Building a Government Service Resume

Building a Government Service Resume

 

Working a government services (GS) job is a dream for many. Everyone is familiar with the outstanding pension and health plans, as well as vacation days as standard packages working for a federal agency or department.  What is not well known is resumes targeted for GS requisitions (job openings) are difficult to get right, with required information sought by the federal hiring managers.

GS resumes have mandated data not recommended for a commercial or private company.  The following will outline what should be included in a GS resume submitted to the USAJobs.gov recruiting website for the federal government.

Government Services (GS) Resume Writing, US Capital Building, Applying for Jobs

When applying for jobs with the United States Federal Government, there are certain elements of your resume that must be included.

Type / Order / Length of Resume: GS resumes are preferred in a chronological backwards order of employment history, with the most recent first, moving backwards to approximately 15 to 20 years of history. In USAJobs, it is acceptable to have longer resumes (five, six, or seven pages) to supply the relevant information mandated.

Address: It is not recommended to provide a street address in commercial resumes (avoid potential for ID theft). A street address is mandatory in a GS resume.

While much of the next section data may be input in the ATS (Automated Tracking System) resume database fields while applying online, recruiters look for the following near the resume’s top for quicker qualification.

Clearance:  If any current security clearance, note details (level, adjudication date, and expiration). If expired, note that, also – it may make a difference.

Passport: Recruiters can’t ask, “Are you a US Citizen?” The government will hire non-US citizens. Add passport, green card, or work visa info to help them determine citizenship qualifications.

Military: Military veterans may get preferred status (points) over non-military. Note military branch and years of service.

Geographic Preference: Indicate the city, state, or country you’re willing to work.

The following data should be provided for each employer or level/promotion: 1) Employment Dates (MM/YY), 2) Job Title, 3) Company Name, and the 4) City and State.

Salary Data: GS resumes require base salary data for the date when you left the employer (or current employer).

Hours Worked Weekly: A job applicant may have worked full-time (40 hours weekly) or part-time (<30), or had a position working 60-80 hours weekly.  This number of hours worked will reflect the actual dollar per hour when divided into the annual salary and may be taken into consideration when factoring a salary for the open requisition.

Supervisor: The GS hiring manager needs a name to call to ask for references and/or to determine if the resume is – indeed – truthful.  This is a first step for background checks.  If the direct supervisor is no longer with the company, write in a name for a current employee who may have access to personnel records to confirm past employment.

Contact Phone: The phone number requested here is actually the supervisor’s direct line, but if unsure if that supervisor is still with the company, then provide either the direct front desk number of the company (look it up on the Internet) or the direct line to the human resources offices.

Education: Hiring managers want to see the full degrees (spell them out, e.g., Bachelors of Science). If you took classes related to the job, they want to see them listed (e.g., Engineering, Architecture, Biology, Statistics).

References:  In a commercial or private resume, never provide references (you provide the list after the end of the first face-to-face interview). Recruiters look at references, and if the reference is in the same industry or type of job, the job candidate just supplied them with more candidates – competition!

A GS resume requires 3-4 references – with at least 2-3 professional references and one personal reference. The information required will be: 1) Name, 2) Company Name, 3) Job Title, 4) Direct Number, 5) Email, and 6) type (Professional or Personal).

Writing a government services resume to apply for a job within the federal government is not any harder than writing a commercial resume for the private sector. The difference is a GS resume mandates more data for determination of the job seeker’s qualifications. The sheer volume of applicants to government jobs requires more discerning data in the resume from the beginning.

 

Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, social media management and training, business development, and human resources consulting. Contact: Dawn.Boyer@DBoyerConsulting.com or visit the website at: www.dboyerconsulting.com.

Building a Government Service Resume

Building a Government Service Resume

 

Working a government services (GS) job is a dream for many. Everyone is familiar with the outstanding pension and health plans, as well as vacation days as standard packages working for a federal agency or department.  What is not well known is resumes targeted for GS requisitions (job openings) are difficult to get right, with required information sought by the federal hiring managers.

GS resumes have mandated data not recommended for a commercial or private company.  The following will outline what should be included in a GS resume submitted to the USAJobs.gov recruiting website for the federal government.

Government Services (GS) Resume Writing, US Capital Building, Applying for Jobs

When applying for jobs with the United States Federal Government, there are certain elements of your resume that must be included.

Type / Order / Length of Resume: GS resumes are preferred in a chronological backwards order of employment history, with the most recent first, moving backwards to approximately 15 to 20 years of history. In USAJobs, it is acceptable to have longer resumes (five, six, or seven pages) to supply the relevant information mandated.

Address: It is not recommended to provide a street address in commercial resumes (avoid potential for ID theft). A street address is mandatory in a GS resume.

While much of the next section data may be input in the ATS (Automated Tracking System) resume database fields while applying online, recruiters look for the following near the resume’s top for quicker qualification.

Clearance:  If any current security clearance, note details (level, adjudication date, and expiration). If expired, note that, also – it may make a difference.

Passport: Recruiters can’t ask, “Are you a US Citizen?” The government will hire non-US citizens. Add passport, green card, or work visa info to help them determine citizenship qualifications.

Military: Military veterans may get preferred status (points) over non-military. Note military branch and years of service.

Geographic Preference: Indicate the city, state, or country you’re willing to work.

The following data should be provided for each employer or level/promotion: 1) Employment Dates (MM/YY), 2) Job Title, 3) Company Name, and the 4) City and State.

Salary Data: GS resumes require base salary data for the date when you left the employer (or current employer).

Hours Worked Weekly: A job applicant may have worked full-time (40 hours weekly) or part-time (<30), or had a position working 60-80 hours weekly.  This number of hours worked will reflect the actual dollar per hour when divided into the annual salary and may be taken into consideration when factoring a salary for the open requisition.

Supervisor: The GS hiring manager needs a name to call to ask for references and/or to determine if the resume is – indeed – truthful.  This is a first step for background checks.  If the direct supervisor is no longer with the company, write in a name for a current employee who may have access to personnel records to confirm past employment.

Contact Phone: The phone number requested here is actually the supervisor’s direct line, but if unsure if that supervisor is still with the company, then provide either the direct front desk number of the company (look it up on the Internet) or the direct line to the human resources offices.

Education: Hiring managers want to see the full degrees (spell them out, e.g., Bachelors of Science). If you took classes related to the job, they want to see them listed (e.g., Engineering, Architecture, Biology, Statistics).

References:  In a commercial or private resume, never provide references (you provide the list after the end of the first face-to-face interview). Recruiters look at references, and if the reference is in the same industry or type of job, the job candidate just supplied them with more candidates – competition!

A GS resume requires 3-4 references – with at least 2-3 professional references and one personal reference. The information required will be: 1) Name, 2) Company Name, 3) Job Title, 4) Direct Number, 5) Email, and 6) type (Professional or Personal).

Writing a government services resume to apply for a job within the federal government is not any harder than writing a commercial resume for the private sector. The difference is a GS resume mandates more data for determination of the job seeker’s qualifications. The sheer volume of applicants to government jobs requires more discerning data in the resume from the beginning.

 

Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, social media management and training, business development, and human resources consulting. Contact: Dawn.Boyer@DBoyerConsulting.com or visit the website at: www.dboyerconsulting.com.



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