Whether the recent cutbacks have you anticipating a career switch or you’ve already accepted a severance package, transitioning from the federal government to the private sector requires rethinking your professional identity—starting with your resume.
It’s not just a matter of translating your government experience into more understandable language, noted Michelle Dumas, nationally certified resume writer and founder of Distinctive Career Services, LLC: “Creating a resume that will resonate with recruiters and hiring managers in the private sector requires a mindset shift.”
The following steps will help you actively change your way of thinking and adapt your resume’s format, length, contents and narrative for a private sector audience.
Plot Your Next Career Move
Before you start writing your resume, you need to know your target audience. Figuring out what you want to do next is vital, noted David Remick, executive director of the Alexandria/Arlington Regional Workforce Council.
“The reality is that the job you’ve had may not exist in the private sector, so you may need to do some self-bargaining,” Remick warned.
For example, you may need to pursue a lower-level position or dedicate a portion of your time to updating your skills, especially if you’ve been working with outdated technology. Keep your career goal in mind every time you consider adding a bullet point or skill to your resume.
Take Stock of Your Transferable Skills
Once you’ve identified your target market, create an inventory of your hard and soft skills and keywords that match the most common job requirements.
The process of creating an inventory can help you identify patterns, create a skill summary, and paint an accurate and compelling picture of how your experience, skills, certifications and impact transfer to a new opportunity.
Your list should be limited to current, in-demand technologies, tools and frameworks, as well as the application of soft skills that apply in almost any environment, including communication, strategy development, problem-solving, adaptability, critical thinking, leadership, innovation, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution.
Given the rise of cross-functional and self-managing teams and AI, data shows that private sector employers are increasingly prioritizing soft skills over technical skills in the hiring process.
Embrace the Difference
Federal agencies are mission-driven, whereas private sector businesses are profit-driven. That’s an important distinction that many transitioners struggle to grasp, Dumas said.
The content in federal resumes tends to be focused on following processes and guidelines rather than achieving profits or results, she explained. Meanwhile, private sector employers want to know the results of your efforts, not just the activities you performed. Each resume bullet point or example in your opening summary or work experience section needs to go beyond simply stating what was done by highlighting the positive outcomes that resulted from your work.
The reality is that federal workers often need to overcome negative stereotypes to win an interview. Presenting your experience in tight, well-constructed bullet points that highlight adaptability, innovation and efficient problem-solving can help to counter the perception that federal workers are slow-moving, bureaucratic and excessively process-driven.
Craft Your Story
The idea that "your resume should tell a story" means that it should convey a narrative about your professional journey, achievements, and, most importantly, the value you have created in the past and can offer to a potential employer.
To find your story, ask yourself:
- What was my legacy in the position?
- What will be the lasting impact from the time I spent working with people, processes and technology?
- How will I be remembered for my work and contributions?
Include a brief summary or headline at the top of your resume that captures your brand or value proposition, then incorporate that theme into your online profiles. You may also want to highlight any code snippets or projects from repositories, personal websites or portfolios.
Also, if you use ChatGPT to adapt your government resume for a private sector role, make sure to edit the content so it reflects your voice, personality and brand, Remick added. You want to be consistent in the overall impression you make on reviewers.
Present Recent and Relevant Information
Most government resumes are too detailed and long for a private sector audience. To get your resume past a 10-second review, condense it down into one or two pages by highlighting three recent projects that utilized the latest technologies and delivered the biggest impact or value.
Dumas suggests that you use the C.A.R. framework for your work experience, which stands for "Challenge, Action, Result." You may also want to consider using a hybrid resume format.
Provide context or a description of the project and the scope of your responsibilities, followed by a list of concise bullet points that describe the actions you took, plus the skills and technologies you used along with the outcomes you achieved.
Quantify your achievements whenever possible. For instance, mention if your work resulted in specific cost savings, user growth, improvements in downtime, error detection and prevention or other measurable benefits.
At the same time, replace government jargon and acronyms with business-friendly terms to help hiring managers understand the value you bring. For instance, instead of using terms such as agency directed oversight, FedRAMP or 3PAO say something like:
“Assessed the security of cloud service providers to meet stringent security standards
resulting in a 20 percent reduction in identified vulnerabilities within the first year.”
Also, instead of listing your official government title, pay grade and level, translate it into a widely recognized private-sector equivalent like senior project manager or systems administrator.
Each project or experience that you include in your resume needs to illustrate and support your story and serve a purpose. By re-framing process-driven tasks as results that resonate in the business world, you demonstrate the ability to succeed in a private sector environment.
