Thousands of MSI members work in the Federal Government

Have you ever seen one of these forms? We have, in fact, sometimes we get as many as 5 per day! This is the form the US Federal Government sends out to verify someone’s past employment, certification, or educational information (Inv Form 41). Each time one of our certified members lists us on a Federal job application, we receive this form to verify the person’s credentials. MSI PROMPTLY completes these forms and returns them; we know how important it is to our members.

As you may know, MSI provides a way for employers to verify most MSI certifications automatically. All certifications purchased directly on MSIcertified.com, like our Six Sigma certifications, are entered into our verification database at MSIcertified.org. From there, an employer can simply enter your certification ID# and your verification data is displayed. You can also download your digital badge from here and even link to your profile from LinkedIn!

What certifications does MSI verify the most?

The most common certification requests are for some form of process improvement method, mostly Six Sigma certifications. We see a lot of requests for Six Sigma Lean Black Belt Professional and Six Sigma Lean Green Belt Certified. This isn’t a surprise since Lean methodology is used extensively throughout the federal government. You don’t have to look far to find words like “process improvement, “waste reductions”, and “continuous improvement” on federal job applications. This is also why almost every federal contractor looks for employees with a six sigma certification, it gives them an edge when applying for federal contracts.

Does the Federal government verify information on my resume?

Yes, it does! That’s one of the reasons it’s so important not to lie or put inaccurate information on a federal job application. The government sends out thousands of these forms per day to businesses and educational institutions throughout the US. Your chances of being hired aren’t very good if someone returns form 41 saying you lied on an application.
Keeping your resume fresh and up-to-date is essential for landing a job with the federal government. Even gaining a certification like MSI’s free Lean Six Sigma White Belt certification can go a long way in boosting your professional skillset. MSI has verified hundreds of Lean Six Sigma White Belts for employers, so it’s obviously something they value!

How can I increase my chances of landing a federal job?

There are several things you should do to ensure your resume stands out. These are the top 3 things that MSI recommends you do if you’re trying to land a job with the federal government (also applies to jobs at the state level).

Write your resume so it applies to a specific job. Don’t write a single, catch-all resume and submit it to hundreds of jobs. Each resume should be carefully crafted to the job for which you are applying.
Eliminate anything that would be a red flag. We already talked about lying on a resume. Look at your resume objectively and look for anything an employer may question. Did you go for several years without a job? If so, be sure to explain why. Did you start a new job and leave a few months later? Make sure you explain the reason for short employment times.
Craft your resume to include keywords. We can’t stress this one enough. Most resumes are scanned by software before ever reaching a hiring manager. This software is looking for keywords to see if you qualify for the position. It’s looking for hard skills, but also softskills like communications skills, problem-solving skills, and time management. If you have these skills, showcase them. If not, consider taking a resume-boosting certification program or finding a way to gain some new skills.

Thousands of MSI members work in the Federal Government

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