How to Customize Your Resume (Without Starting from Scratch)

by

We have all heard that it is important to customize your resume when applying for positions. But how do you actually do it without starting over each time?

Here are some ways:

  • Make sure your resume demonstrates alignment between what the job posting says and the exact skills, experience, and education you have to offer.
  • Prioritize quality over quantity. Instead of sending the same resume to apply for 50 jobs, take the time to research and customize your resume for 10-15 roles.
  • The easiest change to customize the resume for the position you want is to include the desired job title name at the top of the resume. This is less important for federal resumes.
  • Be sure to customize the Summary section. For human readers, this is often the first section they read. You want to ensure the skills and experience most desired by the prospective employer are highlighted in the top one-quarter of the resume.
  • Take a few minutes to make sure the job responsibilities and accomplishments listed in your resume match the needs of the employer, especially those outlined in the job posting.
  • Re-order accomplishment bullets to prioritize achievements related to the job being targeted.
  • When possible, have the job posting in front of you so you can customize the resume to the job description. Identify the problems this job is designed to solve and help the prospective employer see how you can help them solve these specific problems.
  • Analyze the job posting and identify the keywords and phrases used in the job description. Make a list of key skills, job requirements, and responsibilities desired. Note the qualifications you already possess that are mentioned in the job posting.
  • Be sure to incorporate keywords in the Summary, Skills, and Experience sections of your resume.
  • As important as it is to include targeted information, it’s just as important to remove irrelevant information. Remove information that is not relevant — any education, experience, trainings, or affiliations that are not relevant to this job, as well as experience older than 10 years or so.
  • Rearrange sections of the resume, if necessary, to match the priorities established in the job posting.
  • Review the organization’s website and/or LinkedIn page to gain insight into the the organization’s values, mission, and culture. What values do they highlight? Identify specific keywords to include that indicate cultural fit. When customizing the resume, give specific instances of these values, such as: teamwork, communication, initiative, honesty, etc. You should try to back up any “soft skills” with specific accomplishments to prove you have what they’re looking for.

Pro Tip: Not sure how to identify key words? This is a great way to use AI. You can use this prompt and copy and paste the posting into your preferred AI tool:

‘Below is a job posting. Please analyze it and identify:

  1. Hard skills / technical keywords — specific tools, software, certifications, methodologies, or technical terms mentioned
  2. Soft skills — interpersonal or work-style traits explicitly named (e.g., “collaborative,” “detail-oriented”)
  3. Required vs. preferred qualifications — separate the “must-haves” from the “nice-to-haves”
  4. Repeated terms or phrases — words or concepts that appear multiple times, since repetition usually signals priority
  5. Industry jargon or acronyms — terms specific to this field that I should recognize and use correctly
  6. Action verbs used in the posting — words like “lead,” “develop,” “optimize” that suggest the tone/style expected in application materials

Then, give me a prioritized list of the top 10–15 keywords I should try to naturally incorporate into my resume and cover letter, ranked by how important they seem to be for this specific role.

Job posting: [paste job posting here]’

Check out our Using AI In Your Job Search bundle for more tips on how to use AI strategically throughout your job search, or check out our other career resources!

Shared Hiring Certificates; What You Need to Know

by

To improve hiring efficiency and reduce redundancy, the Office of Personnel Management is encouraging agencies to use shared hiring certificates.

What They Are

A “shared certificate” is a list of job candidates who have already applied to a federal job announcement, been assessed against the job’s qualifications, and been found eligible for hire but who were not selected by the original hiring agency. Agencies that ran the original hiring action can share that certificate of eligible candidates (known as a “cert”) with other federal agencies looking to fill a similar position  without those agencies having to post their own announcement.

Agencies can also agree up front to hire off a single job posting, and to OPM’s “Talent Pools” portal on USAJOBS, launched in December 2023, where agency hiring managers can post or search for existing shared certificates.

How Federal Agencies Use Them

Instead of each agency issuing an announcement, assessing applicants, and putting together their own cert, an agency can request access to a certificate that another agency. Once approved, hiring managers there can make selections directly from that pool of applicants.

The current administration has set a goal of using shared certificates for 60% of all federal hiring actions within the next few years.

