Guides
Federal resumes, explained properly.
The rules HR applies when it reads your application, from the source, in plain English — and what to do about them.
Latest
Why HR Found You Qualified but Didn't Send You Forward
Eligible but not referred means you met the minimum qualifications but ranked below the cut. Here is how ranking works and what to fix.
The two-page federal resume rule, explained.
Since September 27, 2025, USAJOBS accepts resumes of at most two pages for Title 5 jobs. What counts, who is exempt, and how to cut a long federal resume without losing qualification.
Federal resume format for 2026.
The structure of a federal resume that gets rated qualified: header, summary, work experience with MM/YYYY dates and hours per week, education, and what to leave out — within two pages.
Specialized experience: the line that decides.
What specialized experience means on a USAJOBS announcement, how HR checks it at the grade below, and how to write resume bullets that prove each part of the statement.
Getting referred
How HR decides who is qualified: specialized experience, grade levels, time in grade, questionnaires and assessments, and what to do when an application comes back “not referred”.
Writing the federal resume
Format, length, bullets, dates and hours: how to write the two pages HR reads, and how they differ from a private-sector resume.