Resume Tips for Prospective

Presidential Management Fellows (PMFs)

Paul Binkley Former Director of Career Development Services, George Washington University, Trachtenberg School (www.tspppa.gwu.edu) Co-Author of Student’s Federal Career Guide

Virginia Hill PMF Program Manager, National Institutes of Health Presidential Management Fellow, Class of 2007

Our Time Together Today…

1.  Overview and Introductions

2.  Tips from a Career Advisor / Resume Expert

3.  Tips from a PMF Agency Coordinator / PMF Alum

4.  Guidance from the PMF Program Office

5.  Open Q&A

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Overview •  Tweeting? Twitter Hash Tag = #pmf2013

•  Questions? Use the chat box below.

•  Recording? Yes. Google+ records it.

▫  We’ll embed the recorded version here and on PathtoPMF.com

•  Technical Issues? The program is embedded on PathtoPMF.com right now. Check it out there as well.

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Meet Our Experts Paul Binkley

Former Director of Career Services, The George Washington University

Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration

Co-Author, Student’s Federal Career Guide

Virginia Hill

PMF Program Manager

National Institutes of Health PMF Class of 2007

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Special Shout Out Rob Timmins

Senior Program Analyst U.S. Office of Personnel Management

PMF Program Office

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Before You Start

•  5-7 seconds to capture attention

•  Focus on content, not length:

▫  KEY WORDS in current position descriptions at www.opm.gov/

fedclass

•  No tables / templates

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Organizing Your Résumé •  Try a “modified chronological” or “outline” format

•  Tips and Tricks o  Be in a “project management mindset”

o  Try the CAR method o  Context: details that provide some flavor to the information

o  Action: how did you accomplish the task?

o  Result: show the concrete impact of your actions

•  Do they pass the “So What?” test?

•  Use quantity, when applicable

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Organizing Your Résumé

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Leveraging Your Education

•  Experience first, education second

•  Turn education into experience

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•  Include a “Key Accomplishments” section for every position you’ve held

•  Flesh-out details from bullet points that may have been buried in the project management style of writing.

“Key Accomplishments” Are Critical

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Standing Out

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•  Show how your background fits perfectly with the needs of the position.

•  Include courses you have taken, class projects, research papers related to the opportunity, volunteer activities, or work with professional associations.

•  Don’t forget awards and other recognition

•  Everything in your resume should relate back to the opportunity.

Show Projects, Volunteering, Associations, etc.

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•  You may use the resume builder function of USAJobs to make sure you include comprehensive information*

•  Federal HR professionals complain that candidates do not include all necessary information on their resumes.

•  Upload Microsoft Word documents or PDFs instead, but starting with the USAJobs resume builder helps you include everything that is needed.

* For PMF, using USAJOBS is not necessary, just helpful!

USAJobs Resume Builder

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Tailor to the Opportunity •  Consider mapping your experience to the 7 core

PMF competencies: •  Adaptability

•  Personal Accountability

•  Motivation to Serve

•  Problem Solving

•  Interpersonal Skills

•  Oral Communication

•  Written Communication

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These competencies are outlined in the “2013 PMF Assessment Preparation Guide” found at:

www.pmf.gov/become-a-pmf/assessment-process.aspx

Polishing Your Résumé

•  Consistency considerations: o  formatting (spacing, date, bullets) o  tense (grammar) o  punctuation

•  Make sure your contact information is accurate!

•  Use a professional email address, preferably with name

•  Print it. Read it. Proof it. Leave it. Read it again later.

•  Have someone else do the same.

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Advice from the PMF Program •  Include all contact information (e.g., email address and

home/cell phone numbers)

•  Identify your full name, including middle name

•  Citizenship: Are you a U.S. Citizen or eligible to be legally employed in the United States? Yes/No

•  If claiming veterans' preference, reference in your resume

•  Selective Service: Yes/No •  all adult males born on or after January 1, 1960, must have

registered for Selective Service between the ages of 18 through 25

•  https://www.sss.gov/regver/wfregistration.aspx

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Advice from the PMF Program

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For privacy concerns, you should NOT include the following:

•  classified information

•  full Social Security Number

•  other personal or sensitive information you do not wish be made visible to agency recruiters

•  If you ever worked for the Federal Government (e.g., as a student), include it as work experience

•  For work experience: include month/year and salary ranges

•  For education entries: include honors, relevant coursework, licensures, and certifications

•  Include 2-3 references with names, titles, phone numbers, email addresses, and reference type (professional/personal)

Advice from the PMF Program

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•  Include affiliations, volunteer work, professional publications you have contributed

•  Include an additional information section covering awards, leadership activities, public speaking engagements, skills, languages, and availability

•  JOB FAIR

•  Use an abbreviated resume (1-2 pages)

•  Have a writing sample on hand, just in case

Advice from the PMF Program

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What are agencies looking for?

