800-471-9201
Get started now
800-471-9201
Payment
Get started now

SES Application Packages

Comprehensive SES Application Services by SES Writers


SES Writers provides comprehensive career coaching, resume-writing services, and full SES application guidanceto experienced executives in the private sector and federal government, as well as military officers who seek employment in the federal government’s Senior Executive Service (SES). Contrary to popular belief, application for an SES position is relatively straightforward. As the most trusted SES application service in the country, the professionals at SES Writers are highly skilled in writing targeted, succinct, content-rich, accomplishment-based SES application resumes that focus on expertise and qualifications. Once you find the right opening for you, our team will work with you to put out the best application you can.

Human resources and management. Employees must complete the online survey form, answer the test questions.Marked checklist on a clipboard

Every Senior Executive Service application we design incorporates the CCAR (Challenge-Context-Action-Result) model and focuses on accomplishments that support our clients’ expertise. Your SES application package’s content will articulate that you are an executive with the ability to lead, direct, administer, create, innovate, negotiate, set policy, and initiate new programs, as well as that you possess other leadership skills required at the SES level. The average executive federal SES resume is five pages in length and may be used for multiple federal SES job submissions, although we do recommend targeting specific roles with unique SES application packages.

Clients of SES Writers have a 99.6% satisfaction rating following our use of all best practices and our quality controlled preparation process. When you are ready to work with the leading Senior Executive Service application service in the country, schedule a complimentary career consultation for more information.

SES Resumes for SES Applications

The strongest SES applications identify your leadership skills, relevant and technical experience, people skills, and specific achievements. They also assemble the appropriate materials in the format expected by the federal government. Failure to submit an application for Senior Executive Service employment with the appropriate documentation and in the proper format can prevent your package from review. That is why many job candidates work with career management professionals to design an SES Application that complies with federal hiring requirements.

Get Started Now

Get Started! Elevate Your Career.

Call 1-800-471-9201 or get started with a complimentary consultation!

Get Started Now

Why Hire Us

Leading and Most Trusted Resume Writing, Career Coaching, and Training Team
“GS Schedule Holders and Recognized Authorities in Federal Careers”
  • In business and sharing 40 years of experience
  • Multi-Certified SES Writers, Coaches, and Trainers
  • More than 5,000 SES Candidates served
  • 99.6% Customer Satisfaction Rate
  • 48% Repeat/Referral Business
  • Authors of the first book “Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service” 2nd Edition
  • Federal Government Trainers in SES-ECQ Workshops and Training
  • Authors of Master Federal Career Advisor and Writer Certifications
  • Fixers of ECQ QRB Disqualification Results
  • Utilize all Best Practices
  • Cost Ratio ROI Excellent

Explore Our SES Career Resources

SES Qualifications & Application Flow

Federal Resume Writing Services

SES Hiring Process

What Are the Parts of an SES Application?

The Senior Executive Service application addresses ECQs (Executive Core Qualifications) and competencies that extend far beyond a typical resume and cover letter. To win an interview, your application package must address specific job requirements while also demonstrating a clear history of leadership experience and necessary technical expertise. Our SES application assistance service will evaluate your background and ensure that all critical information, along with your skills and abilities, is positioned for the most competitive advantage.

Your Executive Core Qualifications must include knowledge of the current 28 leadership competencies and fundamental characteristics. In addition, you must demonstrate a firm grasp of CCAR and executive level writing styles, understand length requirements and limitations, as well as highlight your best personal examples for each of the five ECQs.

Senior Executive Service candidates who are selected and offered positions must then have their ECQs submitted to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Qualifications Review Board (QRB). Your ECQs will be reviewed by the QRB and then certified in order to be placed into an SES position. Each ECQ should be one to two pages in length with a maximum of ten pages for all five ECQs.

Your ECQs may be used for multiple SES applications. Once you become a member of the SES, the criteria upon which you are evaluated are the ECQs, therefore it is crucial to continue to leverage your demonstrated executive competencies after applying for and securing an SES position..

Technical Qualifications (TQs) and/or Managerial Technical Qualifications (MTQs) must be addressed in addition to your five ECQs in Senior Executive Service applications. ECQs are all about leadership, while TQs and MTQs focus more on specific situations that address your technical qualifications and accomplishments. Each TQ is unique to its respective vacancy announcement. Each factor is one to two pages in length. These factors are normally job-specific and related to your career strengths, and they are told in CCAR “stories.”

Your initial introduction must immediately set you apart from the rest of the applicants. We can develop a strong cover letter that highlights your excellent qualifications. Although cover letters are not always requested, if they are permitted, they serve as another opportunity to demonstrate how valuable you would be to the organization.

Do Different Positions Require Different Packages?

Applying for jobs in the federal government can be daunting or overwhelming for the uninitiated. Just as different college courses require their own unique research and composition, or different businesses require different types of reporting, different Senior Executive Service positions require different types of application packages. Using the same application package for multiple positions could paint you as a “jack of all trades, but master of none.” However, when you choose a targeted SES application series, you are communicating to your employer that you are the perfect fit for that vacant position.

This is not to say that the primary elements of your package will not remain the same in some instances. Having strong elements for your SES application package allows you the opportunity to make the necessary customizations and quickly apply for a position without having to rebuild your entire package from scratch. This is also a good reason to update your Senior Executive Service package with new expertise and accomplishments as they occur.

At SES Writers, we have developed the following “help packages” for applicants:

Read More +Less –

How Do I Choose the Right Package for the Right Position?

In 2024, we reviewed up to 100 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB) disapproval reports on ECQs written by job candidates or other resume services. These reports detailed why the ECQs were rejected. We used our analysis to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for best practices which we leverage in developing SES application packages to maximize clients’ chances of success.

During this process, we create materials that align with the requirements for each Senior Executive Service vacancy. In addition to monitoring hiring trends, SES Writers also mines successful SES packages that we developed for clients in the past. By using this process, our career coaches can help you identify the best components for a particular SES application. This process can help you stand out, while also meeting the requirements of the SES vacancy announcement.

We continue to monitor the reasons ECQs are disqualified and integrate new techniques into our process to achieve certified ECQs.

What Do I Need to Get Started?

Schedule a complimentary consultation with SES Writers.  We will design a package that reflects your employment or service history, professional accomplishments and achievements, technical skills and managerial abilities.

Best practices by the Qualifications Review Board state all executive leadership stories are from the past 10 years of your professional career. When you are applying to a Senior Executive Service position, we highly recommend that you read the SES vacancy announcement in its entirety to determine the application guidelines. You are responsible for submitting the application, including all required supporting documents such as your SF-50, official or unofficial transcripts, or performance appraisals, in accordance with the requirements stated in the vacancy announcement.

Read More +Less –

Learn More About Applying to the SES

Executive Core Qualification Writing Services

Frequently Asked Questions About the SES

Our SES Process

Government Job Information

SES Articles and News

SES Career Coaching and Interview Prep

Get Started! Elevate Your Career

Contact Us for a Free Career Consultation

To schedule a free career consultation with SES Writers, please contact us at
800-471-9201.

Get Started Now