Federal Resume Guide
Introduction
Are you a current federal employee looking to move up the career ladder? Maybe you want to
make a lateral move to another department or agency? Or perhaps you are seeking a transition
from the private sector or active military service to the civilian workforce? Whatever your
background, your federal resume will serve as the first step in advancing your career. It is your
personal presentation and marketing piece to potential employers, and therefore critical to your
future success. Your resume represents an opportunity to convey that you are both a confident
and qualified individual, and deserve the position you are seeking. For this reason, it is
important to invest enough time in your resume to ensure it is adequately planned and
organized, and represents a superior product, i.e. you!
Overview of the Federal Hiring Process
USAJOBS is the U.S. Government’s official system/program for Federal jobs and employment
information. Open position listings within the Federal Government, i.e., vacancy
announcements, are advertised on this website for at least two weeks. USAJOBS offers the
option to upload an existing resume or use their ResumeBuilder tool to generate an entirely new
resume. It is recommended that you use the ResumeBuilder, as some vacancy
announcements may not accept an uploaded resume. USAJOBS will allow you to store up to
five distinct resumes online.
Due to the volume of applications received for any given vacancy announcement within
USAJobs, your resume will most likely be processed through an electronic filtering mechanism
before reaching human hands. Your resume will also be ranked according to certain
preferences (e.g., veterans, disability, etc.) and rated based on the extent and quality of your
experience, education and training described in your online resume as it relates to the duties of
the advertised position. Due to this computerized ranking and rating system, it is essential
that you tailor the experience listed on your federal resume to the specific position to
which you are applying.
For more information, consult the General Services Administration’s page on getting the most
out of USAJobs: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/105310
Once your application is rated, a quality review will be conducted by the Human Resources
Department and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME). Resumes will then be forwarded to the Hiring
Manager for interview consideration. Once a hiring decision has been made, applicants will be
notified and debriefs will be offered to those who interviewed but did not receive the position.
The Importance of the Federal Resume
In the private sector, resumes are tailored to illustrate a wide variety of skills and abilities in
hopes of getting a candidates’ foot in the door and obtaining an interview. They are used to
create a good first impression and generate general interest. This is not the case for federal
resumes. The federal resume‘s sole purpose is to demonstrate that you possess the necessary
qualifications for the position. You must show in your writing that you meet eligibility
requirements and are the best candidate for the position, as more often than not a decision-
panel designates their primary candidate for a vacancy before an interview even takes place. If
you qualify for hiring preferences such as disability or veteran status, make sure to mention this
on your federal resume. If you don’t include something on your resume, you may never get the
chance to mention it!
Additionally, a federal resume should be very detail-oriented, going into great depth about your
skills and accomplishments. For this reason, federal resumes are generally longer (2-5 pages)
than private sector resumes. Federal Resumes also contain more personal information than
would be found in their private sector counterparts.
Federal Resume Myths
There are many philosophies surrounding resume writing techniques. Before approaching the
task of writing a quality resume, let’s review some common misconceptions surrounding the
process.
Your resume must be one page long.
Myth – While a one-page limit may be required for a private sector resume, a good federal
resume will be substantially longer. Federal resumes are more detailed than standard resumes.
In order to effectively detail your skills, past duties, and accomplishments, a range of 2-5 pages
is acceptable. Although you have the opportunity to include more information, it is important to
be clear and concise. Avoid rambling…longer is not always better.
The Feds can translate my private sector resume into their format.
Myth – Federal resumes require specific information that is often not included on private sector
resumes. If you do not include this information, you may prevent yourself from being
considered. While you can use your current resume as a starting point for your federal resume,
it is important to draft an entirely new resume.
I can use the same resume for multiple vacancy announcement applications.
Myth – Using the same resume to apply for several Federal jobs is a recipe for disaster. Human
Resources Specialists, as well as computer filtering mechanisms, pay particular attention to the
inclusion of specific key words and phrases from the job announcement in your resume.
Furthermore, each application should include a resume carefully tailored to the specific position
for which you are applying, to ensure you exhibit the necessary qualifications.
