National Guard technicians hold dual-status roles as military and General Schedule (GS) civilians at National Guard barracks throughout the United States. The primary mission of a military technician is to provide day-to-day continuity in the operation and training of Army and Air National Guard units.
With the return of all troops from Iraq, and the future return of troops from Afghanistan, as well as Defense Department downsizing, National Guard technicians will be separating or retiring from the service, and looking for new civil service positions.
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Your No. 1 goal for writing a federal resume is to get a federal job. You have to achieve several things with your federal resume:
- Get a minimum 70 score in order to move up to the top of the list, if you are 10% or more disabled.
- Get into the Best Qualified Group of Candidates, so that you can get referred to a supervisor.
- Show the HR specialist (who is the first reader of your resume -- and will read it with their human eyes) that you have the one-year specialized experience, knowledge skills and abilities for the job.
- Show the supervisor that you have relevant experience for their position, so that they will want to ask you for the interview.
- Show the supervisor that you would be a great candidate for the position and that they would really like you to be part of the team, so that they will offer you a job.
1. The Basic Facts: Compliance Details Required for the Federal Resume
Work Experience Compliance Details.
Be specific. Write down each duty station/deployment for the last 15 years. The best approach to writing the NG technician federal resume is to write it all down in a list. Each assignment, deployment or change in duty station should be a separate "job block" to start. Even if you have 10 entries, just write it down as your basis of work experience information. Follow this format:
| BRIGADE COMMANDER, GS-0301-12 | 12/2002 – 9/2008 |
| U.S. Army, 3rd Brigade, 29th Division Maryland National Guard (MDNG) Baltimore, MD 21228 |
S: Major-General Simon Cowell Simon.cowell @js.pentagon.mil May contact 40 hrs/w |
Dual Status (National Guard Technician Technician Act of 1968, Public Law 90-486). Army reserve colonel (O-6) and a GS-12 federal employee as a brigade supervisor.
- Supervisor, trainer and administrative operations director for 300 Quick Response Force Maryland National Guard. Established policies that increased retention of solders within the brigade.
- Led short- and long-range planning, and forecast changes in the mission as it relates to training and training management
2. Use the OPM Occupational Standard to Translate Military Duties to Government Job Language
What was your job as an NG technician -- military commander or program analyst? Both. You wore both "hats" every day. But now that you are looking for a civilian position, it is time to focus on the skills that will support your future objective and write the resume as a civil service employee. It is time to demilitarize the description and follow the writing style of the Office of Personnel Management standard for your position.
Related: Search for Government jobs.
In order to target your resume toward a particular federal job (occupational series), you need to look at OPM's occupational standards to find the description of the job. And read the language that they use for the government position.
BATTALLION COMMANDER -- MILITARY VERSION OF JOHN'S DUTIES:
Led short- and long-range planning, and forecast changes in the mission as it relates to training and training management. Analyzed brigade's manpower requirements and established policies that increased retention of soldiers within the brigade. Provided expert advisory service and authoritative policy interpretations on complex, controversial or unprecedented manpower and force development matters and developed policy guidance as required to higher command. Led and conducted special projects to resolve operating issues by managing manpower authorizations for both military and civilians.
Synchronized training for the brigade with external state and federal law enforcement while integrating special weapons and tactics and military operations in urban terrain.
- Wrote COOP and COG plans for 3rd Brigade, MDNG 29th Division
- Supervised OPSEC, COMSEC and C4I operations
- Trained 300-strong MDNG Quick Response Force and liaised with BCPD for Y2K
PROGRAM ANALYST 0301 -- CIVIL SERVICE DESCRIPTION OF JOB'S DUTIES:
John did perform these duties for his military battalion. This is the same information as above, but less about the military tactics, special weapons, synchronized training, terrain and force development:
- Directed administrative operations for 300 Quick Response Force Maryland National Guard. Managed changing budget to meet multiple deployments, increased training and workforce to meet the mission.
- Supervisor and trainer. Developed curriculum to meet mission objectives, including cultural diversity, security training, computer operations, supply and transportation training.
- Led short- and long-range planning, and forecast changes in the mission as it relates to training and training management.
- Analyst for manpower requirements, performed statistical analysis of plans and developed programs that increased retention of soldiers within the brigade.
- Advised senior management on utilization of Guard controversial or unprecedented manpower and force development matters due to the repeated deployments and challenges of maintaining a safe, effective workforce.
- Led and conducted special projects to resolve operating issues by managing manpower authorizations for both military and civilians.
3. Include Accomplishments to Get Referred
It's important to add specific accomplishments to each of your work experience sections so that the human resources (HR) specialist can see what you achieved, above your everyday responsibilities. Your performance evaluations will be written in military style, and they will include good information about your achievements. You will just need to rewrite your evaluations with as few acronyms as possible.
As an NG technician, you are mission oriented every day. You supported your military personnel in training, readiness, planning, logistics, supply, administration, personnel and quality-of-life concerns.
During the last 10 years with multiple deployments, this was one of the most challenging times for the Guard personnel in military history. You were there to support your Guard/active-duty personnel and were deployed multiple times. Remember that you supported this complex movement of your Guardsmen and women, and ensured that they were trained, ready and their personnel and administrative matters were taken care of. Write in your accomplishments section what you are most proud of during these years in deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, or deployment to emergencies in the U.S.
Accomplishments:
- Transformed the operation of 2,000 soldiers into a robust, modern Infantry Brigade Combat Team with 3,300+ soldiers, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Led this major effort while training and deploying more than 1,500 soldiers for post-9/11 missions ranging from Operation Noble Eagle to the Global War on Terror and Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
4. Write More: Federal Resumes Are an Average of Four Pages in USAJOBS 3.0
HR specialists want to see the details of your assignments, deployment, accomplishments and areas of responsibility. This resume has to prove that you have the one-year specialized experience for a particular job -- as stated in the vacancy announcement.
The resume also has to prove that you have the knowledge skills and abilities for performance the net position. The resume must include details such as training, awards, education and clearances. This is why the federal résumé averages four pages, instead of the typical two-page private industry resume.
The USAJOBS 3.0 resume builder does not have a specific length requirement, or a number of jobs that can be added to the builder. The resume can be five pages and will be acceptable in the resume builder. Each work experience block provides space for 5,000 characters with spaces. You will have plenty of room to write about your duties, accomplishments and special projects.
Your resume has to be understandable, complete, targeted toward the position you are seeking, and be longer than a typical private industry resume. It is important that your resume be written toward your new career, not about the experiences in the military. Use the new language for your resume to prove to the HR specialist that you are best qualified for a certain federal job.
Related: For the latest veteran jobs postings around the country, visit the Military.com Job Search section.
Kathryn Troutman, the president of The Resume Place Inc., is dedicated to helping veterans write great resumes. Write your federal resume with her five steps with the free template sample at www.vetfedjobs.org. Troutman is the author of the “Military to Federal Career Guide.”
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