This presentation was hosted as a Google+ On-Air Hangout on November 15, 2012, to help applicants to the Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) Program in preparing their resume. The recording is found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AygJ3iruJrw

1. Resume Tips for Prospective
Presidential Management Fellows (PMFs)
Paul Binkley
Former Director of Career Development Services, George Washington University,
Trachtenberg School (www.tspppa.gwu.edu)
Co-Author of Student’s Federal Career Guide
Virginia Hill
PMF Program Manager, National Institutes of Health
Presidential Management Fellow, Class of 2007

2. Our Time Together Today…
1. Overview and Introductions
2. Tips from a Career Advisor / Resume Expert
3. Tips from a PMF Agency Coordinator / PMF Alum
4. Guidance from the PMF Program Office
5. Open Q&A
2

3. Overview
• Tweeting? Twitter Hash Tag = #pmf2013
• Questions? Use the chat box below.
• Recording? Yes. Google+ records it.
▫ We’ll embed the recorded version here and on PathtoPMF.com
• Technical Issues? The program is embedded on
PathtoPMF.com right now. Check it out there as well.
3

4. Meet Our Experts
Paul Binkley Virginia Hill
Former Director of Career Services, PMF Program Manager
The George Washington University National Institutes of Health
Trachtenberg School of Public Policy PMF Class of 2007
and Public Administration
Co-Author, Student’s
Federal Career Guide
4

5. Special Shout Out
Rob Timmins
Senior Program Analyst
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
PMF Program Office
5

6. Before You Start
• 5-7 seconds to capture attention
• Focus on content, not length:
▫ KEY WORDS in current position
descriptions at www.opm.gov/
fedclass
• No tables / templates
6

7. Organizing Your Résumé
• Try a “modified chronological” or “outline” format
• Tips and Tricks
o Be in a “project management mindset
o Try the CAR method
o Context: details that provide some flavor to the information
o Action: how did you accomplish the task?
o Result: show the concrete impact of your actions
• Do they pass the “So What?” test?
• Use quantity, when applicable
7

8. Organizing Your Résumé
8

9. Leveraging Your Education
• Experience first, education second
• Turn education into experience
9

10. “Key Accomplishments” Are Critical
• Include a “Key Accomplishments” section for
every position you’ve held
• Flesh-out details from bullet points
that may have been buried in the
project management style of writing.
10

11. Standing Out
11

12. Show Projects, Volunteering, Associations, etc.
• Show how your background fits perfectly with the
needs of the position.
• Include courses you have taken, class projects,
research papers related to the opportunity, volunteer
activities, or work with professional associations.
• Don’t forget awards and other recognition
• Everything in your resume should relate back to the
opportunity.
12

13. USAJobs Resume Builder
• You may use the resume builder function of USAJobs to
make sure you include comprehensive information*
• Federal HR professionals complain that candidates do
not include all necessary information on their resumes.
• Upload Microsoft Word documents or PDFs instead, but
starting with the USAJobs resume builder helps you
include everything that is needed.
* For PMF, using USAJOBS is not
necessary, just helpful!
13

14. Tailor to the Opportunity
• Consider mapping your experience to the 7 core
PMF competencies:
• Adaptability
• Personal Accountability These competencies are
• Motivation to Serve outlined in the “2013 PMF
Assessment Preparation
• Problem Solving Guide” found at:
www.pmf.gov/become-a-pmf/
• Interpersonal Skills assessment-process.aspx
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication
14

15. Polishing Your Résumé
• Consistency considerations:
o formatting (spacing, date, bullets)
o tense (grammar)
o punctuation
• Make sure your contact information is accurate!
• Use a professional email address, preferably with name
• Print it. Read it. Proof it. Leave it. Read it again later.
• Have someone else do the same.
15

16. Advice from the PMF Program
• Include all contact information (e.g., email address and
home/cell phone numbers)
• Identify your full name, including middle name
• Citizenship: Are you a U.S. Citizen or eligible to be legally
employed in the United States? Yes/No
• If claiming veterans' preference, reference in your resume
• Selective Service: Yes/No
• all adult males born on or after January 1, 1960, must have
registered for Selective Service between the ages of 18 through 25
• https://www.sss.gov/regver/wfregistration.aspx
16

17. Advice from the PMF Program
For privacy concerns, you should NOT include
the following:
• classified information
• full Social Security Number
• other personal or sensitive information you do
not wish be made visible to agency recruiters
17

18. Advice from the PMF Program
• If you ever worked for the Federal Government
(e.g., as a student), include it as work experience
• For work experience: include month/year and salary
ranges
• For education entries: include honors, relevant
coursework, licensures, and certifications
• Include 2-3 references with names, titles, phone
numbers, email addresses, and reference type
(professional/personal)
18

