Translating Your Experience: Post-Government Resume Writing and Interviewing Language

By Stefania Fieramosca, FBI AIA Member

The key when transitioning from a federal government resume to a civilian resume is to focus on translating your detailed government job duties and accomplishments into concise, action-oriented statements that highlight your relevant skills, achievements, and impact. You need to use common industry terminology, and shorten the resume length to fit a standard 1-2 page civilian resume format while still emphasizing key qualifications for the desired civilian role. You also need to be comfortable speaking the same language as the potential employer throughout the hiring process.

It sounds a lot more difficult than it actually is – I promise.

Ultimately, these tips will help you translate and prepare so you can help employers easily visualize your potential, as well as the impact you can have on their organization.

Your time in government has likely equipped you with a variety of valuable skills like leadership, project management, strategic thinking, and problem-solving — all of which are highly relevant to the private sector.

While the environment may differ, the core competencies are transferable, and your unique experience can set you apart.

Before starting to revise your resume, compare a handful of job descriptions for roles you are interested in to identify commonalities and priorities. This will familiarize you with industry terms, which you can then use to create your resume and prepare talking points as well as your "elevator pitch." Don't just recite your job history; instead, base your resume on the skills and experience you bring to the table, using the priorities and language that are relevant to the industry and familiar to the reader.

These are a few ideas on how you can frame your government experience to appeal to private sector employers:

1. Identify Transferrable Skills: Identify and highlight transferable skills like project management, communication, data analysis, and leadership, while rephrasing your experience using industry-specific language and focusing on results and impact. 

   
   

   Some commonly transferable skills are:

   • Project management

   • Regulatory compliance

   • Data analysis

   • Communication skills

   • Problem-solving

   • Leadership

   • Teamwork

   • Critical thinking

   • Adaptability

   • Innovation

   • Conflict resolution

   • Stakeholder engagement

     
     

2. Reframe Your Accomplishments: Reframe accomplishments to focus on measurable results like cost savings, efficiency improvements, and process optimization, using private sector terminology and metrics.

   
   

   Instead of detailing the process, show how your work had measurable impacts:

   • Efficiency improvements: If you helped streamline processes or cut costs, highlight those successes.

   • Innovation: Demonstrating your ability to innovate, even within the constraints of government regulations, can show your potential in the private sector.

   • Managing risk: Many government positions require navigating risk. Translate that into how you’ve managed projects or handled crises in the private sector.

   
   

3. Highlight Soft Skills: Soft skills can play a pivotal role in demonstrating your ability to adapt and thrive in a different environment. By framing your soft skills with concrete examples and measurable outcomes, you can effectively show private sector employers how your government experience has prepared you for success in their environment.

   
   

   Focus on:

   • Your adaptability: The private sector often requires employees to navigate change quickly, adapt to shifting market conditions, and handle dynamic work environments.

   • Clear and effective communication skills: Your ability to communicate complex information to diverse audiences is crucial.

   • Problem-solving skills: Your ability to identify problems, think critically, and implement solutions quickly, especially in high-pressure situations.

   • Collaboration skills: Collaboration across departments and with external partners is often key to success while teamwork can drive innovation and help accomplish goals more efficiently.

   • Leadership skills: Your ability to motivate teams, manage conflicts, and drive results.

   • Decision making skills: Your ability to make informed decisions quickly and under pressure, which can lead to improved operational efficiency and performance.

   • Creativity and Innovation: Your ability to think outside of the box and bring fresh ideas is highly valued in many private-sector roles, especially in industries focused on growth and transformation.

   
   

4. Use Industry-Specific Language: When writing your resume or discussing your experience in interviews, use terminology and metrics that are common in the private sector.

   
   

   Do your research! GenAI is your friend! Type the government-ese phrase into the tool and ask for a private sector equivalent. That is not cheating – it's being creative. Look at open positions similar to what you are interviewing for and use that terminology.

   
   

5. Provide Tangible Results: In the private sector, employers are generally very results-driven, looking for individuals who can deliver measurable outcomes that positively impact the company's bottom line, efficiency, or growth.

   
   

   By highlighting results, you demonstrate accountability and that you can deliver on promises:

   • Your resume needs to include quantifiable results, like increasing revenue, improving efficiency, reducing costs, or boosting customer satisfaction. These show that you don't just do your job — you have a measurable impact. Private sector companies are focused on profitability, growth, and efficiency. By including measurable results, you show that you understand business objectives and know how to achieve them.  

   • Numbers are the most effective way to quantify results but even if you’re unable to provide a specific number, frame the impact positively, such as “Improved team collaboration,” “Boosted client retention,” or “Enhanced operational efficiency.”

   
   

6. Education and Certifications: If you have any government-specific certifications, such as security clearances or public administration qualifications, see if there are equivalent certifications in the private sector (e.g., project management certifications like PMP). Pursuing additional certifications relevant to the industry you are entering (e.g., in business, finance, or tech) can help bridge the gap.

What are some tips that you have? Has any of this advice worked for you, and how? Comment below!