The National Security Agency is using high-tech tools to recruit tech-savvy IT and cybersecurity professionals. The agency announced last week that the new tools, which include smartphone tagging and a job search application, are designed to support NSA's largest hiring effort in recent years.
The NSA Career Links application delivers real-time NSA career updates, such as information on employment opportunities, career fairs and agency news, directly to a user's smartphone. Users also can view videos highlighting NSA employee experiences. Another tool features smartphone tagging on many of NSA's print advertisements. Job hunters can use their smartphones to scan these tags, which will launch a video related to the advertisement's content.
"This fiscal year for us is going to be a tremendous hiring year. We are looking for people in the science, technology, engineering and math skill fields," said Kathy Hutson, associate director for human resources. "We are using a variety of marketing tools from traditional marketing tools like billboards to our newest digital recruitment tools. Our need for these skills is enormous; therefore, we need to be using cool high tech tools."
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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