My resume isn’t all that great, but my interviewing skills will “WOW” any recruiter.
Myth-Unless your resume satisfies certain requirements, you will not move on to another part of
the hiring process. Do not count on making up for inadequacies in an interview; your resume
must represent the best product possible.
Resume Writing Mindset
Before you begin, it may be helpful to compile all the information you want to include in your
resume. The writing process will be much more efficient and fluid this way, and it will ensure you
don’t forget to include anything.
It is important to thoroughly review the vacancy announcement for the position you are seeking.
You will be tailoring your resume to this information and are strongly advised to use similar
language in your writing.
Make sure to include important keywords and specific phrases from the announcement in your
resume, as human resources will expect to see them. It is also essential that your resume
addresses every qualification.
You may find it helpful to research the specific agency’s mission statement and operational
structure to better understand what anyone attempting to fill the position will be looking for.
Federal resumes follow a similar format to traditional resumes. A conservative, 12-point font is
recommended, as well as 1-inch margins. Bolding headers and breaking up chunks of text with
bullets to showcase specific items will go a long way in making your resume aesthetically
pleasing and easy to read. Because your resume will initially be skimmed, it is important that it
remains streamlined and lacks clutter to ensure you convey as much information as possible.
What is generally included in a Federal Resume?
A federal resume calls for some information that is not generally required on a standard resume,
and not including such information may immediately disqualify you from consideration. It is
extremely important that you carefully read application instructions and include all required
information. Below is a description of what most federal resumes will require, though individual
agencies may choose to require additional information.
Personal Information: You should include your full name, mailing address, email address, and
day and evening phone numbers. It is also necessary to include your country of citizenship,
veteran’s preference points (if eligible), and the highest Federal civilian grade you have held. If
the specific agency you are applying to requests your social security number be sure to include
it, but it is not advisable to include it on generic resumes that anyone can see.
Ex:
Job Description/Objective: Unique to federal resumes, you are required to include the
announcement number, title, series and grade of the job to which you are applying. This can be
found on the vacancy announcement.
Ex:
Skills Summary: This is an opportunity to immediately highlight the fact that you are a qualified
candidate. In detail, list your qualifications that pertain to the vacancy announcement.
Remember to use key words! Feel free to include qualifications and accomplishments that do
Field Staff Law Enforcement Ranger, BLM, Announcement: NV-DEU-2007-0034, GS 1801-07/11
Joseph W. Friday
1234 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Cell: (555) 555-4321
Evening: (555) 555-1234
jwfriday007@email.com
Country of Citizenship: United States
Social Security #: 123-45-6789
Veteran’s Preferences: N/A
Federal Civilian Status: N/A
___________________________________________________________________
not directly pertain to the specific position but which you wish to highlight (though primary
importance should be placed on the required qualifications).
Ex:
Work Experience: Relevant experience from the past decade should be in chronological order
(with the most recent first). For each job, include your title, your employer’s name and address,
supervisor’s name and phone number, and whether they may be contacted. Also be sure to
include your starting and ending dates (as specific as possible), the hours per week you worked,
and the salary you received. First, write a brief summary of your roles and duties as a job
description. However, the majority of your writing should be concerned with describing your
accomplishments. Be sure to quantify the impact of your accomplishments, and how they are
relevant to the job you are applying for.
Ex:
Education: List the name, city, and state of any institution you have attended, even if you did
not complete the program/degree. For degrees that you did obtain, include the major and type.
Don’t forget to include your high school diploma or GED. Consider listing your achieved GPA if it
is above 3.0.
Law Firm of Adams and Jones
1200 19th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20009
Investigator/Paralegal September 2007 – Present
Assist firm in criminal investigation and litigation.
