Customer Reviews

Electronic Federal Resume Guidebook

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Book offers resume-writing tips for Defense civilians

By Kellie Lunney

Federal employees and those aspiring to work in the government need to master the art of electronic resume writing, according to a new book from a federal resume expert.

Kathy Kraemer Troutman's Electronic Federal Resume Guidebook provides readers seeking civilian jobs in the Defense Department with advice on navigating Resumix, the department's electronic database for managing resumes.

The Defense Department uses Resumix software to manage resumes and search for qualified candidates. The transition from a paper-based system to an electronic system means that Defense employees and potential applicants have had to brush up on their computer and resume writing skills, according to Troutman. Under the electronic resume system, applicants submit their resumes for specific positions, and hiring officials search the resume database to find an applicant with the right mix of qualifications.

"I believe the electronic system is here to stay and that it will be better in the long run. If you can write a good resume and understand the application process, you can master this," writes Troutman.

Troutman, a former columnist on careers for GovExec.com, includes advice on writing and editing resumes, a brief history of the Resumix system, and a soup- to-nuts description of how automated human resources systems work. A CD-ROM that contains electronic resume samples and official job kits accompanies the book.

Special tips ("One resume is the best for today's electronic job search") and inside information ("Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force agencies require self-nominations for announcements") are sprinkled throughout the book, and Troutman provides a review summarizing the section's main ideas at the end of each chapter.

Most of the book is devoted to crafting the perfect electronic resume with tips ranging from how to incorporate keywords that will yield successful job matches through Resumix to avoiding bureaucratic jargon.

A list of dos and don'ts in the electronic resume process includes:

*Do research keywords, skills and industry language.

*Do limit experience to recent jobs and jobs that directly support your qualifications

*Do keep acronyms to a minimum.

*Do write with nouns and verbs in the active voice.

*Don't submit extra documentation unless requested. *Don't use phrases like "responsible for," or "worked with." *Don't fax your resume.

*Don't repeat yourself.

The Electronic Federal Resume Guidebook is Troutman's second book. The Federal Resume Guidebook was published in 1995.

As a former federal personnelist and now a professional job searcher and writer/editor of electronic resumes and KSAs, I can tell you that this book is an excellent resource. I believe that soon all federal vacancies will be filled via the online application process (rather than the traditional paper application process), which makes this a very timely book for the federal job seeker. There are numerous sample plaintext resumes, KSAs, skills sets, and templates in the book and on the accompanying CD-ROM. Also provided are numerous relevant "buzzwords," "keywords," and "noun phrases" essential to ensuring that applicants will get "hits" in an agency's searchable resume database. With all the samples and templates provided, your RESUMIX resume is practically already written for you. All the reader has to do is fill in information relevant to their own experience.

To all,

If you are applying for a job online or through Resumix, there's a new book you might be interested in. It's called the Electronic Federal Resume Guidebook. It gives you tips on writing a winning resume. It shows you how to format your resume -- using selected keywords -- to present yourself in the best possible light to get that next job or promotion. It has "how to apply online" instructions for civilians seeking jobs and promotions in DoD agencies.

I'm not one to brag, but the reason this book is so darn good is because I made a tiny contribution to this book. My resume is featured in this book. Really. Actually, the reason this book is so terrific is because it addresses the nitty-gritty of writing an online resume (especially for Resumix) that will get you noticed. It contains strategies that few people know about.

Note: This email is not endorsed by anyone. The opinions in this email are my own. I don't get a single cent from the sale of this book. I just wanted to let people know that there is a good source of information out there for people writing and submitting online resumes.

Kathryn: I received your book and think it looks great! Thanks loads!! Congratulations on a product that's certain to help a lot of government employees succeed where otherwise they might not. Having served on numerous selection panels in the past, I often wondered why so many employees "missed the boat" on putting together a "sellable" application. Now, that shouldn't happen anymore. Good luck with your book. R, Don

I received this book and think it's great! Thanks loads!!
Congratulations on a product that's certain to help a lot of government employees succeed where otherwise they might not. Having served on numerous selection panels in the past, I often wondered why so many employees "missed the boat" on putting together a "sellable" application. Now, that shouldn't happen anymore. R, Don

Bought the book. Landed a GS-9 job.

How's that for a book review?

The math: The book is on the expensive side, but you have to think of the cover price as an investment. Put another way: now I'm making more money than I made when I was on active military duty (I'm a retired grunt; retired Sgt. First Class pay plus GS-9 pay equals more than active duty Sgt. First Class pay).

Federal Resumix Guidebook how-to in short: It teaches you how to organize your past employment experiences into a consolidated nonstandard resume that contains the actual words GS managers may be using to search for employees.

The book causes you to think of the Resumix system as a search engine looking for you. Does that make sense? :-)

This was a great book to use with eighth graders! A classic piece of literature was a great way to end the year!