The 5-Page SES Federal Resume

The 5-Page SES Federal Resume The 5-Page SES Federal Resume The 5-Page SES Federal Resume Developing and writing a Senior Executive Service (SES) application package with Executive Core Qualification statements (ECQs) is a challenging process that requires dedication and hours of preparation. The process is also very rewarding – a journey that reaps high rewards, when seeking employment among the ranks of some of our governments top officials (.04% of the total federal workforce). Since 2008, the Office of Personnel Management has introduced a new method of applying for SES the five-page resume-based application with the ECQs integrated into the position descriptions. Agencies may use either the traditional SES application method (a senior-level federal resume and set of Executive Core Qualification statements (ECQs) – a 15- to 25-page resume and essay package) or the five-page resume-based SES application. The five-page resume-based SES/ECQ application requires evidence of the ECQs in the text of the resume. (The ECQs are Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, and Building Coalitions. Each ECQ is an umbrella header for the 28 leadership competencies that OPM has identified for the SES. The 28 leadership competencies must be evident throughout the five-page resume combined with a structured/behavior-based interview). Developing and writing this five-page resume that persuasively demonstrates decision-making and leadership abilities may require summarizing some 15 to 20 pages of ECQ essays written for the traditional SES/ECQ essay application package, into a coherent five-page document, which tells a story of senior leadership by covering all 28 leadership competencies, but not actually identifying the ECQ categories. (The 2010 Guide to SES Qualifications by OPM states: Candidates should keep the ECQs in mind as they write their resumes, but it is not necessary or even advisable to annotate the resume with Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, or Leading Change). Within this context, and understanding these new requirements for applying for SES positions, I worked with a client who required both the traditional ECQ essay application package and also a five-page SES/ECQ resume. I worked with my client to identify her specific leadership accomplishments. Conducting a thorough interview, I gleaned the details of these accomplishments, guiding my client to focus on leadership initiatives with large scope organizational impact. I asked my client to describe the results that affected organizational performance with far reaching influence across her agency and across barriers (externally to other agencies or internationally). Once the achievements were identified, we began adding content to each example in the CCAR (Context, Challenge, Actions, and Results) format, developing and writing the stories as essays. We refined the stories ensuring the essay package clearly displayed the leadership competencies required by OPM. While drafting the ECQ essays, I also outlined my clients five-page resume with the following elements: a short Executive Profile; position descriptions detailing my clients leadership operational scope for each position held in the past 10 years; and a section following each position description titled: Leadership Initiatives – this is where I added the mini-ECQ stories/bullets. The resume also included Education, Advanced Training, Public Speaking Engagements, Publications, Memberships, and Awards. After the full ECQ essays were written (about 10 pages max.), I began to summarize and edit each story into short five to eight-line bullets/ paragraphs. Knowing that the evaluators are looking for demonstrated evidence of my clients ECQs and the 28 leadership competencies woven throughout the entire five pages, I focused on challenges, some actions, and results in the short ECQ bullets – as the context is addressed in the position description on the resume. We also addressed specific requirements from the ECQs: conflict management, technology integration, human capital management, financial management, and diversity. Since we recognized that the resume-based application process is considered a screening method, to be used in conjunction with a structured interview, and she would be assigned a rating, we were certain to identify my clients executive leadership experience considering the complexity of the position/situation, scope and breadth of the results/outcomes, and the time horizon (how the result affect future issues/events). Consequently, we developed the full CCAR essays, and then summarized each story for the five-page resume based application, to provide my client clearly articulated stories to prepare for the interview process. Here are a couple sample short bullets that we prepared for the five-page resume (She was applying for a position with DHS): †¢ Spearheaded the information-sharing program, exponentially increasing the number of shareable information / records from 15 to more than 80 million in response to continued high-level Congressional demands for enhanced inter-agency information sharing after 9/11. Introduced the vision and focus to establish programmatic governance framework, while navigating challenging institutional inertia and agency cultures, gaining consensus at all levels. Guided design of tools and incentives at the institutional, leadership, and workforce levels including executive committee and working groups. Conceived a disciplined process to engage other agencies, and led my staff in accelerating the creation of more than 80 regional information-sharing partnerships with 1700 agencies and other external organizations across the nation. (Results Driven) †¢ Drafted effective and diplomatic responses to repeated inquiries from the Appropriations Subcommittee during two years, demonstrating executive-level political sensitivity about the scope, status, benefits, and goals of the e-Government program (15 individual initiatives in three broad portfolios worth $78M) relative to the Agency. I defined success benchmarks for the Agency regarding its participation in e-Government, and gained consensus at the congressional level for additional funding to support this growing program. (Business Acumen Fundamental Competencies) Since we also prepared her full CCAR ECQ essays, she was able to refer to the essay stories to prepare for the interview. The exercise of developing CCAR stories is an excellent technique to prepare for the entire application process from resume development, to networking, to the interview – validating leadership skills and abilities across the spectrum of the required 28 leadership competencies. The Resume Place is offering a comprehensive two-day workshop describing the five-page resume based SES application package, the traditional SES/ECQ application package, and other application formats. Participants will receive instruction in development of the resumes, ECQ essays, and the structured interview process. Click here for full class details. Thanks to Diane Hudson Burns for this special guest blog! Diane is a career management strategist and career coach focusing on job-search-proofing. An international conference speaker and train-the-trainer on career-related topics, Diane specializes in composing quality career change, military transition, private industry and federal resumes from mid-management (GS-12) to Senior Executive Service.