How to Write a Federal Resume

Below we explain everything you need to include on a resume for a federal job, and provide examples you can reference. Additionally, we provide you with a free federal resume template, and writing and formatting tips to help you get your resume ready for any government position.

Build My Resume

Our free-to-use resume builder can make you a resume in as little as 5 minutes. Pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.

What’s the difference between a federal resume and a private sector resume?

Most private-sector jobs require you to submit a one-page resume that provides a brief overview of your qualifications.

By contrast, a federal resume ranges from two to five pages or more depending on your experience level, and requires an in-depth description of your previous jobs, skills, and achievements.

Also, apart from the basic things you should put on your resume — like your work experience, education, and contact information — your federal resume must include additional details such as your:

• citizenship status
• veterans’ status
• highest GS grade
• security clearance (if applicable)
• salary and hours worked per week at each job

Federal resume format example

This federal resume sample was written by an administrative assistant with more than four years of experience working in the federal government:

Download Resume

Federal resume template

Here’s a resume template with everything you need to build a resume for uploading to USAJOBS:

How to write a federal resume

According to USAJOBS, “Some agencies accept uploaded resumes and resumes created using the USAJOBS resume builder, while some may only accept one or the other.”

So depending on the job you want, you need to know how to use a federal resume builder and how to create your own from scratch:

Using a federal resume builder

To make your resume with the USAJOBS resume builder:

1. create a USAJOBS account
2. find the “resume” section
3. choose the “Build resume” option
4. follow the on-screen instructions to build your federal resume

Creating your own federal resume

Are you applying to a government job that requires you to upload your federal resume to USAJOBS or a specific agency website? To make a resume with proper federal resume formatting, include these sections:

1. Applicant information
2. Resume objective
3. Work experience
4. Education
5. Additional optional sections

What information to include on your federal resume

Here’s how to write and format each section of your federal resume:

 1. Applicant information

Start your resume by listing your name and contact information in the header.

Then list any of the following details that apply to you:

• desired job details
• citizenship status
• veteran preference
• disability
• general schedule (GS) grade
• security clearance
• availability
• desired locations

Here’s how to determine what you should list for each of those items:

Desired job details

Per the US Department of Labor, you need to list the title, grade, and announcement number of the job you’re applying for on your federal resume. Find the job details on the USAJOBS job posting, and list them like this:

Desired Job: Human Resources Specialist, GS 12, CARX-21-11007872-SHe-OCA

Citizenship status

Many positions in the federal government have specific requirements regarding citizenship, so include your citizenship and visa status to speed up the vetting process. List your citizenship status as either “yes” or “no,” or write your work visa status.

Veterans’ preference

The federal government gives hiring preferences to veterans under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. So if you served in the US military, include your veterans’ preference on your resume.

You should either list your veterans’ preference status as “no” (if you were never a member of the military), or your point preference eligibility (for example: 5-Point, 10-Point, etc).

Disability

If you have a Schedule A disability, you may be eligible for special hiring preferences. Here’s how to list your disability on your resume:

Disability: Schedule A

General schedule (GS) grade

The US civil service’s pay scale is called the General Schedule (or GS). All jobs in the federal government are graded using a GS that identifies the salary and level of responsibility associated with the position.

If you’re currently working for the federal government (or have worked for it in the past), include your highest GS grade and salary range on your resume. For example:

Highest GS Grade: GS 5

Security clearance

Some federal government jobs require you to have one of three security clearance levels:

• Confidential
• Secret
• Top secret

If you don’t have security clearance, write “N/A.”

Availability

To list your availability, indicate whether you want to work permanently or temporarily, and if you can work full-time or part-time. Here’s an example:

Availability: Permanent, Full-Time

Desired locations

If the job you’re targeting has multiple locations available, you can list your preference, following the Country-State-County format, like this:

Desired Location: US-VA-Arlington County

If you want to be considered for any position, regardless of location, don’t list your location preferences.

2. Convincing resume objective

After you list your personal information, explain why you want the job in a short paragraph known as a resume objective. Your reason for applying should include your most relevant skills so the hiring manager sees you’re qualified as soon as they start reading your resume.

3. Work experience

Unlike a private-sector resume, a government resume includes a highly detailed experience section. Each position can run a full page or more depending on your responsibilities.

For every position you list on your resume, include the following information:

• Employer’s name and location
• Start and end dates
• Annual salary
• Occupational series number and GS grade (for federal jobs only)
• Job title
• Number of weekly hours worked
• Summary of your responsibilities
• Bulleted list of job duties
• Exceptional resume accomplishments
• Awards you received (if applicable)
• Supervisor’s contact information (and whether they can be contacted)

Additionally, if you’re coming from a military background make sure to name all the systems you’re familiar with. This is what Mirella Armington Cortez, a recruitment manager at Fearless, has to suggest when writing a federal resume:

It’s important to state all the technical tools/systems/non-technical tools you used during your term in the military. Today there is a lot of crossover between systems the military uses and what the private sector works with. – Mirella Armington Cortez

4. Education section

What you put in the education section of your resume depends on what level of schooling you’ve completed.

If you graduated from college, include the following information:

• College names and locations (city, state, and zip code)
• Years attended
• Degrees earned (minors included)
• Awards or special recognition received
• Membership of educational organizations or clubs

Additionally, if you’re a recent college graduate, you can include your GPA and relevant coursework on your resume.

If you didn’t attend college, include the following information for your high school and any technical schools you attended:

• School name and location
• Date you received your diploma, GED, certificate, or license

5. Additional sections

The following resume sections are optional, but adding them to your federal resume can help you stand out from the many applicants seeking federal employment:

• Skills section
• Extracurricular activities
• Volunteer work
• Publications
• Certifications
• Language skills

More federal resume help

Need more help writing your resume? Here are some additional resume-writing resources: