Government & Federal Resume Guide

Build a legible resume of no more than two pages. For each relevant position, include the job title, employer, start and end month and year, hours worked per week, and a concise description showing the required level of work. Add the series and grade for actual federal positions. Include relevant education, certification or licensure and required supporting documents. OPM’s current standard list does not make salary history and supervisor contacts universal resume fields; include additional details when the announcement requests them.

Read the Qualifications, How to Apply and Required Documents sections before editing. Match each required qualification to evidence you can support, then describe your own responsibilities and results concisely. Do not copy a requirement as though you have performed it. A job announcement may also request assessments or separate documents; a strong resume does not replace those steps.

Use the qualification requirements and grade stated in the announcement. Education substitutions, specialised experience and time-in-grade rules depend on the position and hiring path. Do not infer eligibility from a generic degree-to-grade chart, and do not assign a GS equivalent to private-sector work yourself. If a requirement is unclear, use the agency contact in the announcement.

Veterans’ preference and special hiring authorities have separate eligibility and documentation rules. USAJOBS explains that preference claims may require a DD-214 or other acceptable documentation, with additional evidence for a 10-point claim. Read the specific hiring path and announcement; military service or a disability rating alone is not a promise of selection. Do not treat the 30% or More Disabled Veteran authority and Schedule A as the same authority.