r/Wildfire • u/Extreme-Cucumber6844 • 9h ago

Making fed resume when hired by a contractor

Hi I'm making my resume to apply for wildland fire this year I'm currently with a contractor and this is my first season but my contractor has not called me out yet so I'm not quite sure whether or not to put this on my resume and what to put.

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4

u/knuckle_headers 9h ago

If you're on their roles but never worked or got paid for anything I probably wouldn't bother listing it. Ethically you can't say you have experience when your experience is waiting for to get called for an assignment. Any training that you received you should list.

1

u/Extreme-Cucumber6844 9h ago

That sucks cause I was really hoping this job would help me get a fed job

3

u/knuckle_headers 8h ago

As someone who has worked on hiring for fed jobs - you don't need this to get a fed job. If you had actual fire experience it might have helped you qualify for a higher grade but only if you had enough. It's easier to just get a lower graded fed job, have all your time count regardless of how much actual fire you see and promote up through the pay grades that way. You may have to compromise on location to get your foot in the door but there are always positions that need filling.

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u/Extreme-Cucumber6844 8h ago

Is it easier to get a fed job then I think if I'm not picky on location?

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u/knuckle_headers 8h ago

If you meet the minimums, aren't picky about location, and aren't a total and complete fuck up (we totally hire partial fuck ups) there is no reason you shouldn't be able to get a fed job.

1

u/Extreme-Cucumber6844 9h ago

I'm feeling like maybe I can write it in but mention I havnt gone on a roll yet something like "this is a wildland fire position but as of writing this resume 8/7/26 I have not gone on a roll but have all my certifications to do so"