Writing the New 2-Page Federal Resume

On February 25, 2026, Pivot with Purpose hosted a conversation with Kathryn Troutman (author of Federal Resume Guidebook, 8th Ed. and president of Resume Place, Inc.) who introduced session attendees to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) new 2-Page Federal Resume format. Laura Sheehan (Georgetown SFS) moderated this event.

This new OPM guidance will be required for all future applications submitted via USAJOBS or directly to the federal agency in question. All older 5- and 10-page resumes will be disqualified; therefore, it is crucial for applicants to condense their experience to just 2 pages!

For Troutman, it all boils down to one question: “How many hats do you wear at work?” According to her model, answering this question should guide us as we revamp our federal resumes.

Your ability to provide a clear answer will help you you to write a clear, keyword-specific job description, citing 3-5 accomplishments, and using AI as a sounding board to fine-tune your language to that it is tailored specifically for the role. 

During her presentation, Troutman also addressed whether it is best to put our professional or academic experience first, where certifications should be listed, and how to best list our technical skills, among other questions.

Whether you have enjoyed a long-term career within (or in parallel to) the federal government, or you are a first-time job-seeker, the guidance remains the same: Boil-down your experience, use the proper format, and ensure that the language in your resume is tailored to the position and agency in question.

There is no doubt that we all have the skills and background knowledge needed to thrive in these roles. Now, we have the properly-formatted resumes to back it up!

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