SES Memo 2025 and SES 2-Page Resume Writing and Consulting
OPM rewrote the Senior Executive Service application. The 10-page ECQ narratives are gone, the resume is capped at 2 pages, and from FY 2026 a structured interview carries the qualifications review. Here is what the memo says and what you have to do about it.
The source
The memo, as issued
Charles Ezell, Acting Director, US Office of Personnel Management, to the heads and acting heads of departments and agencies, May 29, 2025. Read the full memo on chcoc.gov.
Page 1Signed by the Acting Director and addressed to every department and agency head.
Page 2Where OPM replaces the previous qualifications and names the five that follow.
Page 3The resume-only application method, and the end of the 10-page narratives.
The directive
Agencies shall immediately discontinue the use of 10-page narrative essays in the hiring process. Instead, they shall adopt a resume-only initial application method, with resumes capped at 2 pages.
The five new Executive Core Qualifications
OPM issued these to align SES hiring with the new SES Performance Plan. They replace the previous five. Read the full ECQs and sub-competencies.
Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding
Demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
Driving Efficiency
Demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
Merit and Competence
Demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
Leading People
Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
Achieving Results
Demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.
The old process and the new one
Source: OPM memorandum, Hiring and Talent Development for the Senior Executive Service, May 29, 2025.
| The application | Before the memo | Under the memo |
|---|---|---|
| Initial submission | 10-page ECQ narrative essays | Resume only, capped at 2 pages |
| Technical qualifications | Separate written TQ narratives | Narratives prohibited. Assessed by interview and resume review |
| ECQ assessment | Written narrative scored by the QRB | Structured interview on the new ECQs, from FY 2026 |
| Agency leadership | Involved at selection | Involved throughout the full hiring process |
| The core list | Five ECQs including DEI factors | Five new ECQs led by the rule of law |
The memo, point by point
What OPM directed agencies to do
The memo implements the President’s directives and reforms an application process OPM describes as paperwork heavy and consultant driven.
Stop the 10-page narratives now
Agencies shall immediately discontinue the use of 10-page narrative essays in the hiring process. OPM’s stated reason is that the burden cost the government high-caliber executive applicants.
Adopt a resume-only application
Agencies shall adopt a resume-only initial application method, with resumes capped at 2 pages. This aligns Federal SES hiring with private industry and the Merit Hiring Plan.
Prohibit qualification narratives
The guidance prohibits both Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications narratives. Agencies may assess those qualifications through assessments, interviews, and resume reviews.
Interview for fit and the new ECQs
Politically accountable agency leadership, or designees, should be involved throughout the full hiring process, including interviewing prospective SES to confirm organizational fit, technical acumen, and alignment with the new ECQs.
Move the QRB to a structured interview
By statute OPM must convene Qualifications Review Boards to certify SES hires, 5 U.S.C. § 3393(c). Beginning in FY 2026, OPM transitions from narrative essays to a structured interview assessment based on the new ECQs for all QRB submissions.
Tighten the QRB deadline
OPM also changed the deadline for Qualifications Review Board submissions, set out in Appendix 2 of the memo, to speed up career SES hiring.
What to do about it
Two pages is harder than ten
Ten pages let you explain. Two pages make you choose. The accomplishments you keep are the ones you will be asked about in the structured interview, so the resume and the interview are now one piece of work.
Pick the accomplishments that survive the cut
You have room for a handful. Each one has to prove an ECQ, carry a measurable result, and hold up under questioning. Draft them with the free CCAR Accomplishment Builder, then cut.
Map every accomplishment to a new ECQ
The old ECQ set no longer scores. An accomplishment written for Leading Change or Building Coalitions may not land against Driving Efficiency or Commitment to the Rule of Law. Rewrite against the current five.
Format the resume the way OPM prescribes
See Appendix 2 of OPM’s Guide to SES Qualifications. QRB panel members read the resume for initial evidence of ECQ competencies, to validate in the interview. Guide to SES Qualifications, page 9.
Prepare the interview from the same page
Your accomplishments become your interview stories. Practice telling them aloud before the panel date, because OPM may give only a few days’ notice of a QRB interview.
The 3-hour 2-page SES resume consultation
The service
A senior SES writer works the whole application with you: which accomplishments earn the space, how each one proves a new ECQ, and how the resume sets up the structured interview.
- A working session on your target position and executive record.
- Accomplishment selection and coaching against the five new ECQs.
- The 2-page resume in the format OPM prescribes.
- Technical qualifications handled inside the resume, since narratives are prohibited.
- A plan for the Executive Review Board and QRB structured interviews.
Keep reading
The rest of the SES practice, and the primary sources behind this page.
The new ECQs and sub-competencies
Every competency OPM lists under the five ECQs, with the CCAR model for writing accomplishments against them.
Learn more 02The 2-page SES resume
How the format works, what it has to carry, and how we build it.
Learn more 03SES structured interview preparation
Two 75-minute sessions with an executive coach and a recorded mock interview.
Learn more 04Read the OPM memo
Hiring and Talent Development for the Senior Executive Service, May 29, 2025, on chcoc.gov.
Learn moreThe Guide to SES Qualifications and the QRB (2025)
OPM published the companion guide on August 25, 2025. It carries the ECQ definitions, the resume format in Appendix 2, and the QRB process the structured interview now follows.
Get started
Two pages, five new ECQs, two interviews
The ERB, and a new interview with the OPM QRB. Bring your record to a senior SES writer and leave with the resume the memo requires.