Federal Resume: What Information Do I Need To Get Started Writing My Federal Resume?

Employment / Work / Service History:

Information about your professional experience for the last 10 years, listing each of your jobs with month started and month finished. Place major focus on last three to four jobs. Make sure this information is comprehensive and detailed in terms of what you did at each position. Try to focus on the skills you used and the results you were responsible for making happen. Keep these questions in mind:

What skills/competencies did I use? How did I do the work?

• How did I overcome challenges – what skills did I exercise?
• Who were my customers/clients?
• How did I communicate with others?

Information for each job you have held:

• Job Title
• Company name (without abbreviations), City, State and Zip Code
• Salary (total compensation) information
• Supervisor’s first and last name and phone number

Information about your university or college education, along with the year graduated and major(s) and minor(s). If you have not graduated, please provide the number of semester hours toward completion of your degree. You can include your GPA if it is really high or you are a recent graduate.

Information about the following:

• Technical / Computer skills
•  Security Clearance – previous or current with details
•  Publications
•  Special activities
•  Community service
•  Special interests
•  Volunteer activities
•  Memberships
•  Presentations
•  Languages

Accomplishment Stories: 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.

For more information on transforming your background into a magnificent Federal resume that attracts the attention of HR, visit us on the web at www.FederalJobResults.com.