5 Quick Tips for a 5-page SES Application

ONE. Use clear, simple, and direct language. Use first person implied, steer clear of jargon, and replace buzz words with real words. Omit useless adjectives and adverbs and use strong, interesting nouns and verbs instead. Use active (“Led $4M program…”) not passive (“Was responsible for…”) voice. Avoid project management or process management language, which suggests something more administrative or lower level. You didn’t just “schedule regular project meetings” but “convened stakeholders and facilitated informed, leadership decisions.”

TWO. Display real leadership accomplishments – especially those at the program or enterprise level – and describe them in leadership terms. In other words, no “helped,” “supported,” “was tasked to” etc. Synopsize them in CCAR (Challenge-Context-Actions-Results) summaries that reveal your actual leadership challenges and your actual leadership actions that delivered mission-focused, organizational outcomes. Include 2 examples aligned to each of the 5 ECQs subjects. While OPM’s guidance tells you not to label which ECQ your leadership accomplishments map to, I’ve found that agencies want candidates to flag the relevant ECQs and TQs for them. You may add a short descriptor at the end of the accomplishment summary, for example: “[ECQ2 (Diversity & Inclusion; Conflict Management); ECQ4 (Human Capital Resource Management); TQ2 (Leading Human Capital Programs)].

THREE. Use metrics to describe duties and responsibilities as well as organizational outcomes. Size of budget managed in actual dollars, as well as what proportion this represented of a larger $XX budget? Number of employees supervised? Percentage change achieved? Turnaround time reduced from X months to Y days?

FOUR. Focus on recent and relevant jobs and accomplishments, devoting most of the job block space to GS-14/15 jobs. Break out your “acting” leadership roles and details as separate job blocks with specific accomplishments listed. Identify major accomplishments within the past 10 years. Devote less space to jobs and accomplishments at the GS-13 level unless there is something major that reflects well upon the TQs. Devote very little space to jobs and activities that took place more than 10 years ago or were lower levels.

FIVE. Respect the eyes and sensibilities of your readers. Which means pay attention to aesthetics. Proofread your work. Respect white space on the page. Use the right words –– for example, it’s “tenets” not “tenants.” Use consistent formatting. Use Word’s tools as well as your own common sense to help you achieve and maintain a consistent style. For example, if it says “U.S.” in one place it should not say “US” elsewhere; if it says “long-term goals” in one place it should not say “long term goals” somewhere else.

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