WRITING

COMPETENCY

NARRATIVES

QUOTE FROM LES BROWN“Life takes on meaning

when you become motivated, set goals, and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.”

-Les brown

OBJECTIVES

Write an effective resume

Write Technical Competencies

QUOTE FROM AUDREY HEPBURN

“Opportunities don’t often come along. So, when they

do, you have to grab them.”

-Audrey Hepburn

BEFORE STARTING YOUR RESUME Know what you are applying for

Research the positionReview the Business Unit website

Review the Vacancy announcementDescription of Duties and Qualifications

Position descriptionKnowledge, Skills, AbilitiesTechnical Competencies

PREPARE YOUR RESUME Consider a Cover Letter Include your position title, series/grade,

start and end dates of each position held State your qualifications and experience Be clear and concise when stating your

technical expertise Relevant to the position you are applying

for

RESUME Qualifications Duties/Experience Technical Expertise Specialized Experience Responsibilities Powerful words – (accomplished,

managed, developed, led, organized, resolved, coordinated)

USE CAUTION

Don’t be vague Don’t be fancy Don’t repeat yourself Don’t use useless words or phrases Don’t include scanned copies of

experience or certificates with your application

MAKE MATERIALS EASY TO READ Include all relevant information in

the narrative Proof read to ensure there are no

typographical or grammatical errors Use paragraphs to separate items Narratives should be neat and clean Use common words and expressions

instead of bureaucratic language Avoid acronyms (unless you spell them out

in the narrative)

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES Narratives should include

examples of your experiences Demonstrate the quality and

effectiveness of your performance/leadership

CAR Model (Challenge, Action, Result)

SAMPLE NARRATIVE - ORIGINALI have excellent inventory skills. As a tax technician, I researched IDRS and AIMS to monitor my weekly and monthly listings which resulted in minimal overage correspondence and high cycle time cases and eliminated the possibility for any barred statutes within my inventory.

SAMPLE NARRATIVE - REVISED Our team’s inventory consisted of 58%

overage correspondence. My manager asked me to share my inventory management efficiencies with my peers as the correspondence overage in my inventory has been less than 25% for two years. I developed job aids and prepared a training session specific to sharing my processes. After my presentation, the team’s overall age was reduced from 58% to 8% in less than 2 months, contributing to the Operation achieving our 11% aged goal.

“HAVE I DONE THE BEST I CAN DO?” Will the hiring manager understand

what I do? Did I omit any unique or relevant skills

that would distinguish me from others? Have I adequately described my

background and skills for the job I am applying for?

Have I described accomplishments in a clear and concise manner?

Have I related my experience to the technical competencies?

“READY, SET, GO”

Ask a mentor to review and provide feedback

Value and make good use of the feedback receivedMake changes as appropriateAsk for additional reviews once you make changes

Once you’re satisfied - submit your application

Tips: Narratives demonstrate the quality and

effectiveness of your performance/leadership through specific accomplishments with clear outcomes

Avoid a “laundry list” of activities without context, actions, impact or accomplishments

GET STARTED!“It is never too late

to be what you might have been.”

- George Eliot

HELPFUL LINKSCover letter tips: http://www.jobs.irs.gov/downloads/CoverLetterTips.pdf

Resume tips: http://www.jobs.irs.gov/downloads/ResumeTips.pdf

IRS Competency Database: http://hco.web.irs.gov/apps/competency/ PowerPoint on resume presentation:http://hco.web.irs.gov/apps/CCRC/documents/ResumeMarch2010.ppt

Position Description (PD) Database Search:http://hco.web.irs.gov/posclass/positiondesc/

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

DID WE MEET OUR OBJECTIVES?

Write an effective resume

Write Technical Competencies

THE END