Resumes and Cover Letters

Showing Promotions and Other Internal Moves on Your Resume

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist 06.20.25 If you have been promoted or otherwise moved within your company, here’s the best way to present those moves without looking like a job-hopper. Job-hopping is conventionally defined as moving rapidly from one job to another, staying at each job for a relatively brief time. Although this practice is more common than it used to be, it can still raise doubts in a prospective employer’s mind about whether to invest substantial sums in hiring, on-boarding, training, and retaining you. To show promotions and other internal moves without looking like a job-hopper, you show your total tenure at your company, with the title/company name/location flush left and the dates of your total tenure there flush right. You present each role within the company below that, indenting the title from the left and the dates from the right. XYZ Corporation, Somewhere, MS 2010 to present[www.XYZCorporation.com]Director, Safety Systems 2020 to present Xxx Xxx Xxx Associate Director, Aviation Safety Systems 2015 to 2020 Xxx Xxx Xxx Assistant Director, Fuselage Safety Systems2010 to 2015 Xxx Xxx Xxx This clearly demonstrates that these moves were within one company. Another way to accomplish this is by capitalizing (and even bolding) the name of the company and not indenting the titles of the various roles: XYZ CORPORATION, Somewhere, MS2010 to present[www.XYZCorporation.com]Director, Safety Systems2020 to present Xxx Xxx Xxx and so forth These formatting options clearly demonstrate that you were not a job-hopper.. For further reading“How To Effectively Show Promotions On Your Resume,” by Job Success Network, March 27, 2025https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y2-FFGH3fg “How To Show Multiple Jobs At Same Company On Resume,” by Sharon Smith, September 7, 2021https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XANzwo2_-Xs “HOW TO SHOW MULTIPLE JOBS AT THE SAME COMPANY ON YOUR RESUME.” by KISSS Career Coaching, October 2, 2019https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBmOPSxhzA

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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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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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Austin Belcak’s Advice on Using Action Words in Your Resume

From his 02.24.25 email Austin Belcak is the founder of www.CultivatedCulture.com, which provides advice on resumes and other aspects of job search. In an 02.24.25 email, he provided the following advice on using action words in your resume. Picture this. You’re at an event and two startup founders are talking about their company growth from last year. Founder A says, “We had a really nice year of growth in 2024!” Founder B says, “Man, our growth absolutely skyrocketed in 2024!” Whose company do you think grew more? When I share this story in the resume workshops I run, almost everyone chooses Founder B. But neither founder shared any numbers, right? That’s the moral of the story: the words you use matter. And if you’re using the wrong language on your resume? It’s negatively impacting the way your value is being perceived, which means you’re not landing as many interviews as you should. So, with that said, here are 7 words and phrases you might be using on your resume that you need to change if you want to land more job interviews: 1. Responsible for Anyone can be “responsible for” something.  Instead, use more specific, action-oriented language like: – Developed – Spearheaded – Overhauled – Generated Pair those with measurable outcomes for a winning resume bullet: Responsible for customer retention → Generated 30% increase in customer retention via overhauled customer service strategies 2. Hard Working Simply claiming to work hard doesn’t convey tangible results.  Replace this with: – Increased – Delivered – Optimized – Exceeded – Improved Hard-working customer service representative → Improved customer retention by 30% through enhanced service strategies. 3. Results Driven Being results-driven doesn’t mean you actually drove any results. Prove that with better language and metrics.  Replace this with: – Generated – Produced – Reduced – Increased Results-driven marketing specialist → Produced a 200% increase in website traffic through a targeted SEO strategy. 4. Detail Oriented Claiming you’re detail-oriented is meaningless without evidence. Show it through actions and accomplishments instead.  Replace this with: – Audited – Identified – Improved – Enhanced Detail-oriented project manager → Enhanced project documentation accuracy, reducing errors by 30%. 5. Team Player Employers don’t just want someone who says they’re a team player. They want to see the results of those collaborations.  Replace this with: – Collaborated – Partnered – Led – Mentored Team player in marketing → Partnered with cross-functional teams to develop and execute a campaign, boosting lead conversion by 40%. 6. Self Motivated Rather than saying you’re self-motivated, show it with results.  Replace this with: – Initiated – Led – Launched – Created – Developed Self-motivated team lead → Initiated a mentorship program, increasing employee engagement scores by 20%. 7. Communicator (Great Communicator, Excellent Communicator) Don’t just say you’re a “great communicator” or have “communication skills.” Show them!  Replace this with: – Presented – Negotiated – Advised Consultant with excellent communication skills → Presented 30+ workshops to client teams resulting in 37% improved operational efficiency.

