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Writing Short, Punchy Accomplishments

Writing Short, Punchy Accomplishments in Two-Page Private Industry Resumes by Kathryn Troutman, 05.14.25 [This article consists of the text of an email from www.Resume-Place.com.] I recently started reading “flash fiction,” a (sometimes corny) literary genre where the writer tells a compelling story in a very short scope—perhaps a few hundred words or even just a line or two. A favorite of mine is called “Sticks” by George Saunders. At around 400 words, it’s too long to post here, but even the first line gives a sense of how much drama can be packed into a small space: Every year Thanksgiving night we flocked out behind Dad as he dragged the Santa suit to the road and draped it over a kind of crucifix he’d built out of metal pole in the yard. Here’s an even shorter one, by the novelist and short-story writer Joyce Carol Oates: I kept myself alive. It’s amazing how through smart compression, strategic omission, and/or sharp imagery, you can tell a powerful, compelling story in a very few words. It’s fun to try to come up with your own: The dragon begged for death. “I’m the last,” it wept. The knight lowered his sword. “So am I,” he whispered. Awakened by the sound of sirens, I heard my mother’s voice whisper that old Arab proverb: When danger approaches, sing to it. I thought of flash fiction recently after meeting with a senior federal executive facing the prospect of converting her beautiful, information-rich, five-page federal resume into a stripped-down two-page version to apply for jobs in the private sector.  It seemed “doable,” she said, but she was despondent at the thought of squashing so much rich detail about her expertise and experience into such a narrow scope. She loved her federal resume, which amply conveys vivid, compelling achievement stories that make her work as a talented leader stand out. Proud of her record, she balked at the need to whittle it all down to short bullets. How, she asked me, do you make all that accomplishment content come alive in a 2-page resume? The truth is, it’s not easy. But while it’s true that you simply can’t convey in 12 or 25 words the detail of a more fleshed-out 75- or 100-word achievement story, there is a lot you can do to make two-line or even one-line accomplishment bullet powerful and effective.  Take this 70-word accomplishment of the kind commonly found in federal resumes: In early 2022, the XYZ Program Manager and Chief of Contracting Officer disagreed over documentation required to finalize a major request for proposal. I stepped in to mediate efforts to document completion milestones and deadlines, then involved the Source Selection Authority to negotiate product review by late 2021. We successfully overcame the stalled progress and communication breakdown; the $32 million contract was awarded in the planned year, October 2024. This is a readable account of this GS-14’s conflict resolution skill, told in challenge-action-result narrative form. The details about documentation, dates, and specific people give it some nice authenticity, but they aren’t absolutely necessary for the core message about her mediating skills.  There are also some weaknesses. One doesn’t really “mediate” efforts; one mediates conflict. That’s the story to foreground, the focal point that determines what to keep and what to cut. There is also some redundancy (“stalled progress and communication breakdown”) that, while just fine in a federal resume, can be easily cut without losing much. The writer also uses “we” instead of “I”, diluting the credit she deserves as the driver of the action and outcome.  Now here’s the same story edited to 23 words for a 2-line bullet on a public sector resume: 2021-22: When PM & contracting officer clashed over major RFP, I mediated conflict for timely product review and on-time award of $32M contract. Pressed for space, you could even go shorter: Brokered thorny RFP conflict to ensure on-time 2022 award of $32M contract.  That’s just twelve words! It loses detail, sure, but it keeps some narrative intrigue with the adjective “thorny.” In both cases, I applied a few editing techniques.  Both versions still have a clear narrative arc involving a challenge, action(s), and impressive result.  In the two-line bullet, the subordinate clause (“When…”) gives the story some momentum and situates the action (mediating) in the context of a real event (the dispute) so it won’t sound like an empty claim. Most of the story-specific detail (documentation and timing issues, full job titles of players, etc.) is gone. There’s simply no room for it—but just as importantly, language like “Source Selection Authority” may just distract a private sector hirer. Use abbreviations for common terms and phrases—no need to spell everything out at the first appearance as is standard on federal resumes. Two very key details remain—the rough date (which lends the bullet authenticity) and the amount of the contract. Big, specific impact. The emphasis is all on the core competency she wants to convey: conflict resolution. Word choice is key! In the two-line bullet, I changed a somewhat vague and commonplace Latinate verb (“disagreed) to a more muscular, vivid Anglo-Saxon verb (“clashed”). Like “thorny” in the one-liner, it gives the little story more drama, upping the voltage on the challenge and therefore the potency of the action. Similarly, she’s no longer mediating “efforts” but conflict. See if you can detect the same techniques at work behind my short bulletization of this accomplishment story: In January 2023, prior to new Customer Relation Management (CRM) system rollout, a talented communications manager (direct report) was topping out in his position, likely toleave the organization. I used CRM implementation (which he had never previously worked with) to challenge and engage him to take on a valuable new skill area. I mentored him and trained him in data management best practices, encouraging him to think through use cases to dictate the Salesforce buildout. He grew in enthusiasm and developed the confidence to test the complex integrations of Slack, Formstack, and Asana with Salesforce,

