), where a specially designed logo will link them to agencies that are hiring in the GS-2210 IT category. The logo — an eagle and a flag developed with the aid of the Industry Advisory Council, a private-sector group — urges job seekers to "join our IT team and shape tomorrow today."

Once job seekers find an opening that interests them, they will complete a screening questionnaire, a technology aptitude test and a skills inventory — all online. OPM, which is managing the job fair jointly with the council, will compile and rank the results.

By managing the fair together, OPM and the council will "save individual agencies thousands of dollars in recruitment advertising, as well as the costs associated with creating certificates of qualified candidates," the council's notice said.

On April 2, OPM will hold a training session for human resources and IT personnel from each agency participating in the job fair.