•  The resume is about YOU, not past jobs. •  Good writing skills, concise and clear language

•  Something stands out; not generic

•  Demonstration of how you:

▫  Saved time or money

▫  Met deadlines

▫  Worked efficiently to achieve results

▫  Are a good fit for the agency and/or position

▫  Work as a member of a team

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List of References

•  References can make or break a deal - choose wisely!

•  Notify them you are applying for an opportunity

•  Send your résumé so they can use it for talking points

•  Let them know what you are applying for

•  Remind them about an accomplishment or project

•  Bonus: Have your references write a recommendation

for you on LinkedIn, BeKnown, and BranchOut

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Questions from PathtoPMF.com 1. Should the resume be in USAJOBS, word document, or pdf format? If so, do you attach this resume at the beginning or end of the online application?

•  You are able to upload the following: gif image (.gif), jpeg image(.jpg), png image (.png), rich text format(.rtf ), Microsoft word(.doc, .docx), adobe pdf (.pdf), word perfect (.wpd)

•  You can complete your resume using the USAJobs Resume Builder, then convert it to PDF and upload it.

•  You could also create it in the Builder, then copy and paste into Word, get the formatting how you like it, and submit as .doc.

•  Upload your resume any time before 11:59p ET Nov 19, 2012.

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Questions from PathtoPMF.com

2. Can we change our resume after you submit the application? The USAJOBS application specifies "Applicants will not be able to make changes to their resumes after the closing date of this vacancy announcement."

•  Your resume for the PMF Application will be locked in through the process of being named a Finalist.

•  Once named a Finalist, you will be able to revise and submit more targeted resumes for agency job opportunities –

•  Hint: You will want to do so as you apply for specific openings to be more competitive.

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Questions from PathtoPMF.com

3. Are PMF resumes supposed to be tailored to a specific job? All guidance I’ve seen for federal resumes suggests writing experience to reflect key words and KSA’s from the posting. Since the PMF is not for a specific job, is it suggested that we use the seven competencies?

•  You could tailor this first version to PMF's 7 core competencies to organize it.

•  You are not required to have keywords or KSAs.

•  Should you advance to the Finalist stage, at that time I would target / tailor your resume to a specific job.

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Questions from PathtoPMF.com

4. The USAJobs resume requests more information than a 'standard' resume (including pay, specific addresses of places of employment, etc.). Is it okay to just upload a .pdf of this same resume, or is it better to copy & paste into word and edit out those details?

•  It might not be worth the time to extract those elements from a Word doc.

•  PDF looks good - you might just want to upload that version.

•  The folks looking at these resumes will be used to seeing the USAJOBS version and the added detail won't seem excessive.

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Questions from PathtoPMF.com 5. I gather that a federal resume should touch the past 10 years of (relevant) work experience. Is it worth including part-time jobs or should I leave them out?

•  Include all relevant work experience - not just past 10 years.

•  Map your work experience to the opportunity.

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Questions from PathtoPMF.com

6. In terms of the "References" section of the USAJOBS resume builder, is it OK to list one or two of the supervisors that are already listed under the "Work Experience" section, or should they all be different?

•  It's okay to put the same supervisors

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Submit via chat in the Google+ Event

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General Reminders

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a.  Check http://www.pmf.gov/becomeapmf/index.aspx, including the FAQs, throughout the application and assessment process for updates.

b.  Don’t post personal or sensitive questions/comments on social media.

c.  Provide enough details in your resume for agency HR staff to evaluate/confirm.

d.  Adhere strictly to the non-disclosure statement when completing the on-line assessment and essays.

e.  During the review stage of the application, you may check to see if:

•  all required pieces have been completed

•  all required documents have been submitted,

•  any supporting documents have been submitted (e.g., in regards to claims for veterans’ preference and reasonable accommodation), and

•  whether the on-line assessment has been completed.

Shameless Plug J

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http://www.amazon.com/Students-Federal-Career-

Guide-2nd/dp/0982419058

For Further Assistance Official:

•  General Inquiries: pmfapplication@opm.gov

•  Application Support: Click on the “Help” link

▫  OPM has a dedicated team monitoring technical issues

Unofficial:

•  Andrew: Andrew@GovLoop.com

•  Ginny: Virginia.Hill@NIH.gov

•  Paul: www.linkedin.com/in/paulmbinkley

Good Luck!

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