Many people are not aware that there are different preferences in resume formats that are used by both civilian and government entities. While civilian resume tends to be shorter and to the point, with government resumes that old saying of more is better applies.
Like most resumes, the first section will be your name, address, telephone and cell numbers, and you would also state your veteran’s preference if you have one. Directly following this is where you will list your current position and all previous job experience. If you are stating that you have 15+ years of experience doing a particular task, make sure that your resume shows 15+ years of experience. Do not try to shorten your resume by skipping any pertinent information. For each position, include the following information:
Name of Company (MM/YYYY – Present (or MM/YYYY if previous job))
City, State
Position Title
Supervisor: Name – Number
Contact: Contact me first/Yes/No Salary: $ /hr. or yearly
Grade: Hours per week:
Right after that you would list your duties while in that position. Here’s an example of how to format that:
Duties
Implements and manages all aspects of financial analysis and reporting on patient account activities; effectively assigning, directing, and reviewing the work of subordinate employees; … and responds to employee grievances and dissatisfactions in order to resolve conflicts.
When applying for different positions, the above is where you would put verbatim the items on the job announcement (see my previous post How to Increase the Likelihood of Your Resume Being Forwarded on USAJOBS). Again, make sure that they are actually things that you are able to do. For your military assignments, list each location and position separately. If you work in the same position but were reassigned to a different base, then it counts as a new job and should be listed separately.
Education, Computer Sills/Certifications
After you have listed all of your previous jobs, then you want to list your Education, Computer Skills/Certifications (this includes military certifications and training), and additional information (awards both military and civilian, plus any additional things you know how to do that don’t fall into the above sections). Under the Computer Skills section, if you have some experience with a program, it should be listed. If you are unsure where to put something, Additional Information is where it should go.
Remember, when building your resume for USAJOBS, use a Word document similiar to this template. If you use the format on the website, you are limited to the number of characters in each area. Always add additional items as you remember, but never delete anything. Remember more is better! By doing your resume in Word, making changes and adding information is much easier. Make sure to upload the revised resume each time you apply for a position.
By following these steps, I’ve been able to get a better position within the government that utilized my past military and civilian experiences so I didn’t have to start at the bottom of the pay scale.
