As a current or former member of the armed forces, you have already demonstrated personal dedication, perseverance and a strong commitment to your country. Whether you're seeking new opportunities within the public or private sector, the federal government may have the right job available for you.

How To Create A Federal Resume

First, you will need a current federal resume. This specific resume format includes pertinent details regarding your military experience including: 

• Duties & Ranks
• Military Operations & Campaigns
• Specific Training & Certifications 
• Security Clearance Levels
• Awards & Honors 
• Projects & Accomplishments

Many military veterans find the resume writing process tedious and difficult. Based on previous research surveys, the hardest parts of writing a detailed resume are:

• Telling a thoughtful story.
• Bragging about your extensive work history.
• Describing your work in detail.
• Explaining the challenges of particular work experiences.

Take the Cause and Effect Approach

The cause and effect format of the federal resume allows job seekers to address these difficult situations and gives the author a way to describe in detail who they are, what they've done and what they've learned along the way. 

For Example:

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Developing the first supply management inspection checklist for all functional areas of supply.
• e.g. 570 spot checks were conducted regularly and in turn ensuring all areas of supply procedures, policy and methods were audited monthly. 
• Checklist was issued as a handbook to assure that SOPs were daily practice and served as a model for all Pacific Fleet Aircraft Carriers.

Expect to Go Longer Than a Page

Describing your military experiences in this kind of detail means your resume will be longer than the private sector standard of one page. Military federal resumes are typically two to four pages.

No matter what stage you’re at in your career, there are going to be periods when you just feel safe or uncertain about what your next move should be. Especially during the COVID era, seeking out some professional guidance can only be a benefit to you personally. When that happens, career counseling can help alleviate at least some of the stress related to your job hunt. Whether you’re seeking to land a new job, update your resume, practice your interviewing skills or nurture your career in a general sense, having an expert by your side can’t be bad.

You might want to think of a career coach as a therapist for your professional well-being i.e. an individual solely responsible for boosting your confidence and who also counsels you through big life changing decisions. Most career coaches charge between $75 and $250 per hour, depending on their years of experience and training certifications.

Keep reading below to follow the recommended five steps in order to successfully find and utilize a great coach.

First of all, you want to find a coach that you can easily connect with. To find the right fit, take the time to interview several career coaches if you can.

These questions can help you find the right coach for your specific needs:

• Describe your coaching style.
• How many people have you coached in my particular industry and role?
• Can you walk me through a time when you worked with someone who had similar challenges?
• How will you be tracking my progress while we work together?
• What tools and exercises do you use to coach your clients?
• What do you believe are your top strengths as a career coach?

Secondly, you will want to set goals for yourself. You need to strategize beforehand and think about how you’re going to get the top job of your choice. A career coach can certainly help steer you in the right direction, but you can also save some time by brainstorming on your own.

Knowing more or less what you want to get out of working with a career coach is essential. This involves identifying goals with your coach that you can collaborate on and work toward together as a team. Are you looking to get into a more fulfilling line of work? A promotion at your current company? A stronger sense of confidence when it comes to being a leader and a well respected manager? Contemplate what you might be ultimately seeking out of the project. 

Thirdly, you have to show up and do the work! Though career coaches are available to guide you throughout the job search and all that it entails, there are limits to what they are capable of. In the same way, a coach can’t serve you a job offer or solidify you getting that much wanted promotion that you’ve been chasing. Keep in mind that you are in the driver’s seat and steering your career in the direction that you best see fit. 

Be honest and upfront with yourself and with your coach. Fed up with no response from hiring managers and recruiters? Had it up to here with your boss? Express these exact sentiments to your coach so they are aware of what you’re going through. After all, career counseling sessions give you the necessary space in order to express what you’re really struggling with on a professional level. The more your coach knows, the more effective they can be, so you’re better off not hiding pertinent information from them. 

On the job hunt again due to COVID-19? Here’s how to sort through the plethora of job postings available to find the one that’s the right fit for you. Make your job search a little easier with these four steps.

You are under the false assumption that your resume is perfect. It’s ATS verified and keyword specific, top notch for your industry, laid out all of your achievements, backed by relevant data and triple checked by a close colleague, friend or relative. 

Now you’re ready to take the necessary steps in order to find your next job. 

Step #1 - Get Your Resume Up To Par

Your resume is pertinent when it comes to starting off on the right foot job search wise. Not sure how yours comparatively? Ask someone you trust or hire a resume writer like myself so you are already off to a fresh start! :) 

Step #2 - Sign Up To Receive Alerts 

When hiring managers and recruiters post jobs online, that means that they are ready to start reviewing potential candidate resumes. The sooner you apply, the better your chances are.

By selecting the types of jobs that are curated to your interests, you can spend less time digging through the millions of jobs that are currently out there on the internet and more time applying to jobs you’re really interested in.

Step #3 - Stay On Top Of Your Search

Here's the thing about the job market: It’s constantly changing. We are all going through a new phase of that process with the COVID-19 pandemic. New jobs are opening up all of the time, which is great for you because that means the odds of you finding the right position increases day by day. That's why it's imperative for you to regularly monitor availability so you don’t end up missing out on a golden opportunity. Ultimately, a few minutes of job searching here and there is all you need to stay on top of it all, but those few minutes could make all the difference. 

Step #4 - Keep Yourself Updated On Potential Employers

You can set up job alerts for not just job titles but also companies. However, you might be wondering, “How do I make a decision regarding which companies I’d like to work for?”

You can retrieve all of the relevant information on most employers by checking out company profiles and employee reviews on Glassdoor.com. The reviews are posted by current and former employees and will give you an overarching view of culture, pay and benefits to help you identify a close match. You can filter and sort through the names of these companies in order to determine what types of positions that they are looking to fill and if any potential job is relevant for you. A company going on a hiring spree can be a good indicator of financial health and wellbeing.