What is the SES or Senior Executive Service?

If you are a Senior Army Officer or Senior Executive, and want to work at the highest levels of the Federal Government, you may be a candidate for Senior Executive Service (SES) positions. The federal government is seeking visionary leaders and change agents to provide active direction and compelling change. Finding the right position and applying for it can be a daunting process and often there is only a short time to respond. Let our certified SES experts help you through this process to successfully apply for these high level positions.

Call us today at (800) 471-9201 or complete the easy Quick Quote for a free consultation to start your SES application process.


What do SES Applications Require?

SES applications generally require extensive materials consisting of four parts:

• Federal Resume
• Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ)
• Managerial and Technical Qualification Statements
• Cover Letter

Each requirement is discussed below. In order to make the best impression, we recommend we do all 4 parts for you - this way you will have a consistent, job-winning package that will present your qualifications in the best manner possible. Call us today at (800) 471-9201 for a free consultation to start your SES application process.

Federal Resume

The Federal Resume for Senior Executives contains more information than a civilian resume. It is in a specific format - as specified by the Federal Government. It needs to include the key words required for the job(s) you are applying for and for Senior Level positions, needs to convey the Senior Level experience that you have performed during your career, in the most powerful verbiage possible.

The resume needs to be complete, with information not typically found on a civilian resume - including social security numbers, full addresses of previous employers, supervisor names and phone numbers, and a detailed listing of education and training.

Army Resumes is expert at preparing dynamic SES Federal Resumes that highlight your Senior Level achievements. Call us today at (800) 471-9201 for a free consultation or fill out a Quick Quote form to start your SES application process.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ)

According to the Federal Government, "The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ's) define the competencies and characteristics needed to build a federal corporate culture that drives for results, serves customers, and builds successful teams and coalitions within and outside the organization. The Executive Core Qualifications are required for entry to the Senior Executive Service and are used by many departments and agencies in selection, performance management, and leadership development for management and executive positions."

Typically, the Federal Government requires 5 ECQ statements for SES positions:

• Leading Change
• Leading People
• Results Driven
• Business Acumen
• Building Coalitions/Communications

Each statement is 1 to 1-1/2 pages long. In these statement, you highlight your experience, through examples, of how you have addressed each of these factors. Army Resumes will work with you to prepare these statements. We will develop narratives that follow the Federal Government model for each factor, including:

• Challenge. Describe a specific problem or goal.
• Context. Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
• Action. Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
• Result. Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Managerial and Technical Qualification Statements

In addition to the ECQ's, many SES positions also require managerial and technical qualification statements. These statements, also 1 to 1-1/2 pages in length, are specific for the job you are applying for. They need to be answered using the challenge / context / action / result model noted above. Army Resumes will work with you to prepare these statements. Call us today at (800) 471-9201 or fill out a Quick Quote for a free consultation to start your SES application process.

Cover Letter

The final finishing touch of an SES application package is your Cover Letter. The Cover Letter will highlight how your experience matches the requirements of the position you are applying for. Army Resumes produces these executive-level cover letters, clearly stating your interest in the position.

Identifying Positions

We can work with you to identify positions. If you send us documentation on your background and your interests (including types of positions and job locations), we can help you with your search.

The Three Steps:

Step 1: The first step for us to prepare your SES package is for you to contact us at (800) 471-9201 or send a Quick Quote for a free consultation.

Step 2: An experienced Senior Federal Resume Writer will research and discuss the position(s) you have identified in the SES Branch.

Step 3: At this point, we will provide you with the cost for the package based on hours of project development. Additionally, you will be provided with a list of documentation required to develop your SES package.

Some of the documentation we review in our process includes:

If you were in the Military:

• Performance evaluations, including: EPRs, EERs, NCOERs, Fit Reps, OPRs, OERs
• DD-214 if available
• All Military training certificates
• All Military awards and commendations
• Smart Transcripts
• College Transcripts

Civilian Documentation:

• Any previously prepared resumes
• All transcripts
• All non-Military training certificates
• All non-Military awards
• Performance evaluations (if available - essential if you are already Civil Service)
• Job descriptions

Army Resumes can expertly prepare:

• SES Packages
• ECQs
• Federal Resumes
• Army Resumix
• Other Agency Resumix
• KSAs
• Other narrative statements
• On-line applications

We have expertly developed SES packages for many departments in the Federal Government, all over the United States and worldwide. We have specialists, with highly technical training for all occupations. We can produce a dynamic, job-winning, SES package for you.

(800) 471-9201 Toll Free
(478) 742-2442
(478) 742-2882 (fax)

Contact us today at 800-471-9201 for a free consultation.