Federal Government Resumes Forum

[DATlsatBOI]

Hi all. I am currently an Honors Attorney with EOIR, beginning to search for new opportunities as we are placed on a 2-year term. I've been workshopping my resume to accommodate the federal format, but there are so many resources online that have vastly different opinions on what this format should exactly consist of. Even mentors within my own organization and career services staff specializing in government work have different opinions.

Would anyone who is currently an attorney in the federal government mind PMing me their resume? It would be tremendously helpful to have a trustworthy template to work with.

Thank you!

[Anonymous User]

What kind of opportunities are you pursuing? In the USAO context, I used and saw people submit what I’d call ordinary lawyer resumes (also did so when I was applying for non-DOJ honors positions). I think that if you’re applying for an exempt legal job, a conventional lawyer resume is fine. (If you are applying for other kinds of jobs then it might make sense to try to conform to a more federal format.)

Also, if people within your own organization have differing opinions, there can’t be a clear standard and I think you can choose what works best for you.

[DATlsatBOI]

What kind of opportunities are you pursuing? In the USAO context, I used and saw people submit what I’d call ordinary lawyer resumes (also did so when I was applying for non-DOJ honors positions). I think that if you’re applying for an exempt legal job, a conventional lawyer resume is fine. (If you are applying for other kinds of jobs then it might make sense to try to conform to a more federal format.)

I am casting a wide net, but the positions I am currently eyeing in particular are for DHS (ICE & TSA) roles that are pretty good transitions from my DOJ (EOIR) role.

Also, if people within your own organization have differing opinions, there can’t be a clear standard and I think you can choose what works best for you.

That is certainly a good point. A lot of listings simply suggest using the resume builder on USAJobs so following that format is probably a safe bet.

[Anonymous User]

I've served on the hiring committee at my agency (FTC) several times. Only once did I see a resume created by the USAjobs resume builder. It was the most god-awful document I ever laid eyes on, and the lack of judgment exhibited by the decision to use it was reason enough not to hire this candidate.

To my mind, there is no special magical government format; government lawyers want to see the same thing when looking at a resume as other lawyers. Just stick to the conventional 1-page resume with your credentials and work experience, tailoring the descriptions of the latter as needed for the specific job you're applying to.

[Anonymous User]

I've served on the hiring committee at my agency (FTC) several times. Only once did I see a resume created by the USAjobs resume builder. It was the most god-awful document I ever laid eyes on, and the lack of judgment exhibited by the decision to use it was reason enough not to hire this candidate.

To my mind, there is no special magical government format; government lawyers want to see the same thing when looking at a resume as other lawyers. Just stick to the conventional 1-page resume with your credentials and work experience, tailoring the descriptions of the latter as needed for the specific job you're applying to.

Ha, personally, I agree. I think we may have interviewed one person who used the resume builder, which is why I didn’t make this comment (and I also don’t think the resume builder would sink a truly great candidate), but it does come out looking awful. I think I’d give a longtime federal employee a pass, but it’s an awful set up.

(Also, not clear if the OP was planning to use the USAfx resume builder or just follow a “federal” specific template.)

That said, we also had a candidate who was either really into graphic design or paid someone to design a “cool” or “artistic” template for them, and it was actually a beautiful document, but it stuck out like a sore thumb. Would probably be practically required if you were applying for a graphic design job but for a lawyer (esp for the feds, where individuality isn’t really a plus), it looked bad.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a current federal employee. I applied to multiple federal agencies using the federal resume through the USAJobs resume builder to get past the screening software, but I always attached a 1 page resume to every application. I received multiple interview requests and a couple offers doing it this way.

[Anonymous User]

What kind of opportunities are you pursuing? In the USAO context, I used and saw people submit what I’d call ordinary lawyer resumes (also did so when I was applying for non-DOJ honors positions). I think that if you’re applying for an exempt legal job, a conventional lawyer resume is fine. (If you are applying for other kinds of jobs then it might make sense to try to conform to a more federal format.)

I am casting a wide net, but the positions I am currently eyeing in particular are for DHS (ICE & TSA) roles that are pretty good transitions from my DOJ (EOIR) role.

Also, if people within your own organization have differing opinions, there can’t be a clear standard and I think you can choose what works best for you.

That is certainly a good point. A lot of listings simply suggest using the resume builder on USAJobs so following that format is probably a safe bet.

I used the resume builder to make sure I made it through DHS filters, but at the interview panel realized that attaching a one pager would have made life much easier for the interviewers. They received a large packet from USAJobs which seemed like a hassle for them to navigate.

[sccjnthn]

I was the previous anon.