What is a federal resume and how to write one?

The federal resume is one of three documents required for official applications for employment within the federal government. The other two are the OF-612 and the traditional SF-171, and it is sometimes difficult to determine which agency wants which document, because some offices prefer one over the other. Then your best bet is to submit a federal resume – it’s considered the most current type of resume for government employment, and even if the department in question would prefer a different style, you’ll look like you know what you’re doing!

A federal resume must be developed in the “chronological” resume format, listing your employment history in reverse order of when you were employed. You must also include additional information not generally required by civilian employers. Should include:

Job information (job/listing number, title, series, and job grade)

Personal information (full name and address, daytime and evening phone numbers, social security number, country of citizenship, veteran preference, eligibility for reinstatement, highest federal civil rank)

Education (high school, including name, city and state, date of diploma or GED, colleges or universities, including name, city and state, majors, type and year of degrees received)

Work experience (job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week, salary, references)

Additional qualifications (job-related training courses, skills, certificates and licenses, honors, awards, and special achievements—for example, publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership activities, public speaking, and performance awards)

It may seem strange to provide so much information before you even get an interview, but keep in mind that applying for government jobs is very different from applying for private jobs. The purpose of the federal resume in the private sector is to obtain an interview, after which an employer will request more information. In government, the purpose of a resume is to present your qualifications, demonstrating that you meet the eligibility requirements, so that it can be approved by the Human Resources office. Your federal resume, therefore, should include similar language to the job ad, because the human resources specialist will look for candidates with experience who meet the requirements of the open position.

Your federal resume should cover about ten years of employment, with details describing your accomplishments. Focus on highlighting the skills that are compatible with the position for which you are applying. The resume should be no more than three to five pages, plus pages outlining your knowledge, skills, and where applicable, performance ratings. Start with three meta pages. If you don’t have the work experience to fill three pages, that’s fine, just make your two pages the best you can be.

If you’re looking for additional information on federal resumes, KSA and ECQ documents, and Resumix applications, check out the other articles we’ve posted here.