If your career is peaking, you are ready for the next level and you have the comments from SESers in your performance evaluations to prove it, it is time to put together an SES application package. You need to start with the all-important resume.
There are five do’s and don’ts for an effective SES application which are:
Don’t use the word “I” in your resume. Instead, drop the “I” (implied first-person point of view) and begin sentences with active verbs, such as “Developed,” “Directed,” “Led,” “Oversaw,” etc.
Don’t spend too much space in your resume on positions older than 10 years. Instead, focus your work history on the past decade or so, and then summarize any earlier positions by listing the start and end years, job titles, organizations, and perhaps a brief explanation of your scope of responsibility.
Do read the job announcement very carefully and make sure you format your documents accordingly. If the job announcement doesn’t specify a length, font size, or margins, email the HR representative and ask. You don’t want to end up in the rejection pile because you failed to follow the agency’s formatting and application procedures.
So, what sets an SES resume apart from a GS-14 or GS-15 resume? The format for all federal resumes is now limited to two pages. And as they say in the marketing world, “content is king,” and the same thing applies to SES resumes.
Your resume “magically” becomes an SES resume not because of form, but because of content. The fact you are applying for an SES position makes it an SES resume and the content should reflect someone who is ready to step up to that level. When compared to other resumes for senior federal positions, an SES resume might not look much different at first glance. However, just as the SES represents a higher level of excellence in government and leadership, your resume should reflect a higher level of professionalism, achievement and abilities.
Three Bonus SES Resume Tips
Be concise. For the past decade or so, SES resumes were limited to 5 pages. But new OPM guidance in spring 2025 limits SES resumes tot wo pages. Even with so little space, you still need to address everything the job announcement calls for, and you still need to focus on the last decade of work experience.
Avoid listing overly personal information. Obviously, you will need to list your name, address, email, and phone number. However, religious and political affiliations, family status, country club memberships and hobbies have no place on an executive SES resume.
Emphasize relevant and qualified accomplishments. Do not just list verbiage from your position descriptions or overarching duties. While some basic job descriptions are appropriate, your resume should be accomplishment-driven, and those accomplishments should be relevant to the position for which you are applying. You should utilize the Challenge-Context-Action-Result format when writing your accomplishments. Every bullet or sentence has the potential to include some or all of these components, and the most important ones are actions and quantified accomplishments.
Again, maybe you have been at the GS-15 level for a while now, and you feel that you can demonstrate the ECQs in an interview situation. Still, it is a good idea to get candid feedback from colleagues or members of the SES, attend an SES career development program (which looks nice on your resume!) or even seek assistance from a professional SES resume writer or career coach.
Hiring managers may receive hundreds of SES application packages and typically, they only interview a few of the top applicants. Your resume is the first part of your application package that is reviewed, so use the tips above to ensure it is comprehensive, compelling and convincing all at the same time.
Barbara Adams is the founder and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. and has led the company since 1990. She is recognized as one of the pioneers in the career services industry and a titan of the resume writing industry. Barbara has built CPG into one of the largest and fastest-growing premier career services organizations industry-wide. She is committed to CPG’s core factors that include quality product, exceptional customer service, a successful proven process, and taking care of her people. Barbara has Co-Authored numerous books, including:
Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service
Roadmap to Becoming an Administrative Law Judge
Job-Winning Military to Civilian Resumes
Roadmap to Federal Jobs
She also co-authored the certification requirements for the Master Military Resume Writer (MMRW) and the Master Federal Career Advisor and Trainer (MFCA-T) certifications.
Dos and Don’ts for SES