The excerpts below are examples of some great KSAs that landed each of the four different candidates on the “best qualified” list referred to the selecting official. Feel free to use these as a guide as you develop your own great KSAs. Or if you need help or advice, you can contact me though my contact form.

Application of specialized knowledge of laws, procedures, practices, relevant to managing and executing programs in an operational environment

…Served eight and one half years in the US Army and was honorably discharged at the rank of SSG/E-6. During my service, I was stationed in Korea and was selected and trained as a Korean Linguist. I was responsible for leading teams of soldiers to secret high ground communications outposts and in charge of monitoring, interpreting, and reporting South Korean communications and intelligence activity. The work our team conducted was highly classified and was an essential component to intelligence gathering and served as an important element in effectively ensuring the security of the United States and its allied forces. Upon my return to the United States from my tour of duty in Korea I was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. I was assigned the responsibility of establishing a language maintenance program for the returning linguists which enabled and assisted them in maintaining their proficiency of the Korean language and the various dialects.

I was also responsible for document control on all classified material at our company, the 335 ASA Company. This assignment required highly specialized knowledge of not only the Korean language, but also an extensive knowledge of all the applicable international laws regarding such, and an in-depth understanding of reporting top secret military intelligence through appropriate mechanisms and established protocols.
I am also a retired Police Lieutenant with twenty years of investigative experience. For more than half of my career in law enforcement I served as a Sergeant and Lieutenant. I participated in numerous management training sessions during my tenure including a four week Police Management Program held at Babson Business College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. I have had extensive training in constitutional law and civil liability. I have evaluated and trained police officers on proper police procedures and served as Criminal Investigative Supervisory Lead in notable homicide investigations, robberies, and other high profile investigations. I was also responsible for the management of two Sergeants and twenty patrolmen within my command. I ensured and monitored on-going training both in the classroom and on-the-job and ensured strict adherence to all applicable Federal, State, and Municipal Laws…

Ability to communicate orally and in writing to provide advice and guidance to co-workers and other employees and to coordinate work initiatives with external customers

…A skilled and experienced professional in the presentation complex technical and organizational information, I am also well versed in media relations and facilitating group meetings. I have presented to diverse groups and audiences in community forums, formal and informal training sessions, and executive level meetings. Most of my expertise lies in the presentation of complex analytical and abstract reports. I am adept and well versed in composing a variety of documents, letters, memoranda, reports, and documentation to provide guidance and direction on technical issues, business rules and practices, human resource and confidentiality issues, and other varied business circumstances.

I was personally requested by the owner of a large vacation/resort management company, to conduct and present an operational analysis of the Sales and Marketing departments of the company. I assumed the lead position and worked closely with the Internal Auditor and corporate CPA to collect data and analyze operational workflow, data validity, reporting methods, training standards, and current system and manual processes. Upon completion of the analysis, I presented a lengthy oral presentation and substantive written summary of our recommendations to the owner and executive staff, which ultimately resulted in the development and implementation of multiple new management information systems.

I have planned and coordinated work initiatives with internal employees and external vendors. One specific example was a large and complex equipment relocation of a remote telemarking office. The move encompassed the reconfiguration of more than 200 personal computers, telephony equipment, T1 lines, and two multiplatform predictive dialing systems. The entire project was completed ahead of schedule without any interruption in service and had no effect on regular business operations…

Ability to handle pressure and stress in a dynamic and changing environment

…I have successfully worked under strict timelines in management, development, and implementation throughout my career as an IT professional. I have produced some of my best work operating under enormous pressure. I am a highly organized individual and have successfully managed numerous complex projects requiring the intricate management of both people and timelines and received praise for my demonstrated proficiency in the mastery of new complex information and human relations. I have effectively implemented numerous projects ahead of schedule, and free from error.

Some detailed examples of unexpected or stressful situations would include system glitches and failures, which require rapid and proficient interpretation and evaluation. Often, these processes are large in complexity and dimension. As a regular part of my job, I was required to reverse-engineer processes, both functional and non-functional, quickly and effectively to ensure continuous and smooth business operations. One notable example was a complete systems failure inadvertently discovered by the Vice President of the company. He was missing data from one of his morning reports and was requesting IT assistance via the corporate intercom system. I was in the office and quickly began investigating the failure, discovered the issue and attempted to initiate the process manually, however, that proved unsuccessful. I had less than 30 minutes to reverse-engineer and through process-of-elimination, determine and correct the problem. I was successful and had the department up and running a few minutes before operations’ were to commence…

