Government Resume Examples
Display your commitment to public service and your diverse set of skills with the help of expert writing recommendations and government resume examples.
Our Recommended Example
Enrollment Specialist
Popular Templates in the Government Space
Eligibility Specialist
Program Officer
Council Member
Delegate
Table of Contents
Government Resume
Government Cover Letter
Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Government Resume
Elect to write a better government resume by utilizing LiveCareer’s Resume Builder, which offers helpful pre-written text crafted by certified resume writers. Use the phrases as-is, or adjust them to suit your specific qualifications.
Take a look at these three examples of industry-specific text our builder might suggest for your government resume:
- Negotiated with local and state officials to secure additional resources, enhancing program offerings 30 percent without exceeding budget.
- Greeted and welcomed constituents and guests, offering immediate assistance and liaising between upper office staff and the general public.
- Determined target demographics and devised strategic marketing initiatives to reach target audiences.
8 Dos and Don’ts for Writing a Government Resume
Do
- Do use data and metrics to illustrate work experience. If you work as a security guard, don’t just say that you patrol buildings and monitor cameras. Instead, write something more specific such as, “Charged with nightly patrol of 5,000-square-foot City Hall property” and “Regularly monitor 15 security cameras.”
- Do include relevant special training. Suppose you’re applying for legislative aide work in a state representative’s office. Including a three-day seminar you took on a financial or social issue impacting that representative’s state will stand out on your resume.
- Do change your resume for each application. While you may be submitting multiple resumes for congressional intern roles, each resume should be unique. Use the keywords and attributes in each job posting to show why you are a good match.
Don’t
- Don’t treat your resume like a cover letter. Government jobs attract passionate people, and you may want to explain how you care deeply about a cause, but your resume should be succinct. Deliver your work experience briefly, saving the elaboration for your cover letter.
- Don’t assume that a recruiter understands the relevant acronyms. Jargon and abbreviations are common in government, but a recruiter might not be familiar with them all. If you are including a metric related to your work on the weighted average cost of capital, for example, spell it out with the WACC acronym in parentheses.
- Don’t start each resume from scratch. Keep a running list of your past employers, dates, awards, skills and experiences, along with any impressive metrics. Keep this list on hand to quickly update and personalize your resume for each application.
Beat the ATS with These Government Resume Skills
You are likely to encounter an applicant tracking system (ATS) as you apply for government jobs. ATS software is used to narrow the applicant pool by searching for certain keywords and phrases on resumes. The system then ranks each resume, and the highest-scoring resumes go to recruiters for review.
Study each job posting for the critical phrases to use. LiveCareer’s Resume Builder, suggests the right mix of skills for your government resume. Here are a few our builder might recommend:
- Legislation drafting
- Election management
- Volunteer oversight
- Risk management processes and analysis
- Profitability strategies
- Brand building
- Feedback processing
Government Resumes for Every Professional Level
A functional resume format, like the one shown above, is good for applicants with limited work experience. In this case, the applicant’s experience includes an internship, a volunteer position and a high school yearbook role. A functional resume keeps the focus on skills, while the limited work history goes into a short section at the bottom of the resume.
Build My Resume
This combination resume example works well for an applicant with more than a decade of work experience. A combination resume serves mid-career applicants best by putting the spotlight on work history and skills in equal measure.
Build My Resume
A chronological resume format focuses more on work history than on skills. The “Work History” section takes center stage, showing off the applicant’s impressive career trajectory. Skills are listed, as well, but take a step back in this format, which is perfect for senior- and executive-level applicants.
Build My ResumeMore government resume samples
Find resume examples for your desired government career. Get access to expert writing recommendations, do’s and don’ts and everything you need to write a perfect resume.
Resume Success Stories
Statistics and Facts About Government Jobs
Typical Job Titles
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators
- Political Scientists
- Chief Executives
- Librarians
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- Financial Analysts
- Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Office Clerks, General
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates
- Legislators
Source: O*NET
Median Annual Pay
| Chief Executives | $189600 |
|---|---|
| Political Scientists | $117570 |
| Financial Analysts | $85660 |
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $83370 |
| Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | $68860 |
| Legislators | $24670 |
| 050K100K150K200K |
Source: O*Net
Typical Education Level
- Security Guards: High school diploma
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators: Associate or bachelor’s degree
- Chief Executives: Bachelor’s or master’s degree
- Financial Analysts: Bachelor’s or master’s degree
- Political Scientists: Doctoral degree
Source: O*NET
Political Science and Government Degrees Awarded by Race and Ethnicity
| White | $24659 |
|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | $7068 |
| Black or African American | $3928 |
| Asian | $2262 |
| 010K20K30K |
Source: DataUSA
Political Science and Government Degrees Awarded by Gender, Race and Ethnicity
| White Male | $12711 |
|---|---|
| White Female | $9837 |
| Hispanic or Latino Male | $2885 |
| Hispanic or Latino Female | $3294 |
| Black or African American Male | $1592 |
| Black or African American Female | $2065 |
| 010K20K |
Source: DataUSA
Projected Job Growth from 2018 to 2028
| -50 | 0 | 50 |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | -2 decline | |
| Political Scientists | 4%-6% average | |
| Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | 4%-6% average | |
| Financial Analysts | 4%-6% average | |
| Security Guards | 4%-6% average | |
| Political Science Teachers, Post Secondary | 7%-10% faster than average |
Source: O*Net
Projected Number of Job Openings from 2018 to 2028
| Security Guards | $153800 |
|---|---|
| Financial Analysts | $30900 |
| Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | $30700 |
| Chief Executives | $16800 |
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $1900 |
| Political Scientists | $800 |
| 040K80K120K160K |
