Intelligence Community Résumé Writing

Intelligence CommunityRésumé Writing

IC Familiarization Series

Great Plains National Security Education Consortium

August, 2012

This briefing is UNCLASSIFIED

AudiencePurposeTheme

SubstanceStyle

Perfection

Audience

Job Fair

Human Resources Hiring Manager

Computer

Purpose

Survive computer filterGrab attention for follow up

Snag an interview

The Hiring Manager

• Put yourself in her position:– Very busy – lots of urgent and important substantive

demands (they are evaluated on substance; less on admin)

– Hiring is important, but not urgent Résumés stack up in a big pile

– Most résumés / applications start looking the same - painful

• Even a busy manager will read an engaging résumé / application– Long résumés OK – if good– It solves her problem – gets an interview scheduled– Managers often “satisfice” – not optimize

Theme

• Essentially, your objective statement• Why is this so important?

– There are lots of jobs – which office should they send it to?– What are you passionate about?– Are your desires commensurate with your skills?

• Your objective statement should demonstrate your understanding of the agency and job

• Your FEAR: That you will limit your options– If you are focused, they may pass on you– If you are unfocused, they probably will pass on you– Hedge with multiple options – if your résumé supports them

• Be clever

“Complete undergraduate education at Creighton University and then to advance either to graduate school to receive further education or, if offered employment within the intelligence community, begin working after completing undergrad as an analyst.”

“Obtain a position in the Intelligence Community that will provide a foundation of knowledge, training and necessary skill sets for a career in Intelligence.”

Needs Help

“Obtain an intelligence position that can benefit from my education, professional and research experience”

Getting Better

“Seeking a position that will incorporate my legal and financial analytical skills, as well as my foreign language ability in order to help provide safety and security to our nation.”

“Obtain a career as a Counterterrorism Analyst within the Department of Homeland Security.”

“Obtain an intelligence analyst position working on issues related to East Asia, particularly China.”

“Obtain a position within the Intelligence Community using my corporate experience and diverse life experiences in support of field operations domestically and internationally.”

Real Examples from IC

• Don’t tell the IC your objective is: “To attend law school” “Formulate policy” “Lead sales teams” “A post in the State Department” A position with a Fortune 500 company…” A position with the “National Security

Administration”

Substance

• Supports the objective statement with data• Show, don’t tell– Don’t say “I’m a leader”; prove it with examples

• Demonstrate:– Passion– Ambition– Intellectual capability– Achievement

• Never brag, spin, or embellish– Adjectives, particularly superlatives, are your

enemy• Honesty – It goes without saying, but it must be said

– Focus– Experience– Character– Skills

Demonstrate:

• You understand the job• You have the skills• You are a team player• You are a leader• You have initiative• You are curious and have diverse interests • Do not demonstrate overt political bias– but political affiliation is OK

Find examples of these factors in your life and get them on the résumé. If you don’t have any, go get

them.

Highlight:

• Any case studies done• Research experience and skills• Quantitative skills– Modeling and simulation– Statistics and regression– Applied math

• Ability to organize, manipulate, and mine large amounts of data

Find examples of these factors in your life and get them on the résumé. If you don’t have any, go get

them.

“A summer spent in a non-mission relevant job is a wasted opportunity. There is always some other kid who did an unpaid internship in DC.”

Organization Depends on the Job

Operations• Objective• Education• Languages• Travel• Leadership &

Service• Experience• Research• Awards

Support• Objective• Education• Experience• Leadership &

Service• Travel• Languages• Research• Awards

Analysis• Objective• Education• Research• Languages• Travel• Leadership &

Service• Experience• Awards

But organize in whatever way makes sense

The Numbers Game

Thousands ofApplications

~ 120 Applications to Hiring Manager

~ 10 Interviews

3 Conditional Offersof Employment

1 Hire

HR whittles down to reasonable number

Thousands ofApplications

~ 120 Applications to Hiring Manager

~ 10 Interviews

3 Conditional Offersof Employment

1 Hire

Process Audience

Computer

HRProfessional

Technical Hiring Manager

Technical Hiring Manager

Purpose

Survive Filter

Get routed to Relevant office

SnagInterview

SuccessfulInterview

Substance

Agency/JobKey Words

Office-SpecificInterests and Skills

EducationSkills

ExperienceCharacter

Be yourself

Theme

N/A

Objective

Résumé supports objective

I will fit in

HR whittles down to reasonable number

Style

• Bullets v. narrative• Formatting• Font and typeface choices• Passive v. active voice• Don’t:– Use Word templates – Use pictures– Display your sense of humor

Style – email address

• Your email makes an immediate impression on the reader

• Make your name at least part of your email address

• More examples from IC: alwaysderelict@... sigmaman@... realandpoetic@... bootylicious@... electronball@... ajdsssoccerman@... skywalker753… dancingchick86@... cereberus346@... crazyclown112000@...

Length and Style

• Job Fair– One page and bullets

• Hiring Manager– ≤ 3 pages – Narrative and bullets

• Application Validation (e.g., USAJobs)– Any length– Either narrative or bullets or both

Perfection

• The document must be perfect– Your reviewers write perfect documents for a living– They edit menus and The New Yorker for sport

• Spelling, grammar, formatting– One error – survivable (except grammar – major

doubts)– Two – serious doubts– Three – forgetaboutit

• Read it backwards• Read it out loud• Have someone else – who’s good – read it

Random Notes

• This should take a long time – several hours• Ask of every word: Is this word necessary? Is

there a better word? Am I sure I know what this word actually means?

• Never say “References by Request” • Dare to write well; differently– Paint an engaging picture of yourself without

being cute or dorky– Be the Apple of the IC