Your work experience section is the single most important part of a federal resume. HR specialists spend the majority of their review time right here. They check your job titles, dates, hours, duties, and results against the job announcement point by point.

Get this section wrong and nothing else matters. Your education, certs, and awards will never get read. The HR specialist will mark you "not qualified" and move on to the next applicant.

I have been hired into six different federal career fields. Environmental Management, Supply, Logistics, Property Management, Engineering, and Contracting. Every single time, the work experience section is what got me referred. And every time I changed career fields, I had to rewrite that section from scratch to match the new announcement. This guide covers the exact format that works.

What Does a Federal Work Experience Block Look Like?

Every position on your federal resume needs a specific set of information. Miss any of it and the HR specialist flags it. Here is the exact format for each work experience entry.

After those header fields, you write your duties and accomplishments. These go in paragraph form or bullet points directly beneath the header block. This is where you prove you meet the qualifications listed in the job announcement.

For a deep dive on the hours field specifically, check out the federal resume hours per week format guide.

How Should You Format the Header of Each Position?

The header block sits at the top of each work experience entry. Every piece of data goes on its own line. Keep it clean and scannable.

Here is a template you can copy:

Do not get creative with this. HR specialists scan hundreds of resumes. They know where to look for each field. If your format does not match, they waste time hunting for info. That slows them down and can hurt your chances.

For military positions, your employer is the branch of service. For example: "United States Navy, Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, VA." Your supervisor is your most recent commanding officer or direct supervisor. Use their actual name and a real phone number when possible.

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How Do You Write Duties and Accomplishments That Get You Referred?

The duties section is where HR specialists check if you meet the "specialized experience" requirement from the job announcement. They read your duties and match them against the announcement line by line.

Start by pulling the key duties from the job announcement. Look at the "Duties" section and the "Specialized Experience" section. Those are your targets. Your resume needs to prove you did those same tasks or very similar ones.

Write your duties in short paragraphs or bullet points. Lead with the action. Include scope, scale, and results whenever possible.

Notice the difference. The second version gives the HR specialist exactly what they need. Numbers, systems, scope, and results. That is what gets you past the qualification review.

Pull keywords directly from the job announcement and use them in your duties. If the announcement says "program management," write about program management. If it says "budget formulation," use those exact words. The HR specialist is checking for specific terms.

What Does a Complete Military-to-Federal Work Experience Block Look Like?

Veterans make up a huge share of federal applicants. But many veterans format their military experience wrong on federal resumes. They either leave out required fields or write duties that are too military-heavy for an HR specialist to understand.

Here is a before and after showing how to convert military experience into the correct federal format.

The federal version includes every required header field. It also translates military terms into language any HR specialist can follow. "BCT" becomes "4,500-person organization." "PBUSE" gets dropped because GCSS-Army is the current system. "Class I through IX" becomes "end-to-end logistics support."

You do not need to remove all military terms. Keep the ones that are relevant to the job. If you are applying for a GS-2003 Supply Management Specialist position, terms like "property accountability" and "inventory control" are exactly what the HR specialist wants to see.

For more on translating military terms for federal applications, see our guide on translating military leadership for your resume.

How Do You Handle Multiple Positions at the Same Agency?

Many federal employees hold multiple positions within the same agency over time. Promotions, lateral moves, and reassignments are common. Each one needs its own work experience block.

Do not combine them into a single entry. The HR specialist needs to see the grade, dates, and duties for each position separately. This is how they verify you meet the time-in-grade requirement for the position you are applying to.

Here is how to structure it:

For example, if you were promoted from a GS-11 Management Analyst to a GS-12 Management Analyst at the same office, you list the GS-12 first with its dates and duties. Then list the GS-11 below it.

This structure also helps you show career progression. HR specialists notice when you have been promoted within the same organization. It signals strong performance. Understanding how category rating works in federal hiring will help you see why proving your progression matters.

How Do You List Acting Roles and Temporary Promotions?