Please briefly provide an example of your customer service skills

…An example of my professionalism and commitment to customer service was one particular woman who had made her way through a very busy checkpoint only to find out that she had prohibited liquids exceeding both the maximum allowable size and carry-on quantities. She was already frustrated as she was running late for her flight. I explained to her the necessity for conducting a bag search and that it appeared that she did have numerous prohibited liquids inside her bag. She ranted for a bit about how ridiculous this policy was and that she paid a lot of money for her items. I took it upon myself to calm her down and re-explained the policy and showed her what she needed to do with her items when she travels. I listened to her concerns and helped her pack her smaller non-prohibited liquids into a small quart size plastic bag that was permissible for carry-on. As we worked together to correct the problem, she explained that her exasperation with the checkpoint and being late was of her own doing. After we conversed and worked together to separate her items, I escorted her to the exit with all her property and the bag she decided to check with the airline. In the end, she was calm and apologetic and thanked me for my patience and professionalism in handling her concerns and complaints.

Situations like this are a daily occurrence at the checkpoint and can become frustrating if we as officers lose our patience and compassion for our passengers. I pride myself on being professional and courteous no matter how many times I am required to explain procedures. I am also attuned to the circumstances surrounding each situation and handle each situation according to the needs of the particular individual. I meet people where they are, and strive to help them develop a better understanding of our mission at TSA and our concern for not only their safety but for the safety of everyone who travels…

These are just a few examples of how to write great KSAs if you are seeking a career in the federal service. Writing is a skill that you too can develop over time. This site is a great place to get some advice about writing and to help you develop your own unique writing style. I can also help you prepare your KSAs and give you some advice on how to get not only on the “best qualified” list, but I can also help you with what happens during the interview process. See my contact page if you would like some help with writing your Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities statements for Federal employment. In my book I offer 4 Free KSA Samples , click the banner below

Every great resume is a marketing tool for the person it represents. It should be appropriate and specific to your unique situation. Not a tool ineffectively designed to follow the usual rules and tips we so often read and hear about though employment grapevines and experts. Not a historical outline or accounting of jobs we have held in the past and the various tasks associated with such.

A great resume is an advertisement. It says, “If you buy this product, then you’ll be the recipient of all these amazing benefits”. A great resume highlights the scope and depth of your experience and it communicates a strong persuasive reason to the potential employer to covet your services. Great resumes also pave the way to engaging and memorable interviews. A well-designed and creatively crafted resume will prompt the interviewer to hone in on the specific areas most relevant to the position and will allow you to focus on those particular areas during the interview. Once you adopt a more forward thinking, sales oriented way of portraying your experience; you can begin crafting your great resume.

The presentation, layout, and language you use to communicate your value through your resume are particularly important

There are two things you can be sure the hiring manager will do upon reviewing your resume. First, he/she will start at the top and work their way down, and they will read from left to right. Second, the first impression you create will have the greatest impact on their opinion of you and this will be the perception used to filter all the rest of the information contained in your resume. The old adage “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” is so true. So why not grab their attention before they ever begin to read.

In my opinion, to create a great resume, it’s critical to concentrate on your layout and the language and verbiage used within it to entice the reader to continue reading. As I have suggested previously in my post “Resumes, moving from Fair to Flair” one of the most successful resumes I have ever developed was presented in a “Newsletter” style and format. I have used this particular resume since my mid-twenties and have received feedback from many hiring professionals that the layout was indeed so intriguing and unusual they were immediately prompted to place it in the stack that made the first cut without too much evaluation on content. To me, that speaks volumes for designing a resume that is atypical and non-conforming.

As you begin to layout your resume, keep in mind what I stated earlier. You can be guaranteed that the hiring manager will do two things read from top to bottom, left to right, and immediately have a first impression of you.

You will want to ensure they know who you are by developing a unique header, with all the typical information associated with who you are; your name and contact information including your address, phone number(s), e-mail address. It’s not necessary to associate individual labels with address, phone, and e-mail information as these can be inferred. Be sure to use the same heading on your references page, cover letter and thank you letter or on any other correspondence you may send. This way, you develop a consistent brand or image to the hiring manager, and this also accommodates quick and ready access to your contact information depending on which document the hiring manager may be currently assessing.

Next you’ll want to focus on the particular section headings you will use throughout your resume. Section headings include your employment information, education, community activities, volunteerism, etc. Section headings are important as they enable the reviewer to quickly perceive and determine the relevance and importance of the information from their perspective. Remember, hiring managers are inundated with resumes to review and evaluate. The last thing they want to do is read a lot. Again, try to envision your resume from their point of view.

