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How to Write a Successful Résumé--And Why It Can Be Important to You

Resumes

Manpower Officer
Department of the Navy
Wed Jun 3, 2009 8:41 AM

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Having several resumes is all well and good however, in Navy CHART you are only allowed one resume in the system. Also, a majority of the recruitments are made against the "Open Continuous" announcements which can range from GS-05 to GS-15 depending on the series. This makes locating the KSAs more difficult. As an HR professional, my advice for DoN job seekers is to narrow your resume to what you do best and which command you would like to work for. Apply to the series that fits your skills. Also network to find out what vacancies are available.

Re: Resumes

Federal Career Intern
HUD
Wed Jun 3, 2009 11:06 AM
With regards to the Navy and CHART. Don't waste your time applying to a Navy CHART position. As a Navy Vet who applied to over 100 federal jobs I never got a single call from a Navy CHART posting. If we cannot get the ENTIRE federal government working off of 1 system like USA JOBS then don't bother with NAVY CHART and let them hire their Navy buddies.

Federal Resumes

Fiscally Responsible Fed
Somewhere
Wed Jun 3, 2009 9:26 AM

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I agree with Manpower Officer on having one resume, generally. You have to have a resume that will get through Human Resources. But in the final analysis, the most important and effective job search tool is networking.

USAJobs allows five versions of a resume.

USAStaffing allows the applicant to upload for each job to which he/she applies. The advantage to the upload feature is that you are not constrained to formatting or sequencing of a template. You can also include an Objective and/or Profile section.

What is confusing is that if you go into USAJobs, and you select which resume to submit, and it takes you to an agency USAStaffing System, there is an option to upload, too, so the applicant is unsure WHICH resume they are receiving in HR.

If anyone knows the answer to that question, please chime in.

Re: Federal Resumes

Program Analyst
OPM
Thu Jun 4, 2009 10:10 AM
If an applicant has a resume from USAJOBS, and then uploads one in USA Staffing's Application Manager (which is not required if they already have a resume they are happy with), the document with the later date and timestamp is the one considered. This is explained in the online help.

Or better yet, be a vet

HR Specialist
V.A.
Wed Jun 3, 2009 9:29 AM

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If the applicant is not a current or former federal employee, or a veteran, they haven't got much of a chance to get a job, no matter HOW well they write their resume. Candidates who score 98 to 100 can't get past the veterans who block the registers. I know this from personal experience.

It's time for reform. As a veteran, I am not saying to remove preference for hiring. But in order to block the register for candidates who score 98 or 100, the veteran should at least make the cutoff for "best qualified".

Re: Or better yet, be a vet

Federal Career Intern
HUD
Wed Jun 3, 2009 11:12 AM
Being a VET with a score of 105 didn't help me with a VA job that I actually interviewed for but didn't get. While I knew I could run circles around the people who were interviewing me and that I had more education, I was also older and I knew the gig was up when I was asked how I would "feel" about being trained and mentored by people younger than me. I thought long and hard about filing an age discrimination complaint but decided to not rock the boat because I needed any job I could find and did not want to burn any bridges. At least another Vet go the job!

Lastly, check out the wording on "pass over" the Vet and the rules regarding the disabled Vet. Those rules exist for a reason and there is no need to change them.

Those Veterans stood up to be counted and now is the time to stand by them. Anything else is unacceptable.

Re: Or better yet, be a vet

Educator
DoD Dependent Schools
Wed Jun 3, 2009 4:08 PM
I think the question re: how you'd feel about being trained by someone younger is a legitimate one, which the interviewer was right to ask. It's not a matter of age discrimination, but trying to fit the right applicant into the vacancy. Most people would also be a little put off by the assertion that "I could run circles around the people who were interviewing me and that I had more education." You can bet that egotistical attitude came thru during the interview. Evidently, HUD liked you well enough to hire you as an "intern" even though, by your own admission, you are older than the typical applicant for such a position. Don't screw up whatever opportunity you may have with that chip on your shoulder. Finally, you say another vet got the VA job you originally applied for. Even if only vets are considered, some vets are better choices for some vacancies than others; that doesn't make the organization anti-veteran, they only want to make the best possible selection.

