March 31, 2026 By Nicole Schultheis, JD, Senior Federal Resume Writer, Coach, Instructor The 2-page federal resume became mandatory for most federal job applicants on September 27, 2025. The change was part of the broader Merit Hiring Plan issued by the Office of Personnel Management, following issuance of Executive Order 14170. The new rule applies…
Top Tips for Writing the New 2-Page SES ECQ Resume By Kathryn Troutman, Baltimore, MD, December 19, 2025 Applying for an SES position in 2026? Start now. Read the new rules for SES applications for 2026, as published by OPM. Read the OPM SES QRB Guide here BEFORE: The legacy SES application format included a…
By Nicole Schultheis, JD, Senior SES Writer / Consultant – Bio Resume Place, Inc. June 3, 2024 ONE. Use clear, simple, and direct language. Use first person implied, steer clear of jargon, and replace buzz words with real words. Omit useless adjectives and adverbs and use strong, interesting nouns and verbs instead. Use active (“Led…
Kathryn Troutman, Federal Career Coach®, February 21, 2022 When I was thinking about President’s Day and what to write, I remembered that I wrote part of President Theodore Roosevelt’s resume in our book, The New SES Application, 2nd Edition by Kathryn Troutman and Diane Hudson Burns. So, I thought I would share his Key Leadership…
by Kathryn Troutman Potomac, MD | February 19, 2024 PRESIDENTS’ DAY 2024 Thinking about Presidents and their accomplishments. Take a look at Theodore Roosevelt’s Top 4 Accomplishments in his USAJOBS Resume. Every time you go to a National Park, you can be thankful for Teddy Roosevelt’s ability to Build Coalitions and Lead Change for our…
Nicole Schultheis, J.D. Senior SES Writer, Consultant, Instructor January 15, 2019 Candidates for senior executive positions within the Federal Executive Branch typically require certification by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Usually this is earned through submission of a set of written narratives, called Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). The standard format is a 10-page, single-spaced…
By Diane Hudson, CPCC, CFJST, CFCC and Kathryn Troutman, President, Resume Place August 21, 2018 If you are a GS-15 or GS-14 and interested in pursuing a career in the Senior Executive Service (SES), there is good news – there are three Candidate Development Program (CDP) job announcements currently open: Department of Veterans Affairs, Assistant…