ResumesWriting your best self forward to land the job.

COMPARISONPRIVATE

VSFEDERAL

Federal vs. Private Sector ResumesFederal Sector

• Cover letter not required• Best when presented in

narrative format/resume builder used

• Tailor your resume to the job

• Resume can be several pages long

• May require you to answer job-related questions as part of application process

Private Sector

• Cover letter helpful

• Includes a short objective

• Resume presented in bullets or concise sentences

• Tailor your resume to the job

• Resume limited to one or two pages

Federal vs. Private Sector Resumes

Federal Sector• Usually reverse

chronological order

• Evaluated against Federal standards and job requirements

Private Sector

• Chronological, skill categories or combination

• Evaluated against company needs

Federal Resume Sample (Bullets)

Penny Saver 123 Franklin Road

Philadelphia, PA 45678 Mobile: (555) 555-1550

Pennyanysaver@email.com Work Experience: Local Community Recreation Center

Philadelphia, PA 45678 United States Hours Per Week: 30 Salary: Not Provided Title: Fitness Adviser and Recreational Assistant Start Date: 07/01/2015 End Date: Present Okay to contact this supervisor?: Yes Supervisor Name: Betsy Ross Supervisor Role: Supervisor Supervisor Phone: 555-555-5502

• Successfully implemented health and wellness fairs for local

neighborhoods • Implemented budget plans, documentation, contracts and event

performance in conjunction with the building administrator • Developed and implemented specialized exercise regimens for all clients

to help them achieve their goals

Federal Resume Sample(Narrative)

Penny Saver 123 Franklin Road

Philadelphia, PA 45678 Mobile: (555) 555-1550

Pennyanysaver@email.com Work Experience: Local Community Recreation Center

Philadelphia, PA 45678 United States Hours Per Week: 30 Salary: Not Provided Title: Fitness Adviser and Recreational Assistant Start Date: 07/01/2015 End Date: Present Okay to contact this supervisor?: Yes Supervisor Name: Betsy Ross Supervisor Role: Supervisor Supervisor Phone: 555-555-5502

Position Description: Collaborated with community resource programs and organizations leading to successful implementation of health and wellness fairs for the local neighborhoods. Properly implemented budget plans, documentation, contracts and event performance in conjunction with the building administrator. Responsible for developing and implementing a specialized exercise regimen for a client. Ensures the fitness program meets the needs of the client that may include elements such as physical fitness, nutrition, cardiovascular training, and weight training. Offers guidance and support to clients in order to achieve their goals.

Decoding the Job Announcement

or

What do I need to look out for?

Job Announcements

• Duties

• Qualifications

• Education

• Special requirements or certifications

• Explanation of how you’ll be assessed

• Who to contact

Be certain to read the announcement and to address all requirements in your resume!

Focus on(Federal Only)

• Grade of position• Indicates the level of the position

• Entry Level, Intern, Recent Graduate, Journeyman, or Senior Position

• Area of Consideration or “Who May Apply”• Who is the targeted applicant pool that we are recruiting from

• Major Duties of Position

• Educational Requirements

Key Terms(Federal Only)

• General Experience

• Specialized Experience

• KSAs

• Special Placement Factor

Federal Standards and Requirements

Your resume must overcome a few hurdles. It must:

• Reflect requisite KSAs to perform the work being advertised as well as meet any educational requirements (are you A+, B or C?)

• Reflect at least one year of experience doing the same or work of a similar nature (Specialized experience)

• Include information on selective placement factors, education or certifications if required for the job

Questionnaires… and other strange things

Questionnaires, Essays and other assessment tools are:

• Used to screen applicants

• Contain both personal information and multiple choice questions to ascertain skill level

• May differ by Agency

• Self-certifying BUT be honest

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Consider –What are my goals

Federal• Resume doesn’t provide

this information.

• Assumed that you are applying because this fits your goals

• Speak to goals as part of interview

Private SectorResume objective indicates your goals

In either case, you must ask – What do they need? Do I have what they seek?

Consider –How am I being assessed?

FederalYour resume is being evaluated against:

1. Federal standards and job requirements

2. Skills, abilities, certifications and/or education

Private SectorYour resume is being evaluated against company needs

In either case, you must ask – What do they need?

Consider – What am I worth?

Federal• Announcement displays

grade level and salary range

• Generally start at step 1

• Indicate the lowest pay you’ll accept

Private Sector• Your experience

• Level of position

• Work schedule• Market availability

• May ask what you’ll accept

Consider – How to Describe your experience

• Is this a trainee position or does it require experience?

• Have you done this type of work?• Highlight skills and experiences that match the advertised

job

• Use action verbs and follow on sentences to describe what you’ve done

• Include accomplishments and results

TO DO… or

NOT TO DO.

Do This

• List accomplishments - clearly state what you do, what you are good at, and what you have accomplished. Lead with verbs.

• Include nomenclature of the field but be descriptive.

• Spell out acronyms.

• Tailor your resume to the work advertised.

• Be honest about your experience.

• Include references.

• Spell and grammar check.

• Ensure your information is current.

• Provide all documentation listed under the How to Apply

• Be prepared to provide additional information.

Don’t Do That

• Copy and paste from the job announcement.

• Embellish your work experience.

• Use a resume for all seasons.• Include irrelevant work experience.

• Be redundant.

• Use bullets to describe your work without further detail.

HR Pet Peeves

• Not including a current email or phone number on your resume

• Lack of response to HR professionals when requesting information• Not providing HR with the requested information (this delays the process)• Calling to check the status of your application…please utilize USAJobs to

monitor the status of your application J• Listing accomplishments instead of actual duties performed. - instead, tell

what you actually did in terms actual work performed

• Not listing complete education information to include courses, type of degree, date of degree completion or college name

• Dates of employment/experience don’t correspond