Thinking about your section headings and the length and layout of your resume with help you with developing the language you use to sell yourself throughout your resume. Evaluate your past employment and the hard and soft skills your have developed throughout your career and life. Many candidates underestimate and thusly understate the value of experiences garnered both personally and professionally by not spending quality time thinking about past experience and future goals.

Ask yourself these questions as you evaluate your experience:

• What was the purpose of this particular function/job/task/project?
• What was the relevance of the function/job/task/project?
• Was there a particular benefit or achievement realized during or at the conclusion of the function/job/task/project?

You can apply these questions to your career; education, community involvement projects, hobbies, and volunteerism activities to advertise your unique qualities and sell yourself as the candidate most likely get the interview! Remember, a great resume is an advertisement. It says, “If you buy this product, then you’ll be the recipient of all these amazing benefits.”

Through your writing you share your experience and understanding; your acquired knowledge; you also persuade people in the selling of your ideas; you influence and sway people to follow your lead. That is, if your desire is to be a leader rather than a follower. You will accomplish these things through a variety of different media-letters, faxes, email, reports, newsletters, meeting minutes, memoranda, sticky notes and the list goes on.

Persuasive, powerful, writing is a craft and as with any craft, there is a process that enables you to learn it, develop it, and lastly, master it.

There are six steps in the development of persuasive writing and developing your writing style. They are:

Preparation
Planning
Drafting
Reviewing
Rewriting
Polishing

Preparation and planning sound similar but there are subtle differences between the two. Preparation is about how we prepare our minds and organize our thoughts and approach in the engagement of our reader in the presentation of our topic. Planning effectively deals with how we prepare the actual material and organize our information for presentation.

If you are like most people, you are likely short of time. Which means you will need to write quickly as well as clearly, concisely, accurately, and in a manner that engages and holds the very short attention span of your reader(s). Think about it, how many times have you been bombarded with information or reading that required your attention, how did you read it? Word for word? Almost certainly not, most likely you skimmed the writing gleaning the most critical and important information. Often, depending on what we are reading, all we do is look at a title to determine if something is worthy of our time. Therefore the time we spend in preparation is crucial to capturing our readers’ undivided attention.

This is true no matter what we are writing. Blog writing, creative writing, persuasive writing, resume writing, KSA Writing, Business writing, etc., all require us to prepare and organize our thoughts on conveying our message in the most meaningful and captivating way.

The amount of time you spend on a project will depend on three things, the importance of the communication, the complexity and extent of the material, and the time you have available to complete the writing. Once you have determined the amount of time you have available the entire six step process should look like this:

Preparation – 10%
Planning – 30%
Drafting – 20%
Reviewing – 10%
Rewriting – 20%
Polishing – 10%

The same process in terms of an hour writing project would look like this:

Preparation – 6 minutes
Planning – 18 minutes
Drafting – 12 minutes
Reviewing – 6 minutes
Rewriting – 12 minutes
Polishing – 6 minutes

Notice, you spend 40% of your time in planning and preparation, and 60% of your time getting your words on the page the way you want your reader to see them. Notice you only spend 20% of your time actually working with a blank page. The drafting phase is short because we have spent the correct amount of time in the preparation and planning stages to accommodate a quick draft getting your thoughts onto the page with the maximum amount of fluidity and minimizing the interruption in the process because of optimal planning and preparation.

As stated previously, persuasive, powerful writing is a craft and as you write and develop your craft, this process becomes second nature enabling you to become a more productive, successful and competent writer.

If you are considering a career in the Federal Government keep in mind, one of, if not the most critical component to getting your foot in the door, is writing your Knowledge, Skills, and Ability statements. Have no doubt; writing great KSAs is an exercise in writing, one that can be dauntingly laborious and arduous if you go at it with the wrong mindset. I like to think of writing great KSAs as an opportunity to sell you better than anyone else could ever do! Who knows more about you than YOU!

When it comes right down to it, KSAs are really just essays about you, nothing more. Your particular KSAs will be a collection of half-page to full-page, focused narratives, or essays, you include in your application package that highlight your particular knowledge, skills, and abilities on the selection criterion or factors desired within the vacancy announcement.

Great KSAs give specific examples of your paid and non-paid work experience, education, training, awards, and other honors you may have had. One area I see many people fail to focus on is their volunteerism. I have seen clients who haven’t worked for several years turn experience and training with their local PTAs into valuable, highly desirable experience. I’ve known women who while staying at home with their families, develop highly desirable skills through their devotion to their children’s education by volunteering at their schools PTA, participating in local and county level PTA activities, and by volunteering in their community churches and hospitals helping people who are sick, dying or incapacitated.

