Resumes

Start a Career Portfolio to Track your Achievements

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What is a Career Portfolio? In essence, a career portfolio is your personal record of achievements—specific examples of when you have demonstrated your knowledge, skills, and abilities; these can include work samples, copies of your annual self-assessments or accomplishment reports, your resume, professional bio, and references you may have with up-to-date contact information, and copies of your performance evaluations. Other things you may want to keep in your portfolio might be copies of certifications / licenses you have received, publications, award write-ups, a professional headshot, and assessments you have taken (Myers-Briggs Type Instrument, DiSC, etc.). And, if you are involved in volunteer or related activities, don’t forget to keep relevant information about those as well.

Why Should I Create a Career Portfolio?

Getting in the habit of collecting this information is important; this way, when updating your resume or preparing for an interview, you’ll have everything you need in one place. And, it will keep you from forgetting some of the important contributions you have made. Finally, your portfolio provides that actual proof of your achievements.

How Should I Maintain My Career Portfolio?

Depending upon your job, you may want to keep your portfolio in hard-copy and offer to share it in person. You may also want to consider whether you want to create a personal website; obviously, if you do this, many people will have access to your information so be sure to remove Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and of course, nothing proprietary or classified should be posted. Another idea is to maintain your portfolio using Dropbox or Google Drive. Using these tools will allow you to control access to your information.

LinkedIn is another way to share carefully curated parts of your portfolio. The more you use LinkedIn, the more likely you are to come up in the site’s algorithms. And if you are pursuing private sector opportunities, LinkedIn is essential. It is a professional way to establish an online presence, create your brand, and establish yourself as an expert. Again, be sure scrub your documents of any PII or other inappropriate information before posting.

Updating Your Career Portfolio

Your career portfolio should not be a “one and done;” instead, you want to keep your portfolio up-to-date, weed out the old and no longer relevant, and focus on those items that will help you further your career. Only publicly share that information that is relevant and supports your career goals.

When applying for a federal job, think like a hiring manager

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Federal government hiring is based on hiring the best qualified, which makes it difficult to justify hiring people without all of the qualifications required and/or those whose experience is quite dated. For a successful job search, you need to be strategic about what you apply for. Do not waste your time applying for “everything;” instead, focus your efforts on those opportunities where you are a perfect (or nearly perfect) match for the stated criteria.

I wish I had a dollar for every time a client who complained: “If only they gave me a chance, I could prove I can do the job!” While I have no doubt that the comment is true, we are currently in a buyer’s market—where hiring managers have lots of choices to make among candidates. While it is certainly possible for a hiring manager to pick someone based on their potential (especially for jobs above the entry level), in my view, it is unrealistic to expect hiring managers to do this. Let’s think about this for a moment…

Most job postings specify the criteria the hiring organization is looking for—whether through specialized experience and the occupational questionnaires in the federal government, or in a section in a private section posting that says something along the lines of, “The ideal candidate will have…” All applicants should carefully review the qualifications required. If the posting asks for 10 years of experience and you have 6, you are not likely well qualified. Or, if your experience is in a different area all together, while again, you may the basic qualifications (like a degree), you are not likely to have the specialized experience required.

In most job sectors, organizations receive hundreds, if not thousands of applications. The first screen is of those who do not meet even most the basic qualifications (like the 10 years’ experience mentioned above). The next screen is for those who are a match for all of the criteria. While you may match half the criteria desired, from a hiring manager’s perspective, why should they pick YOU, when they can have someone who (at least on paper) is a 100% match? And from a fairness perspective, if they considered your application with only half the qualifications, they should also consider everyone else who has only half the qualifications…

A related question I receive is along the lines of, “I did exactly what they’re looking for 15 [or 20 or more] years ago, how come I’m not been called for an interview?” While in this circumstance you may have all of the qualifications, your experience is dated. And again, from a hiring manager’s perspective, would you want to talk to someone who is doing the job now, or someone who hasn’t done it in 15 or more years? Think like a hiring manager next time you apply for a federal job and increase your chances for an interview!

Pro tip: Maintain an updated resume

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There are several good reasons to keep an updated resume handy even if you’re not actively seeking new employment.

