When Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) are submitted to the Qualifications Review Board (QRB) for certification, after the federal agency offers you a Senior Executive Service (SES) position, your ECQs may be disapproved. At that point you have several options. The most popular option is to acknowledge why the QRB found one or more of your ECQ stories to be lacking CCAR, determined one or more of the 28 core competencies was not addressed, or found the stories to be inadequate. We’ve seen it all. However, it never ceases to amaze us how the different reasons for disqualification are sometimes subjective.
Candidates who write their own ECQs can fail the QRB for various reasons. If you feel your ECQs could be stronger in your application, reach out to SES Writers—we can help you pass the QRB to get you to the next stage.
Your ECQs must demonstrate clear and concise storytelling, displaying your ability to lead, direct, innovate, create, negotiate, and set policies. Because SES positions often receive many applications, members of the QRB are looking for critical components that stick out—otherwise, the QRB will not certify your ECQs.
Common reasons for QRB rejections include:
Rewriting your ECQs can be simple, as long as you focus on the key components the QRB is looking for. We can partner with you to improve your ECQs. When obtaining our services, your SES writer will examine and determine why one or more of your ECQs were disqualified. The action could be as simple as rewording content or as extensive as rewriting the entire ECQ. Each client QRB failure is different, just as all leadership stories are different.
We have completed hundreds of QRB failure rewrites from clients who wrote their own ECQs, received help from a friend, or hired a company unfamiliar with writing through the lens of the QRB. It is very frustrating to receive these results, but there is hope and we can help.
My ECQs made it through on the first attempt! Thanks again for the feedback and assistance on the essays. I have a TJO now moving on towards hiring. I’ll be sure to refer folks to your program as they prepare their ECQs. The thing I feel best about with this process was that I wrote my ECQs originally myself, updated them a couple times with new essays myself, got interviewed for the job with those ECQs, and then went to you before going to the board to refine my stories and essays in advance of the first OPM review. Of those essays, a good number were updated and a few of the original stories were altered significantly or replaced. I feel like going through this process aligned well with the intended purpose of putting in the work and rework/refinement. You made it extremely easy at that stage to give me the best chance of getting through on the first OPM review. Thanks again!
From rejected ECQs to SES: I was very pleased with your service. The ECQs I initially submitted were rejected by OPM. I contacted your company since I only had one more opportunity with OPM. My writer Lee did a good job enhancing my ECQs to meet OPM’s standards. He provided candid feedback as he worked to improve my written narratives. I wanted my ECQs within 10 days, and Lee delivered my updated ECQs within my specified timeframe. I became a SES member after OPM approved my modified ECQs.
Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know the ECQs were approved as of today. Thank you for your assistance!
SES Writers wants to see you succeed. When you connect with our team, we can provide you with a free consult and quote for our services. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with ECQ-QRB failure rewrites.
