Many announcements for federal government positions require online applications, resume builders, or RESUMIX formats that are scanned into computer databases.
Online formats can be very restrictive.
If you are not computer savvy, these formats can also be very difficult to complete correctly. However, if not done correctly, your application may end up being rejected.
Our federal writers will expertly prepare your resume enriched with keywords, core competencies and your experience to achieve maximum scores on the federal online application systems.
Tips for Developing Your Resumix:
1. Know your keywords and other federal job requirement factors prior to beginning the development of your resumix
2. Research the character count of your online resumix system
3. Do not use bullets or fancy fonts
4. Boldface your keywords and capitalize words that you want to stand out
5. Develop your resumix by combining your experience with the specific keywords and core competencies of the vacancy announcement
6. Incorporate the NSPS (National Security Personnel System) standards into your federal resume to achieve the government job pay grade desired
7. Address the KSA questions, if required, right in the body of the resumix
8. Tailor your federal resume to specific vacancy announcements to achieve the best results and address all qualification criteria within your federal resume
9. Ensure you write up to the experience level of the position or vacancy announcement of interest
10. Proofread, proofread, and proofread again
1. The first step necessary for us to prepare your resumix is for you to contact us at (800) 471-9201 for a free consultation or e-mail us at info@federaljobresume.com
2. Our career coaches will provide you with a free consult regarding resumix development
3. At this point, we will provide you with the cost for the package based on hours of project development. Additionally, you will be provided with a list of documentation required to develop your resumix
In many instances, the initial screening of your resume is accomplished by Artificial Intelligence, a software program that scans your resume for required information and keywords, core competencies, and phrases specific to the position. The federal government has many different online application systems that are not integrated between agencies, therefore require different formatting, word counts, and other specific parameters. More frequently requested online resumixes are known as QuickHire, USAJobs, Dept. of Army Resumix (CPOL), Dept. of Navy Resumix, Dept. of Air Force Resumix, EdHire, AVUE, and others. Many clients choose to order more than one specific resumix format to maximize application options.
In building your resumix, we ensure the appropriate keywords and core competencies are populated throughout the document. We reference the OPM (Office of Personnel Management) guidelines for specific General Series and Wage Grades. Additionally, your resume should be rewritten in a clear and concise format comprised of a proper balance of job description and personal accomplishment and contribution; this is essential to keeping the reader interested and focused. Therefore, we focus equally on your personal achievements, accomplishments, and position purpose. The most effective resumes contain strong, bulleted lists of accomplishments that clearly and indisputably demonstrate your contributions, accomplishments, and value. While it is important to include critical information, it is just as important to exclude "filler" verbiage. Human Resources (HR) professionals have come to be turned off by sweeping, vague declarations that aren't backed up by facts, figures, and quantitative statements. We know how to strike the perfect balance between the two..
Even if you make it through the screening process, there is never a guarantee that you will be granted an interview (but at least you will have a chance). At times, a position may be cancelled or put on hold due to budget considerations or a change in priorities. For some jobs, the competition among qualified candidates is fierce. You also never know when a hiring authority has a favorite employee handpicked for a position before the vacancy was even announced, but that's where the process really works in your favor. Every candidate must apply through the same process, so potential favoritism is reduced. If a chosen candidate does not pass the triple screening process conducted by HR, then that application will not be considered for the position, no matter how the hiring manager may feel about it. Of course, then it's between you and the competition, and that's where the experts at ArmyResumes.com/CareerPro Global can help again.
The Army CPOL (Civilian Personnel On-Line) format is used for most Army postings and allows 12,000 characters to describe all of your work experience. There are two other fields for your education and additional information. You can only have one resume on file for all applications.
The Navy CHART (Civilian Hiring and Recruitment Tool) format allows up to six positions to describe your work experience, each with a 7,500-character limit. There are additional fields for education (high school information, partial degrees, certifications, and completed degrees), professional training, licenses and certificates, performance ratings and awards, and other information. You can only have one resume on file for all applications.
Like many federal agencies, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) uses USAJobs for its announcements, often with additional restrictions and mandatory content. USAJobs is fast becoming the premier clearinghouse for government positions, thanks to its acceptance by the OPM. However, there is a great deal of variation within USAJobs vacancy announcements, as each agency imposes its own requirements. Some use the USAJobs format and submission process as is, some simply redirect you to their own application site, and others combine elements
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) uses AVUE Central for online vacancy submissions. This format allows only 4,000 characters per job listed in your work history and is one of the most extensive (and complicated) of all the online systems. This is the system that generally takes the most amount of time to completely enter online.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system is not complicated and is fairly simple in its layout, but its numerous pages of online questions are extensive, requiring a great deal of time to fill out. Applicants must check boxes and enter information on every possible aspect of their aviation career, including types and models of aircraft flown, pilot licenses and certifications, FAA designations and authorizations, and total flight hours as Pilot in Charge or Second in Command of numerous airplanes and rotorcraft. Each of the five work experience blocks is limited to 4,000 characters.
Other agencies have their own online formats, including the FBI, DIA, and the U.S. Postal Service, although many are switching to using Application Manager (whether on its own site or redirected from applications on USAJobs). Our expert writers maintain their knowledge of these systems to keep up to date with the latest changes. If you need assistance with understanding an online application or the process involved, contact one of our career coaches today for help through this maze of conflicting requirements.
As if navigating the online resume application process wasn't difficult enough, many vacancy announcements require supplemental essay questions. The most common of these are Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) statements. These and other essays such as Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), Technical Qualifications (TQs), Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs), or Managerial Technical Qualifications (MTQs) must be answered in a narrative statement format explaining in detail some specific experience, knowledge, or capability with examples from the candidate's career. This is a very specific type of government writing with its own unique style. Character limitations for each question can run from 500 to 8,000. Note that this is characters, not words, with spaces and paragraph breaks also counting as characters. Essays generally require at least one or two examples in the CHALLENGE - CONTEXT - ACTION - RESULT (CCAR) format, and the reviewer will want to see details. Some mandatory statements can be uploaded as a separate document in Microsoft Word, PDF, or certain graphics formats, but most are entered into an online text field during the application process.
If you are not computer savvy, online posting can be a difficult process. Army Resumes has computer experts on staff that can help you post the resume we prepared with you.
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