Salary: $27,000/year (June 2008 – Present), $12.50/hour (September 2007 – May 2008)
Hours: 40/week (June 2008 – Present), 20-30/week (September 2007 – May 2008)
Supervisor: John Adams
TelePhone: 202-979-5566
Employer may be contacted
Position:
- Gather and investigate pertinent information related to litigation proceedings of firm
- Work in conjunction with FBI and other law enforcement agencies to collect evidence for criminal
- and civil litigation
- Take pictures of crime scenes, gather facts, and analyze data for case preparation
- Interview inmates within DC jail in preparation for trial
- Conduct research into relevant case law looking for precedent and pertinent statutes
- Prepare legal documents, reports, and exhibits
- Draft and serve subpoenas
- Research: legislative, newspaper, Internet, international, Library of Congress and the
- Congressional Research Service
- Writing & Editing: reports, correspondence, emails, PowerPoints, web content, newspaper
articles, newsletter content
- Project coordination: compiling information, planning and coordinating completion,
tracking status, follow-up, and managing details
- Languages: Communicate in American Sign Language and Costa Rica Sign Language;
- Read and Write in English and Spanish
- Computer skills: Microsoft Suite: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel; Keyboard 50 wpm
Ex:
Other Qualifications: Before you are done, make sure to include anything else you feel will
make you an appealing candidate for the position. Be sure to include any honors you have
received, particularly performance awards or designation of special projects. Also include any
job-related training courses you have completed, relevant certificates or licenses you have
obtained, or publications you have authored.
Be sure to also include any leadership activities or community involvement and list
memberships in professional or honor societies, public speaking engagements, and community
service.
When it comes to including religious or political activities in this section, it is important to keep
discretion in mind. If your involvement in such organizations will showcase leadership ability or
other positive qualifications, feel free to include them. On the other hand, it is important to
balance the fact that involvement in certain organizations may not appeal to some of those who
are reviewing your resume. If you do decide to include such activities, try and use general
language to avoid any potential controversy.
Ex:
Other Qualifications:
- Staff Writer, The Eagle (AU Student Newspaper), 2005 – 2006
- Residence Hall Representative, AU Student Senate, 2004 – 2006
- Chairperson, AU Toy Drive, 2005
- As student project lead, independently organized campaign to collected over 2,000 new and gently
used toys to relieve toy shortage for the kids and adolescents at Children’s Hospital in Washington,
DC
- Received Community Service Award for 2005-2006 from AU Student Government
- AU Outdoors Club, 2005 - 2008
American University, Washington, DC 20016
Bachelor of Arts, Justice, magna cum laude May 2008
Minors: Language/Area Studies: France; Language/Area Studies: Japan
Academic: GPA: 3.7/4.0
Academic Honors: Deans List (6 of 8 semesters)
Honor Society Membership: Phi Kappa Phi
Relevant Coursework:
Introduction to Justice Research (used SPSS and other research methods to write a 15-page paper on
the history of the FBI in relation to its employment practices); Analysis of the Executive Branch (wrote a
20- page paper on the political relationship between the FBI and the Executive branch); Crime
Prevention;
Comparative Systems of Law & Justice
University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 183-8534, Japan
AU Study Abroad, January 2007 – May 2007
Woodbridge Senior High School, Woodbridge, VA 22192
College preparatory curriculum, received diploma. June 2004
Framing Accomplishments using the CCAR Method:
When it comes to detailing problems you have overcome or positive change you have enacted
in your work experience, it may be helpful to utilize the CCAR (Challenge, Context, Action, and
Result) format. This is a storytelling model that allows you to showcase your leadership ability.
There are four components:
Challenge: What change were you trying to direct? What problems needed to be fixed?
Context: Describe the situational background. Describe the individuals and groups you worked
with, and/or the environment in which you worked. Who, what, when, where, and why?
Action: What steps did you take to effect the change or produce results?
Result: What measurable results were achieved? Describe the impact of your leadership.
After ensuring you have all parts of the model, it is possible to combine each aspect into a
single, dynamic statement.
Tips for writing a strong resume:
1) Check resume for misspellings or grammatical errors.
2) Translate acronyms or technical jargon.
3) Avoid including personal belief or philosophies.
4) While it is acceptable to include relevant work experience from more than 10 years ago,
it is recommended that you focus primarily on the previous decade.
5) Make sure to have your resume peer-reviewed. You’d be surprised what mistakes can
be caught or insights given by a pair of fresh eyes. When in doubt, ask for advice!
