One of the difficulties in getting hired for a federal job is the resume you include in your application. Federal resumes can differ considerably from resumes for a private industry job. Many people will apply for a federal job repeatedly over the years, but unless they don’t keep the specific requirements of a federal resume in mind, it is all for naught. Let’s take a moment to understand the differences between writing a resume for a federal job and one meant for a private job:

Difference in Length

A federal resume is considerably longer than a private industry resume. The former can range from 3 to 5 pages, while the latter is usually limited to 2 pages. This is because federal HR specialists need to know about your knowledge, skills, abilities, duties, and accomplishments in great detail. A recruiter in the private industry will not require that kind of information.

Detailing

A resume meant for the private industry is written in bullet style, whereas federal resumes require a small paragraph dedicated to each major skill. A federal resume also requires more information about your education like your GPA, the month and year in which you obtained your degree, credits earned, and any relevant certifications, coursework, and licenses.

You’ll find that a federal job resume also differs in terms of the contact information required. You’ll need to list your full address, all your phone numbers, and the names of your former supervisors along with their contact information.

Focus on Keywords

Federal resumes feature a very specific focus on keywords. This is absent in private industry resumes where the keywords are mixed in each statement. Given the bullet style found across private industry resumes, the lack of keywords is understandable. For federal resumes, things are a little different. Federal HR specialists receive a large number of resumes (up to 500 for every position), and given the resulting time constraints, federal resumes must carry keywords at the beginning of each paragraph. These keywords revolve around the main point for each paragraph. For example, if you are talking about your role at a particular job, typical keywords would include TEAM LEADER, DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR, TRAINER, LOGISTICS COORDINATOR, PLANNER, etc.

The keywords need to be in capital letters as well because of the resume builder integrated into the USAJOBS website.

Featuring Accomplishments

Accomplishments are a necessary part of a federal job resume. A private industry resume may not require this particular section, but if you want your resume to make it to the Best Qualified status (there are three qualification categories for a federal job application: qualified, highly qualified, and best qualified), it’s important that you include a section dedicated to your accomplishments.

This is another reason why federal job resumes tend to be longer than those for the private industry.

The Bottom Line

Given the specific requirements, writing a federal job resume is naturally time-consuming. However, it is certainly better than applying for a federal job using a private industry resume.