Seeking to apply to a federal position, but don't know how to structure your resume? We've got a federal resume guide that will help you match your work experience and skills to a federal position.
A federal resume is not your average resume. It does not consist of only one page, and it can look very different for each government employee depending on what they do. It also shows more detail on the jobs you have done than your average resume as well.
In other words, federal resumes are not just proof of your work, but way more than that.
They can include:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "The federal government offers employment opportunities in a wide range of occupations, agencies, and locations." Therefore, if you're just entering a federal field or have been in one and are now looking to professionalize your federal resume, then you've come to the right place.
In this article, we are going to go over 3 important steps when creating a federal government:
As we keep trying to stress, a federal resume is not your average resume. Therefore, the way you format your resume is critical.
Of course, there are elements you should include that you would in any other resume, like the following:
However, there are also other elements that are crucial to include:
In addition, when structuring your resume, it's important to have the following information on the first page:
Tip: If you have space on the first page, try and include your skills, but this is not necessary. In addition, it is okay for your work experience to extend multiple pages.
Now, when it comes to choosing the format of your resume, we recommend to use the reverse-chronological format. In other words, your resume will emphasize your previous work experience in reverse-chronological order from your latest relevant experience to your earliest relevant experience.
Tip: While a federal resume may look different from a regular resume, the most important thing is to keep professional. This will draw recruiters and hiring managers in, increasing your chances of being hired for the position you are applying for.
If you're wanting to learn more information about formatting your resume, we have a guide that can help.
Federal government positions are no joke, and you can show how serious you are about your career to hiring managers and recruiters by getting straight to the point with your resume through a resume summary.
A resume summary is a 1-3 sentence blurb that summarizes the important stuff on your resume, especially what role you play within your federal career. It can also showcase what you are looking for, which shows hiring managers your dedication and responsibility.
Some items to always include in your federal resume summary are the following:
Tip: Sometimes, it's easier to write your resume summary after you have already written your resume. That way, you can pick and choose what you want to include.
Here's an example of what your resume summary can look like if you were a federal network administrator:
Dependable Veteran network administrator with 8+ years experience and proven skills in data communication and keeping an organization’s computer network up-to-date and operating as intended. Have demonstrated network support at the U.S. Courts in Miami, FL by troubleshooting servers with 50% faster success rates than previous network administrators. Seeking to grow within the U.S. Courts system in Albany, NY.
If you're looking for more help, our guide on writing resume summaries has tons of examples.
As we've mentioned, your federal resume can be quite a few pages long. However, it is important to begin describing your work experience on the first page.
Tip: Describing your previous work experience using multiple bullet points detailing what you did on the job shows hiring managers and recruiters the kind of experience you have and if it matches what they need for the job you are applying for.
When it comes to describing your work experience on a federal resume, you're going to be including more details than normal.
Here are some things to include when describing your work experience:
Tip: When listing your work experience, especially since your resume extends multiple pages, be sure to go in reverse-chronological order, showcasing your most recent experience at the top of your work experience section.
Here's an example of what your work experience section can look like for your federal resume:
Network Administrator, U.S. Courts
Miami, FL • January 2014 — May 2021
Salary: $54,547 Hours/Week: 40
Supervisor: Megan Cassanes, 305-291-4122, may contact
Key Achievements:
Want more tips and tricks on how to write your work experience description? Check out our guide on describing your work experience.
Now, there's much more that goes on your federal resume, but these are definitely the elements you want to include on the first page. When completing your federal resume, be sure it is at least 4-6 pages and contains the following:
Here's a recap of the details we went over in this guide:
Following our guide and making sure to include plenty of detail will help your federal resume get the recognition it deserves. It takes a lot of work to put together this kind of resume, so be sure to give yourself some recognition, too.
Structuring and formatting your resume like this is sure to help you land any federal position you are applying for. Best of luck!
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