So be creative and resourceful as you ponder your own non-paid experience. My own son volunteers on a regular basis as part of his high school graduation requirements. He will be able to use those valuable and diverse experiences he is gaining throughout High School on his first resume as compelling relevant experience.

Remember, as you write your KSAs they are specifically written to support each area of knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the vacancy announcement. Generally there are four to six KSAs required for each application. Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the vacancy and unlike your resume, they are written in the first person. (I.E. I did this or that…)

Another point to remember is that first-level Human Resource professionals grade or “rate” your KSAs. They use a ranking system for each KSA statement. Your statements can range from superior to not acceptable, or may even be assigned a numerical score. There is no real rule of thumb as the rating systems vary from one job to the next. You will not know which of the KSAs you submit will be the ones the hiring managers consider to be the most important, that’s why you want to ensure that your have put your best foot forward in every KSA you write.

So, now you are ready to write your KSAs for the job you’ve just found in which you know YOU are the perfect candidate. You start thinking about your background and suddenly you say to yourself, what they heck is the delineation between my knowledge, skills, and abilities?

To help you understand, here is how the government defines each of these terms:

• Knowledge: An organized body of information, usually of a factual or procedural nature, which, if applied, makes adequate performance on the job possible.
• Skills: The proficient manual, verbal, or mental manipulation of data, people, or things. Observable, quantifiable and measurable.
• Abilities: The power to perform an activity at the present time. Implied is a lack of discernable barriers, either physical or mental, to performing the activity.

By these definitions, grammar and spelling are areas of knowledge. Bodies of information the applicant needs to perform a job, such as writing, editing, or proofreading. Typing is a skill. Measurable and quantifiable in terms of words typed per minute. On the other side in qualified terms, being able to maintain your composure in tense or stressful situations is ability. Here you are talking about a person’s ability to manage stress and do his/her job well while under pressure.

Now you know what KSAs are and how the government defines each of the terms. Here are seven rules you should always follow, every time you write a KSA.

1. Give at least one or two good examples per KSA and remember don’t speak in generalities. Present very specific details about what you did and the results you achieved.
2. Use different examples in each of your KSAs. Try not to repeat examples unless you can use the same example to highlight a different aspect of your experience.
3. Fill each KSA with solid information. Do not pad your KSAs with superfluous words and phrases
4. Write in the first person. Remember, you are talking about yourself and write in complete, well-structured sentences. Draw material for your KSAs from all aspects of your life and remember to consider volunteerism and other unpaid experiences.
5. Don’t use Acronyms. Spell everything out. The government loves to use Acronyms but doesn’t necessarily understand your particular acronym acumen.
6. Quantify your results. Again, you don’t want to speak in general terms, if you saved your company money by implementing a policy, procedure, a new way of doing something, state how much. Be specific. Don’t say I type fast when you can type 85 words per minute. Say so!
7. Proofread, proofread, and proofread some more. No matter how many times spell checker tells you your document is free of spelling errors, proofread your KSAs. I have found typos and incorrect word usage in so many of the KSAs I have proofread. Be careful and ensure you have no errors by having someone else take a look at your finished product.

Remember, anything worth doing is worth doing well. If you are seeking federal employment and desire a job that is both rewarding and worthwhile, spend the time writing your KSAs, they are going to be the determining factor in whether you make it to the all important “best qualified” list that gets sent to the hiring official..

It seems like now-a-days, even in school; kids aren’t as proficient as they should be on the subject of writing and grammar. I know from personal experience with my son. We too, often don’t remember many of the basic rules we were taught in school. In this age of technology, it is easy to rely on the spelling and grammar checking functions of our favorite word processing program to correct our spelling and punctuation errors. I am keen on the use of technology and all the exciting possibilities that exist since its emergence. However, I think we owe it to ourselves to understand the fundamentals and keep our minds engaged in the process rather than relying on technology to remember the rules for us.

One of the best ways to preserve your fundamental writing skills and to develop essential new expertise is by writing everyday. You will be hard pressed to find a professional writer who doesn’t write everyday. That’s not just because they do it for enjoyment or profit, but because they know the only way to continually improve is to practice. They sharpen their skills practicing and perfecting their craft. The old saying “practice makes perfect” is apropos, but I like to say “practice makes permanent” since nothing is really ever perfect.

Another way to sharpen your writing skills is to read. Read a lot. Absorb how great writers compose their words and dramatically construct their sentences and paragraphs, tying everything together with vivid descriptions and details. Reading will not only help you with your writing, it will also build upon your proverbial lingua franca. I derive great pleasure in learning new words and reading enables me to do just that. If I don’t know what something means, I look it up. The broader your knowledge of language becomes the more vibrant and alive your writing will be. And, as a complementary benefit, you will also develop a more expressive and verbally persuasive communicative style.

