Career Resources

Deep Dive—Begin your job search by identifying employers that are a close match for your interests, skill set, needs, and education—SPL’s list of career sites and of employers (that is, those that have employed SPL alums) below can get you started.

Focus First—Because there are hundreds of fields, agencies, companies, and locations for national and international security employment, if you are not clear on what you are looking for, you could get swallowed by a black hole of open job announcements. When listing what you’re looking for, consider not just your skill set and education, but what inspires you, what employment trends there are, and where SPL students are being successful. By doing this, you can focus your search to a few types of careers. Also consider the work environment, location, and conditions you are looking for—Do you want to move to Washington, DC? Will you consider overseas posts? Are you looking for flexible work hours?

Rational Research—The number of national security, counterterrorism, and development career sites out there can be overwhelming. This webpage will help you cut to the chase, but it’s by no means comprehensive. We list USAJobs.gov—a primary site you should bookmark—as well as individual department, agency, company, and organization career pages. But don’t forget to search via job and career fairs; online at LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook; and via the College of Law or Maxwell School career sites.

Network Knowledge—Keep building your circle of teachers, friends, colleagues, and SPL alumni who can help you with career ideas and places and people to contact. If you haven’t done so already, create a LinkedIn page that is a reflection of your resume and begin forming connections.

Résumé Review—Your résumé should be a “living document” that is tailored for each job you are applying to. LinkedIn is a good place to record the basics of your career path, but you must customize your resume each time you apply for a job—scan an application for keywords and competencies that you can highlight in your résumé.

Critical Keywords—These days, your résumé’s keywords MUST match the language used in the job description in order to get you past first-level screeners (which can be “bots” in some cases). In the first round, many employers will award your résumé points based on keyword matching, but points also can be awarded by noting military service, disabled status, school service, and volunteer work related to the job.

Tailor Made—Although you should keep a general record of your career and education somewhere (we suggest on LinkedIn), don’t submit a one-size-fits-all standard resume to a wide variety of positions. Tailor each resume to a specific job description.

Custom Fit—Your custom résumé should mirror language used to describe the position. Carefully review the position description, focusing on the “duties,” “qualifications,” and “requirements” sections and include keywords and key phrases in your tailored résumé.

Clear Focus—It’s better to spend time and space emphasizing and re-emphasizing areas where your experience or education overlaps with the duties and qualifications listed in the announcement than merely listing every place you have worked.

Numbers Game—Numbers impress, especially when they “show” leadership and change agency (rather than your résumé “telling” these qualities). Percentages, numbers, and data can describe the specific impact you had in a particular job (“under my leadership, social media engagement increased 200%.”) Highlight money saved, time saved, and processes expedited. Be sure your statements are accurate and can be backed up.

Details, Details—Provide as much detail as possible, but be concise. Wordy or irrelevant information will only confuse the reader. When tailoring your resume, delete education or experiences that do not relate to the position.

In Context—Do not assume the reader is familiar with organizations you have worked for. Provide context when appropriate, but omit unnecessary details: the quality of the information is more important than the quantity.

KSA—Some jobs also may require you to submit a Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities document, or KSA, which usually includes an essay. To get the most points on these essays, you should provide specific anecdotes that show how you successfully demonstrated certain skills in past jobs.

Go Beyond—Include skills and achievements that go beyond your work experience and education. Think about activities that might also qualify you for a job, such as volunteer experiences, unique projects, awards, certificates, and subjects mastered.

Know the System—Some organizations use online application systems and may require an online résumé in addition to a paper or PDF version. If you have any questions about what documents to send, contact the agency’s human resources representative for clarification.

Check Please!—Don’t forget to edit and proofread your résumé. Better yet, get a friend or a colleague to do it for you, so that fresh eyes see your work.

Also …

• Use short declarative sentences, avoiding the first person (e.g., begin descriptive sentences with a verb: “Demonstrated legal skill …”).
• Use bullet points rather than long paragraphs.
• Simple formatting is best—common typefaces, clear headings, normal margins.
• Use specifics whenever possible—numbers, actual tasks, project titles.
• Be careful of AREs (Acronym Rich Environments)—don’t assume your audience will know what an acronym means; spell them out in full and describe them whenever appropriate.

Setting Up—Before searching on USAjobs.gov, set up your account, which you will need when applying for a job. If you wish, you can begin to store tailored résumés within your account (but be careful about treating these as “generic” résumés—every job you apply for might require a customized résumé).

And/Or—USAjobs.gov uses a keyword search. It’s important to combine and refine keywords for the type of job you are looking for, so that you avoid scrolling through hundreds of jobs. You do not have to use Boolean search terms on this site (and/or/not); rather, string keywords together, as in this example: Intelligence Law Legal Counsel Attorney. For internships, add the keywords intern internship pathways. The advanced search function can help you refine your search by excluding certain keywords, as in a Boolean search.

Location, Location—Before searching, decide where you are willing to be located. USAjobs.gov includes a location search to further refine results.

Getting Closer—Other search refinements can be made on the USAjobs.gov search page, including refining by salary, GS grade level, and department/agency.

Job Alert!—A useful feature, you can save a well-refined search string and set up a RSS feed to give you alerts when a suitable position is posted.

Paper Chase—Job applications might require that other documents be uploaded—such as a college transcript, DD‐214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), or KSA essay (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)—or that additional forms be completed, such as biographical data pages or assessment questionnaires.