How federal resume differs from standard resumes for civilian positions
Feb 20 2017
Sometimes a job seeker needs to write a different resume when seeking a new position. The need for a new resume is not necessarily because the applicant acquired some additional qualifications. Many people do not like going to school that often. The type of job the applicant is applying for dictates a new resume.
Federal Resume
A federal resume is a resume that is used for purposes of seeking civilian jobs in the federal government. Many job seeker have missed the opportunity to work for the federal government because they use standard resumes, which simply won’t do for positions in the federal government.
When applying for work in the federal government, the federal resume is the main and usually the most important document in determining whether the qualified applicant will be shortlisted for an interview or not. Different jobs in the federal government demand that the job seeker provide certain information that is specific to the job. This means that to be successful, the resume has to be tailored specifically for the job as per instructions.
Evaluators first look for whether resumes provide all the required information. If they do not, no further evaluation is done on the candidate’s suitability; their application simply gets trashed.
Evaluation of federal resumes is done in a predetermined manner for all resumes. Owing to the sheer number of applications that federal jobs tend to receive, it is necessary for there to be a uniform method of evaluation. The system used demands that all information be presented in a certain way by all the applicants. If an applicant presents complete information but in a different format from the one prescribed, there is a very high possibility that they do not get past the preliminary stages of evaluation.
Required Information
- Information on the position applied for: Unlike in the private sector, the federal government usually announces many vacancies at the same time. Usually the vacancies fall in the same departments. For this reason, it is imperative for the resume to specify the title of the job being sought by name and by a code usually provided. When the title of the job and the code are not indicated properly, the application may be misplaced
- Personal Information: In this section, the applicant provides information that is similar to information on the standard resume. Usually, name, date of birth, identification, citizenship and so on. The difference between the federal and standard resume in this section is that the federal resume requires the applicant to indicate the highest federal position they have ever held.
- Education: In a federal resume, education is indicated from secondary level onwards. Qualifications acquired are listed starting from the latest to the earliest. This is usually the case even with many standard resumes. Sometimes with standard resumes, an applicant may skip their secondary qualifications and still be eligible for evaluation. Failure to indicate secondary qualifications leads to disqualification for federal jobs.
- Work experience: These qualifications are usually listed from the most recent going back. In this section, the applicant should indicate the title of the position held and duties pertaining to that job. Employer details, including their addresses and contacts, are also expected to be a part of this section.
- Other qualifications: In this section, other qualifications that an applicant may have acquired are listed. They include everything from certifications to licenses to experience and other things of that nature.
Conclusion
Many job seekers do not know the seriousness with which resumes are taken in federal job applications. Lack of this crucial piece of information condemns qualified people to seek federal jobs as a full-time occupation. It is for the purposes of paying attention to these details that the services of a professional resume writer are needed.
