Wisconsin State Government has specific requirements for job applications. When applying for a state job, be sure to read the job posting fully. The job posting will clearly describe what qualifications should be addressed at the time of application. You should evaluate the qualifications required of the job in order to match them with your own experiences within your application materials.
Resume Do’s:
- Include contact information, including an email and a phone number
- Describe educational background, including coursework, especially as related to the job posting
- Describe employment history, including dates, experiences and/or duties, as well as accomplishments and skills
- Describe additional experience related to the Qualifications section of the job posting (e.g. volunteer work or internships, certifications, etc.)
- Review the job posting page for page limit requirements, if provided; resume should be 1-2 pages
Letter of Qualifications Do’s:
- Describe details regarding specific work, education, training, etc. as it relates to the job qualifications
- Provide specific examples that clearly describe your level of expertise and past responsibilities
- Provide clear descriptions of how past training and experience relate to the duties of the position – use the information in the job posting to make this connection in your letter of qualifications
- Provide highlights of your most relevant experience related to the Qualifications section of the job posting
- Review the job posting for page limite requirements, if provided; letter of qualifications should be 1-3 pages
Resume and Letter of Qualifications Don’ts:
- No statements such as “see resume” or a request for job experts to review your resume
- Don’t only include a list of reasons why you are interested in the position
- No demographic information such as race, color, religion, sex, creed, disability, etc.
- No self-identifying information such as your photo, social security number, political affiliation, citizen status, or conviction record
Additional Guidance:
A resume, or a summary of your work experience, is required at the time of application. A resume summarizes your job experience, work accomplishments, and educational background. In addition, a letter of qualifications may be required. If a letter of qualifications is required, it should be customized to thoroughly describe your education, training, and/or experience as it relates to the specific qualifications of the position for which you are applying. It should discuss the items listed in the Qualifications section of the job posting. You must provide sufficient detail (such as examples) to show your qualifications as a candidate. A letter of qualifications is meant to expand and complement your resume.
The resume and letter of qualifications are requested in the application process to allow job experts to evaluate your work experience and training in order to determine if you meet the required job qualifications. Together a resume and letter of qualifications provides a full picture of your qualifications as a candidate. Be sure that any acronyms and/or abbreviations you use are spelled out the first time they are used.
In your letter of qualifications it may be helpful to organize your document with a section for each qualification. You can just list the qualification, followed by your examples.
Example: You find a job you want to apply for and the “Qualifications” section includes minimally qualified applicants must have experience in customer service and policy writing. In your letter of qualifications you would list these details:
Experience in customer service:
- My experience in customer service is...
- Examples of tasks I have performed in customer service include...
Experience in policy writing:
- My experience in policy writing is...
- Examples of tasks I have performed in policy writing include...
If you don't have any experience related to one of the qualifications, you can simply skip it or say that you have no experience in that area. If you don't have an exact qualification, but you have something similar, consider mentioning it (e.g. I don't have experience using an inventory tracking database. However, in my job as a library assistant, I utilized a database to arrange for and track interlibrary loans.").
Attaching documents: If you are asked to attach a resume and/or a letter of qualifications to your application, your documents should be in Microsoft Word or PDF (preferred) format. For ease, please save your files with your first and last name and the document type, example: John Smith Resume.
Thank you for your interest in joining the State of Wisconsin.
Good luck with your job search!