Writing a Great Federal Resume

A federal resume is a tool for gaining or advancing one’s career in the government arena. At its core, it is similar to the standard private sector resume. However key differences exist in the type and amount of information provided. Therefore, in order to be successful with federal employment, it is necessary to be mindful of these differences.

Unlike the private sector, federal resumes are reviewed by people rather than software. Further, these individuals are seeking information that demonstrates that the application has direct knowledge or experience of the position he/she has applied for. Therefore, it is necessary to review the specific job announcement for the skills and knowledge required. A resume that speaks directly to the skills and duties of the position and uses key words related to the position is most effective. It should use previous experiences, often accompanied by quantifiable results and accomplishments, to directly show that a candidate can perform the duties of the position being applied for.

Information in a federal resume is most commonly presented in chronological format. However, a candidate’s educational history should be listed prior to the individual’s work history. The highest level of education attained should be listed first followed by earlier schooling including high school. If college coursework has been completed, but a degree was not received, the number of course hours completed should be indicated. Further, the work history should be listed in reverse order with most recent experience listed first. Finally, the resume should cover the candidate’s work history for at least the last 10 years.

Once the content of the resume is drafted, it is necessary to ensure that it is properly formatted. The resume is usually in a commonly accepted font such as Times New Roman or Arial with the main text in 11 point type. The margins of the document should be no less than 1 inch. Given the amount of information to be conveyed, a federal resume, which averages 3 to 5 pages in length, is typically longer than the private sector resume.

There are several key pieces of information that must be included on a federal resume that are not typically utilized on a private sector resume. The first of these is the placement of the announcement number, title, and grade of the job being applied for at the beginning of the resume. Additionally, it is necessary for the candidate to include his/her social security number and veteran’s preference. For each position listed on the resume the number of hours worked per week and the hourly or annual salary of the position should be indicated. Further, if it was a government position, the GS numbers and grades for current or past federal jobs. Finally, the supervisor’s name, phone number, and address for each position on the resume should be provided; whether the recruiter has the candidate’s permission to contact the supervisor must also be indicated. If a candidate specifies that a recruiter does not have permission to contact a supervisor listed on the resume, it is suggested that this issue be addressed in the cover letter that accompanies the resume.

In addition to the formal resume above, candidates for federal employment typically need to address knowledge, skill, and abilities (KSA) factors indicated in the job announcements on separate attachments submitted with the resume.

By observing a few stylistic and information differences, candidates for government employment can create a resume that speaks strongly to their abilities to perform the duties of the job to which they are applying.