Re: Or better yet, be a vet

worker
Fed
Thu Jun 4, 2009 9:14 AM
I agree with educator. If a younger person must train you so be it. If you are better than the younger person then, at least in theory, you will pass him or her.
I have been in my job for a very long time and have not been promoted. Yes, I am unhappy. I have listened to teachers, who either cannot be understood or do not know what they are talking about. I know this via tax law. However, I live with it because I can do nothing about it except retire, which I am not ready to do.

Re: Or better yet, be a vet

Federal Career Intern
HUD
Thu Jun 4, 2009 9:26 PM
For the DOD Educator,
I know where my chip is and after six months of unemployment I also know how to eat humble pie. I've worked as hard as HUD will let me and I've managed to score a position as a Presidential Management Fellow that puts me on course to a position better than a federal career intern. My point is, I answered the mail about being trained by younger people as I was in the military long enough to be trained and led by those younger than me and I did very well there also.

What hath man wrought...?

Retired Fed
None
Wed Jun 3, 2009 9:52 AM

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And there it is…a “merit system” that essentially revolves around contrived keywords for job consideration. Funny how none of these keywords necessarily has a thing to do with the quality of the candidate, the depth of one's experience, or the actual ability to do the job. The proof that this is all baloney is the publication of articles such as these to alert one to the challenge and to defeat the system using its shortcomings. And, of course, there is no buggering with the system for non-merit purposes, like promoting diversity or taking care of preferred candidates.

Federal Resumes

Analyst
DOD
Wed Jun 3, 2009 10:43 AM
It has nothing what so ever to do with how well or how poorly ones resume is and everything to do with the good old boy system. Our supervisor held interviews here a couple of months ago. I watched as these poor delusional people came one after the other to be interviewed for two positions that already had names on them. These people were nothing but filler interviewees and everyone here knew it. Yes you have to interview for the position, but the pre-selectee is still selected.

Re: What hath man wrought...?

worker
Fed
Wed Jun 3, 2009 10:58 AM
I agree with you. The potential employer should be able to read through the resume to see whether the prospective employee may be best qualified to do the job. This is true whether in private industry or public domain.
However, potential emplyees must be realistic. Employers use computers because of the flood of applicants. Computers look for key words. If computers are not used then the reader must look through a flood of applications. They are not going to analyze each application because they do not have the time. Thus they will look for key words whether outright or in the resume under another name or phrase.
Thus we, the applicants are stuck with the system.

Re: What hath man wrought...?

Retired Fed
None
Wed Jun 3, 2009 12:47 PM
Flood of applications? I thought the government couldn't find people? The system was too unwieldy. Which is it?

Re: What hath man wrought...?

worker
Fed
Thu Jun 4, 2009 9:18 AM
To retired Fed
IRS is hiring a load of people. At least that is what I have heard.
Also, we are in a depression. That usually brings out a load of job applications for all sorts of things.

Successful Resume Writing

Admin Support Assistant
Army Community Service
Wed Jun 3, 2009 11:35 AM

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Excellent article - So often, people tend to be lazy and continue to use the same resume over and over. As the article points out, it's much smarter to do research and include the key words that will get you an interview and (hopefully) the position.

No Job Announcements

TMS
SUP
Thu Jun 4, 2009 6:30 AM

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The article is so far off the mark. We never see Job Announcements. A majority of the positions are filled off the Open Continuous job banks. To tailor your resume to a specific job can not be done because you don't know it exists and you can't find out the KEY WORDS that will get you through the screening process. In my opinion, this makes it easy for management and impossible for the applicant.

Federal Applications

Medical Support Assistant
V.A. West Roxbury, Ma
Thu Jun 4, 2009 7:34 AM

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Due to the fact that we will see more and more
OIF/OEF veteran returning home we need daily info on the federal application process and where one might find courses on how to learn how to properly apply for a federal position.

Total Comments: 19
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