Welcome to 2024 – Almost!

Maybe it’s time to start your federal job search, or maybe you have been job searching for awhile and need a new plan. Either way, it’s a good time to evaluate your federal resume to make sure you are on the right track.

Answer the questions below to score your federal resume:

1. Resume Length
   a. My federal resume is 1-2 pages in length.
   b. My federal resume is 6+ pages in length.
   c. My federal resume is 3-5 pages in length.

2. Dates of Employment
   a. I do not list any dates of employment on my federal resume.
   b. I list the year started and the year ended.
   c. I list the month and year started and the month and year ended for each job block.

3. Federal Resume Format
   a. I use mostly bullets in my federal resume.
   b. I use one big paragraph for each job block.
   c. I use separate paragraphs of reasonable length for each job block but no keyword headers.
   d. I list the oldest job first in my federal resume.
   e. I use separate paragraphs of reasonable length in reverse chronological order with keyword headers for each paragraph.

4. Keywords
   a. I do not use any keywords in my federal resume.
   b. I use keywords from just the occupational series.
   c. I use keywords from just one vacancy announcement to apply for all positions.
   d. Each time I apply, I update my resume with keywords from the vacancy announcement.

5. Accomplishments
   a. I do not add any accomplishments into my federal resume.
   b. I add one or two accomplishments in my federal resume.
   c. I add 1-3 accomplishments for each job block in my federal resume.

6. One Year Specialized Experience
   a. I do not ever check if I meet the One Year Specialized Experience for a position when I apply.
   b. I check whether I meet the One Year Specialized Experience, but I do not add it to my federal resume when I apply.
   c. I check whether I meet the One Year Specialized Experience for each application, and I add this information to my federal resume each time I apply.

Answers

There is only ONE correct answer for each question above if you want to get hired into the federal government in 2024.

Yes, just one.

You may be tempted to think “I can apply for federal jobs with my two-page private industry resume,” or “I don’t really need to update my federal resume every time I apply.” Don’t fall into these traps. There is no shortcut for writing a federal resume that will get you hired.

Your federal resume must correctly hit each and every point mentioned above in order to be successful in competing for federal jobs. Don’t skip over any of these points thinking that they are not completely necessary.

The common sense tip for your federal resume: Make sure your federal resume is 100% complete before you waste time and job opportunities 2024.

(The correct answers for the quiz are the last choice for each: 1c 2c 3e 4d 5c 6c)

Need Help?

Federal Resume Consultation – $210 for an hour. Get an evaluation of your resume in terms of all of the items above… and learn how to create an effective list of keywords from the vacancy announcement.

Purchase $210 one hour consultation here

See samples of Federal Resumes with specific accomplishments
in the Outline Format in the Federal Resume Guidebook, 7th Ed.

Federal Resume Guidebook, 7th Ed.

Purchase the Guidebook here