KSA Writing

Applying for a Federal Government job is completely different than applying for any other type of job. When a Federal job opening is posted, they may require applicants to submit a narrative statement known as a KSA in addition to, or in lieu of, a traditional resume. KSA stands for knowledge, skills, and abilities, and should be written in a personal, yet professional demeanor to convey your particular knowledge, skills and abilities to the person(s) who receive your application. There are four basic steps to creating the perfect KSA:

Step One: Review Job Opening

Read the KSA announcement carefully. Be sure to pay attention to any details, although vacancy announcements are usually very generalized. Make sure that you understand the listing before you begin writing your response; otherwise you will not be able to provide the proper information to the employer.

Step Two: Brainstorming

This is the part where you come up with your abilities that relate to the listing. Writing an effective KSA response requires that you relate ANY and ALL experience that you have in relation to the position you seek. This experience can be actual work experience, knowledge acquired, or skills that you learned through non-work related activities and encounters. Don't limit yourself to your work history here; as long as it's relevant, the experience doesn't have to be work related. For example, if the KSA announcement calls for management skills, it doesn't matter if you worked as a manager previously or if you simply were in charge of your youth group at church. Both experiences are relevant and should be listed.

Step Three: Break it Down

Now that you have a list of all of your abilities, you need to analyze them and reflect on how they are/were used in your job(s). The types of questions you should ask yourself include: use of job skills, supervision (if any), affect of your work on other people, difficulty of your job, rules or guidelines you follow, and so on. In answering these questions, you simply need to focus on who, what, where, when, why, and how of these elements to come up with the answers you need. These answers will eventually become your very own KSA.

Step Four: Writing the KSA

When you finally write your KSA, you need to be very clear and direct in your statements. You need to demonstrate, in your writing, how the skills, abilities, and knowledge you have relate to the vacancy announcement. Don't assume that the person reading your KSA will be able to make the connections; instead, make the connection for them. In KSA review, your response will be based on content, not style, so as long as you are getting your point across, it doesn't matter what style you write in. KSA responses are generally limited to 2/3 of a page; longer responses won't impress anyone. Avoid complicated sentences and technical jargon. If someone cannot understand what you're saying, they probably won't hire you, no matter how qualified you may be.

Writing a KSA response can seem complicated and overwhelming. Especially since you need to create a new KSA for every job you apply to. As long as you take your time and follow these steps, you should have no trouble producing a reputable KSA response.

If you're new to the Federal employment process, you're probably clueless as to what a KSA is. This article will help you wioth your confusion and provide information you need to know about KSA's.

KSA's Defined:

Technically speaking, KSA stands for Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. KSA's are statements of your personal education, job skills, and acquired abilities. The ones that make you right for the job. Most Federal government agencies and departments require KSA's in addition to a Federal Resume.

KSA's Requirements:

KSA's have standard requirements, just like any other job resume or application. Generally, a KSA should be no longer than 2/3 of a page in length. Additionally, it should state your information clearly and confidently. Do not beat around the bush or waste time with complicated sentences. The hiring commitee doesn't have the time to read through an over-written narrative, be detailed but also get to the point.

KSA's Purpose:

The purpose of KSA's is to give employers a clear picture of your knowledge , skills and abilities so they can determne the most qualified candiate. The KSA information is much more detailed than what you would find on a typical resume. They don't want to see where you worked and went to school, or how long you were there. KSA's are designed to tell them what capabilities you possess that make you the right person for the job they are offering.

Tips to Write Great KSA's

There are many different ways to go about Writing a KSA, but here are some tips that will guarantee good results when it comes to KSA's:

1. Be clear and concise in your writing Focus on keywords related to the job you're applying for.

2. Give details of all your skills and education that are relevant to the job, no matter how big or small.

3. If you have any uncertainty about writing your KSA's , hire a professional to write them for you.

4. KSA's are job-specific; therefore you will need a different one for each job you apply for.

Here are a few guidelines to help you write effective Ksa's:

1. Write your KSA's in the first person. The KSA is an essay and it is your story. It is what you did and what occcured as a result.

2. Follow the required format. The format that is used is the challenge, conflict, action, and result format.

3. Highlight your Accomplishments with in the structure of the KSA.

4. Definitions:

Knowledge: Factual information you've received that pertains to the position.

Skills: What you have learned to do (by training ... education ... experiecnce etc.)such as skill in managing people, expertise in negotiation or practical knowledge in software applications.

Abilities: are the natural talents that you've always had...the intuitive things you can do THAT APPLY TO THE POSITION!

4. Your KSA's should be detailed; You must include real examples of how you have demonstrated your knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Other items essential to KSA Writing are:

Training...Education...Awards or Achievements...Volunteer Work and any other information that applies to the questions or requirements of the position.

Well I hope that helps you out!

There is a group I've found that does a great job at helping federal government applicants with KSA Writing .

For some expert insight click on this link ( or just paste into your browser) http://www.federal-resume.org/ksa-ksawriting.aspx

Do I need to include my education in my KSA?  Most government agencies ask specific questions and they all must be answered if you want the job. Education is commonly one of the questions.   You'll need to provide the name of the school, all the courses you took, and any degrees you earned, as well as any extracurricular activities you took part in.    What if a question doesn't seem relevant to the position or to me?   Don’t skip the Question! You never want to do that. It makes you look wishy-washy like you are avoiding the question.  Answer the questuion to the best of your ability. (this is why mahy people seek out professional Resume and KSA writers) Keep a positive angle on your writing, the person reviewing the KSA statement will get it.  

Most people don't know the difference between a KSA and an ECQ in the Federal job application process. KSA statements are required when applying for most federal jobs. Used in conjunction with your Federal resume they allow the hiring manager to evaluate your knowledge, skills and abilities for the job you are applying for. Generally three, four or five KSA statements will accompany a job vacancy announcement. The statements may be of a general or of a specific nature, and a good KSA statement answer will point to specific examples of situations in the applicant's professional past when he or she performed in a manner that would lend credibility to their ability to perform the job applied for.

ECQs are for Senior Executive Service and accompany the SES resume for senior level government service, that which is management level but just below that which requires a Presidential appointment. According to the Federal government, the Executive Core Qualifications "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 Qualificationsare 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." Each of the five standard questions and answers will be one to one-and-a-half pages long, and will allow the applicant to highlight experience attained through use of examples.

Like other parts of the Federal application process, the use of a professional Federal resume writer will greatly increase your chances of success.