Five Things Employees and Applicants Should Know

  1. One application can lead to multiple opportunities. If you apply to a job announcement that results in a shared certificate, you may be considered by several agencies for similar positions without submitting a new application each time.
  2. You may hear from an agency you never applied to. Because certificates can be shared across agencies (and even within different components of the same department), you could be contacted about a position at an organization other than the one whose original announcement you responded to.
  3. Certificates expire. Eligibility on a shared certificate isn’t indefinite — it typically lasts up to 240 days for certs in the competitive service, or up to a year for certain OPM-run cross-government actions.
  4. Veterans’ preference and pass-over rules still apply. Merit system protections, including preference for veterans remain in effect.
  5. The original agency gets first pick. When a certificate is shared, the agency that ran the original recruitment generally has first claim to select candidates before the certificate becomes available to other, “receiving” agencies.

What You Don’t Know About LinkedIn Might Hurt You

by

Many people have a love-hate relationship with LinkedIn. They know they need it but hate the idea of it. Here are some things to think about:

  • Whether we like it or not, LinkedIn is the professional networking tool. Whether you are with the federal government or the private sector, recruiters and hiring managers are using LinkedIn. Even if you are not looking to attract recruiter attention, many hiring managers are looking at LinkedIn before they interview you. You want to be found easily.
  • Many positions, including federal positions, are posted on LinkedIn. If you do see a federal position on LinkedIn, I encourage you to double check the posting on USAJOBS; sometimes LinkedIn postings for federal positions do not include all relevant information. 
  • Even if you are not looking to change jobs, you should build and maintain your network. Having a network is not just important when you are job hunting…you want to have your network in place before you need it. This requires that you keep up with colleagues and others in your field to support them, identify potential mentors, and of course potentially advance your career. Networking is not a one-way street and if you have your network in place and maintain it, you never know what may evolve.
  • LinkedIn changes all the time so it is important to keep up with your network and engage in meaningful ways. It’s not enough to just have connections or offer the occasional “thumbs up” emoji; instead, provide relevant comments and content that position you as an expert in your field. That will help ensure you receive relevant content in return and that interested parties can easily find you.
  • LinkedIn profiles with pictures typically score better in the algorithms than those without. Think about a picture as a virtual handshake and creating an emotional connection. Having a picture outweighs the risks of not having one.
  • If you are looking for a new job, you can control the green “Open to Work” so that only legitimate recruiters can see that. This is a better approach (and reduces the scam potential) than literally letting the entire world of your situation.
  • You can customize your LinkedIn URL. LinkedIn automatically provides a URL that includes your name, followed by random numbers. You can edit your LinkedIn URL to include your name followed by your expertise (or something that feels / looks more custom than random numbers. And you can add that customized LinkedIn URL to your resume to make it easier for hiring managers (and recruiters) to find you.

Whether you need help elevating your LinkedIn presence or creating a resume that gets results, we are here to help you stand out. Contact us today or check out our E-books Getting Started With LinkedIn and Everything You Need To Know For Your LinkedIn Profile. 

Still Struggling To Get Your Federal Resume To 2 Pages?

by

As you know, federal resumes are now limited to 2 pages. While many of you have adjusted, others are still struggling. Here are some things to know:

  • The requirement for submitting a two-page resume should be clearly stated in the “How to Apply” and “Required Documents” sections of the job announcement. Applicants should adhere to the requirements outlined in the job opportunity announcement; failure to do so will result in your elimination (or only the first 2 pages read and considered).
  • Be sure to include your contact information including Name, Phone, Email address. Some postings require street address, City, and ST, so I recommend making these additional items “standard” on your resume.
  • In add instances, prioritize your recent and relevant experience
  • Use precise language and align your language with that from the job posting
  • Focus on skills and competencies—use accomplishments to demonstrate those skills and competencies
  • Remove outdated (typically >10 years) or unrelated experience

Below, you will see a chart with some additional information:

Relevant Work ExperienceEducation/Certification/ LicensureOptional Details
For each relevant work experience, make sure you include:
– Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal position)
– Start and end dates with month/year (e.g.,05/2019-08/2022)
– The number of hours you worked per week (no extra credit for more than 40!)

Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement. 		When relevant or required for the position, include your possession of education/certification/license and provide any required documentation such as transcripts, and/or details (type and date) of certification and license.

Education information should include:
– Name of institution
– Completion date
– Degree type
– GPA		When relevant, include:

– Current security clearance
– Job-related training
– Language skills
– Organizations and affiliations
– Professional publications
– Eligibility for special programs (e.g., military spouse, individuals with disabilities, etc.)

If you are still struggling to condense your federal resume into the new two-page format while maintaining impact and compliance, don’t hesitate to contact us for our resume writing services so we can help you present your qualifications strategically, clearly, and competitively.

Don’t Make These Common Online Interview Mistakes

by

Interviews for the Senior Executive Service (SES) before a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) are conducted online—as are many other interviews these days.

Here are 10 things you need to avoid to make a good impression:

  1. Although OPM recommends that SES candidates bring an outline of their ECQ stories, reading from a script is a major no-no.
  2. Arriving late
  3. Poor interview presentation
    • Appearance
    • Lack of preparation
    • Unclear demonstration of competencies
    • Losing focus / constant referral to notes
    • Rambling answers
    • Lack of enthusiasm / poor body language or lack of eye contact with the camera
    • Being negative about current / former agencies, supervisors, or roles
  4. Background distractions, noises, etc.
  5. Long descriptions of challenges or context (and not enough time spent on leadership actions and results).
  6. Leadership actions and result are not executive or aligned with the challenge or have limited impact
  7. Too much “we,” not enough I
  8. Using more than 2 examples for each ECQ
  9. Using competency language without actually demonstrating the meta- or sub-competency with specific actions
  10. Using examples that are older than 10 years (or at lower levels; examples should focus on GS-14 and above level work).

While the focus on the above is on the SES interview, in reality, many of the points apply to all structured interviews. The bottom line is that you need to be prepared for your interview; it is not the time to “wing it!”

Follow our LinkedIn page for regular updates, as we’ll be sharing more about the new SES Interview process and more!

What to Know About the New Executive Core Qualifications

by

As you may know, in 2025, the Administration changed the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) that have been in place for 20+ years. In addition to changing the ECQs (and their definitions), there are also now 15 sub-competencies—three for each ECQ, down from 22 sub-competencies and additional fundamental competencies. The earlier ECQs had from 3 to 6 sub-competencies.

While it may seem like you can use your old ECQs for this new construct, only one ECQ is a good match for the former ECQs. That is Driving Efficiency—it is the only ECQ with the same 3 basic underlying competencies as the former business acumen.

The first ECQ is totally new: Commitment to the Rule of Law & the Principles of the American Founding. Not only is the ECQ itself new, so are its sub-competencies: knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to the rule of law, and civic mindedness.

The Merit and Competence ECQ has 2 sub-competencies used by the former results driven definition and one from the former leading change. Leading People has one sub-competency from the former leading people definition, one from the results driven, and a totally new one. Achieving Results is not the same as the former results driven; instead, it has 2 competencies from leading change and a new one.

And if you notice, there is nothing similar to the former building coalitions in the new ECQs—and leading change retains a few sub-competencies (but not all)—and they are spread over multiple ECQs.

So what does this mean if you’re an aspiring SES?
  • You need to understand the new definitions of each ECQ and the accompanying sub-competencies
  • Your SES resume needs to reflect the language of the new ECQs
  • If you already have a set of ECQs, cannot use them for your interviews—you will likely need to change-up your stories for your OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB) interview to match the language and definitions of the new ECQs
  • You may want to edit your resume and any ECQs to remove references to COVID, and other topics which have been superseded by recent Executive Orders
  • While there is no longer a 10-page narrative requirement for the ECQs, you still need ECQ stories that cover the sub-competencies for your Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Review Board (QRB) interview. Without having strong, recent (last 10 years ), and executive-level (GS-14 and above) stories you may not pass your QRB interview and cannot be appointed to the SES.

The time to get started is now!

Learn more about our Resume Writing Services and don’t hesitate to Contact Us if you need support!

Categories ECQ