Looking for employment with the federal government, or a company that does significant business with the federal government? If so, you’ll likely to need to apply for the position with a federal resume.
What is a federal resume?
A federal resume, unlike a resume for private sector employer, is primarily designed to demonstrate qualification for the hiring pool, after which additional semi-objective criteria are applied to score your candidacy and award the position(s) to the highest score(s). For an actual example, you can view our federal resume sample and case study.
What makes a federal resume different from a private sector resume?
A federal resume has fairly stringent requirements relating to what data your resume my convey. General speaking, federal resumes must contain the following, at a minimum:
- Personal information: Name, Contact information, Citizenship, and preference points
- Employer information: Name, Timeline, Location, Title, Supervisor information, and permission (or not) to contact
- Salary Information: Hours per week, compensation, plus GS level and step if applicable
- Education Information: Name, Timeline, Location, Degree or Certificate Conferred
- Other: OTJ training, certificates/licenses, skills, awards, publications, and/or professional memberships
Additionally, federal openings may require KSAs, which stands for “Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” and asks applicants to elaborate on those areas in relation to the job being sought.
Because of these requirements, it is strongly advised that you submit a federally formatted resume when applying for federal (or federal contracting) positions – especially if discovered on USAJobs.com.Still need more information? We encourage you to request a free resume consultation or find out what sets Resume Express apart from our competitors.