You spent years producing intelligence products that shaped operations. Threat assessments, target packages, collection plans, finished intelligence reports that went to commanders and policymakers. Now you need to explain that experience on a federal resume for the GS-0132 Intelligence Series, and the stakes feel different when the audience is an HR specialist instead of a battalion commander.

The 0132 series covers intelligence work across nearly every federal agency that has a mission requiring analysis, collection management, or counterintelligence. DIA, CIA, NSA, NGA, the service intelligence agencies, combatant command J2 shops, and even agencies you might not expect like DHS and DOE all hire under this series. The work ranges from all-source analysis to HUMINT operations to SIGINT collection management.

The challenge for veterans is specific: your military intel experience maps directly to these positions, but the way you describe it on paper has to change. Classified details stay classified. Acronyms that every S2 shop understands mean nothing to the civilian HR specialist doing the initial qualification review. And writing a federal resume for an intel position requires a specific balance between being detailed enough to qualify and being vague enough to stay unclassified.

This guide covers OPM qualification requirements, how to translate your military intel experience, the keywords that matter, and the mistakes I see most often when reviewing intel resumes through BMR.

What Does the GS-0132 Intelligence Series Actually Cover?

The 0132 series is OPM's classification for positions that involve planning, managing, or performing intelligence activities. That definition is intentionally broad. It covers analysts who produce finished intelligence, collection managers who task sensors and sources, counterintelligence officers, and intelligence operations specialists who coordinate the intelligence cycle from start to finish.

Within the federal government, 0132 positions exist at dozens of agencies. The big names are obvious: DIA hires hundreds of all-source analysts, NSA brings on SIGINT analysts, NGA needs GEOINT specialists, and CIA recruits across every intelligence discipline. But the 0132 series also covers positions at FBI field intelligence groups, DHS I&A, DOE NNSA intelligence offices, and Treasury's Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

GS grade levels for 0132 positions typically start at GS-7 for entry-level analysts and go up to GS-15 for senior analysts and branch chiefs. Most veterans with 4+ years of military intel experience will qualify at GS-9 or GS-11, depending on their rank, education, and the complexity of their assignments. Senior NCOs and field-grade officers with 10+ years often qualify at GS-12 or GS-13.

What Are the OPM Qualification Requirements?

OPM qualification standards for the 0132 series follow the general schedule qualification policies with some specifics worth knowing. You can qualify through education, experience, or a combination of both.

For GS-7, you need one year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level or a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement (3.0+ GPA or top third of class). For GS-9, you need one year at GS-7 or a master's degree. For GS-11 and above, it's one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade. There is no education substitution above GS-11 for this series.

The key phrase is "specialized experience." For the 0132 series, OPM defines this as experience performing intelligence activities such as research, analysis, collection, production, or dissemination of intelligence information. Your military intel experience counts, but your resume needs to spell out exactly what you did in civilian terms. "Conducted IPB" doesn't count as specialized experience unless you explain what that means: analyzed terrain, weather, and threat capabilities to assess enemy courses of action and support operational planning.

Security clearances matter here more than in almost any other federal series. Most 0132 positions require TS/SCI, and many require additional polygraph examinations. If you already hold a clearance from your military service, say so clearly on your resume. An active TS/SCI is a significant qualification that hiring managers notice immediately.

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— Bradley, E-8, Army

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How Does Military Intel Experience Translate to 0132 Positions?

Military intelligence occupations across all branches map directly to the 0132 series. The translation is more straightforward than most military-to-federal conversions, but you still need to get the language right.

Army 35-series MOSs are the most common pipeline. A 35F (All-Source Intelligence Analyst) translates directly to all-source analysis positions. A 35M (HUMINT Collector) maps to HUMINT operations and source management roles. A 35G (Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst) fits NGA and service GEOINT positions. A 35N (Signals Intelligence Analyst) aligns with NSA and service SIGINT billets.

Navy Intelligence Specialists (IS) perform all-source analysis similar to 35F duties. Air Force 1N-series AFSCs cover the same disciplines: 1N0 (All-Source), 1N1 (Geospatial), 1N2 (Signals Intelligence), 1N4 (Fusion Analyst). Marine Corps 02XX MOSs cover intelligence operations and analysis. Coast Guard Intelligence Specialists perform maritime threat analysis and port security intelligence.

When translating your experience, focus on the intelligence cycle steps you performed. Did you collect raw information? Analyze and fuse multi-source data? Produce written intelligence products? Brief commanders or senior officials? Manage collection assets or requirements? Each of these maps to specific 0132 duty descriptions that HR specialists look for when determining if you meet specialized experience requirements.

