Federal Resume Guidebook, 8th Ed.

First-Ever Book on Writing the 2-Page Federal Resume

Kathryn Troutman, Author

Featuring 16 Samples of the 2-Page Federal Resume

( 2 reviews)

Number 1 Resume book in America!

Reddit Review: 9/18/24: “The best resource I’ve found is this book: Federal Resume Guidebook By Kathryn Troutman. I spent a week using this as a guide and I’m going through the resources it offered to write my resume. It also gives you tips on how to use the job announcements to help write you resume and using OPM resources as well.

Independent Press Award Winner
Best 2021 Reference Book – Federal Resume Guidebook

Ben Franklin Award Winner (2021)
GOLD – Reference – Federal Resume Guidebook
SILVER – Business / Careers –  Federal Resume Guidebook

from

$21.95

Published

September 2025

Length

163 pages

Language

English

Format

Print or Digital

Publisher

Resume Place

Notice: Print Book is here!
See Bulk Order Prices below.

Access Sell Sheet – Here

First-ever Book on Writing the 2-Page Federal Resume

Individual Ebook/Print Books: $21.95

  • $10 shipping – US
  • $15 shipping – HI / AK / APO

Bulk Pricing: $21.95 individual books

  • 50 books: $18.00 per book
  • 100 or more: $16.00 per book

Shipping: 25 books per box

  • $35 / box – US
  • $85 / box – HI / AK / APO
  • $110 – Japan / So Korea

Quotes: Write to Nicole Becker ([email protected])

 

Kathryn Troutman, Author

2024-2025 – No. 1 Resume book in America shows you how to write and edit your longform Federal resume into the current 2-page Federal Resume format.

The Federal Resume Guidebook, 8th includes —

16 Two-Page Federal Resumes – different formats and organization of career information

  • How to Find and Analyze USAJOBS Announcements with AI for the best keyword match
  • Sample resumes are Searchable and Skills-Based
  • Formatting your 2-Page Federal Resume
  • Emphasis on short-form and impressive Accomplishments
  • Before and After Resume Samples (longform vs. 2-pPages)
  • Best IT Specialist and Data Analyst Federal Resume Samples
  • Active-Duty Military Spouse Resume
  • Career Change Federal Resume
  • Student / New Grad Resume
  • Wage Grade Federal Resume

16 Federal resume samples in the outline format, WG-6 to GS-14!

20 keyword sets for the 2-Page Federal resume – using AI to be efficient and effective

30+ accomplishment stories

Independent Press Award, 2021, Gold Winner

 

The Book’s New Organization:

  • Part 1: 9 Strategies for Writing a Successful 2-Page Federal Resume
  • Part 2: Federal Career Change Stories
    • Private sector to federal job
    • Recent graduate to federal job
    • Extreme career change in government
    • Federal employee to private sector
  • Part 3: Special Insights for  Data Scientist and Information Technology Specialists
    • Here’s a sampling of the instructive and inspiring Case Studies…
      • Danielle – Successfully got promoted within same agency to a high-paying GS-14 position in the Secret Service.
      • Milton – Transitioned from private industry insurance claims supervisor to working for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).
      • Jenny – Overseas military spouse who got promoted in same Housing agency in Italy.
      • Philip – Went from recent grad to Pathway Internship with US Army Corps of Engineers in South Korea.
        Margaret – Her extreme career change story shows how to find relevant experience in divergent jobs – in her case, from social worker to park ranger.
        Eric – A veteran hired by the US Navy as a civilian Material Handler.
        Ann – Federal contractor in IT moving into the private sector.
    • Important Federal Resume Writing Lessons – to get Best Qualified and Referred to a Manager:
    • A step-by-step process for developing the 2-Page Federal Resume
    • Discovering your competencies through a fun “how many hats do you wear on the job?” exercise
    • How to find keywords from vacancy announcements with AI
    • How to write accomplishment stories to make HR take notice of your resume
    • How to interview and land the position
    • Special considerations for getting promoted
    • How to make those challenging career changes

Want a new federal job? This is the book you need to get there.

