Technical Qualifications

Thinking About Technical Qualifications (TQ)

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A woman in front of a laptop with a thought bubble filled with icons representing different qualifications like a phone, tools, envelope, and phone to represent skills.

Most postings for the Senior Executive Service (SES) include Technical Qualifications (TQ). But if you search for what they are and how to write them, there isn’t much to find. While the SES is focused on leadership, most agencies want to ensure that their selectee has some level of technical knowledge as well. The TQs are your opportunity to demonstrate your relevant technical knowledge.

Unlike your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) which may be used for virtually all SES positions, TQs are job specific. You will not be able to prepare them in advance or without a specific posting.

Here are some things to assist you in understanding and preparing your TQ:

  • Review the TQ before deciding to apply. If you do not have specific experience with one or more of the TQ, it may not be worth applying.
  • There is no real difference between TQ, Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQ), and Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQ).
  • Read the posting carefully; some agencies require 2 pages per TQ, others want only a page, while still other postings want to see evidence of the TQ in your resume. Be sure to follow instructions!
  • There is no required format for TQ. That being said, I recommend that you use the CCAR (challenge-context-actions-result) framework to provide specific examples of when you demonstrated the technical skill being assessed. Ideally, you’ll be able to provide 2 stories for each TQ.
  • When writing a TQ, focus on recency of experience. If the last time you did whatever the TQ is asking about is 20 years ago, it may not be the best posting for you.
  • Use the language of the TQ when writing your response. For example, if the TQ is, “Describe your experience that demonstrates a broad knowledge of animal diseases and epidemiology and incorporation into regulatory or industry control, eradication or safeguarding programs,” your response should include something along the lines of, “I have broad knowledge of animal diseases and epidemiology… One example which highlights my ability to incorporate my knowledge into regulatory and industry control is…”
  • You may use ECQ examples in your TQ. However, be sure to reframe your ECQ stories so that they address and use the language of the specific TQ.

Writing Technical Qualifications for Your SES Package

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Many agencies require that you prepare and submit TQs (also known as Mandatory Technical Qualifications or Professional Technical Qualifications) with your SES application. Think of these as the old knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) statements we used to write prior to 2009, whenever applying for a federal job. TQs are reviewed carefully at the agency level but never seen by a qualifications review board – QRB. When you review a job announcement, be sure to look at the TQs before deciding whether to apply. If you cannot provide specific examples of when you demonstrated each TQ in your work, you may want to consider picking a different announcement.

Although there is no prescribed format for preparing your TQs, I recommend that you to use OPM’s Challenge, Context, Action, Result (CCAR) model when preparing them. Think about composing your TQs to tell a story that demonstrates your possession of the relevant technical expertise. Start your example with a general statement that you have consistently demonstrated that technical expertise over the course of your career; you may want to provide a sentence or two that discusses the various jobs, agencies, etc., where your expertise was demonstrated.

Then, discuss a particular challenge you faced; include the specifics of the goal you were trying to meet and the obstacles you faced in doing so. Those obstacles could pertain to resources, people, technology, etc. (challenge) Then talk about your job, your role, and the specific environment you were working in when you faced the challenge (context). Next, discuss the specific steps (one by one) you took to overcome the challenges (actions) that demonstrate your technical expertise. Finally, discuss the outcome and include any metrics you can to demonstrate that you achieved success because of your technical expertise (result).

There is no overarching OPM guidance on the length of a TQ or the freshness of the story. The vacancy announcement may spell out specific character limits for the length of your TQ response. Common sense tells us that the more recent the story, the better. However, if your best example is from 20 years ago, you are allowed to use it. You may also repeat an example that you use in your ECQs but remember to frame it differently as the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) are focused on your leadership, while your TQs are focused on technical knowledge and expertise. Try to use at least 2 specific examples / stories for each TQ.