• What constitutes a great resume;• How to begin the process;• Characteristics of a federal resume;• Developing a resume;• The cover letter; and• Some DOs and DON’Ts.

• It catches the attention of the employer;• It highlights your strengths and

accomplishments;• It communicates who you are and what

makes you stand out from other applicants;• It demonstrates how you may be a good

match for the position; and• It communicates how your capabilities and

future potential match the position announced, and, more importantly, gets you the interview.

• Identify and assess the skills, characteristics and qualities that you possess;

• Compile all of your work-related experience (this could include summer work and volunteer work such as athletics, clubs, organizations, and leadership roles);

• Think about the job or field in which you want to work;

• Review the qualifications necessary to succeed in that field;

• Ask yourself what can you contribute to this field; and

• What skills have you demonstrated that are related to the qualifications listed for the position?

• Open a usajobs.gov account.• Be prepared to give the following

information:• Names, phone numbers and addresses of

former employers and supervisors;• Previous job titles;• Records of training;• Records of accomplishments/awards; and• Formal education.

• Addresses specific qualifications listed in the vacancy announcement with relevant levels of experience, education, and skills;

• Highlights accomplishments, results, and critical job-related information of your experience/background; and

• Gives you the opportunity to cite unique experiences gained through volunteer work;

• Highlight your accomplishments;• Don’t just list duties, responsibilities and

activities—show results:• Consider the P-A-R approach: Identify the

PROBLEM; Explain your ACTION; and State the RESULT;

• Describe what you did in each work experience;

• Use Key Words effectively;• Identify your transferable skills; and• Choose the right format style.

• Chronological Format• Functional Format

• The effective cover letter is:• Personalized and created for a specific

purpose;• Designed to draw attention to the applicant’s

career interests as they relate to the agency and the position of interest;

• Opens lines of communication between the applicant and prospective employer;

• Short (no more than three paragraphs); and• Focused on what you have to offer to the

organization rather than what the prospective employer has to offer to you.

DO• Check your package for

misspellings and typographical errors;

• Review your application package to ensure that you have included all of the required information listed in the “How To Apply” section of the vacancy announcement;

• Be specific and use active verbs to describe performance;

• Be concise; and• Use numbers and

data points to demonstrate success.

DON’T• Inflate your

accomplishments or make things up about your level of responsibility or skills;

• Use colored fonts, charts, graphics, italics, underlining, two or three-column formats, parentheses or tabs;

• Use expressions like “duties included” or “responsibilities;” use accomplishment phrases;

• Use the same resume for each position;

• Use acronyms unless you know that everyone knows what the acronym means.

QUESTIONS?

USEPA OCR Outreach Initiative