Author Kathryn Troutman is an in-demand trainer who is regularly hired by Federal Agencies to teach resume writing and federal job-seeking for their employees. This book is the most up-to-date and cutting-edge guide you’ll find for writing a strong federal resume and successfully landing your great federal job.

2 reviews for Federal Resume Guidebook, 8th Edition

  1. Anonymous

    I began using the same standards when I was asked to assist human resources in reviewing resumes. Since then, I have had a 95% referral success rate and usually get an interview.

  2. Anonymous

    If you are posting resumes on USA Jobs without consulting any of Kathryn Troutman’s books, you’re wrong. I have reviewed thousands of resumes for hundreds of vacancies in my 30 years of federal service. The majority of resumes I receive are horrible, and a waste of my time as a hiring official. Many applicants still use formats abandoned decades ago. I can narrow down 150 applicants to 10 interviews in less than an hour just based on resume format and content. The expectations for GS-5 through GS-15 resumes are slowly migrating to the SES requirements of a 5-page resume based on the ECQs using CCAR paragraphs. If you have been applying for government jobs without success and do not understand that last sentence, then this book will solve your problem.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Create a Digital Federal Career Library with Kathryn Troutman’s Federal Resume Guidebooks!

If you are a mentor, coach, employment specialist, have a copy of all of the Federal career books available to refer to for format samples,

The sample Outline Format Federal resumes can help you with your own Federal Resume format, length, accomplishment writing to help you get BEST QUALIFIED for your federal application.

Digital Book Rules:

  • You will have access to the eBook for 5 years
  • The eBook is accessible on 3 devices or 3 browsers
  • With our eBook platform you can:
  • Mark-up the pages with colors in pan
  • Add notes for your  favorite pages for future reference

Copyright material by Kathryn Troutman

You may not:

  • Print the book
  • Create screenshots of the copyright material
  • Download the PDF of the book

THERE is a watermark at the bottom of each page with your name in the watermark.

FOR A CUSTOM QUOTE:

Write to Nicole Becker ([email protected]) or
use our contact us form and tell us specifically what you are wanting to order (Click here.)

A custom quote is required for ALL bulk orders.

NOTE: A custom quote is required for ALL bulk orders.

Expert Federal Resume Consultation / Review:  After you write your draft Federal Resume in the OUTLINE FORMAT, you could consider

 

We will review:

Announcement: keywords, specialized experience, questionnaire

Federal Resume:  Tell you if the format, organization, keywords, accomplishments are visible for the “human” Human Resources Reviewers.  SIGN UP AND PAY HERE

MORE FEDERAL RESUME BOOKS FOR YOUR FEDERAL CAREER LIBRARY:

After you review the sample Outline Format Federal resumes in the book… if you would like a review of the resume by a Certified Federal Resume Writer, you can sign up for the one-hour consultation. The CFRW will tell you this information:

FIRST, is this a good announcement for you? Grade level; match of specialized Experience, Who May BE Hired (public, competitive, veterans, military spouses, and other hiring authorities)

SECOND, if the announcement is good, we will analyze the announcement for keywords that must be included in the federal resume. we will make a list and give it to you.

THIRD, we will tell you what should change in the federal resume:  Organization of major sections; details of your duties; recommendation for accomplishments; keywords.

This is an invaluable review of your application and feedback on what to change. This is not a full-service WRITING consultation.  We will give you a quote for writing services after we finish the consultation. The rates are $210 per hour up to GS 14;  $260 per hour GS 15 and SES.

 

Resume Place, Inc. goal for your Federal Job Search:  Help you get BEST QUALIFIED for a federal job.  The next goal is to get REFERRED.  This is an HR staff decision. If you are REFERRED, hopefully you will be invited to the INTERVIEW.  If you are good at interviewing you might be selected.

Sign up for the Resume Place Federal Career Newsletter

Once-a-week news on USAJOBS, Federal Resumes, SES ECQs, Hiring Authorities, and Interview Tips.

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