By: Dharm Patel
During the last blog post, I discussed the logistics of applying to a federal job. One major difference in applying to federal jobs is the resume. The federal resume reads very differently from a typical private sector resume. For those interested in applying to federal jobs, it would be worthwhile to have two separate resume templates, a public sector resume and a private sector resume. MOST IMPORTANTLY, a new federal resume must be written for each federal job you are applying for because the resume will include information about the specific job posting.
Federal jobs often require that you have experience in a particular type of work for a certain length of time. Additionally, you must demonstrate that your skills and experience are in line with the qualifications and requirements posted in the job description. This can be achieved through previous work experience, rotations, volunteering, and other activities. To do that, USAJOBS recommends that you include the following for each professional and academic experience you list:
- Start and end dates (including the month and year).
- The number of hours you worked per week.
- Level and amount of experience–whether you served as a project manager or a team member helps to illustrate your level of experience.
- Relevant experiences and accomplishments that prove you can perform the tasks at the level required for the job as stated in the job announcement. Your experience needs to address every required qualification.
Example
Program Analyst GS-343-11
January 2009 - Present
40 Hours/Week
$63,000/Year
- Experience/Accomplishment
- Experience/Accomplishment
In addition, you want to include the following to strengthen your resume:
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Below is an example of a well-written federal resume. Note, that the announcement/job posting for which the applicant is applying has been listed on the resume. The length of the resume is 3 pages for an entry-mid level position, which can seem lengthy when compared to a ‘regular resume’. This can depend on what you want to include in your resume and how briefly you can write it. Even with federal resumes, which require more information than a private sector resume, it is best to be concise and have a resume that is visually pleasing, yet have the most amount of information on it.
Federal Resume Example
The federal human resource groups, like many in the private sector, use automated filters to go through hundreds of resumes. As such, it is imperative to include the most amount of information with specific key words to be selected by this process. Advice from an iJOBs blog member who has had contact with a DOD HR manager: “While being concise is important, the game of including the right words is a complicated one. The federal resume is much more akin to a CV. I've heard it's best to include everything.”
Writing a federal resume requires more research, and there are many examples on the internet that demonstrate how to best write one. Below are additional resources to help you write your federal resume, including a resume builder on USAJOBS and a FDA resume template.
How to build a Federal Resume (USAJOBS resume builder portal)
Create your Federal Resume (gogovernment.org)
Federal Resume Template (specific for the FDA)