Regardless of the government job you’re applying for, you’ll need a federal resume that gives an in-depth overview of your professional journey. It must provide evidence of success in past positions and demonstrate to governmental agencies that you meet or exceed the position’s requirements. In this guide, we’ll provide strategies and tips to help you craft a federal resume that makes it through human resources and into the hands of hiring managers.
For a professional look, use a resume template to help you assemble your document. At the very least, your federal resume should include these sections:
The contact information section of a federal resume contains more information than a resume for a nongovernmental job. Include your full name, mailing address, phone number, email, and links to online professional profiles or portfolios.
Then, provide information such as the announcement number, your current job title, and your highest previous grade if you’ve worked in a federal position before. Also include your citizenship status, veteran’s preference points, and whether or not hiring managers can contact your current supervisor.
Your Name
Mailing Address, City, State Abbreviation ZIP code
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Announcement #: FY24-ABCD-1234-12345678-AB
Job Title: Administrative Officer
Highest Previous Grade: GS-09
Citizenship: United States of America
Veterans’ Preference: N/A
Contact Current Employer: Yes
Your resume profile is like a personal briefing to the federal hiring committee. It should concisely outline your core qualifications and provide a quick, insightful snapshot of your experience. A few sentences should be sufficient. This is a great place to integrate keywords from the job announcement in the form of skills, qualifications, and certifications.
Diligent administrative officer with seven years of experience navigating the complexities of federal administration. Background in analytical acumen, strategic coordination, and personnel management at the GS-07 and GS-09 levels. Excels in transforming data into strategic assets through meticulous curation and presentation of administrative reports. Seeking a new challenge at the GS-11 level in managing administrative policies, procedures, operations, and goals.
Before a hiring manager even sees a resume, agencies often use an applicant tracking system (ATS) and conduct an official review by human resources personnel. To get through each round of inspection, include keywords in your resume. A key skills list is the perfect place to do this. When listing key skills on your federal resume, be sure to include a mixture of both technical and interpersonal abilities required for the job.
Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
---|---|
Budgeting | Adaptability |
Cybersecurity | Conflict resolution |
Data analysis | Cultural competency |
Database management | Customer service |
Emergency response planning | Emotional intelligence |
Foreign language proficiency | Ethical judgment |
Grant writing | Leadership |
Policy development | Negotiation |
Project management | Resilience |
Software proficiencies | Teamwork |
Action verbs are often tagged as keywords by hiring managers. Using these dynamic words can help your resume perform well when put through an ATS. They also allow for concise communication, avoiding phrases like “I was responsible for…” Use some of the action verbs below in the professional experience section of your federal resume:
Action Verbs | |
---|---|
Administered | Analyzed |
Collaborated | Coordinated |
Developed | Evaluated |
Facilitated | Implemented |
Monitored | Negotiated |
Organized | Oversaw |
Researched | Streamlined |
Tailored |
This is where you’ll detail your previous positions, federal or otherwise. Remember that government agencies are looking for in-depth descriptions to prove that you’re fully qualified for the job. If you want to join one of the 4.5 million federal employees, you’ll need to describe your work history at length.
According to USA Jobs, that means providing either paragraphs of text or bullet point lists. You can also combine both, starting with a brief job summary followed by a bulleted list of key career achievements.
Administrative Officer GS-0341-09
Department of Veterans Affairs, Los Angeles, CA
July 2018 – present
40 hours per week
$81,000 per year
Monitor and coordinate administrative services. Proactively manage budget activities, ensuring fiscal responsibility and optimal resource allocation. Assist with procurement and contracting, including preparing requests, evaluating proposals, and initiating contracts.
Contribute to human resources functions for recruitment, performance, and training. Prepare comprehensive letters, reports, and presentations to facilitate effective communication within the agency. Offer valuable insights by recommending space utilization to optimize office space and resources.
