Customer Reviews

Federal Resume Guidebook: Strategies for Writing a Winning Federal Electronic Resume, KSAs, and Essays, 4th Edition

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I purchased this book based on the numerous reviews exclaiming its excellence. As a first note, the photo representation showing a CD that provides actual examples of resumes and KSAs is highly deceiving. There is no CD with this book. On the final page of the book, you will find directions on how to buy this for an additional fee at the authors website. No doubt the author has experience and expertise in the convuluted federal application process. From biographical information that is available it appears that she was a key player in creating it and then she went on to build a business that capitalizes off of the confusion created in the process. The inforation in this book is good and reliable; however, the same information is available for free on the internet from a variety of sources. I was sadly disappointed with this book and the other Troutman book Military to Federal Career Guide that I also purchased. The CD is included with the second book mentioned. I has 52 files in total; but, these provide very few examples because the same resume is repeatedly used to show examples of different resume builder formats (e.g paper resume, USA Jobs resume, and Resumix)and each example is given in a word document format and PDF so immediately the number of eamples is decreased from 52 to 26. As such, the CD amounts to 13 resume examples and one that provides separate KSAs. The best value that comes from this book is a profitable marketing tool for the author's website and other, quite pricey writing and coaching services. Before buying this book, I would recommend that you check with your local library or bookstore to see if they have a copy so you can review the content and decide how useful it might be in relation to your knowledge of the federal job market.

This is a good book for putting together a government résumé, but it stops short of going through the entire government process. There is not adequate information on KSA writing and putting together a total government-ready package. For this level of material, the book nudges you toward using the publisher's consulting / writing service, which is on the expensive side depending on what positions you are going after.

Overall, it's a good book to get started with. You may need additional help down the road, though.

I bought this after working for the federal government for 20 years! I was looking for a position after the agency I work for within the Department of Defense was BRAC'd. I needed some serious help in the KSA writing department. This book helped me tremendously. I breezed through the KSAs after reading what government managers are looking for in an applicant's KSA. Well worth the money. Oh, and I did get the job!

I purchased a copy of this book about 3 years ago. Besides lots of good guidance for developing resume content, it includes some excellent examples of federal resumes for different "grade" levels. These examples are displayed using effective presentation formats that will help you with layout and "white space". I found them to be extremely helpful in preparing my first federal resume. Until then, I'd developed and used either a very detailed SF-171 or a 2-page commercial resume, but nothing in between.
Using this Guidebook to get started probably saved me half as much time as I'd have otherwise spent in crafting and polishing a new resume. I used my federal resume as part of my application package for a GS-15 position. I was selected for the job from among 30 or so applicants. I think that the form and content of this resume was a strong contributing factor in my selection!

I purchased this book after numerous failed attempts at being considered for various govt positions.
Literally after giving my resume a govt makeover with the suggestions from the book I've been considered for a total of four positions since purchasing the book last month.
I consider this a huge success only because I at least know my responses to the KSA questions are strong,
I highly recommed this book - definetly worth it!

I had applied for a position with a government appeals office last year. I received a poor KSA rating and did not get the position. The position was posted again this year. Using this guidebook, not only did I receive a high KSA rating, but I also was offered the position!

The Federal Resume Guidebook is more for those who have never ever created a resume on the federal government job website than it is for assisting with writing with KSAs. In my opinion, this book is a really basic book for only those who are new to computers. Luckily, I checked this book out at my local library, because it was not at all what I was looking for. The book shows readers what a typical website job listing on the fed's website looks like, as well as, the screen for the resume builder. The book displays several general resumes to give it's buyers ideas on what to place on their resumes. As far as KSAs, the book encourages you to look deep at your work history and skills and how to best formulate it into a KSA. It was a waste of time for me.

I recently purchased the Federal Resume Guidebook, 4th edition, to assist me in applying for jobs at the new Dept. of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center here in NJ. Their application process is quite cumbersome with paper application packages which include the dreaded KSAs, and although I have DoD experience directly related to their open positions, I have been unsuccessful at obtaining an interview.

I was delighted with much of the down-to-earth advice in the book, and I'm working through improving the readability of my resume and better story-telling in my responses to the KSAs. I was especially happy to see in Chapter 8 "Researching the Agency's Core Competencies" that the VA was included in the examples. My only disappointment was that the site referenced for descriptions of the VA Core Competencies turned out to be non-functional.

After the VA was unable to help me with the broken link, I emailed the author, Kathryn Troutman. She responded almost immediately with a promise to research the missing web page and get back to me. Wow!

Thanks so much for this excellent resource!

P.S. - I got the job!!!!

I consider myself a professional writer. I've written articles and stories for publication, and figured I could swing my own resume. I scoffed at any type of professional help. Writing was just one area of strength in my current government position, but I was ready to move up. And I searched, and applied, for 2 long years. I got 1 interview, no hires, and made the referral list about 5 times in 15 or so applications. A few attractive positions opened, and this time, quite discouraged and frustrated, I wasn't taking any chances. I couldn't squander anymore opportunities that were local because I was in no position to uproot and move from state to state for the right vacancy. So I bit the bullet and purchased the Federal Resume Guidebook. I read it in one sitting, and used the tips, tricks, and supplemental information to tweak up the resume I had worked so hard on. In a matter of a couple hours, I thought it was ready for prime time and applied for 3 separate positions, all of which would be a promotion of 4 total GS grades. I made the referral list for all three, and got an interview call within weeks for one of them. I used the book to prepare for my behavioral interview, and nailed it, and start my new job in February. So after lingering as a GS-07 right out of college, I'll be a 9/11, which is certain 4 big steps in the right direction. I certainly can't believe the results I encountered by simply applying the book. If I had bought it earlier and overruled my ego, I might be writing this success story much sooner. But I'm so very happy to write it now, and recommend the book to anyone who wants to compete for a govt job, period. The guidebook is worth every penny for federal employees looking for opportunity. Get the book. If you're not building the best resume possible with the help of this guide, you're going to be competing against better resumes, and you're going to be left in the slush pile. This is the best investment you can make in your career.

Kathryn, Here is another one for your list of testimonials. I purchased your book and used it to re-create my résumés for Federal Employment. I also used it to create my KSAs. I was offered and accepted a position from the first Federal Agency for which I applied. I could not have done it without your help. stewart