Federal Resume Writing Dos And Don’ts

Posted by: Eric Civi  /  Category: Career Resource Center, Government
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Most people have at least taken a stab at writing a regular resume, but writing a government resume is somewhat different. You can’t just follow the rules of writing a standard resume and assume that it will land you that government job. These days, writing the resume on the Federal resume form is the recognized protocol; it is also called the OF-612 form. Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to writing a federal resume

Include personal information as requested: Be certain to include your complete contact information, such as your name, address and email, reinstatement eligibility if applicable and job series and dates of previous positions as applicable.

Write school history in chronological order: Unlike standard resumes, you are going to provide your background info and skills in chronological rather than reverse chronological order. So, for education, you’ll want to start with your high school education, and move on up from there.

List any major studied, and include the total credits earned: It might be appealing to use bullet points for these paragraphs, but be careful; while bullet points are great for civilian resumes, they’re less applicable in government job applications.

Be as detailed as possible: Again, while civilian resumes focus on being brief and to the point, federal employers are going to want to know precisely what you’ve done, specifically as it relates to education and experience.

List equivalent experience: There may be times when your education doesn’t exactly fit the qualifications needed for the position, but if you’ve had experience that will qualify you nonetheless, make sure you list it.

There are a few don’ts when it comes to writing your government resume, as well.

Don’t fail to include precise information as it pertains to the job you’re applying to: you can fill in the gaps if you don’t have the necessary education for a specific job by detailing experience, but if specific information is asked for, be sure to include it.

Don’t skimp: write everything to the fullest detail possible.

Don’t make the KSA’s a copy of the resume: Write the KSA as precisely and succinctly as possible.

Federal-Resume.org provides free information about Federal government jobs.

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