Blog
Feb 17, 2022
Four Tips to Improving Your Proposal Resumes
by Kevin A. Switaj
The right key personnel can make or break a project. It makes sense the Government would require resumes for critical staff positions on their bids. In fact, a GAO protest resolved in December 2021 is among many that specifically target resumes and personnel as grounds for unfair evaluation. So, how can we make our key people stand out from the crowd? How can we get top marks on the personnel section of our proposals? And how can we protect our resumes from protest? Here are four basic tips to help move your resumes from “good” to “outstanding.”
Make Evaluation Easy
The first question evaluators need to address with a resume is “does the candidate meet the requirements outlined in the solicitation?” As proposal professionals, it is our job to make the evaluator’s job as easy as possible. When it comes to resumes, I highly advise a table up front that has two columns. The first breaks down each job requirement as a single row, and the second column includes highlights of the candidate’s experience that aligns to the requirement. The first sentence of the experience column should summarize the qualification. For example, if the requirement is “5 years of program management experience,” the corresponding experience should be “Mr. Jones has 8 years of experience managing programs similar in size and scope to this opportunity.” Then, provide two to three lines building on that experience. Later in the document, you can put the more traditional resume formatting of position, employer, dates of employment, and details of position that provides substantiation for what you say.
This leads to a critical point when it comes to resumes – do not lie. First, it is unethical. Second, it can lead to significantly larger complications. If you are found to make a material misrepresentation in your proposal, you can be excluded from selection or, if you have already been awarded the contract, have it canceled. In December 2021, GAO sustained a protest filed by Insight Technology Solutions in relation to the awarding of a contract to AP Ventures. In the solicitation, the project operations manager was required to have 5 years of experience managing projects. Insight claimed AP Ventures’ candidate did not have the experience required. To back up their claim, Insight cited the candidate’s own LinkedIn page. In the end, the inability of AP Ventures to back up the experience claim resulted in the sustained protest. Further, GAO recommended AP Ventures be excluded from the competition.
Reflect Their Words
When we write our proposals, we need to do so in the client’s language. This simple step makes our proposals easier to understand and shows a basic level of client intimacy. We need to extend this into our resumes as well. When referring to a candidate’s experience, mirror the language in the solicitation. Use their terminology for the work being performed. For example, if you are bidding on a service desk bid, make sure you refer to your team’s experience as service desk, not help desk or customer service. Whenever possible, use specific requirements from the statement of work (SOW) or performance work statement (PWS) when referring to specific bullets of experience. That level of resume customization will allow you to stand apart from the competition and allow the client to identify clear strengths in your personnel’s experience.
Focus on Relevant Work
When I was in graduate school, I spent a summer as the radio voice of the El Paso Diablos baseball team. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I have a great many stories that I still tell at happy hours years later. However, describing the on-field exploits of an independent league baseball team is not directly relevant to my role as a proposal professional. Therefore, as amazing as that job was, it does not feature prominently on my resume.
While this is an extreme example, it illustrates a point. When we only have a limited page count (the vast majority of solicitations limit resumes to two pages), spending valuable space on positions that do not directly relate to the requirements is a waste. Therefore, jobs with little or no relevance should only have a brief mention with no more than two lines for a brief overview. This allows you, and the client, to focus on the most relevant experience.
Use Metrics!
All too often, resumes speak in generalities. “Led a team of multiple individuals.” “Supported multiple software deployments.” “Oversaw operations and maintenance for a complex of buildings.” While these tell us something about the experience, they don’t go far enough.
Whenever possible, use specific numbers. Look at the workload requirement for the opportunity. Make sure your personnel have the right level of experience and highlight their numbers. Tell the maximum team numbers for management. Talk about major and minor deployments. Name the complex size. Again, the additional level of detail allows evaluators to quickly and easily appreciate the person’s qualifications and the value they bring to the contract.
Conclusion
Resumes are a critical component in our successful bids. They are the first step in creating a relationship between our people and the client. Therefore, we need to put our best foot forward in our proposal resumes and show exactly why our people make the difference. Using the tips outlined above, we can materially improve our resume presentation and make it easier for the client to see the value our people bring to the contract.