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Resumes for Summer Jobs

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 4, 2024 To apply for most jobs, even summer jobs, you will most likely be asked to submit a resume. A resume is a marketing document.  Its purpose is to entice a prospective employer to set up an interview with you. Therefore, a resume should provide the information that can help a prospective employer make that decision and, to the extent possible, should be customized/tailored to a specific job opening. A resume is not the same as a CV (curriculum vitae), which lists–often in gruesome detail–what you’ve done since you graduated high school or college. There are two basic types of resumes:  (1) federal government resumes and (2) other resumes. Federal government resumes generally need to provide very specific content in a very specific format.  If you need to create a federal resume, there’s lots of helpful information at Kathryn Troutman’s website, www.resume-place.com and at Corliss Jackson’s website, www.FederalJobResults.com Other resumes should include Andy LaCivita provides an excellent guide to resumes for young job seekers, along with an example, at: If you have comments/questions about this resource, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com Other information on resumes is available at www.JobAssist.org

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Andy LaCivita’s Career Achievements Journal

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist March 29, 2022 Keeping track of what you have achieved at work is very important. It can help you craft a resume, get ready for an interview, and prepare for a performance review.  Andy LaCivita, a highly regarded career coach, has compiled a free Achievements Journal to help you capture 14 relevant elements of each achievement. He suggests that you complete this journal for every project, whether it took 1 day, 1 month, or 1 Year. When you’re deeply involved in a project, you have all of the details at your fingertips, but–with the passage of time–the details may become fuzzy, and it may be hard to reconstruct them later, especially under pressure. Therefore, he suggests that you capture this information as you go, because this helps assure that it is fresh in your mind and accurate. To illustrate the level of detail in this Journal, here are three elements: STATISTICS: Identify anything quantifiable. This includes budget, timeframe, number of resources, number of customers, etc. Capture anything that shows magnitude and impact. BUSINESS PROBLEM: Identify the high-level business problem you and your company are trying to overcome, improve, and so on. THE PLAYERS: List everyone involved from stakeholders, contributors, key team members, units within your organization, partners, and vendors to customers or companies who are benefiting from your project. For example, in an interview, you will likely be asked to talk about (that is, tell stories about) various tools you used, obstacles you overcame, and goals you accomplished. These stories will be more compelling, and credible, if you include the specifics of the situation. You can download this great resource at: https://www.milewalkacademy.com/andrew-lacivita-career-achievements-journal-free-download Who is Andy LaCivita? After earning his B.S. in Electrical Engineering, he worked for Accenture for 10 years. He then became an executive recruiter, and in 2015, he started the Milewalk Academy, which provides career and leadership coaching. You can learn more about him at www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlacivita In addition to various for-pay programs, he provides lots of free content through his website, www.MileWalkAcademy.com and his YouTube channel. If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Applicant Tracking Systems

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 28, 2024 Applicant Tracking Systems, computer systems that scan resumes for keywords specified by an employer, have become an increasingly prominent part of the job-search scene. According to Coursera, “The vast majority of online job applications first go through an applicant tracking system (ATS).” Andy LaCivita, the founder of www.MilewalkAcademy.com and no fan, calls them Applicant Trashing Systems. Why do companies use an ATS? In the “good old days,” applying for a job was relatively costly to the applicant. You had to type, or at least copy, your resume, buy a stamp, address an envelope,  and snail-mail it to an employer. This required you to spend a certain amount of time and incur out-of-pocket expenses. Today, you can apply online with just a few keystrokes. Because it is so easy (and inexpensive) to submit an application, job seekers are far less choosy about where they apply, which means that employers sometimes receive a flood of applications. This shifts the cost burden to the employer, who will need to (1) pay people to do the initial screening of applications or (2) pay for an Applicant Tracking System to screen applications for certain keywords. How to navigate an ATS Because there are many such systems, it is hard to know exactly how to “defeat” them, but here is some common-sense advice from Candice White: You can read her January 2023 article, “Five Tips For Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems,” at https://jcsbalt.org/applicant-tracking-systems/ For further reading Rebecca Ahn, “What Are Applicant Tracking Systems and Their Best Practices,” January 8, 2024 (detailed article) Coursera Staff, “Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS): A Job Guide,” Updated January 5, 2024 Indeed Editorial Team, “13 Best Practices for Beating an Applicant Tracking System,” updated March 10, 2023 Carol Henger, “ Beyond The ATS: How And Why To Target Your Resume,” February 2023, https://jcsbalt.org/targeting-resume/ Aileen Laqui, “How to Beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): 10 Best Practices” If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Applicant Tracking Systems