Make it easy on yourself by using a performance review an an opportunity to update your resume, and email yourself resume “notes” and accomplishments from time to time with a subject line you can easily search for later.

For one thing, you employment situation can change in a heartbeat — for example, you get a new supervisor or your mission has changed significantly. A great boss may leave for a new position — and maybe she wants you to come with he. Or maybe her replacement wants to bring in his own people.

Even if you don’t need a resume to apply for a position, it is useful to have a well-organized, neatly formatted document to hand to the hiring manager at the beginning of an interview. The resume can also serve as “talking points” to guide the content of an interview. The time invested in compiling information on your credentials, skills, and accomplishments can also help prepare you for the job interview itself.

Your current employer may even request a resume from you — for example, to brief incoming personnel. Or perhaps a new division is being stood-up and the leader of the new organization is looking to fill positions.

If you want to apply for an internal promotion or transfer, you may not think a resume would be required, but often, it is. A hiring manager in a different part of a big organization isn’t going to be familiar with all the aspects of what you do — and even if they have access to the job description for your position, that won’t tell them about the specific contributions that you’ve made in your current role. It’s your job to quantify and document your achievements — and a resume is a good way to do that, even for an internal position.

A good time to create — or update — your resume is when you are preparing for an annual performance review.

Documenting your accomplishments can help you prepare to show your manager how you’ve added value to your position — and department — since your last review. The resume development process is also a good time for self-assessment. A well-written resume tells the “story” of your career — demonstrating consistent themes and supporting information that highlights your qualifications for the job target you’re seeking, while omitting irrelevant information and positions.

Outside of an employment context, you may also be asked for a resume if you’re going to be a speaker for an organization or an event, so they can use the resume to create your bio and speaker’s introduction.

You may also be asked for a resume if you are being considered for an award — or being given an award in recognition of your work or volunteer efforts.

Resumes are also a tool for networking. Someone you just met who is interested in learning more about you may ask for your resume. This contact may help lead you to unadvertised job openings. In the same way, getting your resume in the hands of someone who knows you well can also lead to new opportunities. They can use the resume to pass along to other people who might be in a position to hire you, or to use as a “door opener” to introduce you to other people who might be useful in your job search.

It’s also important to note that a LinkedIn profile is not a substitute for a resume. Because a LinkedIn profile is public (even if you have your privacy settings locked down on LinkedIn, someone can still take a screenshot of your profile or create a PDF of it), there may be information that you do not want to include on your LinkedIn profile that can help demonstrate your accomplishments to a prospective employer. In addition, a resume can be customized to target a specific position, while you can only have one LinkedIn profile.

Furthermore, a well-written resume can actually help you populate your LinkedIn profile, making it easy to complete the “Work Experience” and “Education” sections.

Why To Update Your Resume Now

One of the most common reasons to update your resume when you’re not actively looking for a job is because you don’t have a good feeling about your current situation. Is there a lot of turnover in your current job or the organization overall? Have there been rumors of layoffs, or did the organization just get a significant budget cut? Both of these can signal a need for a resume update.

On the other hand, what if your department — or your organization — is doing very well? In that case, you may be contacted by other organizations looking to hire you away from your current job.

Putting together your resume can also help you determine where you want to go next in your career. Sometimes, looking at your work history can help you identify a pattern in your employment history that will help you determine where you want to go next in your career. An effective resume communicates both your current skills and qualifications and your future potential. Identifying a common thread in your experience and accomplishments can help you decide the next step in your career.

The same exercise can also help you identify where you may need to enhance your current skills or education. If you’re putting together your resume and you realize your last certification or in-depth training was more than 10 years ago, it may prompt you to look at how you can bring your skills up-to-date in a key area.

A resume can also help you if you’re considering a career change. Your resume can highlight transferable skills targeted towards a new career goal. The new document can also help you identify any deficiencies that you may need to work on strengthening as you pursue a different type of job or career path.

Having your resume prepared by a professional resume writer can also provide you with a sense of how you are seen by others. A third-party validation of your accomplishments — put together in an attractive, easy-to-read, modern format — can give you confidence. It can also provide reassurance that you have marketable skills — and that you would likely land on your feet should your current position be eliminated.