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Top Tips for Federal Employees Transitioning to Private Industry Résumés

by Kathryn Troutman, May 5, 2025 Transitioning from federal service to the private sector can feel like learning an entirely new language. Your years of valuable government experience need translation to resonate with corporate hiring managers. We understand this challenge and are committed to helping you bridge this gap with practical, proven strategies that highlight your unique value in the private job market. Preparation Extract Accomplishments Accomplishments are the heart of an effective private industry résumé. Unlike federal résumés that focus on duties and responsibilities, corporate employers want to see the tangible impact you’ve made. Example 1 Before (Responsibility-focused): Responsible for managing a team of IT specialists implementing new cybersecurity protocols across multiple agency departments according to federal compliance requirements. After (Accomplishment-focused): Led cross-functional team of 12 IT specialists in deploying enhanced cybersecurity protocols across 5 departments, reducing security incidents by 47% and achieving compliance certification 3 months ahead of schedule while $175K under budget. WOW, Way Better! Example 2 Before (Responsibility-focused): Served as procurement officer overseeing acquisition processes for equipment and services according to federal guidelines and regulations. After (Accomplishment-focused): Streamlined procurement processes that reduced acquisition cycle time from 90 to 45 days, resulting in $1.2M annual savings. Negotiated enterprise-wide software agreement that provided 30% cost reduction while expanding access to critical tools for 2,500 employees. WOW, Way Better! Format and Structure Content Optimization 2  Translate federal terms: Convert government-specific language, acronyms, and position titles into private industry equivalents that hiring managers will understand. 3.  Highlight transferable skills: Emphasize skills valued across sectors like project management, budget oversight, leadership, and technical expertise. Final Steps

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Condensing Decades of Leadership

Condensing Decades of Leadership Commitment to Mission into a 2-Page Private Industry Resume by Nicole Schultheis, May 12, 2025 [Note: This article was sent to a www.Resume-Place.com distribution list on May 13, 2025.] Part of the dismay experienced by federal employees facing the untimely end of a productive career in public service is the realization that a brand-new type of resume is needed. How do you go about translating federal experience into expertise that private sector employers will value? How do you condense decades of commitment to mission into two or three pages? The first thing I ask resume clients to do—particularly those transitioning from jobs at upper management and leadership levels, is to think about the times they’ve been asked to supply a short bio for use in introducing them to a group that has assembled to hear them speak. Think about your new audience and what they’ll want to hear. Consider what would impress them most, in light of the goals of your new presentation. Use this approach to craft a one-third to one-half page career summary at the top of your new resume. In just a few sentences, give the reader an overview of your job history, major leadership level achievements, and expertise. Since this isn’t a federal audience, don’t use federal jargon. Don’t say: “10 years of FITARA-compliant leadership.” Write this executive summary: “Ten years of leadership-level experience strengthening the roles and capabilities of IT professionals, enhancing transparency and risk management in technology investments, and promoting cost savings through IT portfolio reviews.”  Here’s another example: Sample Executive Summary Twenty years of leadership experience managing health care programs, directing major initiatives within the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General. Directed major improvements in health care program delivery within the Veterans Health Administration and VA Hospitals nationwide. Partnered effectively with local community care providers and major university health care systems in ensuring access to high-quality care.  Below your Executive Summary, summarize 6 to 8 areas of expertise and add them as bullet points. If you’ve developed expertise in multiple areas, list them under the Executive Summary. Next, move on to your employment chronology. Simplify your job descriptions. For each job block, use just a few lines to describe the scope of your leadership authority, your role with respect to the organization’s resources and your leadership of its people, your programmatic expertise and value, and your high-level relationships. And then, using bullet points, briefly summarize your key accomplishments, avoiding federal bureaucratic or water-treading language. Don’t say “Consistently met GPRA deadlines” or “Completed all projects on time and without violating the Anti-Deficiency Act.” Instead, focus on achievements that are more meaningful to your audience, such as “Leveraged data analytics in new ways, driving $10M in program savings while improving service.”  For roles that concluded more than 10 years ago, describe them in just one or two lines apiece. List your job title, employer, and dates. If this past job is directly relevant to the job you are applying for, add one or two major accomplishments. Move on to your education, professional and leadership training, and relevant continuing education and certifications. Don’t list every class and course you took. Publications? Peer review roles or professional associations? Unless the employer is expecting a formal curriculum vitae, list only the ones most relevant to your reader. Finally, there is no need to waste space on professional references in the resume. Provide this info only when asked. Nicole is an Executive Services Consultant & Writer at Resume Place, Inc. You can learn more about her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleschultheis/