Achievements:
As you craft your professional experience section, use numbers when possible to describe your past positions. The best place to do this is within the bullet points of your job descriptions. Percentages, dollar amounts, and other metrics help the hiring manager see what kind of value and results you could bring to their team.
Federal employment is declining, so competition is only projected to increase. A generic, one-size-fits-all template won’t stand up to well-tailored resumes. Government agencies are looking for candidates who match their precise specifications, and aligning your resume with the job announcement is your best strategy.
Study the announcement, follow instructions, and do your best to demonstrate exactly what they’re looking for. This looks like incorporating keywords from the job description and providing any information specifically requested.
Not every government job requires previous federal experience, and you may even qualify to apply if you have a certain level of postsecondary education. Instead of relying on an extensive work history, you can describe your time participating in school, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or personal projects and the transferable skills earned there.
The key is to provide details and examples of past success related to the job you’re applying for. For example, suppose you’re applying for a federal project management position. You could leverage your involvement in a volunteer organization where you led a community project. Outline how you applied project management principles to set goals, allocate resources, and meet deadlines.
The academic requirements for federal jobs will vary greatly depending on the specific position, agency, and level of responsibility. From administrative roles to highly specialized technical positions, the minimum level of education will be spelled out in the job description.
List any relevant or required degrees or diplomas, providing the institution name, location, completion date, and GPA if requested. If you’ve earned certifications in software proficiencies or specialized skills related to the position, include those in a separate section.
Certifications
If you have more information to share that doesn’t fit into the sections we’ve mentioned above, create additional resume sections. These could include awards, volunteer work, professional affiliations, special training, language proficiencies, accomplishments, leadership activities, or publications. Just be sure anything you include is pertinent to the job you’re applying for.
Volunteer Work
Community Garden Organizer, Urban Agriculture Initiative
2019 – present
Your Name
Mailing Address, City, State Abbreviation ZIP code
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Announcement #: FY24-ABCD-1234-12345678-AB
Job Title: Administrative Officer
Highest Previous Grade: GS-09
Citizenship: United States of America
Veterans’ Preference: N/A
Contact Current Employer: Yes
Diligent administrative officer with seven years of experience navigating the complexities of federal administration. Excels in transforming data into strategic assets through meticulous curation and presentation of administrative reports. Seeking a new challenge at the GS-11 level in managing administrative policies, procedures, operations, and goals.
Administrative Officer GS-0341-09
Department of Veterans Affairs, Los Angeles, CA
July 2018 – present
40 hours per week
$81,000 per year
Monitor and coordinate administrative services. Proactively manage budget activities, ensuring fiscal responsibility and optimal resource allocation. Assist with procurement and contracting, including preparing requests, evaluating proposals, and initiating contracts.
Contribute to human resources functions for recruitment, performance, and training. Prepare comprehensive letters, reports, and presentations to facilitate effective communication within the agency. Offer valuable insights by recommending space utilization to optimize office space and resources.
Achievements:
Contact Employer: Yes
Supervisor: First Name Last Name
Phone Number: (123) 456-7890
Administrative Officer GS 0324-07
Department of Veterans Affairs, Los Angeles, CA
November 2016 – June 2018
40 hours per week
$63,000 per year
Gathered information and prepared administrative reports. Offered valuable advice and assistance to manager and staff concerning personnel processes and procedures. Maintained databases and shared computer drives, using technological proficiency to keep information up to date.
Collaborated with management to optimize purchases and supply use by maintaining awareness of available resources. Analyzed budget needs, managing procurement and contracting to ensure efficient office operation.
Achievements:
Contact Employer: Yes
Supervisor: First Name Last Name
Phone Number: (123) 456-7890
Associate of Arts (A.A.) Business Administration
Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles, CA
September 2014 – June 2016
Honors: Dean’s List 2015, 2016
GPA: 3.8
Association of Government Accountants, AGA
2017 – present
Community Garden Organizer, Urban Agriculture Initiative
2019 – present
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