Before writing a resume, you should:

Research vacancy announcements at www.godefense.com or www.USAjobs.com

Review the overview, qualifications, duties, and how to apply sections of the vacancy announcement

Look for KEYWORDS in the announcement making it unique to the position available

When writing your resume, you should:

Reflect on your duties and responsibilities and include their accomplishments and outcomes

Emphasize your skills that support the KEYWORDS highlighted in the announcement

Incorporate announcement KEYWORDS in your resume

Include your recognitions

Demonstrate your knowledge of policies, procedures and respectable customer service

Cite your volunteer work

Also include the following on your FEDERAL resume:

• Social Security Number
• Country of Citizenship
• Federal Job Experience
• Military Experience
• Employer's Addresses and Contact Information
• Supervisors' names
• Education Information (including city, state, and zip code)

When formatting your resume, you should:

Keeps things "DULL" - no bold, italics, or underlines

Keep everything flush on the left and unjustified on the right

Use small paragraphs (6-8 lines)

Use ALL CAPS to emphasize key terms

Use an asterix (*) or dash (-) to create "bullet points"

A resume package MAY include some or all of the following:

Certificates

Transcripts

Letters of Reference

Awards

DD214 or letter regarding your disability rating

Knowledge: An organized body of information which describes your background, commonly factual and/or procedural in nature, which allows you to perform the job (i.e. Engineering practices, administrative practices)

Skills: Proficient manual, verbal, or mental management of data and/or things (i.e. computer software or second language proficiency)

Abilities: Capability to perform an apparent activity (i.e. organize and plan work, communicate orally)

KSA's are/should:

Short essays (usually 1/2 to 1 page in length)

Best told as a story (Context, Action, Result)

Include tasks and duties, purpose, sources of information, decision made, awards, training, education, or outside activities

Quantify results by using numbers, percentages, etc...

Describe a challenge and solution

Be original - DO NOT COPY AND PASTE

KSA Format:

Write vacancy announcement number and position title on each page

List the KSA you are addressing

Provide information in a narrative format

Ten Quick Rules for Writing Successful KSA's

Give at LEAST one example per KSA

Use different examples (do not repeat answers)

Use a consistent length and format

Use a consistent writing style

Include as much information as possible

Write in first person

Spell out acronyms

Quantify your results/accomplishments

Describe examples from all parts of your life

PROOF READ, PROOF READ, PROOF READ