We’re Federal Resume Writers with Years of Experience
It is vitally important to present an outstanding application when applying for federal jobs. In government hiring, the job application plays a much stronger role than it does in the private sector. Your resume is the only thing you have to represent you in the initial competition for a federal job. If it doesn’t represent you and your skills well enough, you won’t get an opportunity to convince the hiring official in an interview. You must portray your previous work experience extremely well in order to make it past the initial phase of the job competition.
A federal resume allows you to more fully express yourself while still providing the required information in the proper format for federal job applications. Let professional federal resume writers articulate your experience, training, and skills in a highly professional manner and increase your chances of securing an interview. Our federal resume service is among the top three used by government job seekers.
Writing An Effective Federal Resume
The federal job application process may be daunting at first because of the many specifications the federal government has for the process. However, once you understand the format of a federal resume the process becomes easier.
What is a Federal Resume?
Applying for jobs with the federal government requires you to provide much more information than you do in the private sector. A resume that includes all of this information and is also formatted to certain specifications is called a federal or government resume, and federal resume services specialize in writing just this sort of resume for job applicants.
Many times, federal jobs will also require that you fill out a special application for that job, such as the SF-171 or the OF-612. Though these forms do not have any information that a federal resume does not have, they give the information the proper format that the hiring agency is looking for. When applying, be sure that you double-check the vacancy announcement to be sure you are using the correct form.
Unlike resumes in other industries, federal resumes are always chronological. They should begin with your most recent job experience and proceed to your last. When describing your jobs, be sure to use words and phrases that were used in the vacancy announcement. You should include experiences up to the last ten years, and this may make your resume as long as five pages.
Federal Resume Writing Service Since 2005
There are some things that you absolutely cannot omit from a federal resume as you would from a resume you are submitting to a private employer. Without this information, you will be automatically rejected as a candidate. The following seven topics must be included in your resume:
Personal Information
As with any resume, your contact information, including at least two telephone numbers and a mailing address should be at the top of the page.
However, it is not just your contact information that you will need to put on a federal resume. You must also have your Social Security Number, of what country you are a citizen, and any military experience. Military experience is important because of the veterans’ preference rules. If you have previously worked for the federal government, you must include your civilian grade and whether or not you are able to be reinstated.
Job Information
On the resume itself you should also state clearly what job you are applying for. Use the job vacancy number and also remember to include the title, series, and grade of the job.
Summary of Experience
Following the personal and job information, you should begin writing out your experience. Be sure to summarize it in a way that will impress your potential employers. This is the part of the resume that has the most potential to make you stand out amongst the dozens or hundreds of other applications.
Professional Accomplishments
Next, you should begin listing all of the previous jobs that you have held. List these jobs chronologically, starting with the job you have held the most recently. Do not just put your title and the company name, however. You should include the address and phone number of the company, and the name of your supervisor. It should also include information such as your salary and schedule.
Federal resume services also include an explanation of just what it was you did at your previous jobs. Describe the duties that you held, and be as specific as possible. It is the best idea to use bullet points for this section of your resume. Do not worry about length, either, as federal resumes are always longer than resumes for the private sector.
Education
Following your professional accomplishments you should describe your education. Put your most recent educational accomplishments at the top, and proceed from there to the lowest degree that you hold. As with the professional section, be sure that you include all pertinent contact and mailing information for the educational institutions that you attended and received degrees from.
Training
A federal resume should include all pertinent trainings and certifications that you hold. Like the rest of the resume, it should be in chronological order and begin with the most recent accomplishment. Include years that you finished training courses and the names and contact information of the institutions where you took them.
Other Qualifications
Federal resume writers also include a special section for any other qualifications that candidates may have for the job. It is a good idea to make separate sections for different categories of qualifications such as presentations, certifications, publications, and awards that you have received. Be sure that you include as much information as possible. This includes, names, places, dates, and why it is pertinent as a qualification.
Putting Together the Federal Resume and Application
A federal resume takes a good bit more work than the usual private sector resume. However, by putting the time into creating a professional, polished federal resume service you will have a document that represents you and your accomplishments much better than a shorter document or a regular federal government application form.
A good idea is to continually double-check the job vacancy posting to be sure that you are correctly providing information and using the right KSA statements in your federal application. Many questions will likely arise for you, as it is a complicated task. The job announcement, however, should contain most of the information that you need and will help you to be successful in seeking out a job with the federal government.
Choose a Resume Service that Specializes in Writing Federal Resumes
KSA Doctor is one of the best federal resume writing services you will find. We’ve been writing resumes just for federal government job applicants since 2005. And n that time we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. Put our experience to use and let us represent your skills and experience like you’ve never seen it done before.