The bad thing about government jobs is that you have tons of competition. The good thing? We’re here with a government resume guide to help you stand out from the other applicants.
Career Expert
Whether it’s for job security, to serve your country, or the generous pension later on, you’re ready to take on the challenges of a federal job.
But the agency director doesn’t yet know how perfect a match you are. To persuade them, you need to turn in a federal resume that's as detailed as the national budget and as welcome as a stimulus package. Here's how to write one.
In this guide:
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Crystal M. Perez
2453 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20036
Citizenship : United States
Veteran’s Preference : N/A
Security Clearance : N/A
Availability : Permanent, Full-Time
Desired Locations : US, Mid-Atlantic Region
Detail-oriented administrative assistant with 3+ years of accounting expertise, multitasking skills, and experience supporting a fast-paced office setting of 100+ employees. Seeking to obtain the position of Administrative Support Assistant , Office of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Announcement #1900588FMDE, Series 2210, GS-13 .
Administrative Assistant
July 2016–October 2019
Janus Agency
4767 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20011
May Contact Supervisor: Janice Jones, 202-413-8732
Full-Time, 40 Hours/Week, $35,400/Year
Administrative Job Responsibilities
Office Assistant
May 2015–July 2016
Victory Publishing Partners
3950 Goldcliff Circle, Washington, D.C. 20036
May Contact Supervisor: David V. Brown, 202-907-7404
Full-Time, 40 Hours/Week, $25,900/Year
Clerical Job Responsibilities:
Volunteer Admin Assistant
July 2017–October 2019
Second Chance Group
1524 Northwest Boulevard, Washington, D.C. 20008
May Contact Supervisor: Donald A. Flores, 202-204-5377
Part-Time, 5–10 Hours/Week
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, Athens, GA
Relevant Coursework : Financial Management, Administrative Procedures, Business Ethics and Law, Operations Management, Organizational Behavior, Management Information Systems, Project Management, Strategic Business Planning, Business Communications.
High School Diploma
Thomas Hardaway High School, Athens, GA
That’s our take on a pitch-perfect federal resume sample. Here’s how to write a federal resume of your own:
The US government doesn’t use the standard job application process. Rather, your federal resume is your job application. To win the agency director or department manager over, you need to organize the resume layout for readability before you begin filling it with details.
Here’s how to format a federal resume template:
If you’re switching careers, you may use the combination federal resume format rather than the reverse-chronological. Federal resume writers switching careers choose this resume format for its ability to highlight transferable skills.
Expert Hint: How long should a federal resume be? Different gov’t agencies say different things: the National Archives says 1–3 pages is fine, the SEC gives a 4-page federal resume sample, and the Dept of Energy says 2–5 pages. Stay between 2 and 6 pages to be safe.
We begin the journey in the contact information section of the resume header. Unlike other, non-federal resumes, there are rules to follow on a government job application, most mandated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Here’s a simple template of which personal details to include on a federal resume:
To get your accurate General Schedule (GS) grade, see the OPM guidelines. Veteran’s preference is just about self-explanatory—it offers veterans preference over other candidates for particular government job openings. If you received a Purple Heart or have a disability from combat, you’ll be given a hiring advantage as a thank you from Uncle Sam.
However, if you choose to use this option, you must provide proper documentation of the appointment eligibility or preference (e.g., a copy of the DD-214 form, SF-15). To find out more about veteran’s preference options and what to put, visit FedsHireVets.gov.
Expert Hint: Do not include sensitive information on a government resume, such as your social security number or classified material. Also, USAJOBS says to leave photos and information that could be used discriminatorily (e.g., gender, race, religion) off your federal resume.
After you contact and personal information in the government resume header, it’s time to write a quick, to-the-point objective statement.
However, this quick paragraph differs from normal resume objectives. Rather than using marketing jargon and colorful adjectives to describe how awesome you’ve become, keep this as buttoned-up as a Secret Service suit.
A federal resume objective is the most distilled version of the definition—it must literally give your objective, which is the specific government job you’re applying for.
The must-have items of the gov’t resume objective statement are:
One cool aspect about this is that it immediately becomes a tailored resume. Some government agencies and departments optionally allow you to add some meat to the objective paragraph. In such cases, a sentence or two about your experience, skills, and achievements (like a regular resume) would suffice.
Here are two examples:
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Skills to put on a resume are important for any job, and that holds true for federal employment opportunities, as well. First, let’s look at some common skills—
Here are some skills which work great in any career path:
But, an environmental protection specialist with the Bureau of Land Management will need different skills than a paralegal specialist in the Patent and Trademark Office. That means you can’t simply pick any skill you have and add it to your federal resume.
When you’re looking at a job ad on USAJOBS.gov, scroll down to the “responsibilities” section. Here you’ll find the exact traits and characteristics the hiring manager seeks in their ideal job candidate. It’s a government-sanctioned cheat sheet!
One final thing to remember. The government gets thousands of resumes each day. To assist them with this massive workload, they’ll use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System). Uploading your federal USAJOBS.gov is essentially being added straight into the federal ATS database.
The ATS helps an agency manager sort through the thousands of resumes by allowing them to search by resume keywords. The more keywords you have on your federal resume that match the job description, the better your chances at scoring an interview.
Expert Hint: There may be more keywords to add on a government resume. Some job ads have a “conditions of employment” section, where you may need to be registered for Selective Service, for example. If applicable, add that to your federal government resume template.
Here’s a breath of fresh air for you. The education section of a government resume basically resembles one on any other resume. However, because they want details, there are a few minor differences.
Here’s a sample federal resume academic section:
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Whether you create your own government resume or use the federal resume builder to upload it into the cloud, it’ll still follow the same guidelines.
Here’s how to write a federal resume:
Do you have any questions on federal government resume formatting? Need help detailing your public-sector or private-sector job accomplishments? Let’s talk about it below in the comments, and thanks for reading!
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Written by Christian EilersCareer expert who has been sharing his expert knowledge since 2017. His advice will guide you smoothly through all recruitment processes: from job hunting to getting a promotion. Christian offers comprehensive advice on career development and each step of the job search, from start to finish and beyond. His guides cover looking for new jobs, sending application documents such as resumes and cover letters, acing interview questions, and settling into the new position. Since 2017, he has written over 200 in-depth, meticulously-researched career advice articles in collaboration with the most renowned career experts in the world. Hundreds of thousands of readers visit Christian’s articles each month.
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