Effective KSA Examples

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by Amin Huffington

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At the GS-5/7 level:As an undergraduate student of International Relations at Georgetown University, I was required to produce a minimum of 5 research papers per semester. These are technical papers that present and support a thesis statement or a research issue with little existing research available, providing detailed documentation to justify my position and information. In my senior year, I produced a 25-page paper that explored the issues of Muslim women in China, a topic about which there is almost no existing research information. The paper received top recognition and was a principle infl uence for my being selected for a prestigious and highly competitive, intensive International Policy study program at the University of Michigan.

At the GS-9/11 level:For the past fi ve years I have served as a free-lance writer, preparing text for publication in technical manuals, magazines and other publications. I have written and edited materials in such subject matter areas as medicine, the arts, politics and law enforcement. I am able to conduct research and select the appropriate level of complexity for the target audience.

In addition to the technical writing and editing that I have performed, I have published a collection of essays and several short stories. I am a member of the Washington Area Writers Guild and have been a guest speaker for American University’s Professional Writing Seminar.

At the GS-12/13 level:As a program manager with the Maryland State Correctional Administration, I have been required to prepare detailed written reports and regulations on development and management of correctional programs throughout the state. I have created procedural manuals and policy guidelines that are now accepted standards for all Correctional Administration operations. These written materials are clear, concise and detailed and convey highly technical matters that could be vital to the safety and well-being of the staff as well as the prison population. My manual on the proper search of inmate living space (shakedown procedures) provides detailed guidelines for securing individuals while safely searching for contraband. The manual provides thorough descriptions of unusual and innovative methods of concealment and has resulted in a 72-percent increase in the seizure of contraband since its implementation.

At the GS-14/15 level:As Director of Development with General Dynacon, I was responsible for directing the creation of all marketing materials for federal defense industry marketing. I created complex technical proposals, often comprised of many volumes and thousands of pages of highly technical data. I prepared the introduction and abstract portions of these proposals, synthesizing the information to create an informative overview of the contents in order to convey the information to non-technical management officials. These proposals were instrumental in securing new corporate business, and I consistently received bonuses based on my performance.

Tips for Writing Great KSAs

1. Follow the Situation, Action, Results Model to describe your accomplishments.
2. Use clear, concise statements written in the first person.
3. Spell out all acronyms.
4. Describe recent education and training that enhanced your skills in a particular competency.
5. Include special projects if they are relevant to the KSA.
6. Include awards that relate specifically to a particular KSA.
7. Focus on specific challenges and results. If possible, quantify your accomplishments.