Make Your Environmental Resume Fed Ready Now

 Make Your Federal Resume Fed Ready Now
Uncle Sam is fussy about your paperwork

Environmental Career Center
Hampton, Virginia

Want a great job with a good salary, security, nice benefits, and promotion opportunities in natural resources policy & management, environmental protection, sustainability planning & design, or related area? How about helping with the environmental clean-up of Katrina? Interested in a cool job at the Flat Tops Wilderness Area in Colorado, Denali National Park & Preserve in Alaska, or NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then a Federal career of protecting our environment may be right for you.

However, if you expect to email your current résumé when applying to Federal agencies, think again. You need to create a résumé version (or several versions) to meet Uncle Sam's rigid rules now to be prepared in advance of the right opportunity. Why? Because some Federal job application procedures require much more paperwork, have tight deadlines, and can be intimidating ... though they have simplified the process much over the past decade.

You may apply for most Federal jobs with a résumé, an Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF 612), or other written format. If your résumé or application does not provide all the information requested on the OF 612 and in the job vacancy announcement, you may lose consideration for a job. Obtain the OF 612 at www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of612.pdf">www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of612.pdf">www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of612.pdf .

Information That Is Required In a Federal Résumé:

If you prepare a résumé, be sure you provide all of the information listed below. This is the same information that is identified on the OF-612 application form, You don't need to send both an OF-612 application form and a résumé.

Tell the agency what job you are applying for
-The vacancy announcement number, title and grade

Provide all of the following:
-Full name, mailing address and day/evening telephone numbers
-Social Security Number
-Country of Citizenship
-Highest Federal civilian grade held, job series, and dates of employment in the grade.

Education:
-High School name, city, state and zip code, date of diploma or GED
-Colleges and/or Universities attended, city, state and zip code
-Major field(s) of study
-Type and year of degree(s) received.

Work experience related to the job for which you are applying.
-Job title
-Duties and accomplishments
-Number of hours per week
-Employers name and address
-Supervisor's name and phone number
-Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)
-Salary
-Indicate if your current supervisor may be contacted.

Other Qualifications:
-Job-related training courses (title and year)
-Job-related skills (e.g., other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed, etc.)
-Job-related certificates and licenses
-Job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments (e.g. publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership activities, public speaking, performance awards, etc.) (Do not send copies of documents unless specifically requested.)

Veterans Preference:
-Indicate if you are claiming 5 points (attach DD 214) or 10 points (attach an Application for 10 Point Veterans' Preference (SF-15) and proof required as indicated on the SF-15.)

Refine Your Résumé -- Prove You're the One They Want

Obviously, you may want to have several versions of your Federal résumé for each type of position you desire and for which you qualify. For example, prepare one Federal résumé for an Environmental Protection Specialist (GS-0028 series) and one résumé for Wildlife Biologist (GS-486 series). You may review qualifications for each job in the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families - see ">www.opm.gov/fedclass/html/gsseries.asp"> www.opm.gov/fedclass/html/gsseries.asp.

Remember to check the Federal job announcement thoroughly for all the required and desired qualifications and other information the hiring official specifies. The KSAs are often a candidate screening tool for Federal agencies - KSAs are knowledge, skills, and abilities that are required qualifications for the job. If they are listed, then you need to prepare a narrative that describes how you meet each KSA. Be clear, complete, and concise. This is extra work, but at least Uncle Sam has created a résumé writing tool for you.

Résumé Building Tool

The OPM has a nice résumé building tool online that will help walk you through the process. Go the OPM web site www.opm.gov">www.opm.gov">www.opm.gov, and click on the Create a Résumé button. You may simply cut and paste from your current résumé, but remember to include in your résumé all the information discussed above.

Prepare your Federal environmental résumé now. When you find a great job opening with short deadline, you'll be way ahead of competing candidates, and less stressed out. Do it now.

ECC
About the Author

John Esson is the director of the Environmental Career Center (ECC). ECC is celebrating its 25 year of helping people work for a better environment. ECC publishes the National">www.environmentalcareer.com/neer.htm">National Environmental Employment Report, operates EnvironmentalCareer.com">www.environmentalcareer.com">EnvironmentalCareer.com, conducts careers research and job fairs, and assists environmental employers find top talent.

 John Esson

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