“Writing a Competitive Federal Government Résumé
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Transcript of “Writing a Competitive Federal Government Résumé
CBP safeguards America's borders by protecting the public
from dangerous people and materials, while enabling trade
and travel.
The Federal Career Connection program was created in 2011 by volunteers to
provide facilitator-led workshops to equip job seekers with the right mix of
information and resources to enhance their federal job search.
Federal Career Connection Workshop Series• “Charting an Effective Course for
Success”Know your bearing
• “Planning and Navigating your Career
into Public Service”Know your terrain
• “Targeting Federal Jobs”Know your target
• “Writing a Competitive Federal
Government RésuméKnow your brand
What is the purpose
of a résumé?
1) To get you a job
2) To show all your past work
history
3) To show how great you are
4) All of the above
The sole purpose of a
résumé is to get you an
interview with the bloke
in charge!
British actor, Rick Gervais, "The Office" (UK TV series)
The Writing a Federal Government Résumé workshop teaches
the job seeker how to write a federal résumé that captures
transferable skills and core competencies.
Introduction
I. Before your write your résumé ... know your target career field
II. Human resources & the hiring manager: you must write for both
III. The basic skinny of a federal résumé
IV. Your personal brand … the spiciest part of you
V. If you think you need only one résumé … think again!
Course Agenda
“The choice of an occupation is a very important factor in
the success of life. The earlier it can be done the better. The
more nearly the aptitudes of the man or woman fit the
occupation, the more congenial and successful is the career.
Strong minds readily indicate the pursuit for which they are
naturally fit; others do not”.
(William M. Thayer, 1893)
Before your write your résumé ... know your
target career field
Identify Your Field of
Interest
More than 2 million federal
civilian workers employed in
350 different occupations.
“...your time is much better spent tailoring a fewapplications to their target audiences than carpet-bombing the world with many untailored, genericapplications that will all probably miss their mark. Putanother way: If you are unwilling to devote an otherwiseenjoyable weekend to tailoring your application to yourtarget job, some of your competitors almost certainly willbe willing to do so — and so they will probably beat youin the competition”.
(Lily Whiteman, Career Matters, Federal Times, Feb. 4, 2013)
Human resources & the hiring manager: you
must write for both
When writing for the hiring manager,
make sure your résumé… Is eye-catching and properly sequenced
to the target job;
Targets the position (it’s not an
anthology);
Highlights your career summary;
Showcases your awesome achievements;
Presents you as an experienced veteran
of that career field;
Never begins each bullet with
“...ing” or “I”;
Leads with POWER verbs and
key words from the federal job
announcement;
Easily understood by non-
specialists;
Polished and error-free; and
Wakes up hiring managers.
Top 6 Universal Candidate Skills
Communication Skills
Problem Solving Skills
Teamwork Skills
Technical Skills
Customer Service
Continuous Development
“The federal résumé is becoming even more important as
agencies try to simplify their applications. Emphasize and
re-emphasize areas where your previous experience or
education overlaps with the duties and qualifications listed
in the job opportunity announcement”.
The basic skinny of a federal résumé
Chronological résumé is the best format:
Contains a logical flow of text;
Easy to read;
Highlights a steady work record; and
Showcases growth in responsibilities.
Federal résumé writing tips
Length:
A federal résumé can be 2-5 pages; but some senior positions
may exceed six pages;
A federal résumé highlights 10 to 15 years of experience;
A federal résumé is detailed focus; and
Some electronic résumés have restrictive character lengths.
Federal résumé writing tips
Also remember…
Wikipedia is a good source to obtain key words (noun) of
various job descriptions;
What sets you apart is a tailored résumé to the job;
Indicate in your résumé what you can do for the employer, not
give an account of your anthology; and
Highlight transferable skills!
Federal résumé writing tips
“The concept of personal branding within résumés is a
relatively new strategy, but has already been embraced by
many successful job changers, at all professional levels, as
a powerful, self-marketing tool. Your résumé is your calling
card, or first opportunity to influence a lasting impression
of you”.
(Meg Guiseppi, Job-hunt.org)
Your personal brand … the spiciest part of you
Your personal brand What are you most passionate about? What do you care deeply about?
What are your top 3 or 4 personal attributes – the things that define
how you make things happen?
What are your 3 or 4 greatest strengths or top motivated skills (things
you love doing) that have benefitted previous organizations?
What differentiates you from your competition for your next job? What
do you have to offer that no one else does?
Personal brand examples
PROJECT MANAGER: Delivering excellence in operations management,
design implementation, and strategic, collaborative problem-solving to the
industrial construction industry.
SENIOR EXECUTIVE: Specialize in raising the bar, creating strategy,
managing risk, and improving the quality and caliber of operations.
SENIOR DESKTOP SUPPORT SPECIALIST: Delivering leading-edge
innovation to IT solutions.
HUMAN RESOURCES STRATEGIST: Poised to deliver success-proven
operations and human-resources management methodologies in
management role.
“In today’s job-hunting environment, the most
successful job-seekers are those who
understand the value of marketing and apply
to themselves those principles that companies
have used for years to successfully sell their
products”.
(Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Quintessential Careers)
If you think you need only one résumé … think again!
Networking Card
Lily Whiteman, author of “How to Land a Top-Paying federal
Job”
One-page résumé
Kathryn Troutman, author of the “Federal Résumé Guidebook”
Job search marketing tools
If you’re applying to more than one type of federal career
field, then you must create a résumé for each one.
Write one résumé for each federal career field
Public
Affairs
Public
Affairs
Human
Resources
Public
Affairs
Human
Resources
Program
Analyst
1 résumé
2 résumés
3 résumés
So, what have you learned?
Before your write your résumé, you must know your target
career field;
When preparing your résumé, you should not only write to
meet the basic qualifications for the job, but also for the hiring
official;
The best type of federal résumé is the chronological format; and
Always market your personal brand, through various
communication methods.