October 10, 2022, Kathryn Troutman, Publisher, President, Resume Place, Inc.
A Send-Off to an Ally of Federal Workers –
Journalist Mike Causey
Potomac, MD ‒ October 10, 2022. Federal employees lost a long-time ally on Monday, September 26 – a wonderful man named Mike Causey. Mike had penned the Washington Post’s column on Federal workers for more than three decades.
In 2000, he retired, and moved on to the Federal News Network, where he eventually settled in 2007 into his Federal Report column and weekly show, Your Turn.
Since the late 90s, I’ve been interviewed more than 10 times by Mike. One of the last ones was on May 22, 2019, and Bobbie Rossiter and I talked with him about the expanding opportunities for military spouses in Federal employment and our book The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses. As always he asked insightful and important questions yielding helpful information from us for his audience. I liked his questions a lot. He also fielded relevant queries from his listeners. At one point, he said to me, “You’ve been doing this a long time – the first time we spoke we were talking about paper resumes.” How things have changed.
Mike first interviewed me in 1998 for a Washington Post article, “The Evolution of the Job Applications.” This was at a time when the Federal government was phasing out the Standard Form 171, mainly because of its length. That change inspired me to create the Federal resume format and write the first edition of the Federal Resume Guidebook. In that interview, I told him that Federal resumes “are most favorable for the applicant, because they can be presented better… People don’t look good on a form.” Later, in 2007, Mike composed the Foreword for the 4th Edition of my guide to Federal resume writing. He wrote: “In many ways the Federal establishment is the most sophisticated, well educated, cutting-edge, often exciting operation in the nation… If you want to be a Fed, and you want my expert advice, it is this: Get yourself a copy of the Federal Resume Guidebook.”
Mike recorded his last show early on September 26th and later was discovered unresponsive at his FNN desk at age 82. Federal News Network and WTOP Vice President and General Manager Joel Oxley said, “Mike would have wanted to be at his desk when he passed. His combination of talent, quick wit and integrity were unparalleled. He did so much for FNN. He put us on the map.” Mike’s Federal News Network columns were visited more than any other stories on the service’s site.
At the Washington Post, Mike apprenticed Federal Diary Columnist Jerry Kluttz for six years before becoming its writer in 1969. He admitted that the assignment was not prestigious, but Federal workers found the column to be a vital read for more than 30 years. He told the Chicago Tribune that his job was to tell “the grunts what’s being done to them – not just their pay, but everything.”
Former Metro editor Jo Ann Arman told WP, “He clearly had the reporting and writing chops to do other things, but Mike knew just how important the Federal government workforce is.”
Mike interviewed me again on Your Turn in November 2021, a time when COVID had increased the opportunities for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) jobs in the Federal government. We also talked about efforts by the Feds to speed up the hiring process. As was usual for us, we had a very good rapport as interviewer and show guest. During the interview he commented on how we had been discussing Federal employment for decades.
I’m so glad I got the opportunity to know Mike and work with him for so long to get clear information out on Fed news and the best ways to approach the government application process. He was an incredible reporter who stayed on top of his beat and covered the important developments and changes for the Federal workforce. Colleague Tom Temin said Mike told him he never retired from the Federal News Network because he liked being part of “the conversation.” I will miss working with this fine journalist and man in the future, and I am grateful for the large part he played in the Washington journalism scene, how well he covered Federal employment, and how he made me a part of his work.
If you would like to share any stories about Mike or expressions of sympathy,
the Federal News Network has sent up a comment form for this purpose.
Or you can leave a voice recording toll-free at (844) 305-1500.
Federal Resume Guidebook, 7th Edition
Number One Resume Book in America
The Author: Kathryn Troutman is the author of many award-winning career guides including the best-selling Federal Resume Guidebook, 7th Edition (Best Reference Book/Gold in the Independent Press Awards and more) and The Stars are Lined Up for Military Spouses, 2nd Edition. Troutman is the Founder and President of The Resume Place, a groundbreaking Federal resume writing and job coaching service in Baltimore, MD.
About Us
Based on the Ten Steps to a Federal Job® method, Kathryn Troutman and Resume Place, Inc., manage and teach a train-the-trainer Certified Federal Job Search Trainer / Certified Federal Career Coach program. The CFJST / CFCC has been taught for 20 years and employment readiness, career counselors and transition counselors teach and coach the Ten Steps method at military bases and job centers.
