What are the key metrics to include in a federal job application resume?

1 Metrics vs. Duties

One of the most common mistakes that applicants make is to list their duties and responsibilities instead of their accomplishments and results. Duties describe what you did, while metrics show how well you did it. Metrics are quantifiable indicators of your performance, such as numbers, percentages, ratings, awards, or recognition. They demonstrate your impact, value, and contribution to your previous or current employers. For example, instead of saying "Managed a team of 10 staff", you could say "Led a team of 10 staff to achieve a 95% customer satisfaction rate and a 20% increase in sales".

2 Types of Metrics

Highlighting your skills and abilities in a federal resume can be done using a variety of metrics. Time metrics measure how fast, efficient, or productive you were in completing a task, project, or goal. Money metrics measure how much you saved, earned, or generated for your organization. Quality metrics measure how accurate, reliable, or consistent you were in delivering a service, product, or outcome. Scope metrics measure how large, complex, or diverse the scope of your work was. Lastly, feedback metrics measure how well you received or gave feedback from or to your customers, clients, colleagues, managers, or stakeholders. For example, reducing the processing time of applications by 50% through implementing a new system; securing a $1 million grant for a research project; maintaining a 99% accuracy rate in data entry and analysis; coordinating the logistics and communication for a national conference with over 500 participants; and receiving a 5-star rating from 90% of the clients served.

4 How to Use Metrics

To use metrics effectively in your federal job application resume, you need to employ some best practices. Utilize the STAR method to structure your bullet points in a Situation, Task, Action, and Result format. This will provide context, detail, and evidence for your metrics. Additionally, action verbs should be used to emphasize your skills and abilities. You should also incorporate keywords that match the requirements and qualifications of the job announcement. Lastly, numbers are the most effective way to quantify your metrics and show your impact - they make your resume more concrete and credible. For example, instead of saying "Handled a large volume of calls", you could say "Handled an average of 100 calls per day".

5 Examples of Metrics

To provide some inspiration, here are examples of metrics for various federal job categories. Administrative personnel can organize and maintain files and records for over 200 employees, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and policies. Budget staff can prepare and analyze budget reports for a $5 million program, identifying and resolving discrepancies and errors. Communication experts can create and deliver presentations to various audiences, such as senior officials, media, and public, resulting in increased awareness and engagement. Customer service representatives can provide courteous and professional service to over 500 customers per week, resolving issues and complaints, and achieving a 98% satisfaction rate. Engineering professionals can design and test innovative solutions for complex engineering problems, using advanced software and tools, and improving efficiency and quality by 25%. Human resources personnel can recruit, train, and evaluate over 100 staff, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and standards, and enhancing performance and retention by 15%. Information technology personnel can develop and implement a new website for the agency, using the latest technologies and best practices, and increasing traffic and usability by 50%. Legal experts can conduct research and analysis on legal issues and cases, using various sources and methods, producing clear and concise reports and recommendations. Management personnel can supervise and mentor a team of 20 staff, setting goals, providing feedback, facilitating collaboration; achieving a 90% employee satisfaction rate as well as a 10% productivity increase. Research professionals can conduct original research on a relevant topic using rigorous methods of data collection to contribute to the advancement of knowledge or policy.