This example uses specific details to convey a familiarity with the situation and highlight concrete results. The ECQ provides every step of the problem-solving process and even gives specific data, such as the 55 percent reduction in errors.
THIS LEADING PEOPLE ECQ HAS BEEN MODIFIED AND IS ONLY A PARTIAL STORY. EACH SES CANDIDATE HAS A DIFFERENT STORY TO TELL WITH DIVERSE COMPETENCIES EXPLAINING THEIR INDIVIDUAL EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS.
With almost 30 years of leadership spanning the U.S. military, major federal agencies, and private corporations, I have directed multidisciplinary teams of more than 10 employees. For example, in 2023, I was Lead Systems Engineer at XXX agency, overseeing a cross-functional team of more than 150 military personnel, civilians, and contractors. The agency had restructured, and I was tasked with leading, developing, and executing the systems engineering effort and strategic vision for the program. My challenge was that the team was geographically separated, with members stationed across different support agencies coast to coast; experiencing some interpersonal relationship issues; and dealing with conflicting priorities. Despite all these challenges, I was determined to forge a cohesive team that could meet and exceed strategic program goals.
I brought the entire staff together, establishing clear goals and expectations going forward with a strong emphasis on teamwork, encouraging open and honest communication in a safe environment through my open-door policy. I encouraged collaboration by creating opportunities for team members to brief each other, working in small groups to share their knowledge and experience. Finally, I celebrated successes by acknowledging hard work and milestones and recognized individual contributions through monetary and time-off awards.
Fortunately, my team was quite varied in terms of age, cultural background, level of education, and experience. However, I found that we lacked diversity in the areas of race and gender. To address this, I actively recruited 52 candidates from diverse backgrounds during my tenure. This encouraged fresh perspectives, fostering an atmosphere of creativity and innovation, and allowed us to consider each other’s concerns and risks as we developed our strategic plan…
This Leading People goes on to describe how the executive supported his team members’ professional development, followed by an example of mitigating interpersonal conflicts among staff. The story culminates with a description of how the team’s performance markedly improved as a direct result of his leadership. This was evidenced by the team successfully executing negotiations on contracts valued at $100M and avoiding $7M in taxpayer funded costs.
Hiring managers have high expectations for SES candidates. Each ECQ in an application needs to show the candidate’s qualifications while maintaining attention and showing personality. Here are a few of the qualities that make this Leading People ECQ example so strong:
This example uses specific details to convey a familiarity with the situation and highlight concrete results. The ECQ provides every step of the problem-solving process and even gives specific data, such as the 55 percent reduction in errors.
All ECQs must follow a Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) formula. This example follows the formula clearly. It sets up the problem, explains the candidate’s plan to address the issue, lists the specific actions the candidate took and shows the concrete results of the change. SES Writers ensure our clients’ essays follow this effective format.
This example also shows personal engagement with the challenge. By explaining the thought processes that influenced the candidate’s actions, the essay shows hiring managers that the candidate has the cognitive and social skills necessary to repeat the process and lead similar change within the SES.
In addition to the candidate’s personal experience leading change, the above writing strategies make this ECQ example highly effective. Though every SES applicant will have different skills that qualify them for the job, powerfully written ECQs help those qualifications stand out.
SES Writers has helped more than 70,000 clients with career services. Contact us to learn more about writing effective ECQ essays.
Our SES ECQ writing services and online writing training courses provide the skills and knowledge you require to craft a custom executive core qualifications form covering the five key competencies:
Our premium ECQ editing services focus on mastering the fundamental competencies that provide the foundation for success in each of the qualifications. These include:
Our experienced career advisors and master writers will provide valuable insight into developing the appropriate mindset for creating effective ECQs, including specific training and writing guidance. We’ll start by introducing you to proven best practices, followed by a comprehensive step-by-step development process.
Our course will provide the tools and confidence to enable you to apply and secure the right position that allows you to move forward on your career path.
Let the experts at SES Resume Writers help you master the fundamentals of the resume writing process by crafting more compelling ECQs. Contact us for more information regarding our services today. We can also provide additional executive core qualifications examples for your review.
Copyright SES Writers (CareerPro Global, Inc.) – Revised Periodically – Reproduction in any form is prohibited.
We will provide a no-cost career consult to determine the type of resume and level of composition and presentation. Then we will relay a customized quote based on your requirements and goals. Finally, with your agreement, we will assign one of our Master Senior Executive Writers to work with you in developing your presentation.