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Learning AI May Help You Land Your Next Job

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist, 03.31.25   More and more employers seek employees who know AI (artificial intelligence). In a competitive job market, you may be able to give yourself a leg up by learning about AI and reflecting that knowledge on your resume. You can do this by including AI in your “success bullets” and by listing relevant courses you have completed and certifications you have achieved. A tech-savvy colleague compiled the following information on AI. “AI” can mean many different things. It can mean: — Using an AI tool like ChatGPT, that’s pretty much already designed for users, but you need to provide the right “prompt” to get the desired output (sometimes also called a “prompt engineer”). –Integrating an AI tool like ChatGPT into existing workflows and business functions.  This is usually closer to software development, but there are new tools coming out to make this even easier — Building new AI-based tools, like combining an AI tool with a particular type of data and some additional logic, so as to create a new product. This often requires some knowledge of how AI models are built and how they can be tuned.  This, in turn, requires some knowledge and skill and cannot be picked up by a beginner in a short course. — Building new AI capabilities entirely.  This is closer to data science / AI engineer/researcher type roles, which often require a PhD in math, AI, or machine learning. When most employers say “AI experience,” they likely want either the first or second bullet. The first can be learned in just a few minutes of playing on https://chatgpt.com/ or https://bing.com/chat and some googling for strategies. These resources may be helpful. Please note:(1) we believe that all of these courses are free and (2) we cannot personally recommend any of them. If you explore any of them, we would be very interested in your feedback.: Google AI Courses Google offers five courses to learn generative AI from the ground up. Start with an Introduction to AI and finish having a solid understanding of AI as a whole. https://www.cloudskillsboost.google/journeys/118   Microsoft AI CourseMicrosoft offers an AI course that covers the basics and then more.. Start off with an introduction and continue through learning about neural networks and deep learning. https://microsoft.github.io/AI-For-Beginners/ Introduction to AI with PythonHarvard University is offering a full 7-week course to explore the concepts and algorithms of AI. Start with the technologies behind AI and end with knowledge of AI principles and machine learning libraries. https://www.edx.org/learn/artificial-intelligence/harvard-university-cs50-s-introduction-to-artificial-intelligence-with-python Prompt Engineering for ChatGPTThis six-module course by Vanderbilt University offers beginners a starting point to writing better prompts. Start by learning effective prompting and complete the course knowing how to bend ChatGPT to your will. https://www.coursera.org/learn/prompt-engineering ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for DevsOpenAI in collaboration with DeepLearning is offering this course taught by Isa Fulford and Andrew Ng. Start off with best practices and finish with a better understanding of prompting with hands-on practice. https://www.deeplearning.ai/short-courses/chatgpt-prompt-engineering-for-developers/ LLMOpsGoogle Cloud in collaboration with DeepLearning is offering this new course taught by Erwin Huizenga. Go through the LLMOps pipeline of pre-processing training data and adapt a supervised tuning pipeline to train and deploy a custom LLM (large language model). https://www.deeplearning.ai/short-courses/llmops/ AI Applications and Prompt EngineeringedX has an introductory course on prompt engineering that goes beyond the basics. Start by learning the basics and end knowing how to create your own applications. https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-programming/edx-ai-applications-and-prompt-engineering

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Challenges Facing Former Federal  Workers and Steps They Can Take

