Let me start off by stating this: There is No Such Thing as “The Federal Resume”. That is, there is NO Government-wide, government-mandated, government-copyrighted Federal resume format. I promise.

Federal resume writing is probably the number one most common concern of federal job applicants.

Thousands and thousands of resumes have crossed my desk and they came in all formats and in all colors. And guess what? That was just fine. The format isn’t as important as the content.

Why am I saying this?

Well, there is at least one company out there that teaches how to write “The Federal Resume.” This was their own invention and is not mandated by the Federal government.

However, here is the good news: I can teach you a way that will increase your chances of getting qualified and getting an interview. Let’s roll!

A great way to structure the sentences in your resume

If you are having a hard time figuring out exactly how to state your accomplishments in clear sentences, then you can try writing your sentences according to this format:

Accomplished [A] as measured by [B] by doing [C], relative to [D].

Example

Reduced administrative waste 12% [A] by leading a team of 12 people [B] in redesigning the entire organizational recruitment process through maximizing use of electronic resources [C]. The team completed the project 5 days early [B], was under budget [B], and received the organizations only annual performance award [D] of $500 for outstanding team performance.

A great way to structure your whole resume

I call this resume format “High-Probability” because it quickly communicates to the HR Specialists that you are qualified – even if they only take a quick glance at it. There is nothing worse than reading someone’s 20-page federal resume that is really nothing more than a personal biography.

Remember: HR Specialists sometimes get hundreds of resumes for just one job, so their brains get tired, their eyes get worn out, and their attention span fades the more resumes they have to look at. So, it is in your best interest to make your resume visually appealing, to make keywords obvious, and to make the content relevant.

3 general rules for resume writing

  1. Keep it simple.
  2. Only include relevant experience.
  3. Use lots and lots of keywords directly from the announcement.

Example

NAME

Home Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Federal Employment Status: (If applicable) [Position Title], [GS Level]

Veterans Preference Status: (If applicable)

VRA Eligible (If applicable)

VEOA Eligible (If applicable)

Clearance: (if applicable)

Citizenship: United States

Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

Nowheresville, MA

01/2009 – Present

Salary: $41,123/year

40 hours/week

PLANNING AND DIRECTING PROGRAMS: at medical centers and satellite outpatient clinics and have full supervisory responsibility for supervising at least three subordinate team leaders. Have full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the activities of 8 MSAs.

ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS: Support 10 patient-centered teams including Physicians, RNs, and administrative personnel. Oversee scheduling of appointments, receptionists; greet patients, providing clinic orientation, receive telephone calls and welcome visitors. Checking-in and checking out the patients using electronic patient systems. Assign and evaluate the work of subordinate staff in performing administrative tasks. Make final decisions on new MSA selections. Evaluate performance, and take disciplinary action when necessary.

The ALL CAPS come right from the KSAs that we talked about in a previous blog post.

Helpful? Thought so!

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