Resume

Do I Really Need a Cover Letter?

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Back in the days of “snail mail,” the use of a cover letter was standard. Applicants mailed their resumes and included a cover letter to introduce themselves and highlight their qualifications. Nowadays, no one actually mails their resume to anyone; so the obvious question is whether cover letters are still needed.

Here are some thoughts to consider:

  • Does the job posting ask for a cover letter? If so, you definitely want to include one. If nothing else, it shows that you can follow instructions (always a plus for an employer!).
  • Is there a place to upload a cover letter? Many private sector Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) do not provide space to upload a cover letter. If you find yourself in this situation, it is clear that the organization does not want a cover letter.
  • Most private sector recruiters (over 60% according to some studies) do not read them. Of course, that means that approximately 40% of resume reviewers and recruiters do review cover letters.
  • In the federal arena, the first thing that is reviewed is basic qualifications and then the questionnaire; next is the resume. An applicant has no way of knowing whether the Human Resources Specialist reads your letter—or even more importantly, passes it along to the hiring manager.
  • A cover letter that simply says “here is my resume for the ABC position is always worse than no cover letter at all. If you are going to prepare a cover letter, you should make it meaningful. There are still no guarantees that it will be read or considered but if it is, it will at least say something.

If you do decide to prepare a cover letter, here are best practices:

  • Customize your cover letter, including addressing it to a real person and properly noting the job and organization. There is no excuse for “to whom it may concern.” All federal job postings list a contact person. And for private sector positions, use LinkedIn and other sources to find the hiring manager.
  • Make it different than your resume. A cover letter should not just repeat what’s in your resume—highlight your key qualifications and accomplishments vis-à-vis the posting and tell your story, while making it personal. You can and should use “I” in your cover letter.
  • If you are emailing your resume to someone, you should put your “cover letter” in the body of the email, rather than making it a second attachment for someone to open. Keep it short; emails are typically shorter than letters. If you’re putting your resume and cover letter into a system, be sure to put it in the right place.
  • Keep it short and sweet; your cover letter should not exceed one page and paragraphs should be kept to 4-5 sentences.
  • Ensure perfection. Make sure your cover letter is well written and includes no typos or grammatical errors. Ask a friend, family member, or colleague to proof it for you.

While in many cases, a cover letter is no longer needed, if you are going to prepare and submit one, make sure it is worth the reader’s time and attention!

Main Differences Between Federal and Private Sector Resumes

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Most of us remember the rule drilled into us at school that no resume should be more than 2 pages—and 1 is better! That “rule” points out one of the major differences between federal and private sector resumes.

Let’s look at that and some of other myths about resumes in more detail:

  • Resumes should not exceed 2 pages. SOMETIMES. While I agree with that rule for private sector resumes, if your federal resume is only 2 pages, it will be difficult for you to get traction. From a federal Human Resources (HR) perspective, if its not on your resume, you did not do it; federal HR reviewers of your resume are not allowed to make assumptions or draw conclusions about your experience; it must be spelled out. A typical federal resume is 4-6 pages, while a strong private sector resume is 2 pages (or one, if you are relatively new to the workforce).
  • Resumes do not need to include names of supervisors, starting and end months, hours worked per week, etc. SOMETIMES. As mentioned above, Federal resumes require significantly more detailed information than private sector resumes. This includes things like citizenship, hours worked per week, supervisors’ names (and whether they may be contacted), and more. This information should not be included on a private sector resume (although most private sector employers want to know start and end month, in addition to year). Federal HR can eliminate people from competition who do not include all required information—why take that chance?
  • Uploading resumes is always better than copying and pasting into the builder. WRONG. Private sector organizations have created resume builders for a reason: information appears in the order and location recruiters want to see it. Ditto for USAJOBS. (and not all federal agencies accept uploaded resumes—it would be a drag to figure that out at 11:58PM). While it may take a bit longer to copy and paste your Word document into the available builder, remember that is how organizations want to receive it.
  • Resumes should reflect duties. TRUE BUT. Whether you are putting together a federal or a private sector resume, duties should be included. But so should accomplishments; its not enough for your resume to show that you do “x”; you need to show accomplishments so that readers of your resume can see how you have added value to your organization(s).
  • Generic resume work. WRONG. All resumes, whether federal or private sector should be tailored to individual job postings. This means including all of the job postings’ key words.
  • Email doesn’t matter. WRONG. If you are still using AOL for your email, that screams that you have not updated that part of your life—and begs the question whether you have updated other parts of your work life. While concerns about age are a bigger issue in the private sector than the federal one, it is always a good idea to have a professional email address; preferably, one that has your name (without the year of your birth). And make sure the “display name” is appropriate as well.
  • Formatting should be attractive. IT DEPENDS. Federal resumes are not typically heavily formatted and the USAJOBS builder does not accept formatting tools like bold, underline, small caps, italics, etc. You can get a bit more creative with private sector resumes but remember that most private sector Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) do not accept embedded tables, certain fonts, PDF, and borders.