Acting roles and temporary promotions are common in federal service. You might serve as an acting branch chief for six months while the position is vacant. Or you might receive a temporary promotion to a higher grade for a special project.

These count as legitimate experience. List them as separate entries.

For the job title, write it exactly as it appeared on your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action). If it was a temporary promotion, say so. For example: "Management Analyst (Temporary Promotion)" or "Acting Branch Chief."

Here is a real example:

Include the word "Detail" or "Temporary Promotion" in the title. This tells the HR specialist what type of action it was. They can verify it through your SF-50.

Acting roles are especially valuable when you are applying for positions at the grade you acted in. They prove you already performed the work at that level. Six months of acting experience at a GS-13 level can qualify you for a permanent GS-13 position.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes in Federal Work Experience Sections?

After reviewing thousands of federal applications from the hiring side, here are the mistakes I saw over and over. Any of these can get you marked "not qualified" even if you have the right experience.

• Missing hours per week: The HR specialist cannot calculate your qualifying time without it. Always include it. Even for military positions, write "Hours per week: 40" (or more if that was your actual schedule).
• Wrong date format: Federal resumes use MM/YYYY. Not "2019-2024." Not "Jan 2019." Write "01/2019 to 12/2024." Every time.
• No supervisor info: Some applicants skip this because they lost touch with old bosses. Do your best to find a real name and number. If you genuinely cannot locate them, write the position title and "Contact information unavailable."
• Combining multiple positions into one block: We covered this above. Every position gets its own entry with its own dates, grade, and duties. A GS-9 and GS-11 at the same office are two separate blocks.
• Duties too short: If you write two sentences about a position you held for four years, the HR specialist will assume you did not do much. Each position that supports your qualification should have 4 to 8 detailed duty statements.

Another common problem is writing duties that do not match the announcement. You might have amazing experience, but if it does not line up with what the job posting asks for, the HR specialist cannot credit it. Read the announcement first. Write your duties second. Match the language as closely as you can.

How Many Positions Should You Include?

Federal resumes follow a 2-page format now. That limits how many positions you can fit. Focus on the positions that are most relevant to the job you are applying for.

For the OPM 2-page federal resume format, you typically have room for 2 to 4 positions in the work experience section. That depends on how detailed your duties need to be.

Prioritize like this:

• Most recent position: Always include it. Even if the duties are not directly related, the HR specialist expects to see what you are doing now.
• Most relevant position: The position that most closely matches the job announcement. This might not be your most recent job. Give it the most space.
• Supporting positions: Other roles that show additional qualifying experience. Keep these shorter. Focus on the duties that directly relate to the announcement.

If you served 20 years in the military, you do not need to list every duty station and assignment. Pick the 2 or 3 that are most relevant. The HR specialist is checking qualifications, not reading your entire service record.

For a full breakdown of current requirements, see our USAJOBS federal resume requirements guide.

How Do You Tailor Work Experience for Each Job Announcement?

You cannot submit the same federal resume to every job. Each announcement has different specialized experience requirements. Your work experience section needs to match each one.

Here is how to tailor it:

Step 1: Read the "Specialized Experience" section of the announcement. This is usually under "Qualifications." It will say something like: "You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level that includes managing a supply chain program, analyzing logistics data, and developing standard operating procedures."

Step 2: Highlight every key phrase. Pull out the specific tasks, skills, and knowledge areas they list. In the example above, those are: "managing a supply chain program," "analyzing logistics data," and "developing standard operating procedures."

Step 3: Rewrite your duties to match. Look at your actual experience. Find where you did those same tasks. Then write your duties using the same language from the announcement. If they say "standard operating procedures," use that exact phrase. Do not write "SOPs" and assume the HR specialist will connect the dots.

Step 4: Add numbers. How large was the program? How much money? How many people? What percentage did you improve something? Numbers give the HR specialist proof. "Managed a $3.2M supply chain program serving 800 personnel" is stronger than "Managed a supply chain program."

