Before writing, decide what you want the resume to help you pursue. Consider the position, industry, organization, location, and the skills you want to use.

• Which roles interest you?
• Where would you like to work?
• Which skills connect to those opportunities?
• What are your priorities for your next move?

A clear target makes it easier to decide which experience deserves the most attention.

Collect work history, dates, education, training, certifications, and examples of your contributions. Look beyond your job title: what did you manage, improve, organize, solve, or deliver?

Use accurate details. Include numbers when they help explain the scale or outcome of your work, and only when you can support them.

Use the preparation checklist

Describe what you did, the context, and why it mattered. Focus on clear actions and relevant results rather than a list of vague traits.

Use clear headings, consistent formatting, and readable spacing. Give relevant experience room to stand out. Match the emphasis to the opportunity while keeping your information truthful.

Civilian and federal applications may need different approaches. Review the specific application requirements before you submit.

• Check names, contact details, dates, spelling, and grammar.
• Read the resume alongside the target job requirements.
• Remove repetition and clarify vague statements.
• Confirm every claim accurately represents your experience.
• Save a clearly named version for each application.