New ECQs 2025 | May 29 Update

On May 29th, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released this memo outlining major changes to the SES hiring process.

What You Need to Know

•  The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) narrative essays are being replaced by an ECQ-based structured interview. Aspiring executives will need to be highly prepared to discuss their recent experience, skills, and public service motivation through the lens of the new ECQs.
• SES resumes are now limited to two pages instead of five. It was already a challenge to effectively showcase decades of experience in a five-page SES resume, and now applicants must paint a compelling picture of their career in a very short document.
• Hiring agencies may still require you to answer up to two Technical Qualifications (TQs).

How CareerPro Global can Help You:

Developing Your New ECQs

Even though you don’t have to submit ECQ essays anymore, you will still need to contemplate your recent experiences as they relate to the new ECQs, and be very comfortable sharing examples of specific challenges, actions, and results. The first step in doing that is downloading them from your memory onto paper. We have a proven coaching process to help you think deeply and articulate recent experiences that
demonstrate the new ECQs using specific challenges, actions, and results.

Preparing You for the Interview

We understand the psychology and best practices related to federal behavior-based interviews. Our SES interview preparation service includes an initial coaching call and personalized feedback to help you think of strong examples for each ECQ.

We will then develop your interview prep worksheet, which you can use to rehearse your responses. Finally, we will conduct a live one-hour mock interview with you, providing immediate feedback to help you dial in your executive presence, authenticity, and storytelling.

Writing Your TQs

We are the industry leaders at coaching you on best practices for writing TQs, gathering your rough draft materials, and then developing strong narratives that demonstrate your technical knowledge, expertise, and value contribution to the agency’s mission. We will then send you the TQs for review, editing, and finalization.

Developing your two-page SES resume

Our expert writers will work closely with you to develop a resume that is concise, accomplishment driven, and aligned with the job requirements. The two-page format aligns with longstanding private sector resume trends, and CareerPro Global has been developing both federal and private sector resumes for four decades.

We know how to analyze the job announcement, ask you the right questions, and then highlight your relevant experience and top achievements for the hiring panel. We will then send the resume for your review and feedback before finalizing the document.

Rewriting your five-page resume

Your current resume is now much too long to meet current requirements. We know how to distill it down to the most critical, relevant, and tailored content to best showcase your career accomplishments and potential.

Training Your Workforce

We provide virtual and in-person training on SES resume writing, new ECQ and TQ development, and SES Interview Prep. Our engaging, tactical approach empowers your team members with current best practices, valuable tools, and experiential learning.

Get ECQ Support Today

Our SES experts are ready to partner with you to develop an accomplishment-driven executive resume, and then prepare you to nail the interview by confidently articulating your most impactful career stories.

Contact us today to begin a conversation that could change the course of your career!