Welcome to 2016!
Maybe it’s time to start your federal job search, or maybe you have been job searching for awhile and need a new plan. Either way, it’s a good time to evaluate your federal resume to make sure you are on the right track.
Answer the questions below to score your federal resume:
- Resume Length
a. My federal resume is 1-2 pages in length.
b. My federal resume is 6+ pages in length.
c. My federal resume is 3-5 pages in length.
- Dates of Employment
a. I do not list any dates of employment on my federal resume.
b. I list the year started and the year ended.
c. I list the month and year started and the month and year ended for each job block.
- Federal Resume Format
a. I use mostly bullets in my federal resume.
b. I use one big paragraph for each job block.
c. I use separate paragraphs of reasonable length for each job block but no keyword headers.
d. I list the oldest job first in my federal resume.
e. I use separate paragraphs of reasonable length in reverse chronological order with keyword headers for each paragraph.
- Keywords
a. I do not use any keywords in my federal resume.
b. I use keywords from just the occupational series.
c. I use keywords from just one vacancy announcement to apply for all positions.
d. Each time I apply, I update my resume with keywords from the vacancy announcement.
- Accomplishments
a. I do not add any accomplishments into my federal resume.
b. I add one or two accomplishments in my federal resume.
c. I add 1-3 accomplishments for each job block in my federal resume.
- One Year Specialized Experience
a. I do not ever check if I meet the One Year Specialized Experience for a position when I apply.
b. I check whether I meet the One Year Specialized Experience, but I do not add it to my federal resume when I apply.
c. I check whether I meet the One Year Specialized Experience for each application, and I add this information to my federal resume each time I apply.
Answers
There is only ONE correct answer for each question above if you want to get hired into the federal government in 2016.
Yes, just one.
You may be tempted to think “I can apply for federal jobs with my two-page private industry resume,” or “I don’t really need to update my federal resume every time I apply.” Don’t fall into these traps. There is no shortcut for writing a federal resume that will get you hired.
Your federal resume must correctly hit each and every point mentioned above in order to be successful in competing for federal jobs. Don’t skip over any of these points thinking that they are not completely necessary.
The common sense tip for your federal resume: Make sure your federal resume is 100% complete before you waste time and job opportunities 2016.
(The correct answers for the quiz are the last choice for each: 1c 2c 3e 4d 5c 6c)
Need Help?
If you need help to make sure your federal resume meets all of the requirements, let us know.
The best way to get started is for us to review your resume for you to see whether your resume hits all the required points. It’s a very low-priced service ($49.95) that we offer that provides you critical information to move forward with your federal job search.
Just fill out this short intake form to get started.
Or, contact us if you have other questions about our services.
Paulina Chen has a passion for taking the complex and making it simple for people to understand. Paulina has been a graphic designer, developmental editor, and webmaster for The Resume Place for over 10 years. Since receiving her Certified Federal Job Search Trainer certification, she has been eager to show federal applicants that writing your best possible federal resume is within your reach. If you need expert advice or training, Kathryn Troutman the “Federal Resume Guru” is your best bet on the planet.
