Everything here is sourced from OPM's published guidance and live USAJOBS announcements — and every guide ends at the same place: run your own resume through the free checker and see where you stand.
What OPM's Merit Hiring Plan changed on May 29, 2025, when enforcement began, exactly who is covered — competitive, excepted, and SES — and the genuine exceptions: VA Title 38 positions, priority-placement resumes, and agencies that hire off USAJOBS.
The MethodThe conversion method in the open: set a space budget per job, cut in the order that loses the least rating value, compress bullets with formulas, and protect the fields and phrases HR actually screens for.
The ChoiceThe honest comparison. The Builder is free and fine for some applicants — and it never audits what you already have, never reads your announcement, and never warns you about a missing field. Here is how to decide, and how to check either path before submitting.
The EssaysThe four short essays added to competitive announcements at GS-5 and above: what they ask, the ~200-word cap, OPM's not-scored status, and the certification that your answers are your own words — no consultant, no AI.
The RiskTwo enforcement flavors run in live announcements: removed from consideration, or only the first 2 pages reviewed. OPM's own ineligibility language, where to find your announcement's flavor, and what to do in each case.
Paste your resume — and your announcement — and get your verdict, your per-job space budget, and your top issues in about a minute. Free, and entirely in your browser.
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