This is why generic federal resumes do not work. A GS-0343 Management Analyst position has different specialized experience requirements than a GS-1102 Contract Specialist position. Even if you have experience that qualifies for both, you write the work experience section differently for each one.

If you are making the jump from the private sector or the military, our complete military resume guide covers the full transition process.

How Should Veterans Format Military Service in the Work Experience Section?

Military service goes in the work experience section just like any civilian job. But you need to translate it into the federal format. Here are the specific rules for veterans.

Employer name: Use your branch of service. "United States Army," "United States Navy," "United States Marine Corps," "United States Air Force," "United States Coast Guard," or "United States Space Force." Add the installation and location: "United States Navy, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL."

Job title: Use your actual title, but add a civilian translation in parentheses if it helps. For example: "Operations Specialist (Intelligence Analyst)" or "Hospital Corpsman (Emergency Medical Technician)." This helps HR specialists who may not know every military job title.

Pay grade and salary: List your military pay grade and approximate annual salary. Example: "E-7 ($52,000/year)." You can find your exact base pay on the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) pay tables.

Supervisor: Use your most recent direct supervisor for each position. Typically your division officer, platoon leader, or section chief. Include their rank, name, and a phone number. If you cannot locate them, list the command duty officer number for the unit.

For military training and schools, list those in the education section. Do not put military schools (like NCOES, OCS, or A-school) in the work experience section. They belong under education or training.

Splitting military service into multiple entries: If you held different roles during your service, split them into separate blocks. A 10-year enlistment where you went from E-3 to E-6 and held four different billets should be broken into 2 to 4 entries based on which roles are most relevant to the job announcement.

What Do HR Specialists Actually Look for When Reviewing Work Experience?

Understanding how HR specialists review your work experience can change the way you write it. The process is more systematic than most applicants realize.

HR specialists have a qualification checklist that comes from the job announcement. They go through each applicant and check whether the work experience block shows the required specialized experience at the right grade level for the right amount of time.

Here is what they check, in order:

• Time-in-grade: Did you serve at least 52 weeks at the next lower grade? If you are applying for a GS-12, they look for 52 weeks at GS-11. Your dates must clearly show this. If it is not obvious, you get screened out.
• Specialized experience: Do your written duties match what the announcement requires? The HR specialist is not guessing. They are comparing your text to a checklist. If the announcement says "experience developing training plans" and your resume says "created lesson plans for 40-person classes," that counts. If your resume does not mention training at all, it does not count.
• Recency: Is the experience recent? Experience from 15 years ago is less compelling than experience from the last 5 years. Put your most current and relevant positions first.
• Completeness: Are all the required header fields there? Missing hours per week, missing supervisor info, or missing dates can cause your application to be returned as incomplete.

The HR specialist is not reading your resume like a hiring manager reads a private sector resume. They are not looking for a "story" or a "narrative." They are checking boxes against a checklist. Write your work experience section so those boxes are easy to check.

This connects directly to how military rank translates to GS grades. If you know what grade your military experience qualifies you for, you can target the right positions from the start.

Build Your Federal Work Experience Section the Right Way

The work experience section makes or breaks your federal application. Every field matters. Every duty statement matters. And you need to rewrite it for each announcement you apply to.

Start with the header: job title, employer, dates in MM/YYYY, hours per week, salary, and supervisor. Then write duties that mirror the specialized experience requirements from the job announcement. Add numbers. Be specific.

If you are a veteran, translate your military terms but keep the ones the HR specialist will recognize. Split long service periods into separate entries. Give each position its own header block.

If you are applying to federal positions from a contractor or private sector background, the same rules apply. Every position needs the full header. Every duty needs to match the announcement.

BMR's Federal Resume Builder formats your work experience section with all the required fields automatically. Paste a job announcement and it pulls the keywords you need to match. No guessing about format, no missing fields, no wasted applications.