ARMY CAREER & ALUMNI PROGRAM

The same basic concepts that apply to writing effective resumes apply to completing federal applications. You need to learn, focus, research, analyze and ask for help. Before you begin writing, learn everything you can about the agencies and positions for which you’d like to compete. You can research and find federal job vacancies online at http://www.usajobs.gov. You can also talk with your network contacts to learn more about the jobs and the agencies.

Carefully read and study the vacancy announcements. Print the ones for which you are most suited, and highlight the specific duties and requirements of each position. This will help guide your resume writing. Most applications will require you to post your resume on-line. You should first use a word processing program to write one and print it. Later, you can eliminate the formatting and then copy and paste it into an online resume.

Unlike resumes for business, the federal resume includes many more details about your work experiences, your education and professional training, awards, honors scholarships and professional memberships, and your outside interests and volunteer experiences that could be relevant to the job and could highlight your personal qualities. These resumes could be two to five pages; check specifics detailed in each vacancy announcement. You may also be required to add a section about your knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), which are those special qualifications and personal attributes needed to perform the function of a particular job. These should be geared to the KSAs mentioned in the announcement. You should write a cover letter highlighting your abilities and successes as the best candidate for the job and your interest in the agency and its mission.

The following is the “compliance” information that must appear on your federal resume. Leaving out any item will make you ineligible for the position. Follow the instructions carefully for each item requested.

• Vacancy Information. Give the Announcement Number, the Job Title and the Grade(s) for the position.
• Heading or Personal Information. Include your full name, address with ZIP, home and work phone numbers with area codes, email address and Social Security number. Additional personal information required includes country of citizenship, veteran’s preference, civil service status, and whether your present supervisor can be contacted.
• Work Experience should cover your jobs for the last 10 years. Usually start with your most recent, but if a prior experience is more relevant or was a civil service job, it may be to your advantage to start with that first. Include your job title, company and address, dates of employment, salary, hours worked per week, and your supervisor with a phone number. For each position, write about your duties and accomplishments as they relate to the duties and requirements listed in the particular vacancy or vacancies for similar positions. Show how you will be able to do the job better than anyone else will. You could also write a summary of your qualifications and place it before your work experience. Make sure that you include the keywords you found in the announcement in your summary and in the details of your work experiences.
• Education. List your most recent degrees first with years of graduation or attendance, the university or school and its location. You may want to list specific courses that are relevant to the job. Next include your professional training or job-related training courses with dates.
• Awards, Honors, Memberships and Volunteer Experience. At the end, you can include a section with your job-related awards, honors, memberships and volunteer experience that is directly job-related or enhances your KSAs, which may be required in a supplemental statement or asked for at a later date.
• Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSA). The KSAs can be grouped into four areas: occupational and subject matter knowledge and skills, ability to plan and organize; person-to-person relationships and leadership abilities; and communication skills. This is an additional chance to write about your skills, knowledge and abilities that relate to your work experiences (paid and un-paid), education, and life experiences that will show that you are the best person for the position. These may be asked for separately or can be woven into descriptions of your work experiences.

The federal government has several automated systems for submitting electronic applications. These systems are constantly being revised, so following instructions and using their tutorials are advised before plunging in. If you would like to pursue a position with the Department of the Army as a civilian, click here to learn more about the program, the Resume Builder and Job Application Kits. Other federal automated application systems include QuickHire, used by DOT, GSA, and TSA and many other non-defense agencies and AVUE CENTRAL, used by many additional federal agencies. In addition USAJOBS is becoming the main job application website for most federal agencies.

For submitting an electronic resume, first, write your resume and delete all formatting. You can use capital letters for emphasis and titles. Then, carefully following the instructions, copy and paste your resume into the required fields. You can use an online Resume Builder to write your resume. A supplemental data sheet, giving a profile of your jobs may be required.

Finish your federal employment package with a knockout cover letter. If you are sending your packet electronically, this letter can be an attachment or pasted into your email message.