What Keywords Should Your 0132 Resume Include?

Federal HR specialists reviewing your resume for GS-0132 positions are looking for specific terminology that matches the job announcement. Missing these keywords means your resume won't demonstrate specialized experience, even if you actually did the work. After helping 15,000+ veterans build federal resumes through BMR, the pattern is clear: intel veterans who translate their military terminology into federal language get referred at much higher rates.

Pull keywords directly from the USAJOBS announcement. Every 0132 posting lists duties and specialized experience requirements. Your resume should mirror that language. If the announcement says "conducts all-source intelligence analysis," your resume should say "conducted all-source intelligence analysis" — not "performed IPB" or "did intel work." The HR specialist doing the initial review may not know what IPB stands for, and they are checking your resume against the qualification standard word by word.

List your intelligence tools and systems by name. DCGS-A, Palantir, Analyst's Notebook, Google Earth Pro, ArcGIS, TAC, CIDNE — whatever you used. Federal intel positions value specific tool proficiency, and these keywords help your resume get past the initial screening. If you held certifications like the Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC) or completed courses at the National Intelligence University, include those as well.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes on 0132 Resumes?

When I reviewed resumes for federal positions, the intel resumes had a unique problem that other occupational series didn't face: veterans being so vague about their duties that it was impossible to determine what they actually did. The instinct to protect classified information is correct, but too many veterans take it so far that their resume reads like a redacted document.

You can describe the type of analysis you did, the disciplines you worked with, the frequency and audience of your briefings, the number of products you produced, and the size of the organization you supported — all without revealing classified specifics. The second example above contains zero classified information but tells the HR specialist exactly what the applicant did.

The second common mistake is failing to quantify your work. How many intelligence products did you produce per week? How many analysts did you supervise? How many collection requirements did you manage? How many pages were your assessments? Federal resumes need these numbers. "Produced intelligence reports" is weak. "Produced 8-12 finished intelligence products per month, including daily intelligence summaries, weekly threat assessments, and quarterly strategic estimates" gives the reviewer something concrete.

A third mistake: listing your MOS and assuming the reviewer knows what it means. Your resume needs to translate. "35F All-Source Intelligence Analyst" should be followed by a description of what that actually involved. Don't assume the HR specialist has a military background. Many do, but you can't count on it.

Finally, some veterans forget to address the federal resume length requirement. Keep it to two pages. Pack those two pages with specific, quantified accomplishments rather than spreading generic descriptions across extra pages.

How Should You Handle Security Clearance on Your Resume?

For 0132 positions, your security clearance is one of your strongest qualifications. An active TS/SCI clearance saves the government the time and cost of a new investigation, which can take 12-18 months. State it clearly at the top of your resume.

Include the clearance level (TS/SCI), the investigating agency (typically DCSA, formerly NBIB/OPM), and whether your investigation is current. If you have completed a CI or full-scope polygraph, include that as well. Many 0132 positions at NSA, CIA, and DIA require polygraph examinations, and having already completed one is a real advantage.

One thing to be careful about: do not list specific program names, SCI compartments, or codewords on your resume. Stating "TS/SCI with CI Polygraph" is appropriate. Listing specific SCI compartments is not. When in doubt, check with your security manager or the agency's security office before including compartmented access details on an unclassified document.

If your clearance has lapsed, say so honestly. Write "TS/SCI (inactive, eligible for reinstatement)" rather than claiming an active clearance you don't hold. Many agencies will sponsor a reinstatement investigation, which is faster and less expensive than a new one. Your military service record and clean background are still valuable even if the clearance itself needs renewal.

How Can BMR Help You Build a 0132 Resume?

Building a federal resume for intelligence positions is a specific skill. You need to translate classified work into unclassified language, hit the right keywords for USA Staffing, and format everything to federal standards — all within two pages. That's a lot to get right on your own.

BMR's Federal Resume Builder handles the military-to-federal translation automatically. Paste the USAJOBS announcement, and it pulls the keywords, matches them against your experience, and formats your resume to federal standards. The free tier includes two tailored federal resumes, so you can target two different 0132 announcements without paying anything.

The intel community is one of the best career paths for veterans with the right background. Your military experience, your clearance, and your understanding of the intelligence cycle give you a real edge over civilian applicants. Get the resume right, and the rest of the process — the interview, the polygraph, the onboarding — plays to your strengths.

Related: Military rank to GS level conversion chart and federal resume length 2026: the new 2-page limit.

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