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 28, 2024 Applicant Tracking Systems, computer systems that scan resumes for keywords specified by an employer, have become an increasingly prominent part of the job-search scene. According to Coursera, “The vast majority of online job applications first go through an applicant tracking system (ATS).” Andy LaCivita, the founder of www.MilewalkAcademy.com and no fan, calls them Applicant Trashing Systems. Why do companies use an ATS? In the “good old days,” applying for a job was relatively costly to the applicant. You had to type, or at least copy, your resume, buy a stamp, address an envelope,  and snail-mail it to an employer. This required you to spend a certain amount of time and incur out-of-pocket expenses. Today, you can apply online with just a few keystrokes. Because it is so easy (and inexpensive) to submit an application, job seekers are far less choosy about where they apply, which means that employers sometimes receive a flood of applications. This shifts the cost burden to the employer, who will need to (1) pay people to do the initial screening of applications or (2) pay for an Applicant Tracking System to screen applications for certain keywords. How to navigate an ATS Because there are many such systems, it is hard to know exactly how to “defeat” them, but here is some common-sense advice from Candice White: You can read her January 2023 article, “Five Tips For Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems,” at https://jcsbalt.org/applicant-tracking-systems/ For further reading Rebecca Ahn, “What Are Applicant Tracking Systems and Their Best Practices,” January 8, 2024 (detailed article) Coursera Staff, “Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS): A Job Guide,” Updated January 5, 2024 Indeed Editorial Team, “13 Best Practices for Beating an Applicant Tracking System,” updated March 10, 2023 Carol Henger, “ Beyond The ATS: How And Why To Target Your Resume,” February 2023, https://jcsbalt.org/targeting-resume/ Aileen Laqui, “How to Beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): 10 Best Practices” If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Ways to Update Your Resume:

Advice from Alan Carniol and Lisa Rangel by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist March 21, 2024 The “best” format for your resume—a marketing document designed to interest an employer in interviewing you—is a moving target because it changes over time. At the end of this article, we list two resume features that were once standard, but are now considered outdated. Here are two short podcasts, from well-established career coaches, on how best to format your resume to grab an employer’s attention. Alan Carniol:  11 Ways to Upgrade Your Resume In a 6-minute podcast, Alan Carniol identifies “11 Ways to Upgrade Your Resume.”  Here’s the list: 1. Your resume has one job title at the top, the name of the job you want. 2. You identify the specific skills that are most important for this job title. 3. Your resume highlights the specific skills for this job title. 4. You cut out experiences that are not relevant to this job title. 5. You explain each job at each company. 6. You highlight what you accomplished in your jobs. 7. You use numbers and details. 8. You trim out the fat. 9. Everything is up to date. 10. Make the formatting look nice and be easy to read. 11. Check the spelling and grammar You can access the video at: Alan is the founder of www.InterviewSuccessFormula.com You can learn more about him at: Lisa Rangel:  2 Quick Resume Fixes To Attract Recruiters’ Attention In a 4-minute podcast, Lisa Rangel identifies “2 Quick Resume Fixes To Attract Recruiters’ Attention.” They are: 1.  Put the title of your target job at the top of your resume, under your contact information. 2.  Under the title, include two key achievements that relate to the target job. You can access the video at: Lisa is a former recruiter and the founder of www.ChameleonResumes.com You can learn more about her at: www.ChameleonResumes.com Outdated Resume Features First, it was once standard practice to include this statement:  “References available upon request.” This statement is unnecessary now, because it is assumed that you will furnish references if asked. Also, this statement uses space that can serve you better in marketing yourself to an employer. Second, it was once standard practice to include an objective statement. This also fell into disuse because such statements (1) tended to be generic and (2) used space that could serve you better in marketing yourself to an employer. If you have comments/questions about these resources, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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Applicant Tracking Systems

by David Marwick, KempMillJobAssist February 28, 2024 Applicant Tracking Systems, computer systems that scan resumes for keywords specified by an employer, have become an increasingly prominent part of the job-search scene. According to Coursera, “The vast majority of online job applications first go through an applicant tracking system (ATS).” Andy LaCivita, the founder of www.MilewalkAcademy.com and no fan, calls them Applicant Trashing Systems. Why do companies use an ATS? In the “good old days,” applying for a job was relatively costly to the applicant. You had to type, or at least copy, your resume, buy a stamp, address an envelope,  and snail-mail it to an employer. This required you to spend a certain amount of time and incur out-of-pocket expenses. Today, you can apply online with just a few keystrokes. Because it is so easy (and inexpensive) to submit an application, job seekers are far less choosy about where they apply, which means that employers sometimes receive a flood of applications. This shifts the cost burden to the employer, who will need to (1) pay people to do the initial screening of applications or (2) pay for an Applicant Tracking System to screen applications for certain keywords. How to navigate an ATS Because there are many such systems, it is hard to know exactly how to “defeat” them, but here is some common-sense advice from Candice White: You can read her January 2023 article, “Five Tips For Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems,” at https://jcsbalt.org/applicant-tracking-systems/ For further reading Rebecca Ahn, “What Are Applicant Tracking Systems and Their Best Practices,” January 8, 2024 (detailed article) Coursera Staff, “Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS): A Job Guide,” Updated January 5, 2024 Indeed Editorial Team, “13 Best Practices for Beating an Applicant Tracking System,” updated March 10, 2023 Carol Henger, “ Beyond The ATS: How And Why To Target Your Resume,” February 2023, https://jcsbalt.org/targeting-resume/ Aileen Laqui, “How to Beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): 10 Best Practices” If you have comments or questions about this article, please email KMJobAssist@gmail.com

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