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist, 03.30.25 Lynne Curry’s March 10, 2025, article identified six challenges facing former federal employees as they seek jobs elsewhere and six steps they can take to overcome these challenges. Based on her discussions with employers, she identified the following six challenges.  Regardless whether these perceptions are well-founded or not, it is important for former federal workers to understand how (at least some) people in the private sector view them. — Job security. — Different performance expectations. — Salary expectations. — Work culture shift. — Friction with new colleagues.  — Lengthy job hunt. She also lists six things that federal employees can do to prepare. — Assess their transferable skills and rebrand them for civilian jobs. — Focus on jobs involving compliance, project management, policy analysis, regulatory compliance and cybersecurity. — Look for positions with employers who hold federal contracts or work in heavily regulated industries and might welcome their expertise in navigating bureaucratic structures. — Rework their resumes by deleting government jargon and acronyms. — Engage with professional and industry contacts to access the “hidden job market.” — Pursue additional training and certifications to gain new skills and align existing skills with private-sector needs. You can read the article, “Fired federal employees will flood the job market. They have worries, and so do employers,” by Lynne Curry, Anchorage Daily News,  March 10, 2025, at https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2025/03/10/fired-federal-employees-flood-the-job-market/

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Information on RIFs (Reductions in Force)

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist March 24, 2025 Reductions in force (RIFs) have been very much in the news recently. A RIF is government-speak for a layoff (that is, you were terminated through no fault of your own), and the rules surrounding RIFs are complicated. Here are links to podcasts about RIFs. These links are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Chris Kowalik of ProFeds ​Starting on March 12, 2025, Chris Kowalik recorded 22 short podcasts about various aspects of RIFs: — Part 1: Introducing the RIF Training Series — Part 2: Lessons Learned from Deferred Resignation Offer — Part 3: Am I at Risk of Being RIFed? — Part 4: 12 Things Every Federal Employee Should Do NOW — Part 5: Comparing “Reduction-in-Force,” “Early Outs,” and “Discontinued Service Retirements” (RIF vs. VERA vs. DSR) — Part 6: Comparing a “Reduction-in-Force” and the “Deferred Resignation” — Part 7: Will I Lose My Pension if I’m RIFed? — Part 8: What if I am Already Eligible to Retire? — Part 9: What if I Don’t Qualify for an “Early Out (VERA)” or “Discontinued Service Retirement (DSR)”? — Part 10: What if I Have Less than 5 Years of Federal Service — Part 11: Can I Volunteer for a RIF? — Part 12: Is it Better to Quit Before I’m RIFed? — Part 13: Will I Get Severance Pay and How is it Calculated? — Part 14: Are Cash Payments (VSIPs) Being Offered? — Part 15: Can I File for Unemployment? — Part 16: Will I Lose My Annual Leave and Sick Leave? — Part 17: What Happens if I Want to Return to Federal Service Later? == Part 18: Will I Get a Different Pension Calculation (and When)? == Part 19: Will I Still Get the FERS Supplement (and When)? — Part 20: Will I Get to Keep My Government Insurance (FEHB, FEGLI, FLTCIP & FEDVIP)? — Part 21: What Should I Know if I’m a Military Veteran? — Part 22: How Can I Access My Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)? You can find the podcasts at https://fedimpact.com/podcasts/ Learn more about Chris at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskowalik/ Kyle Ingram, attorney Kyle Ingram has recorded two podcasts: Feb. 22. Federal RIF Survival: Tenure Groups, Bumping & Retreat Rights Feb. 18: 2025 DOGE RIFs: Legal Strategies Every Federal Employee Should Know https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sOEB2Jz3JA ​Other information on RIFs is available on K​yle’s website. https://kingramlaw.com/

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more on the federal government’s “deferred resignation” offer (spoiler: it’s definitely a trap)

by Alison Green on February 5, 2025 Just sharing this tweet from Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein about Elon Musk’s “deferred resignation” offer for federal government workers. (Don’t take it! It’s still a trap.) read more……

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Questions from federal workers who are currently under attack

by Alison Green on January 29, 2025 I am being inundated with letters from federal employees and others affected by the new administration’s changes in the last week — which have included ending investigations and enforcement related to discrimination in the workplace (*see note below); illegally firing 17 inspectors general; laying off employees working on accessibility, equity, and diversity; freezing or cancelling funding for scientific research; halting all federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs (although a judge temporarily blocked that yesterday); ordering the impoundment of funds already appropriated by Congress; halting all meetings, travel, and communications from many agencies; directing federal workers to report on each other and threatening those who don’t; ending telework; and many other actions intended to dismantle the federal workforce. read more……

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