Why To Keep Your Resume Updated

The main reason to create — and maintain — an updated resume is that it takes time to put a good resume together — whether you’re writing it yourself, or having a professional prepare it for you. A resume is not just an “obituary” of your work history — it’s not a summary of everything you’ve done — it’s a strategic marketing document that showcases your value to a prospective employer.

It’s easier to maintain a resume than to scramble to put one together, especially when a new opportunity arises and you need to give someone your resume on short notice. Even if you don’t keep your resume fully updated, keep track of your accomplishments. Use a work journal to track your accomplishments (including a file folder to keep copies of emails or letters of appreciation from customers, co-workers, or your boss).

Make it easy on yourself to piece together later

You can also maintain an electronic record: forward emails to your personal email address (change the subject line so it’s easy for you to find these later) with notes about project specifics — especially scope-and-scale information like percentages, numbers, and dollar figures, etc., and jot down your accomplishments.

How often should you update your accomplishments? As often as necessary. For some, that may mean weekly updates (for example, if you’re working on a series of projects); for others, that could mean a quarterly assessment. The most important thing is to take the time to do this on an ongoing basis. Put an alarm or task reminder on your calendar so you remember to set aside the time to track your accomplishments regularly. This will make it much easier to update your resume.

Coming up with accomplishments will also help you prepare for a job interview. Anytime you are asked to “describe a time when you…” or “give me an example of when you…” that is an opportunity to share a story in C-CAR format: Context-Challenge-Action-Result.

First, describe the Context—what was your job or assignment? What was your role? Next think about the Challenge — or situation — that you faced. Next, identify and articulate the specific Actions you took to resolve the situation. Finally, outline the Results your actions brought about — specifically quantifying them in terms of measurable numbers, percentages, or dollars, when possible. Including CCAR statements on your resume — and preparing them to discuss in an interview — is a valuable exercise.

Even if you keep your resume updated, you may still need to re-target it for different kind of opportunities that may arise, but it’s easier to re-work an existing resume than to start from scratch. You may decide to keep a “master” resume document that contains all of your credentials (including a full list of your continuing education classes and workshops, for example), but editing the list down to meet the needs of a specific position.

If you don’t have a resume, it’s time to get one; and if you have one, but it hasn’t been updated in a while, now is the time to bring it up to date. You never know when you might need your resume, and you want it ready when you do.

10 Things that Will Improve Your USAJOBS Resume

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I am often asked what the DIY person can do to their resume to make it better. Here are 10 easy-to-implement suggestions: 

  1. Create a Skills Summary or Professional Profile. This is great way to include keywords and summarize who you are and what you bring to the table in a couple of sentences.
  1. Add awards. Give yourself credit.
  1. Get rid of experience that is irrelevant and/or more than 10 years old. Hiring Managers [and Human Resources (HR) people] want to know what you have done lately. And, most likely your experience from 10+ years ago was not at the same level as you are targeting now—so it may not count as qualifying experience. Finally, if you haven’t done something in more than 10 years, even if you are considered qualified, you may not be best If you were the hiring manager, would YOU want to select someone who hasn’t done something in 10 years or someone who is doing it now?

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Creating Powerful Accomplishments

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Many resumes are nothing but a recitation of duties and/or responsibilities. When you think about it, just because you are responsible for doing something, doesn’t mean that you actually do it—let alone do it well. Including powerful accomplishments in your resume is a strong differentiator; it says, not only do I do “x,” I do it well. And that’s what future employers want to know. Your current supervisor also likely wants to know what you have achieved for inclusion in your annual performance evaluation.

So how do you create powerful accomplishments? The first thing to do is track and document your achievements. You can document your achievements online (don’t forget to back-up your system!) or save a hard copy in a file folder or notebook. When you receive a “kudos” email, forward a copy to your personal email account. If you receive notes of appreciation from customers, coworkers, or your organization, compile those. Finally, consider printing out and/or taking a screenshot of any LinkedIn Recommendations you have on your profile. These are an important part of your accomplishments record as well. You need to make collecting your accomplishments part of your routine—whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly.

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