USAJOBS resume checklist: free, printable
A 12-item tick-box checklist for the two-page federal resume limit. Print this page and go through it once for every application, before you upload.
How to print it
The checklist is free. The list below can be printed from this page: use your browser's Print command (Ctrl+P on Windows and Linux, Cmd+P on Mac). To keep a copy, choose "Save as PDF" in the print dialog. The same checklist is also a free download: Free checklist files (Markdown and printable HTML) on Gumroad, $0.
The navigation, this box and the link to the paid pack are left out of the printout.
The checklist
Length
- The exported PDF is two pages or fewer, and I chose that resume in my USAJOBS profile.
Contact information
- My name, email address and phone number are on the resume.
Each relevant job
- Job title and employer.
- Series and grade, if it was a federal position (for example GS-0343-11).
- Start and end dates with month and year (for example 05/2019 – 08/2022).
- Hours worked per week (for example "40 hours per week").
- The descriptions use the announcement's wording where it is true, and address every required qualification.
- The descriptions show the required level: scope, independence, who I advised, size of budget or workload.
When relevant or required
- Education: school or institution, completion date, degree type and cumulative GPA. Transcripts are attached if the announcement requires them.
- Certifications and licenses: type and date, plus any documentation the announcement asks for.
- Optional details: current security clearance, job-related training, language skills, organizations and affiliations, professional publications, eligibility for special programs.
Cut to fit
- The most relevant and recent experience comes first, the language is concise and focused on results, and outdated or unrelated experience is removed.
Source: the 12 items restate U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Workforce Policy and Innovation, "Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit", https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/ (one-page PDF, accessed 2026-10-02). The examples (GS-0343-11, "40 hours per week"), counting pages in the exported PDF and using the announcement's wording only where it is true are our additions. Rules can change, and each job announcement controls its own application: read both before you apply.
Every resume line and questionnaire answer is part of a federal application and must be truthful.