From the OPM Memo, Hiring and Talent Development for the Senior Executive Service:  May 29, 2025:

Improved SES Application Method At present, the SES hiring process requires lengthy, time-consuming essays. This cumbersome hiring process has hurt the government’s ability to hire high-caliber SES officials who share American values and possess exceptional skills. Going forward, agencies shall immediately discontinue the use of 10-page narrative essays in the hiring process.10 Instead, they shall adopt a resume-only initial application method, with resumes capped at 2 pages. This will align Federal SES hiring with private industry and the Merit Hiring Plan. It will also help agencies achieve a robust applicant pool of top executive talent and reduce the burden and delay associated with applying to the SES. In addition, politically accountable agency leadership, or designees, should be involved “throughout the full hiring process” for SES officials. This should include, at a minimum, interviewing prospective SES to confirm organizational fit, commitment to American ideals, technical acumen, and alignment with the new Executive Core Qualifications.

SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE 2-PAGE RESUME CONSULTING, WRITING / EDITING SERVICES:

Resume Place Senor Executive Writing and Coaching Method for writing the 2-Page SES Resume – Based on the text, Writing the New SES Resume, 3rd Ed. And our agency training curriculum:

  1. Send your current resume and – if you have ECQs – to our SES Writers / Editors. Have a one-hour consultation on a plan for writing the 2-page SES resume. Request a one-hour consultation to begin.
  2. We recommend that you start by writing a Top Ten List of Accomplishments. This can be based on your current ECQs, or you can create this from your resume and appraisals.
  3. Read QRB Memo and the new ECQs and sub-competencies here. The accomplishments must match the new ECQs and sub-competency language.
  4. After the Top Ten is written, this list needs to be mapped to the new ECQs to ensure that you cover all of them. See the ECQ Chart below.
  5. The new list of accomplishments needs to be expanded into the Contract-Challenge-Action-Results format, which is mandatory for the QRB interview and recommended for the 2-page resume. You can use our free and excellent CCAR Builder for this writing.

  6. Use our highly effective CCAR Builder to write your accomplishments – for the resume and for your QRB Interview.
  7. The writer/editor can edit and target the language toward the specific ECQ. And edit the content into 50 to 60 words for the new 2-page SES Resume.

The 2-page SES resume is the beginning of your SES career. This is a critical document to get you to the Executive Review Board interview and the QRB interview. The Accomplishments in the resume will become your Interview Stories. This resume is critical for the entire executive career objective!

To begin, order a one-hour consultation with our SES Writer. Send your documents to kathryn@resume-place.com. One hour consultation is $260. The writer will quote the time to write and coach you to write the accomplishments for the 2-page resume. The hourly rate is $260.

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