Like many job seekers, you have probably received conflicting advice about preparing your resume. What is a reasonable length (number of pages)? Should you include a picture of yourself? What fonts and font sizes are acceptable? What is the correct file format and size for a resume? Until now, such details may not have resulted in an automatic rejection when applying for many jobs. However, back on September 27, 2025, the United States government implemented numerous new requirements mandated by executive orders that determine whether your resume will be accepted or rejected immediately when applying for a federal position. Before covering the resume requirements, first, we will explore how job seekers find and apply for positions with the federal government.
How does one find and apply for federal jobs?
Persons interested in federal jobs can find available positions through USAJOBS, an official website of the United States government. Applicants must create a USAJOBS profile on the website, search for jobs of interest, review the announcement to determine if they qualify, and then complete and submit an application. Note that some agencies (e.g., the FBI, CIA, and others) have their own agency-specific job sites and may list their openings on USAJOBS, but then redirect you to their own site to complete the application process.
The USAJOBS website is a valuable resource when seeking a position with the government. The site enables registered job seekers to:
- Apply for jobs in the federal government
- Save their favorite jobs and searches
- Upload their resumes and other required documents
- Make their resume searchable
- Utilize an online resume builder tool
What are the resume requirements?
The following is a brief overview of the resume requirements as per the government websites. This list may not be exhaustive, and requirements can change over time, so applicants must always check with USAJOBS to ensure they meet all current requirements.
- Page length. Resumes are now strictly limited to TWO pages maximum. Guidance to government agencies from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) states that if a “resume received by an applicant is longer than two pages, the applicant is ineligible for further consideration.” Applicants deemed ineligible will be advised in status notifications that read: "Your application is not being considered due to not meeting the resume page number requirement in the job announcement.”
- File size and format. Files must be 5MB or less. For file format, unless otherwise stated, USAJOBS recommends a PDF to maintain formatting and the correct number of pages. However, GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, ODT, or Word (DOC or DOCX) are also generally accepted. Note that PDF portfolio files that bundle multiple documents are not accepted.
- Contact information. Include your full name, email address, and phone number.
- Relevant work experience. For each employer listed, include the employer name, job title, start and end dates (month and year), and number of hours worked per week. If the previous job was with the federal government, include the series and grade.
- Education, certificates, or licenses that are required or relevant. Education information should include the name of the school/institution, completion date, degree type, and grade point average (GPA). If the position requires certifications or licenses, include the information in your resume. You may also be required to provide copies of transcripts, licenses, or certification documents.
- Optional details, when relevant, should be included, such as job-related training, language skills, organizations and affiliations, professional publications, current security clearance, or eligibility for special programs (e.g., military spouses, individuals with disabilities, etc.).
Again, be aware that these and other resume requirements can and do change over time due to revisions to policies or new executive orders, so always read everything carefully to ensure you fully comply.
Do NOT include these items in your resume
The USAJOBS website specifically states not to include the following in your resume:
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Photos of yourself
- Personal information, such as age, sex, religious affiliation, etc.
- Encrypted and digitally signed documents
- Classified or government sensitive information
Ramifications of the two-page limit for resumes
Space is at a premium! No fluff! Choose your words carefully and be concise, as every word and sentence used eats into the two-page limit. If something does not directly relate to or address a specific requirement for the desired position, it is probably best to omit it. I have always advised against unnecessarily lengthy resumes, and now, at least for federal jobs, job seekers will have no choice but to shorten them. I recently heard from an individual who intended to apply for a federal job but now faces the enormous task of trimming their current six-page resume down to two pages.
Another consequence of the two-page limit is that you will need to revise your resume for each federal position for which you apply. While I have always encouraged this, it will now become a necessity. Why? Since most job announcements each have differing duties and requirements, you must address them within those two pages, and a generic one-size-fits-all resume will no longer suffice. Unless a resume is tailored specifically to the position sought, it will almost certainly not satisfactorily demonstrate how you are a good fit and meet the requirements for the position.
Work experience considerations
With a strict two-page resume limit now enforced, applicants can no longer afford to write lengthy and wordy statements regarding work experience. Additionally, the OPM guidance document advises applicants to “Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement.”
In other words, for each work experience, do not simply provide the usual list of your duties and responsibilities. Instead, the work experience items you list must both directly tie back to the tasks stated in the job announcement and clearly demonstrate that you can perform them. Although you may have had many other duties in your current or past work experience, only those that align with the requirements in the job posting are, for the moment, the most important. Again, to be considered as qualified, you must prove through your work experience that you can perform the duties of the desired position.
By properly presenting your work experience as described above and providing all the other required information (education, contact, etc.), given the two-page resume limit, you may quickly begin to run out of space. To help address this problem, avoid including non-essential, outdated, or unrelated work experience information.
Are there exceptions to the two-page limit?
In addition to the required two-page resume, some government agencies may also permit you to provide a more detailed resume longer than two pages. If so, they will provide language in the job posting instructing applicants how to submit a longer resume using the “other documents” option. Therefore, you may want to maintain two versions of your resume, in case a second, more detailed one is also needed. Additionally, some federal jobs (e.g., healthcare, research, etc.) may require a curriculum vitae (CV) rather than a resume, and the agency may request that applicants submit these as “other documents.” Always read the job announcement carefully and follow all documentation submission requirements.
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave a comment and share your experience or thoughts!
Featured image courtesy of Lisa from Pexels.
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