What is a Federal SES Resume?

Senior Executive Service (SES) positions are at the the highest levels of he federal Government Civil Service.

For SES positions, you must submit a Federal SES Resume and additional statements, plus Executive Core Qualification statements which detail your leadership competencies.

your SES Resume must include the following:

Announcement number, and title and grade to which you’re applying.

Personal Information, including: full name, mailing address, home, cell and work phone numbers, e-mail address, Social Security number, country of citizenship (most federal jobs require United States citizenship), veterans’ preference, highest federal civilian grade held (give job series and dates held) and a professional summary written in the third person.

Work Experience, including each job title (include series and grade if a federal job, or level in military if a veteran), employer’s name and full address, including street address, city, state and zip code, supervisor’s name and phone number, starting and ending dates (month and year) [note: some formats require month, date and year, hours per week, salary, job duties and accomplishments.

Education, including colleges and universities’ name, city, state and zip code, major plus type and year of any degrees received, GPA, total credits and types of credits earned, course list, and high school, including date of diploma or GED, high school name, city, state and zip code.

Other Qualifications, including job-related training courses – course title, date, course duration, certifications and licenses (include Secret or Top Secret clearance here), job-related skills (other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed ), job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments (memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership activities, public speaking, and performance awards).

The exact format of your federal SES resume may differ, depending on the application requirements for the job to which you’re applying. Remember, however, that Federal Resumes – including the Federal SES Resume – must conform to specific requirements. You must include all of the information required, or the application will be rejected.

Some Thoughts on the SES Resume

I had some thoughts on the SES Resume last night I thought I shoud share.

Here they are:

The achievements part of an SES resume is important. It should be concise and to the point. It should list your accomplishments in easy-to-understand language that avoids generalizations and You should use facts and figures to describe the results of your actions.

For example:

• Evaluated wrote and Implemented  new operating guidelines which increased productivity by 20%and shaved spending by $40,000 annually

• Improved Staff performance by 25%

Short descriptive and to the point!

Whatever your SES career objective is, professionally crafted writing that meets the requirements of the posit ion you are applying for, is what you need to provide.

Federal Resume Writing: The Deal Breaker

As with any resume or job application, there are certain elements and experiences that are required to be on a federal resume. However, with a federal resume, following the exact requirements is a necessity, and there is no room for almosts or sort of’s. When you are working at the federal government level, exactness and following the rules isn’t a suggestion; instead it is a requirement. For a standard federal resume, here are the minimum components that need to be included.

• Job information including the announcement number, job title, and grade of the position that you’re applying for

• Personal information: Name and mailing address, phone numbers, country of citizenship, and social security number

• Veteran’s preference, if eligible. This is available to retired military members that were discharged for honorable reasons, including disability, a campaign badge, or an expeditionary medal. This isn’t available to Senior Executive Service level workers or to competitive positions.

• Reinstatement eligibility, if you are a former federal employee. You must have a form SF-50 with your highest level of federal civilian grade held.

• Education, including high school with complete address, college information including majors and degrees. If no degree acheived, you need to list credit hours and courses taken.

• Work experience: Job titles, duties, achievements, address information, name of employers/agencies worked for, supervisor’s contact information, dates of employment, hours worked weekly, and salary history.

• Job related training courses, skills, certificates and licenses, honors, awards, and any other special accomplishments. List this information, but do not provide documents unless it is requested. Also, for certificates and licenses, only include current information. With training courses, list the title of the course and the year attended.

This is the most basic information that will be required for a federal resume. If a Senior Executive Service position or high level management position is sought, there will be extra requirements and forms to include with your federal resume, including ECQ’s (executive core qualifications), KSA’s, and other relevant federal forms.

Writing a federal resume is a huge undertaking; you need to have a professional resume package, including your resume, cover letter, and any other required information or forms. You also need to ensure that these applications are 100% error free and well written. At this level of employment, the person in charge of hiring only spends a few seconds glancing at resumes, so yours needs to be perfect, as well as unique. If you can’t catch their attention in the first minute, your chances of getting hired are gone.

Federal resume writing isn’t like public sector resume writing. You need to ensure that everything is listed as the position requires, with no room for leniency. If you don’t give them EXACTLY what they need, you won’t even get a second glance. With public sector resumes, you generally have a little input as to what you want to include and exclude in your resume; when it comes to federal resume writing, you don’t have choices. You have to include all of the information that is requested, or your resume will be discarded. If you feel that federal resume writing is too intense for your abilities, you can always contact a professional resume service to write your resume for you. However, it doesn’t matter how you complete your federal resume, as long as it is unique and polished, and completely perfect.

The Federal Resume Do’s & Don’ts…Applying to Government Jobs

DO:

Inform yourself. You need to know what information the agency wants from you, as well as how to best present it. Study your vacancy announcements thoroughly.