6) Use an active voice. For example, “Managed office of 20 employees” is better than,
“Was responsible for office management.”
7) Remain clear and concise. Wordy or irrelevant information will serve to confuse the
reader and clutter your resume.
8) Use action words such as “managed”, “coordinated” or “supervised”.
9) Strengthen your application by including quantitative data- make mention of specific
numbers and data such as the number of people you have managed or the percentage
by which you increased revenue.
Conclusion
Your resume is an integral part of any career advancement you hope to achieve. We hope that
you have learned not only to differentiate between a private sector and federal resume, but also
to create a product that that effectively portrays both your accomplishments and qualifications.
Applying for a Federal job may seem daunting at first, but we hope this guide has presented you
with the knowledge and ability to obtain the vacancy you seek.
Sample Resume 1
Uncle Sam
1111 Career Place
Job Center, Maryland 20502
Business: 301-123-1111 – Residence: 301-123-5555
Country of citizenship: United States of America
Veterans’ Preference: No
Highest Grade: GS-0201-13, 10/2005-Present
Contact Current Employer: Yes
AVAILABILITY
Job Type: Permanent
Work Schedule: Full Time
DESIRED LOCATIONS
US-MD-Montgomery County
WORK EXPERIENCE
National Institutes of Health Dates: 10/05 – Present
National Cancer Institute Grade Level: GS-13
6130 Executive Blvd., Room 4296 Salary: $100,904
Bethesda, MD 20892 Hours Per Week: 40
Supervisor: David Marshall (301) 444-1111 (Permission to contact)
Serve as Program Manager overseeing an $8,000,000 contract, with two locations, 7
Federal and 12 contract employees
Manage a staff of four Program Analysts and three Program Assistants
Advise Administrative Officers on program issues including grant funding, policies, and
procedures
Counsel grantees on grant questions and concerns
Present over 30 grant writing workshops to grantees and staff per year
Developed a grant writing training manual that has been used as a model by other
departments within NCI
Manage 45 grantees and 125 grants with a total budget of $40,000,000
Coordinate with Program Directors and Administrative Officers on the allocation of grant
funding
Instruct NIH Grant Writing Basic Course and NIH Grant Writing Advanced Course
National Institutes of Health Dates: 6/93 – 9/05
National Cancer Institute Grade Level: GS-11
6130 Executive Blvd., Room Salary: $52,027
Bethesda, MD 20892 Hours Per Week: 40
Supervisor: Howard Gordon (301) 444-3333 (Permission to contact)
Served as Project Officer for $2,000,000 contract
Coordinated award pay and bonuses for NCI
Advised NCI Managers on personnel actions
Provided reports to internal customers, senior level managers, the Department of Health
and Human Services, and the Office of Personnel Management
Coached, motivated, and supervised three employees to provide exceptional customer
service
Presented workshops on personnel management and contract management
Created and maintained multiple databases on benefits, payroll, and personnel actions
National Institutes of Health Dates: 7/90 – 5/93
National Cancer Institute Grade Level: GS-09
6130 Executive Blvd., Room 3535 Salary: $30,567
Bethesda, MD 20892 Hours Per Week: 40
Supervisor: Tony Stevens (301) 444-1212 (Permission to contact)
Served as Program Analyst advising and counseling NCI employees on personnel
questions and issues
Reviewed, analyzed, and evaluated the NCI extramural program
Developed program goals and policies
Responsible for all recruit actions within the department
Supervised two stay in school students and one secretary
Provided program support in the areas of personnel management, administration and
budget
Maintained performance appraisal system for the Institute
Developed standard performance elements for NCI positions
Trained and advised the administrative officers on personnel and policy issues
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration, Georgetown Univ., Washington, DC 2001
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Univ., of Richmond, Richmond, VA1990
(GPA - 3.6)
JOB RELATED TRAINING
Managing Multiple Projects, American Management Association 2002
Project Management, American Management Association 2001
Administrative Office Management, USDA Graduate School 1999
Federal Government Grant Writing, USDA Graduate School 1997
