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10 Big Mistakes Vets Make Applying to Fed Jobs
Featured Author:
Kathryn Troutman
Kathryn Troutman, Author and president of The Resume Place, Inc. and the Certified Federal Resume Writers Team. Kathryn is also the author of the best-selling, award-winning, Ten Steps to a Federal Job, 2nd Edition, which will help you put your very best foot forward in your federal job search (eBook available now and Print edition available 1/20/09).
The Resume Place can assist you with every step of your federal job search:
• Creating your own Outline Format USAJOBS Federal Resume
• Finding vacancy announcements
• Identifying keywords
• Showcasing your accomplishments
• Using proper formatting technique
• Writing effective KSAs
• Applying online
• Interviewing
Kathryn Troutman | Federal Career Coach
Mistake 5: My job was totally unique and I can’t write about all that I did in the last five years, etc.
This is a challenge because there is a unique military language with your own acronyms. But, you can write about the skills that you have, including instruction, planning, leading a team, mentoring, personnel operations, administrative operations, problem-solving, negotiations, advocacy, interpersonal skills and technical skills. The military-to-federal resume requires a translation of skills to the new agency. Your past mission may not match, but the skills CAN match. And you can prove one-year specialized experience, as long as that one year doesn’t require special mission knowledge. In other words, if you change from military to transportation, the transportation announcement may require experience in transportation.
The Ten Mistakes:
Mistake 1: I only apply for jobs on USAJOBS.
Mistake 2: I only apply for jobs that don’t require KSA’s.
Mistake 3: I have never written a resume, I don’t know how to get started.
Mistake 4: Sometimes, I sell myself short.
Mistake 5: My job is too unique to summarize.
Mistake 6: I’ve uploaded my resume, but heard nothing back .
Mistake 7: I didn’t tweak and edit my resume for each announcement.
Mistake 8: I have accomplishments embedded in the duties section.
Mistake 9: I didn’t realize that my five or 10 point preference really made a big difference.
Mistake 10: I can’t take personal credit for the work of my team, so what should I write?
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thanks for your sharing.now i am more confident of my interview.
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sophiaallen5
almost 3 years ago
58 comments
Very true list.I would like to list one mistake which is very common "Telling the employer what the company can do for you instead of what you can do for the company. This mistake is particularly common among new college graduates and other inexperienced job-seekers.
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about 4 years ago
26 comments
Kathryn Troutman,
You list is correct on the "Ten Mistakes" people make but your #4 "sometimes I sell myself short" should be #1. Also, #5 "my job is too unique to summarize" is likely the killer of 95% of the people who apply in that they focus their resume too specifically instead of writing it broadly using specific examples. I would rather go hunting duck with a shotgun than a rifle. If you throw up enough bird shot, something will fall out of the sky.