Writing Your Own Federal Resume

It can be pretty scary to think about writing your own federal resume, which is why many consider using a federal resume writing service first. However, it is possible to write your own as long as you keep some important ideas in mind along the way since they're a little be different than the traditional resume. Here are a few ideas to remember:

Include Personal Details

On a federal resume, you want to make sure to include your full name, mailing address (with zip code) and phone numbers. Also, you will likely need to incorporate your Social Security number, reinstatement eligibility and civilian grade, job series and dates of your previous positions.

As for education, you want to include all relevant education from high school through college. This includes name each institution and city, the years you've attended/graduated, the diploma or degree you obtained and even your total credits earned and GPAs. If you received any awards, these should be included too.

Disclose Your Employment/Experience Background

Federal hiring managers can be a bit fussier when screening candidates. They want to know that you understand exactly what you're applying for and that your experience matches the position to a tee. So not only do you need to showcase an understanding of the position (include the job number, grade and title), but you also need to be very specific about your employment background.

This means giving including the telephone numbers of your previous employers, as well as the positions you held, the number of hours you worked and your salary. You also want to include your accomplishments and duties and note whether contacting your previous employers is appropriate.

Enclose Your KSA

When submitting your resume, you want to make sure you include your KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities) and also mention it in your resume. The KSA provides you an opportunity to explain why you're a good fit for the position; however, you don't want it to be a carbon copy of your resume.

If you feel horribly unprepared to write your own resume, again, don't hesitate to ask for help. But if you think you can do it, writing your own federal resume can help you learn a lot about who you are and what you want to accomplish.