Which Federal Employment Application Format?

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Which Federal Employment Application Format?

Probably the most frequent initial question individuals planning to apply for a Federal position ask professional preparers is "Which format should I use?" The most definitive advice from the Federal government on this subject is the following statement, which appears at the top of the official form OF 612:

You may apply for most jobs with a resume, this form, or other written format. If your resume or application does not provide all the information requested on this form and in the job vacancy announcement, you may lose consideration for a job.

Let's examine each of the alternative formats commonly considered by prospective applicants.

Standard Form 171 (SF-171). Although still promoted by some preparers who have not updated their preparation software or who are able to collect larger fees for this longer form, the form was withdrawn by the Federal government in 1994 and is no longer being printed. It is still accepted by agencies, but is not recommended by them. No valid reason exists to create a new job application using this obsolete format.

Private-Sector resume. The OF 612 contains 18 major sections, many of which require multiple items of information. For example, in the experience section each previous position you describe requires 10 data items. An effective private sector resume does not normally include (and should not include) many of these items—your salary and supervisor's name and phone number, for example.
Even if you are successful in remembering to include all the detailed items required by the OF 612, there still exists the following major difference between a Federal application and a private resume. An effective private resume is brief—normally one to two pages. It is more a marketing piece for your abilities than a chronology of your work history.
A private resume longer than two pages is rarely read thoroughly. An effective OF 612 is generally at least four and sometimes as many as eight or more pages in length. The Federal personnel specialist is required to consider an OF 612 or Federal Resume in its entirety to establish the applicant's nominal qualifications for the position and grade being sought.

"Federal Resume." This term is in quotes because the phrase is not a federal government-devised term. Nowhere does the Federal government use the words "Federal Resume" as having any predefined meaning. The phrase does have the potential advantage of emphasizing the difference between an acceptable and effective Federal application format and a typical private-sector resume.
   A Federal Resume is essentially an OF 612 on plain paper. Using your own resume format carries the risk of overlooking required information. Moreover, it may create a hardship on the reviewer, who is accustomed to finding data in the prescribed OF 612 locations. Most important, perhaps, is the mistaken notion among many prospective applicants that you can simply "convert" a private sector resume to a "Federal Resume."
   A Federal Resume can have the benefits of offering a more compact format than the OF 612, of the opportunity to reorganize some information to emphasize it, and of allowing a Qualifications Highlights section to be added near the begiinning.
   Because of the dangers discussed earlier, we recommend a Federal Resume only if you use one that is carefully designed by a professional, such as the format included in FedQuest Gold.

Optional Form 612 (OF 612). If you have the means to use your word processor to create an OF 612 (such as with our FedQuest Gold software), we recommend this as the best way to go. You will have professional looking results, complete data, and a format with which the reviewer is familiar.

This article is adapted from FedQuest's Insider's Guide to Federal Job Applications, included with FedQuest Gold. The Guide includes answers to many other common questions posed by first-time Federal job applicants, as well as step-by-step instructions for creating an effective OF 612 or Federal Resume.