Personnel Actions and Personnel Management Course, USDA Graduate School 1995
Staffing and Placement, USDA Graduate School 1995
HONORS AND AWARDS
Excellence in Management (NCI) 2001
NCI Director’s award for Excellence in Extramural Program Development 1999 & 2001
Received outstanding performance appraisal 1990-Present
NCI Outstanding Leader Award 1996 & 1999
AFFILIATIONS
Coach – Girls Softball (ages 10 –12) Rockville, MD 1998-Present
Coordinate fundraisers and manage the softball league’s finances
COMMITTEES/ORGANIZATIONS
NIH Human Resources Consolidation Committee 2002
NCI Human Resources Computer Research Team 1999-2001
Sample Resume 2
Michael Cavalier
1234 Any Lane | Berkeley, CA | 94720 | Mobile: 415.555.5555 | michael.cavalier@gmail.com
JOB TITLE
Economist, 0110-16
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 12-923009-DB
Veteran’s Preference: N/A | Federal Civilian Status: N/A | Country of Citizenship: USA
WORK EXPERIENCE
Federal Reserve Board of the Bay Area | Oakland, CA 6/2011 - Present
Senior Examiner
Supported the development and execution of effective supervision programs for
evaluating market and liquidity risk consistent with bank standards and expectations
Monitored issues, trends, and developments through the review of internal risk
management reports, regulatory filings, regulatory surveillance results, regulatory
examination reports and work papers
Documented analysis of financial and business issues which highlighted emerging
issues and trends that warranted further review
Supported the supervision and coordination of examination and inspection activities
Oversaw on-site inspections and examination activities and assessed findings,
conclusions, and recommended ratings
Coordinated examination and inspection activities to ensure objectives and
deadlines were met in accordance with bank standards and expectations
Developed and sustained sound working relationships with domestic and foreign
regulators by using communication, teamwork, and influencing skills to ensure
appropriate leverage of their work in support of the overall supervisory program
USA Financial Services | Palo Alto, CA 9/2007 – 9/2009
Wealth Management Personal Trust Relationship Manager
Acted as an administrator of trust accounts for high net worth clients where the bank
acts as a trustee, executor, administrator, conservator, guardian, depositor, or agent
Provided expert advice and counsel related to personal trust product and services
Administered accounts in a manner that ensured compliance with legal requirements
and business lines policies and procedures
Managed the development and sustainability of client relationships for Wealth
Management
Brown Brothers Harriman | Denver, CO 7/2006 – 9/2007
Compliance Analyst, Investor Services
Monitored compliance requirements for funds daily utilizing Charles River
Development ComplianceMaster system
Prepared monthly and quarterly compliance reports which included solutions to
compliance issues published in the Quarterly Board Reports
Assisted Compliance Business Analyst with ComplianceMaster rule-writing
Completed review of daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly compliance reporting for
staff analyst
EDUCATION
Graduate School of Business, University of Southern Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA
Masters of Business Administration May 2011
University of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Science, Applied Mathematics May 2006
Bachelor of Arts, Chicana and Chicano Studies May 2006
LICENSES
FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63
References
http://www.archives.gov/careers/jobs/forms/resume-guide.pdf
http://images.military.com/ContentFiles/FedResHandbook.pdf
http://www.amazon.com/Federal-Resume-Guidebook-Promoted-
Government/dp/1563709252#reader_1563709252
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/WorkingatFDA/UCM279014.pdf
http://dmna.ny.gov/jobs/fed_res_guide.pdf
http://www.nps.gov/training/tel/Guides/Federal_Resume_pg_20060407.pdf
http://www.sc.edu/career/Pdf/federalresume.pdf
http://tsacareercoaching.tsa.dhs.gov/index.php/federal-applications-part-3/
http://www.fedsmith.com/2011/01/03/avoid-these-common-pitfalls-your-federal/
https://american.edu/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=153959
http://oamp.od.nih.gov/division/saps/SAS10/Present/SampleFR.pdf
http://www.sec.gov/jobs/jobs_sampleres.shtml
