A Guide to Updating Your Resume When Moving from Public to Private Sector

After steady growth in U.S. public sector employment in 2024, the landscape shifted dramatically in 2025. With constant announcements of federal workforce layoffs and cuts, hundreds of thousands of government employees’ jobs are at risk. Many of these people will seek new employment in the private sector.

Public service roles tend to have specialized language, non-traditional organizational structures, and distinct success metrics. In working with numerous public sector employees looking to make the move to the private sector for the first time in their careers, I’ve seen them quickly realize that they need to translate their accomplishments, skills, and capabilities in a new and different way. Here are four ways to update your resume, as well as some networking tips, to set yourself up for private sector success.

Understand the Differences in Work

The first question to answer is whether your job exists in the private sector. Many roles in HR, finance, vendor management, and supply chains are found in both public and private sectors, making the transition more straightforward. However, positions like policy aides, legislative analysts, diplomats, federal intelligence officers, and border patrol agents have no direct equivalent in private companies.

Even for similar roles, key differences exist in focus, objectives, and operational environments. Take cybersecurity, for example. Whether in government or private industry, professionals in this field need expertise in threat detection, ethical hacking, malware analysis, and risk management. They may also work with AI-driven security tools, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems. But at a certain point, their missions diverge: Federal cybersecurity focuses on national security, counterterrorism, and cyber warfare, whereas private sector cybersecurity tends to prioritize protecting business assets, customer data, and financial transactions.

It’s not just skills and actual work that differs: Job titles, business metrics, and work culture vary significantly between sectors. A government “executive officer” might map to a VP, director, chief administrative officer, department head, or chief of staff in private industry, depending on their specific responsibilities. Similarly, government success is measured by policy impact, long-term outcomes, and compliance, whereas businesses focus on revenue growth, scalability, and innovation.

Because government employees don’t measure success in profit, you need to reframe your accomplishments in private sector terms. Instead of emphasizing compliance with federal mandates, highlight how your work optimized resources, improved efficiency, or led to cost savings—all of which align with private business priorities.

Learn the Industry Language and Nuances

Speaking the language of private industry is essential for translating government experience into a compelling private sector resume. Some roles share common terminology across sectors—think employee relations, talent acquisition, and workforce planning. But private industry often uses different phrasing. For example, “total rewards” encompasses compensation, benefits, well-being initiatives, and performance-based incentives, whereas in government, the same term may simply refer to pay and benefits.

This translation is crucial when updating your resume. Consider this government-centric bullet point:

• Managed multi-year appropriations and fiscal year budget formulation, ensuring compliance with OMB Circular A-11 and agency financial policies, and oversaw obligation and expenditure tracking, aligning resource allocations with congressional mandates and strategic priorities.

A private sector employer wouldn’t find this relevant. Here’s how you might recast it in business-oriented terms:

• Led annual financial planning and forecasting, managing a $50M operating budget to optimize P&L performance and drive cost efficiency across business units.

Analyze job descriptions in your target industry to identify commonly used terms and tailor your resume accordingly. AI tools such as Copilot, ChatGPT, or Gemini can also help you translate your current work into language that will resonate with private sector employers.

Position Your Transferable Skills

Consider how your hard and soft skills could bring added value to a private sector position. For example, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management identified five executive core qualifications (ECQs), which are very similar to leadership skills valued in the private sector. Some of these include leading change, being decisive in decision-making, problem solving, understanding financial processes and budgeting, and building relationships. Demonstrating these skills on your resume and during interviews will help close the gap between your public and private sector experience.

Further, you want to demonstrate how your inside knowledge of specific areas, such as policy and regulation development, could give you a competitive edge. A deep understanding of government regulations and policies can be very valuable in highly regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and technology. While confidentiality may preclude you from sharing all the details of what you worked on, showing which transferable skills you used to accomplish the work, as well as the unique insights you can bring to the job, will allow you to effectively position yourself for success in private sector roles.

Show You Can Handle Fast-Paced Work Environments

Government agencies are often slow to adopt new technologies or processes, waiting until change is absolutely necessary. In contrast, many private sector companies—especially those in hyper-growth mode—operate at a fast pace, constantly evolving. To successfully transition into the private sector, you must showcase your ability to think ahead and drive process improvements.

Additionally, government work is often bogged down by complex regulations, which can lead to slow-moving projects. While these rules serve a purpose, they create a stark contrast to the private sector’s need for speed and efficiency. To stand out, public sector professionals must highlight their ability to work under tight deadlines and deliver results quickly.

For instance, federal cybersecurity investigations can take years to complete, whereas private sector professionals must respond to security threats in real time while managing risk. Even if your experience comes from a long-term government project, emphasize moments where you identified solutions, streamlined processes, or made quick, impactful decisions. Demonstrating your ability to adapt to a faster pace will make you a stronger candidate for private sector roles.

Expand Your Network Beyond Government

Networking is one of the most powerful tools in making a successful transition from the public to the private sector. Most private sector jobs aren’t filled through online applications alone—they’re secured through networking and referrals. The more you expand your connections outside of government, the more doors you’ll open to exciting new career possibilities.

Before reaching out to people, take the time to clarify your career goals. What kind of role are you looking for? Which industries interest you? Having a clear direction will make your conversations more productive and help others guide you toward the right opportunities.

Once you have a focus, start expanding your network beyond government circles. Talk to friends, former classmates, and acquaintances who work in the private sector. Your current public sector colleagues may also have valuable connections—many have family members, friends, or former coworkers in corporate roles. Don’t be afraid to ask for introductions.

Attend industry events, join professional associations, and engage in LinkedIn discussions to connect with private sector professionals in your target field. If you’re switching to an industry where you lack direct experience, consider informational interviews. Reach out to people in roles that interest you and ask about their career paths, daily responsibilities, and what skills are most valued in their field. These conversations can provide invaluable insights and may even lead to job opportunities.

. . .

Government resumes often span one to five pages, detailing extensive work histories with quantifiable achievements, certifications, security clearances, trainings, awards, and publications. In contrast, private sector resumes need to be concise—ideally no more than two pages. To make a successful career transition, you must do more than just cut yours down; you need to translate government jargon into crisp corporate language and focus solely on what truly matters to potential employers. Spotlighting your most relevant skills and measurable successes will help you position yourself as a uniquely qualified candidate who’s ready to deliver tangible results in a business-driven environment, and expanding your professional network will help steer you toward opportunities where you can put those skills to use.

Copyright 2025 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.

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