Lastly, embracing the process is fundamental to good writing. A step that is frequently skipped is the time you take to plan, outline, and organize your thoughts. Writing is rewriting. It is understood that seldom, if ever, will there be a time when you create a masterpiece on your first attempt. It is a work in progress and will require modification and fine-tuning. It is rare that a first draft is a finished high-quality product. Even great inspiration will likely require revision and refinement.

Here are just a few simple, easy to follow rules you can begin applying to your writing today. There are many, many more. These are a just a few of the common rules I frequently see broken.

• Use concrete, rather than vague language:
  Vague: The weather was of a merciless nature on the east coast.
  Concrete: New Jersey was bitterly cold last week.
• Use active voice whenever possible:
  Passive: A home run was hit.
  Active: John hit a home run.
• Avoid overusing common words like it, is, there is, there are, it was, that:
  Example: There is a case of tuberculosis that was reported in the newspaper.
  Good: A case of tuberculosis was reported in the newspaper.
  Better: The newspaper reported a case of tuberculosis.

  Example: It is important to signal before making a left turn.
  Good: Signaling before making a left turn is important.
  Good: Signaling before a left turn is important.
  Active: You should signal before making a left turn.
  (Again, use active voice whenever possible)

• Don’t use two negatives to make a positive unless you want to confuse your reader:
  Example: He is not unwilling to help.
  Correct: He is willing to help.
• Avoid the dangling modifier (A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept):
  Example: While jogging in a rainstorm, the lightening stuck her.
  Correct: While jogging in a rainstorm, she was stuck by lightening.
  Or: She was stuck by lightening while jogging in a rainstorm.

Once you master the basics, you can begin changing the rules and developing a style all your own. Who knows, you may discover you have a hidden talent comparable to the likes of Mark Twain, Stephen King, Jonathan Swift, Robert Frost, Spinoza, Thomas Paine, Jane Austen or any one of your personal favorites.

For those of you who read my very long, first post about the history of what inspired me to start the-write-biz.com, I thought I would go ahead and layout some ideas you can use to nurture and develop your style of writing.

When you write, it is very different than when you speak. Oral communication is much more comfortable and easy because there are so many other attributes to speaking that help you to expressively communicate. We use body language and gestures, without even realizing it, which enables the listener to interpret and comprehend what we are communicating with depth, feeling and clarity. But with the written word, it is just that; written, no additional vibrancy or animation, gestures, vocal intonation or inflection and no body language. These are all rudiments in the art of oral communication and we all stand out at different levels. But even the most basic communications are enhanced by the characteristics we all possess when we speak.

We all talk, and we talk a lot, about 16,000 words per day. Needless to say we are pretty good at talking. Compare that to writing. When was the last time you wrote 16,000 words? Never…that’s what most would say, so, since we are all proficient talkers, we too can develop and grow to become capable writers with some creativity, practice and persistence.

One of my favorite ways to write is to write about something I love, which is one of the reasons I started the-write-biz.com. I love to write. What are you passionate about? What do you love? What are you an expert at? Think about this as every person in the whole wide world has something they enjoy or love or have a gift or talent for. When you discover what you are passionate about, start writing. Don’t worry about what it sounds like or what it looks like on paper. Just get your thoughts transcribed out of your mind and onto the paper.

One of the most important tools I used years ago to develop my writing was in a job I had as an administrative assistant. I worked for a man that was a very gifted speaker. As part of my job, I transcribed from a Dictaphone his letters, memorandums, correspondence and speeches. It was an invaluable tool for both him and me. He would speak into his recorder which allowed him to fluidly convey his thoughts and ideas directly and succinctly. I would transcribe and he would edit and re-edit until it was written exactly the way he intended it.

“The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. You can always do it better, find the exact word, the apt phrase, the leaping simile.” — Robert Cormier

That quote by Robert Cormier is altogether relevant and germane to any style of writing you set your mind to composing.

So whatever your reason is for wanting to become a more seasoned writer, use tools that will help you. Practice writing down interesting observations you make throughout your daily life. There are infinite topics to read and write about. Find something that interests you and start writing. Keep a journal or diary. Invest in a thesaurus. Speak to people you admire who are gifted writers and speakers. Read. Read something interesting and challenging everyday to develop your skill. Make it a practice to learn one new word and use it throughout the day. Your brain is a muscle, the more you use it the better it’s going to serve you in whatever you desire to achieve.

This post was submitted to the Home Based Business Group Writing Project