Wednesday, October 12, 2011

What are the First Steps to Creating my Federal Resume?

Before you start creating your resume, develop several “Accomplishment Stories.”  These are stories about things you have done, accomplishments you have achieved, changes you have instigated, processes you have improved, etc.  These stories can be used to respond to KSA (Knowledge, Skill and Ability) essays.  They bring validity to your skill set.   When writing your “Accomplishment Stories,” provide a variety of examples.   One of the best ways to do this is to review your target vacancy announcements for the KSAs (usually found under “Qualifications and Evaluations” tab).  The KSAs will serve as a guide to determine which topics you may want to cover.  Some examples might involve specific projects, but you can also write about job duties and responsibilities.  You should use specific time, dollar or numerical values whenever possible to show the depth and breadth of your experience at a high level.  Using the following formula, identify several “Accomplishment Stories” for each position you have held.  You can use them to insert into your resume and to talk about during your interview.

Situation: What was the project/assignment and what was the context?
Task: For what tasks were you responsible? What was your role?
Action: What actions did you take to resolve the situation?
Result: What happened as a result of your efforts/involvement in the project?

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