While federal and private sector resumes both require the use of key words, the inclusion of accomplishments and accomplishments, there are substantial differences in length, level of detail, and content. When applying for jobs, it is important to make sure your resume matches your target sector for maximum consideration.

Include a References Page with your Resume

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The days of noting: “References Available Upon Request” on your resume are over (and have been, for quite some time). Do not list references on your resume. Instead, create a Reference Page to provide to hiring managers upon request. You should take your reference page to all interviews and have it ready to share.

Here’s what a reference page should look like and the information it should contain:

  • The formatting of your reference page should match the formatting of your resume in terms of font and any graphics used.
  • The top of your reference page should include your name and contact information (at least your phone and email address). You may also want to include your customized LinkedIn URL.
  • You should have at least 3 and no more than 5 references; all should be professional. The information on each reference should include: the reference name, title, organization, City, ST, email, and phone. You may also want to consider including the reference’s relationship to you.
  • Your most important reference should be the first one. And if possible, your references should have some familiarity with the skills required for the job you’re targeting. It is acceptable to use difference references for different positions.
  • Don’t forget to double-check all spelling and contact information.

You shouldn’t wait until you’re getting called in for interviews to contact people you want to use as references.

It can take some time to track down and reach references, catch them up on where you’re at in your career, and obtain their contact information. You don’t want to try to do that while you’re researching and preparing for a job interview.

Before providing someone as a reference, be sure to ask for permission. Not everyone you’ve worked for — or worked with — will be a good reference for you. You want a reference that can be as enthusiastic about you as you are about getting the job. Not all potential references will be able to provide this kind of stellar recommendation. But some of your references may be hesitant to say no to you directly if you ask.

Give them a way to let themselves off the hook, without turning you down directly. Instead of asking, “Will you be a reference for me?” Ask them, “Do you feel you know me well enough to serve as a reference for me?” You also want to update them on what you’ve been up to (especially if they knew you at a previous job) and what you’re looking for in your next job.

Immediately send a letter or email thanking them for serving as a reference, and provide a current copy of your resume.

If you provide a name as a reference for a particular job, contact them right away after the interview to let them know. Give them the company name, position title you’re seeking, and the name, title, email address, and phone number for the person who may be calling. Let them know some of the critical challenges and responsibilities of the position so they will be prepared to discuss specific skills, experience, and achievements from their work with you.

Ask them to let you know if they are contacted about a particular opportunity. (When they do let you know, ask what kind of questions they were asked.) This not only allows you to find out what information was collected in the reference check, but also can prompt you to write them a handwritten thank-you note, thanking them for their support.

10 Reasons You Were Not Referred To The Hiring Manager

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One constant theme I hear from resume clients is that they know that they are well qualified for a job but did not get referred to the hiring manager and they don’t understand why.

