Ensuring Professional Success Through Employee Development

Carmen Clarke is taking a break from the world of government contracting while on detail as the DSC Employee Development Specialist.

What is your name and job title? Carmen Clarke, Employee Development Specialist, National Park Service (NPS) Denver Service Center.

What experience and education do you have? I previously worked as a contract specialist at Denver Service Center (DSC) and currently I am on detail as an Employee Development Specialist with the Information Management Team. I have 20-years of experience as a contract specialist, a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering from Colorado Technical University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.

What is a typical day like? The most interesting part of my job is that there is no ‘typical’ day. My job involves helping current and new employees achieve their Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Program Project Management (P/PM) certification. I analyze and identify employee training and developmental needs, using the Federal Acquisition Institute Training Application System (FAITAS), our designated system for certifications.

I also schedule meetings with employees to talk about best strategies for accomplishing certifications and providing them with a virtual step-by-step FAITAS system training as part of my typical day. I am also involved with the Employee Development Officer (EDO) team, participating in the Mentor/Mentee program, as well as the Park Planning Facility and Lands (PPFL) On-Boarding Workgroup team.

What career advice would you give to someone who wants to follow a similar path? I have a good friend who is a career consultant and she sent the following to me a while ago that I keep near my computer to keep me focused. I hope it may help others;

1. Find something you enjoy doing. When you enjoy what you do, you're more effective.
2. Be curious and ask questions - it's important to never stop learning.
3. Say 'yes' to the scary stuff. Whether it's applying for a higher-level job, taking on a new task at work, or learning a difficult new skill, one of the best ways to rapidly level-up or advance your career is to say "yes" to things like that.
4. Be a team player - honor relationships with your colleagues, your clients, and yourself.
5. Get out of your comfort zone – don’t be afraid to try new things.
6. Be a lifelong learner - no matter what stage you are in your career. Continuous learning allows professionals to be more flexible and adaptable in their career paths.
7. Always ask and do what you say you’ll do. Being reliable and dependable is foundational to building trust with others.
8. Always be building your brain trust – get to know your co-workers whether you work directly or indirectly with them. Have coffee (virtual or real) with co-workers in other locations.
9. Work smarter, not harder - stop complaining about your workload, sit down, and think about how to do it more efficiently. It's about working smarter, not harder.
10. Don’t give up.

What are you the most excited about in your new role? I enjoy meeting new people and matching names to faces. It’s exciting to help people with their career goals by getting them their training needs in order to be successful at their jobs.