Top government sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to write in your government experience section
Perfecting your government resume experience section:
- Focus on results, not responsibilities;
- Use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List only positions that are relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Include at least some form of quantitative data – it can be linked to the number of people you’ve managed or the - percentage decrease in costs that’s followed from your work - you decide;
- Choose action verbs over buzzwords.
We’ve collected some of the top resume experience sections from real Enhancv users. Check them out when drafting your own Government resume!
- Achieved more than $220M in federal high cost funding for broadband infrastructure and network maintenance for the next 5 to 6 years.
- Created the Regulatory Compliance Division that assures company wide regulatory compliance and timely filings with regulatory entyties.
- Negotiated a 5 year Interconection Agreement until 2018 that preserves a 35% increase in UNE's, practically eliminated Sec. 254 arbitrations and saved $millions on attorney fees.
- Provided executive support and administrative management for the Integration Group (senior members of the key Ministries/Games Partners and BEGOC Executives) of the Games.
- Assisted to plan and implement external Integration Group, providing accountability and administration to established joint working groups and resolving senior operational multi-domain issues.
- Managed confidential correspondence, prepared and maintained the accuracy of all senior management-level documentation including agenda, meeting minutes and BEGOC reports.
- Assisted in the redaction of briefing material, scene-setters and talking points for meetings.
- Suggested ad-hoc analyses and scenarios on Donor countries.
- Supported the team in high-level meetings (including two Executive Boards).
- Prepared the weekly newsletter of the team.
- Manage and lead weekly meetings with executive board officers and senators
- Empower student leaders of the instituion
- Create a collaborative campus community
- Planing and organizing Department
- Overlook sale teams including: performance, sales target...
- Implement strategies, establish standards to all staves and sales target distribution...
- Lead the Government & Public Policy sector for IZEA responsible for generating over $550,000 in annual revenue.
- Developed and maintained relationships with accounts like CDC, AARP, USDA, USPS, U.S. Army, Teach for America and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), among others.
- Managed all pro bono work on behalf non-profits and clients like the UN and the National Institutes of Health.
- Led two-year legislative and regulatory campaign to increase federal contracts to small businesses, led to $750 million+ awarded to date
- Recognized in Congressional Record as key advocate for entrepreneurial organizations
- Expertise in healthcare, procurement, IP, and cybersecurity policy
- Led preparation of MOD Latvia coordinated tender for ISAF/NATO Europe countries containerized cargo delivery to Afghanistan via port of Riga.
- Organized and coordinated service for ISAF/NATO returned containerized cargo reciept and washing services in port of Klaipeda; service for transfer and containerization from Riga Airport to port of Riga.
- Successefull career in AP Moller Maersk built on earned reputation
- Relationship management with key government officials
- Identifying new government incentives to benefit company
- Ensuring all government requirement is met for projects under YTL Land & Development
- Monitored EU activities to identify possible alliances & potential risks
- Managed the design of an industry infographic to be presented in the EU Parliament and EU Commission
- Coordinated the information exchange between 28 national associations
PRO TIP
The person reading your Government resume will be busy, make sure you never waste their time with fluff.
Action verbs for your government resume
Recommended reads:
Government resume skills section to impress recruiters
Checklist for a perfect Government resume skills section:
- Make sure to include most if not all essential skills for the job;
- Check the job description and add some keywords to pass ATS;
- List both hard and technical skills;
- When it comes to soft skills – elaborate on them in other sections of your resume (e.g. the experience section).
Top skills for your government resume
Oracle HRMS
people Soft
Delphi payroll
pay 2 pro, Adreline S/W
Mena HR/ Pay
Cloud
Hybrid IT
Digital Transformation
Enterprise Application Integration
Communication
Confidentiality
Decisiveness
Organisation
Empathy and compassion
Negotiation and debate
Diplomacy
Trust and integrity
Conflict resolution
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
Government resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your government resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Government resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Writing an effective government resume summary
Impressive government resume summary checklist:
- Point out the achievements that make you a valuable applicant;
- Mention the total years of experience you have;
- Highlight the things you believe make you the best fit for the position;
- Keep it short: aim at having no more than 3-5 sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
You’re not going to get hired simply because of a good summary or objective. However, your recruiter can bump you up in front of similarly experienced candidates who didn’t demonstrate such passion and drive.
Recommended reads:
Drawing the attention to your government resume education section
Crafting a job-winning education section.
- Use the reverse-chronological format when listing your degrees;
- Tailor the classes you’ve taken to the position you’re applying for if you’re an entry-level candidate;
- Mention the awards and honors you’ve received;
- Add your certifications (but only those relevant to the position).
Top Certifications for your Government Resume
Learn Federal Government Contracting From An Expert
A comprehensive guide to Register, Search Opportunities, GSA, Certifications, Accounting, Bonding & Bidding to the feds
The Constitution and American Government
History, Government, and Civics in the United States
Governmental Accounting 100
Fund accounting-governmental accounting-General Fund & government-wide activity transactions-modified accrual method
Winning Government Contracts for Dummies
Learn how to build, grow and expand your business with military and FEMA contracts
Government Contracting for Everyone
How to sell your products or services to the Government
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Choosing the best format for your government resume
The content of your Government resume is what will get you hired, right?
But even when your content’s amazing and you’re a true over-achiever, recruiters might not think you’re a good fit if your resume looks messy or is not formatted the right way.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Deciding which one to use depends on your experience, the industry, and the company. In short — you need to know what your applicant profile is.
For instance, reverse-chronological resumes are great for people with over 10 years of experience and no employment gaps. Here, you need to list all your relevant experience in a reverse-chronological format, starting from the most recent and going back to less recent positions.
Functional skills-based resumes, on the other hand, are great for entry-level applicants, graduate students, or people who have different kinds of experience. It focuses on skills, education, and character traits, rather than experience.
If none of these work for you, and you dream of adopting a more creative approach that makes a difference, the combination (or hybrid) resume format is exactly what you’re looking for. It allows you to focus on both your experience and your skills, making it a ‘best of both worlds’ format. It’s also suitable for those who want to spice things up by adding different creative sections (e.g. ‘life philosophy’ or ‘what my day looks like’).
Here are some additional tips on perfecting your resume layout and style:
- Go for a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Use standard 1-inch resume margins for increased readability;
- Make sure your resume fits on a one-page template. In case you’ve got 10 years of experience or more, your resume’s length can reach two pages;
- Avoid unwanted editing and plagiarism – save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiters.
Want to take it a step further? Learn how to make your resume stand out without relying too much on creativity.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Government resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Want to include something more to your government resume?
So you’ve already listed details about your education, experience, and skills. You’ve also crafted an amazing summary.
But now you feel a creative urge to showcase your personality and not just your expertise.
We’ve got you! Thanks to our modern templates, you can now include a chart of what your typical day looks like or even a word or two about your life philosophy. All this without sacrificing your Government resume’s professional feel.
Some non-traditional sections for your resume include:
Making your government resume stand out
You want to make a strong first impression to all recruiters that get a hold of your resume. Sure you do! But how?
Well, the easiest way to stand out is by adding a bit of creativity to your Government resume. You could do this by going for a colorful layout or adding a creative section or two. It all depends on the industry and the position you’re applying for!
For instance, a position in design would allow for a more colorful resume, while a position in finance would probably not.
What makes a great government resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
