Death of the Federal Resume

Lots of juicy nuggets in the latest OPM federal hiring guidance, but of course I have to highlight the death of the long-form federal resume. Applicants are encouraged to submit a 1-2 page resume - and a new set of efficiency inspired essay questions. Farewell to the Federal Resume: OPM Ushers in a New Era of Plain Language in Federal Hiring - ClearanceJobs

This is crazy. How would a potential candidate with extensive work experience apply with such resume restrictions. I have 8 years experience in my field and my resume now is 8 pages. After modifying it to the best of abilities, it was still 5 pages. SMH

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It’ll be interesting to see how this goes. Industry doesn’t limit resume length. They should make the length commensurate with experience - if they feel like there needs to be a specific guideline. In other words, if you’re under 7 years, keep it at 2 pages. If you’re 7-15, you can have 3-4 pages, etc.

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My first federal application was the SF-171, and with attachments, it was about eight pages, covering 6 years of experience. My last federal application in 1999 was 80 pages with over 30 years of experience. Most private-sector resumes are one to two pages long, and employers can hire competent employees through this process. The interview and background checks, along with the new essay questions, should provide what selecting officials need to make an informed decision. The federal application process was overburdening in the past, and this is a welcome change.

80 pages :open_mouth: I feel like with 30 years of experience - either 2 or 80 pages is extreme - there has to be a sliding scale for years of experience and resume length, you know? That’s incredible @DDamp that you were able to be so detail oriented and track all that - seriously! It really is a great example of understanding the system and just learning to work within that to succeed.