Federal Resume Tips
Search for NIH Jobs
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Myth or Fact?1. Résumés have to be one page.Myth - In the government, résumés are often longer than one page because of the detailed information applicants must provide to be considered. 2. As a recent graduate, your educational experience can not qualify as specialized experience.Myth - Many of the assignments, committees, or extra-curricular groups students participate in can be used as experience on an application as long as it corresponds with the job duties and KSA’s of the position. For example, Katie was the head of the finance club where she worked on sample projects with a consulting firm. She can describe that experience when applying for a Financial Analyst position. 3. Social security numbers (SSNs) are a common addition on a résumé.Fact - Many résumés need SSNs for identification purposes, however, NIH advises applicants not to include their SSN on paper résumés or in the body of an electronic résumé. 4. Using bullets is a great way to describe job duties on a résumé.Fact- Although not always common on federal résumés, bullets make it easier to read job duties.
Keywords, Keywords, KeywordsKeywords are very powerful words that can enhance a recruiter’s understanding of your qualifications and experience. For example, when a recruiter reads the keyword "analyst," he or she might assume you have experience in collecting data, evaluating effectiveness, and researching and developing new processes. Keywords are most likely action verbs. When constructing your explanation of previous experience, you should use action verbs to act as descriptions, expressing how you performed that function and with what result. If the job announcement uses keywords to describe the duties such as "develops" or "implements," these words are representative of independence in work assignments and the range of responsibility for the available position. You should include your experience "developing" or "implementing" to demonstrate your previous independence. Numbers, Numbers, NumbersEnhance your résumé by adding numerical results. Numerical results can increase appeal with recruiters because it provides a description of the responsibility level that may relate directly to the duties of the position. For example, an individual who was in the budget field has "worked with disseminating budgets for small projects." But when the applicant describes her experience with numbers, her description is more relevant as "disseminated the budgets for small projects amounting to $450,000." Numbers can be a great way to describe the responsibility, pressures, and accomplishments of your previous endeavors as they relate to the position you are applying to.
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This page was last reviewed on August 19, 2009.
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