Make your CV speak public service

You can win a government job, but not with the same CV you send for corporate roles.

Many candidates assume that private sector achievements will translate automatically. They do not. I know this from having worked in private, not for profit and public sector roles. Employers across those sectors look for different capabilities and different kinds of evidence.

Here are the practical differences that matter when you rework your CV.

Read the job as a map

A government position description is a checklist as well as an advert. It names accountabilities, governance requirements and the behaviours expected of the role.

Start by mapping your CV to those items. If the ad asks for stakeholder management, governance experience and written policy input, those are the areas you should be ready to demonstrate.

Translate commercial outcomes into public value

Private sector CVs often highlight revenue, market share and efficiency gains. Those are valid, but the public service frames value differently.

Recast your achievements to show service improvement, compliance, risk reduction, stewardship of resources and impact on communities.

For example, rather than simply saying you grew sales, show how that work improved access to services, strengthened partnerships or reduced operational risk.

Evidence beats adjectives

Government selectors want concrete behavioural evidence.

Replace vague phrases such as "strong communicator" with short illustrations that explain the situation, your action and the outcome.

Use plain language, include context and, where possible, quantitative or qualitative indicators.

If you cannot share numbers because they are confidential, describe the scale, complexity or nature of the outcome instead.

Language and tone

Avoid marketing hyperbole and internal jargon.

Use clear, role-focused language such as accountabilities, compliance, governance, consultation and policy input.

Show an awareness of public sector constraints. A line that signals you have worked with procurement rules or regulatory frameworks will matter more than a generic claim of "stakeholder leadership."

Structure for selection

It helps to have a public sector version of your CV.

Start with a short professional profile that highlights your public service strengths.

Follow with a concise selection criteria section or achievement bullets mapped to the role requirements.

Keep the main employment history factual, with a couple of evidence-rich achievements under each role.

Prepare supporting statements

Be ready to expand your CV into selection responses.

Many government roles require written statements against specific criteria. Draft those sooner rather than later and reuse the strongest examples from your CV.

Switching sectors is entirely possible. It requires a different way of packaging and expressing what you already do well.

If you are applying for government roles, take five minutes to compare the job ad with your CV and rewrite one achievement using public sector language.

It will tell you everything you need to change next.