Give details in your objective and the way you describe things; this is an immediate plus for hiring managers.

Provide clarity and coherence in your resume, this make is easy to get “into” your resume and proves you can think and communicate effectively.

Hire a professional resume writer to write your Federal resume for you. You can always do this on your own but don’t eliminate the option of having your federal resume professionally written.

Provide relevant information. No one cares about your skills unless they are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

DON’T:

Be vague. Agencies will see the generic style of your federal resume as a lack of commitment and effort on your part to give them what they need.

Give unnecessary information. A job listing for a federal government position nullifies the need for you to list your jobs that aren’t relevant to the job you seek.

Get Lazy. Any little skill, class taken, or ability you have that relates to the job you’re applying for DOES matter, and needs to be listed correctly on your federal resume.

In summary, take your time, inform yourself, and utilize professional resume services, and you’ll have a top-notch federal resume in no time at all. Also, make sure the federal resume service you hire gives you the resume you want; otherwise, they need to have a guarantee on their services so that if you are displeased, you don’t lose out on your money or your time by working with them.

KSA writing: What it is, and why it matters

It doesn’t matter what you call it, a KSA or KSAO, it still means the same thing: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. A KSA is a specialty essay that is required in most federal government resume writing. However, this essay is very important to the hiring process. Usually these KSA’s are rated on a ten point scale, and are used to separate the good candidates from the best candidates.

To write a KSA, you use first person language. There is a special format followed: challenge, conflict, action, and result. There can be anywhere from one to 15 or more KSA questions. Your answers (essays) need to follow the proper format, as well as highlighting your accomplishments and keeping the reading interesting

A KSA should be very detailed; they should be much more inclusive than a resume. You also must include real life examples of how you have demonstrated your knowledge, skills, and abilities in previous situations. Other elements that are essential to KSA writing are:

• Training

• Education

• Awards or Achievements

• Volunteer Work

• Any other relevant information that applies to the questions or requirements of the position.

Ultimately, KSA writing is a matter of personal style. Since it is a personal narrative of your accomplishments, it should be presented as such. You need to detail every bit of information that you think is relevant and ensure that you answer all the questions thoroughly.

Although KSA’s are believed to be limited to 2/3 of a page, there is really no set limit on the length of your KSA. Although hiring managers at this level don’t have time to read your life story, they still need to know all of the relevant information that makes you the best choice for the position. Focus on quality. Make sure that you fully answer all questions in detail. As with all federal level application processes, KSA’s can make or break your chance at getting hired. Thus, if you don’t feel qualified to provide a KSA that will get you the job you want, then you can outsource the task to a professional service. Either way, KSA writing can be done with this information in mind.

Military to Civilian Resume Conversion: Tips for Success !

It takes strength and determination to survive the military, and even more to succeed in your military career. From this experience, you have the dedication and kind of commitment that civilian employers value greatly.

Here are some helpful tips for everything related to a military to civilian conversion, from job hunting and Resumes, to interviews and actually working in the civilian world.

Military to Civilian Conversion Tip #1: Utilize Resources
When you leave the military, there are plenty of services offered to veterans to help with their military to civilian conversion. This includes career counseling, job listings, Military Resume Writing, and other career related assistance. Use these resources and tools to your advantage; after all, that’s what they’re for.

Military to Civilian Conversion Tip #2: Learn English All Over Again
One major problem that veterans have in their military to civilian career search is their inability to relate their military experience in a practical and understandable way to potential employers. After serving even just two to four years in the military, many have become accustomed to military terms and language, and are unable to make the transition back to plain English, or ‘civilian-ese’, if you will. Focus on everyday words that will be universally understood to relate your experience and abilities to employers both on your resume and in your interview.

Military to Civilian Conversion Tip #3: Skip the Gory Details
If your main task in the military was front lines combat, spare your perspective employers the details when explaining this in your resume or interview. Of all the useful and transferable skills you acquired during your years of service, the ability to engage in combat isn’t going to be important. Besides, even if it was your main duty, it’s also the part of the military that civilians don’t really want to hear about.

Military to Civilian Conversion Tip #4: Don’t Expect Favors
So you were in the military; good for you. Your service is highly appreciated and commended by the civilian population for being willing and able to step up and defend your country. But…Don’t expect your military service to get you special treatment.  In the end don’t be surprised if your military service is treated as nothing more than job experience to a perspective employer, ( it might not seem fair, but it may be the way it is.)

Making the transition from military to civilian life can be very tricky if you’re not prepared. Hopefully these tips will help you to make a smoother transition, at least in your career path. As long as you keep these things in mind, you should be able to find, and obtain a job that you are qualified to perform in the civilian world.

Choosing the Right Resume Writer

Hiring a resume writer is a worthwhile investment. There are many professional resume writing services, and you might feel overwhelmed when looking for the right one for you.

