Federal Resumes

Writing a federal resume can be a very different process compared to writing one for private companies. There is specific information that government agencies are looking for that are not usually listed on your everyday resume.

Your personal information section should consist of your name, mailing address, email, phone number, citizenship, and hiring path/military status if applicable. This section should be at the very top of your resume with your name being the very first line and centered in the middle of the page.

Example:

Jane A. Jones

123 Street, Washington, DC 20001

Home: 513-123-4567

Email: Janea@email.com

U.S. Citizen

Veterans’ Preference (if any)

Selective Service Registration Status (Males only)

Next is your education section which should start below the person information section. Here you’ll put your school name, the city and state where your school is located, your graduation date, and your GPA (only if it is required for the position you’re looking at). If you have any certifications you can list them under this section or some of your relevant courses that are related to the position you’re applying for.

Example:

Bachelor of Science in Forensic Biology                            Completion Date/Expected Completion: 12/2022

Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ                GPA: 3.6

Certification in ____                                                              Completion date: 8/2020

After education comes your work experience where you’ll list some things that are not normally on traditional resumes. While you may already know to add your employer name, address, city and state, you may not think to also add: the number of hours worked per week, your supervisors’ names and phone numbers (remember to ask your supervisor’s permission first), and you can include if it’s okay to contact them.

Example:

Internal Revenue Service December 2017-Current

1234 Work Street, Covington, KY 41011 40 hours per week

Internal Revenue Agency

Supervisor: Ms. Jackie Smith (859) 555-1111

(May Contact)

Don’t forget to add your duties and accomplishments you achieved in each position!

Now we can get to the skills section where you can list any related skills and certifications. This section is only required when it is stated in the job announcement.

After skills comes the volunteer work section where you can include any related unpaid experiences. This section can be a separate section on the resume or included in your work experience section.

Some optional information you can also add:

Awards and achievements

Job-related trainings

Language skills

Professional affiliations