19. Advice from the PMF Program
• Include affiliations, volunteer work, professional
publications you have contributed
• Include an additional information section covering
awards, leadership activities, public speaking
engagements, skills, languages, and availability
• JOB FAIR
• Use an abbreviated resume (1-2 pages)
• Have a writing sample on hand, just in case
19

20. What are agencies looking for?
• The resume is about YOU, not past jobs.
• Good writing skills, concise and clear language
• Something stands out; not generic
• Demonstration of how you:
▫ Saved time or money
▫ Met deadlines
▫ Worked efficiently to achieve results
▫ Are a good fit for the agency and/or position
▫ Work as a member of a team
20

21. List of References
• References can make or break a deal - choose wisely!
• Notify them you are applying for an opportunity
• Send your résumé so they can use it for talking points
• Let them know what you are applying for
• Remind them about an accomplishment or project
• Bonus: Have your references write a recommendation
for you on LinkedIn, BeKnown, and BranchOut
21

22. Questions from PathtoPMF.com
1. Should the resume be in USAJOBS, word document, or pdf
format? If so, do you attach this resume at the beginning or
end of the online application?
• You are able to upload the following: gif image (.gif), jpeg image
(.jpg), png image (.png), rich text format(.rtf ), Microsoft word
(.doc, .docx), adobe pdf (.pdf), word perfect (.wpd)
• You can complete your resume using the USAJobs Resume
Builder, then convert it to PDF and upload it.
• You could also create it in the Builder, then copy and paste into
Word, get the formatting how you like it, and submit as .doc.
• Upload your resume any time before 11:59p ET Nov 19, 2012.
22

23. Questions from PathtoPMF.com
2. Can we change our resume after you submit the
application? The USAJOBS application specifies "Applicants
will not be able to make changes to their resumes after the
closing date of this vacancy announcement."
• Your resume for the PMF Application will be locked in
through the process of being named a Finalist.
• Once named a Finalist, you will be able to revise and submit
more targeted resumes for agency job opportunities –
• Hint: You will want to do so as you apply for specific openings
to be more competitive.
23

24. Questions from PathtoPMF.com
3. Are PMF resumes supposed to be tailored to a specific job?
All guidance I’ve seen for federal resumes suggests writing
experience to reflect key words and KSA’s from the posting.
Since the PMF is not for a specific job, is it suggested that we
use the seven competencies?
• You could tailor this first version to PMF's 7 core
competencies to organize it.
• You are not required to have keywords or KSAs.
• Should you advance to the Finalist stage, at that time I would
target / tailor your resume to a specific job.
24

25. Questions from PathtoPMF.com
4. The USAJobs resume requests more information than a
'standard' resume (including pay, specific addresses of places
of employment, etc.). Is it okay to just upload a .pdf of this
same resume, or is it better to copy & paste into word and
edit out those details?
• It might not be worth the time to extract those elements from a
Word doc.
• PDF looks good - you might just want to upload that version.
• The folks looking at these resumes will be used to seeing the
USAJOBS version and the added detail won't seem excessive.
25

26. Questions from PathtoPMF.com
5. I gather that a federal resume should touch the past 10
years of (relevant) work experience. Is it worth including
part-time jobs or should I leave them out?
• Include all relevant work experience - not just past 10 years.
• Map your work experience to the opportunity.
26

27. Questions from PathtoPMF.com
6. In terms of the "References" section of the USAJOBS
resume builder, is it OK to list one or two of the supervisors
that are already listed under the "Work Experience" section,
or should they all be different?
• It's okay to put the same supervisors
27

28. Submit via chat in the Google+ Event
28

29. General Reminders
a. Check http://www.pmf.gov/becomeapmf/index.aspx, including the FAQs,
throughout the application and assessment process for updates.
b. Don’t post personal or sensitive questions/comments on social media.
c. Provide enough details in your resume for agency HR staff to evaluate/confirm.
d. Adhere strictly to the non-disclosure statement when completing the on-line
assessment and essays.
e. During the review stage of the application, you may check to see if:
• all required pieces have been completed
• all required documents have been submitted,
• any supporting documents have been submitted (e.g., in regards to claims
for veterans’ preference and reasonable accommodation), and
• whether the on-line assessment has been completed.
29

30. Shameless Plug J
http://www.amazon.com/
Students-Federal-Career-
Guide-2nd/dp/0982419058
30

31. For Further Assistance
Official:
• General Inquiries: pmfapplication@opm.gov
• Application Support: Click on the “Help” link
▫ OPM has a dedicated team monitoring technical issues
Unofficial:
• Andrew: Andrew@GovLoop.com
• Ginny: Virginia.Hill@NIH.gov
• Paul: www.linkedin.com/in/paulmbinkley
Good Luck!
31