Here are some tips to help you choose the best resume writer for your needs.

1. Pay attention to the Resume writer’s website. Any resume service should have a compelling sales pitch on their website. Make sure that any resume writer you consider has a convincing argument for their services.

1. Reputation is another element that is essential to consider when hiring a resume writer. You can utilize search engines to check out companies and find out which ones are highly regarded, as well as which ones should be avoided.

1. Experience is key when you’re looking for a resume writer. With so many different companies out there to choose from, it might come down to which company has been around longer. Although you shouldn’t discredit a resume writer who’s just starting out, they may not be as qualified as someone with three or four years of experience. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but you should choose wisely.

1. You need to make sure that in addition to experience, any resume writer you consider should have a qualified educational background. Your resume needs to be perfect, especially if you’re paying someone to do it for you. It’s just plain embarrassing to submit a resume that has errors in it, especially when a professional has done it for you.

SES Resume: What is it, and Why Do I Need One?

Finding Federal Government jobs can be complicated, and so can the application process. If you are applying for a Senior Executive Service ( SES ) position, you need a Special Resume to get the job. An SES resume differs in many areas from traditional resumes, and even executive or federal resumes, but is ultimately going to contain the same information, with the addition of a few different categories.

Generally, an SES resume will provide much more data and personal information than a private resume. An SES resume needs to be written clearly and in a concise manner, while maintaining a standard of professionalism that is unseen in most jobs. After all, this is the upper level of the Federal Government that you are applying with. The SES resume also needs to follow the requirements of the job listing exactly, and be in the proper format as requested.

The most essential part of an SES resume that will set you apart is the Executive Core Qualifications section, which is also known as ECQ. There are five basic ECQ’s in the SES resume, which are listed below:

1. Leading Change

2. Leading People

3. Results Driven

4. Business Acumen

5. Building Coalitions

The ECQ’s are based on important elements of Senior Executives’ jobs, and build on each other. To get a job at the Senior Executive level, you need to be highly skilled in all five sections of ECQ competence. However, you also need to explain your skills and abilities in these areas, because this is just as important as your level of success in them.

Outsourcing your SES resume to a qualified resume writer will be your best bet when applying to a Senior Executive level job listing. They will be able to help you choose the best format, layout, and information to provide in your SES resume. The requirements will be different for every position, so you need to be sure that you take the time to do exactly what is requested of you in the job listing.

Additionally, as with any job, an SES resume needs to list what you are capable of, why you are qualified for the position, and how you can benefit the department with which you are applying. The more internships, educational experience, and job skills and abilities you have, the better qualified you will appear on your SES resume. Getting a Senior Executive level job isn’t like applying at McDonald’s; there are many more considerations to be had, as well as much stricter application requirements and the slightest deviation in the job listing instructions will result in your SES resume being discarded and you losing any chance at getting the job.

In summary, an SES resume requires much more structure and detail than traditional resumes or private sector resumes. If you want to work at the Senior Executive level, you need to put in the effort that reflects your desires, while demonstrating your skills and abilities.

Federal Ksa Writing

A KSA is simply an specialized essay (narrative statement) which is a required part of a Federal Government Resume.Ksas are very Important to the Federal hiring process. Ksas are usually rated on a points system, from 1 to 10. (there are some exceptions to this ) A KSA is that extra information used to separate the best candidates out of the pool of all the other applicants.

A KSA is written using the first person and it is written following Challenge, Conflict, Action and Result structure. Usually there are three KSA questions but there can be up to 10 or even more according to the job announcement.

KSAs are written to put a spotlight the applicants qualifications.

* Knowledge is real data or “How To” data applied to the position.

* Skill is Know How, and level of application in managing data, things or people.

* Ability is talent, gut instinct and the knack you have for getting things done.

The Ksa is a very detailed document. They tell a story. They cover real life instances where you actually demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Ability in a specific situation and brought about a successful resolution

I believe in having KSA’s written professionally. They are too important to leave to chance. Actually landing a Federal job depends on the quality of the KSA writing. It is your future.

Election Primaries Slow Down Federal Hiring?

The question has been posed , but to my knowledge the election has not slowed down the federal hiring process one bit.

Across the country Federal Resume Writers are as busy as they have ever been. There are literally thousands of jobs with the Federal Government that must be filled .

During an election year there are times when people may get a little nervous, but this year nothing has slowed down with regards to Federal Resume Writing!

If you have ever had the desire to get a federal government job, this is a uniquely good time to go for it.

Many others are holding back “waiting” to see what might happen. Those that jump ahead and go for it will have a distinct advantage in the federal hiring process.

Get your Federal Resume Writing done well, get your KSA writing done and apply for the job you have been dreaming of.

Go for it!

What have you got to lose?