Here are 10 reasons why you could be well qualified but did not get referred:

  1. Your resume does not reflect your qualifications for the specific position. For maximum effectiveness, your resume needs to be tweaked for each job. Make sure that your resume mirrors the language of the announcement and questionnaire. For example, if your resume talks about “cybersecurity” and the job posting uses the term “information security,” you should change your resume to include the words “information security.”
  2. You did not submit all required information. Perhaps you forgot to include your transcript (for positions requiring them) or neglected to include your DD214. Without all of the required documents, your application may not have received full consideration or the highest rating.
  3. You did not give yourself enough credit on the occupational questionnaire. If you did not rate yourself highly on the questionnaire, it is unlikely that your application will be scored at a level to be referred to the hiring manager.
  4. You have time-in-grade but do not meet the specialized experience requirements. Without the requisite specialized experience, it is unlikely that your application will be considered best qualified and referred. Be sure to spell out your possession of the specialized experience requirement in your resume.
  5. Your resume is acronym-laden and full of technical language so Human Resources (HR) reviewers have a hard time telling whether you are qualified or not. Remember, the first audience for your resume is HR; if they don’t understand your resume, it will be hard for you to be referred. And, just because you are applying in your own agency, doesn’t mean that they understand the technical work that you do.
  6. Your resume is too short; you are not likely to achieve success with a 1-2-page resume; a typical federal resume is 4-6 pages. From a federal HR perspective, if it’s not on your resume, you did not do it. HR Specialists are not allowed to make assumptions or draw conclusions about your experience—you need to be specific.
  7. Your resume is too long. If your resume is 10, 12 or even more pages (and you are not a scientist with multiple professional publications, etc.), your resume has far too much content and it is likely that a lot of that content is irrelevant to the job you’re applying for. Make good use of your “resume real estate;” everything on your resume should be focused on the job you’re applying for. Everything else should be eliminated. And there’s no need for your resume to go back 15, 20, or 30 years.
  8. Your most relevant experience is not current. While you will certainly be rated qualified if your relevant experience was a long time ago, it’s going to be hard to be rated best qualified when there are likely applicants who are currently engaged in relevant work.
  9. Your resume is missing relevant accomplishments. If your resume is a list of duties and does not include any accomplishments, it’s like saying, “I do this, I do that, trust me, I do it well…” The strongest resumes include relevant accomplishments.
  10. Your resume is missing metrics. Without metrics, readers of your resume do not know if the budget you manage is $1, $100, $100,000, or $1,000,000. Your resume should include metrics so that reviewers of your resume understand the full scope of your work.
  11. BONUS REASON: You are not applying appropriately. If you have status, you should apply as a status applicant; if you do not have status, you should be applying under delegated examining or all citizens announcements. If you are eligible for specialized appointment authorities, make sure your USAJOBS Profile appropriately supports your eligibility and your resume clearly shows that eligibility.

If you are not putting your best foot forward with each and every application, you are doing yourself and your career a disservice. If you are applying for jobs for which you are fully qualified; responding to the questionnaire appropriately; using a targeted, federal-style resume; and following all instructions in the job posting, you should consistently get referred to the hiring manager.

Be Sure To Document Temporary Federal Assignments

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It is not uncommon for federal employees to be detailed to a higher grade or different position and then want to use that detail or temporary assignment as creditable experience when applying for a new position or a promotion, but you must document it properly in order to include in your application.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) assumes that employees gain experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate to their official position description, occupational series, and grade. If you want to be credited for experience outside your official position description, whether at a higher grade or in a different job series, your temporary work must be appropriately documented.

Such documentation could include a SF-52 or SF-50 that documents an official detail or assignment. It could also include a signed letter from the employee’s supervisor.

That letter must state the nature and length of the temporary assignment / detail, whether the duties performed were full- or part-time, and the percentage of time other duties were performed. The documentation should be included in an employee’s Official Personnel Folder (OPF).

Employees should submit the official documentation, along with their resume, when applying for positions where the temporary experience may be needed to support their application.

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.