What You Should Include in Federal Resume

To work in governmental agencies or organizations has its pros and cons, and everyone decides what his or her work priorities and preferences are. Working for the government includes several limitations that will prevent potential conflict of interests and some inspiring moments like working for the benefit not of shareholders but of the American people.

But if you plan to apply for federal jobs, you know ins and outs of it. Now how about writing the application CV? There are some details that make it a bit harder that putting together a typical for-profit company CV. You may use Resume Builder software to create a complete CV, or you can even build a master resume that will list all you skills and will let recruiters to offer you a job that suits you. But if all this overwhelms you, we suggest that you refer to our federal resume writers for professional help. They will take care of everything, including format, so that you submitted a perfect personalized document.

But if you want to give it a try, remember the key points to be obligatory included into your resume.

  1. Personal information. It includes your full name, information how to contact you, whether you are a US citizen, and some other basic data. For some rare jobs you may not require citizenship to apply. Besides, you need to mention if you held any position with the federal government before (and what position), and if you fall under any other category of preferences like veteran’s preference. In other words, if you are a veteran of the US Forces and a former active combatant, you can be given preference in recruitment before other applicants who have similar knowledge skills ratio but are not veterans.
  2. Employment experience. This is the biggest section. Here you need to list all your jobs in reversed order and provide more info than you would provide in a regular resume. Be sure to cite all information that fits the job description that you aim for. You list:
    • Name of a company/employer;
    • Its physical location;
    • Your position;
    • Beginning and end of employments (year and month);
    • Hours worked per week, fulltime/part time;
    • Responsibilities;
    • Managerial/leading/supervision duties (mention the number of people you managed or supervised);
    • Accomplishments and achievements.

    All this needs to be written for every position you list. If you have been employed for more than 10 years, you can list your jobs for the past 10 years. Now more about how to write about your experience. You need to tailor your resume to meet the job announcement and to persuade hiring managers that they do need you in their team.

    When speaking about accomplishments mention specific projects you led or worked on and what the outcome was. Name tools and software you used, especially if they were some sophisticated or highly technical ones. Provide numbers and quantities that relate to your outcomes. It is the best way to show off your efficiency and to impress the human resources staff.

    Give percent, ratings, budgets, increase in productivity or people serviced, money saved or increased number of services delivered at the same costs. These are all valuable indices or your professionalism and experience, so the more the better. In this CV you should not be afraid to say too much, rather, do not say too little about yourself.

  3. Education. Provide all information about where and what you studied. Of course, name only those institutions (schools, colleges) that comply with requirements of Office Of Personnel Management. Only then will it count towards your education.
  4. If you have no experience but want to use education as a proof of qualification, mention your relevant courseworks or projects like fieldwork, for example. Obligatory name the degree you have. GPA or honors are not prohibited to mention but they are optional. If you have more relevant and information to mention, better place this info and skip the grades.

Optional Information You can Include

Training and courses are OK to mention if they are relevant for the job. Name the title of training, year and length. You can mention (briefly) skills and experience that you got there. Languages are fine, and they open the opportunities of jobs that you did not know about. So mention languages you know and the level of skills you have in each (Spanish – advanced, French – intermediate. For example).

Membership in professional societies or associations can serve you a good service, especially if you undertook some leadership or organizational roles. Mention the institution and the roles you had without hesitation.

Publications related to the job you aspire for can also give you a preference. Give the full title of publication and year of publishing.

If you decide to provide it, remember a personal reference can come not only from bosses or supervisors, but from colleagues, classmates or other people who worked with you or trained you. Ask for recommendations only those people who you are friendly with (and who really know what you can do), so that you did not get a polite decline.

Any additional information that highlights you as a leader, innovator, volunteer or a speaker is usually appreciated. But here you can also mention what you expect from the job: location, environment, or some other details that will help recruiters match with a desired job.

Difference Between Federal Resume and a Non-federal Resume

The main difference in federal resume format is size of CV. Private resume for a position in some company is usually one to two pages document that promotes you as a creative and experienced worker and secures you an interview where you will impress further.

Writing a federal CV includes up to 5 pages of text where you do not invent a new way to say old things but carefully and fully list all your jobs and skills to help recruiters do their job. In the application process for position with the government you do not write a letter and attach CV – you send CV as an application itself, so it needs to be complete and highlighting all your professional sides.

How You Should Format Your Resume

Formatting is up to you here, where you will create your own resume or use Resume Builder. All formats are basically the same. Yet there are some points to remember.

  • List your work history in reverted chronological order – that is, from the last one to the oldest one;
  • Although the resume should be longer than usual, do no expand it at cost of irrelevant info, include only facts that are relevant for the position you apply for;
  • Keep paragraphs short and divided by an additional blank line;
  • Do not hesitate to list your skills or achievements through bullet points, it is OK and makes them even more readable.

Tips to Write Perfect Government Resume

1. Customizing is a Key to Match Your Competencies

When sending a resume as a part of job application, especially a federal one, match the resume to job announcement. Do not send one CV to all jobs you apply for. Personalize each CV and make them match the position and skills described. Pick the most appropriate work experience and education and list them first. The rest can come in following sections of the CV or do not enter the CV at all.

2. Use Similar Terms in Every Required Qualification

When building your CV, use words that are mentioned in the position description. If it asks for Excel skills, list them as Excel skills, not as computer skills. If the position asks for social work experience, call it social work and not volunteering or anything else. Use active verbs to describe what you did. Develop, implement and analyze are all active verbs, so whenever they fit in, use them. Tell what you did in your job, and did well, not what the name on the plate of your office was.

3. Make an Easy to Understand Resume

Use short paragraphs to organize info and do not shy away from bullet points lists. They are perfectly professional. Use simple language and write down acronyms as full words, do not set riddles for recruiters. The rest is all the same, only the relevant info, but in full scope and in details that will help HRs to match you with a suitable job.

4. Be Brief in Your Resume

As we said, a federal resume format is not a marketing tool, it is rather a detailed specification of you as a professional and an employee. But the general rule of all business and non-profit resumes applies here as well: the top quarter of the resume first page should tell the most about you. Place the vital skills and experience there, and the rest can be shortened or described only briefly.

5. Proofread and Reread Your Resume Twice

An obligatory step is proofreading and fixing mistakes, if any. Typos and grammatical flaws do not add you professional gloss and competence, it is rather the contrary. So check everything yourself or ask another person whose grammatical skills you trust.

Get Your Complete Federal Resume Help – Contact Us Today!

That’s all to it. If the process feels overwhelming and stressing, you can rely on us to provide you with the best federal resume online and do it fast. We can do not only resumes, but all other kind of application documents and attachments, like references or cover letters. Trust us to assist you in your job search and make the dream job fully available to you!

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