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Military
Résumés
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Military-to-Civilian
Transition Guide
Military Transition
to Civilian Success
Expert Resumes
Military-to-Civilian
Military Resumes
and Cover Letters
Marketing your
Military Experience
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How to Write a Military Résumé
Out of Uniform: Resume Tips for Transitioning Military Professionals
by Kim Isaacs
Monster.com Resume Expert
 So you're leaving the service and are faced with the
daunting task of developing your resume. No doubt your military career is
studded with accomplishments, but even the most decorated veteran needs to
figure out how to make the transition to a civilian position. Follow these
tips to draft a high-impact resume that shows how your military experience
is transferable to a civilian job.
Define Your Civilian Job Objective
You
can't effectively market yourself for a civilian job if you don't have a
clearly defined goal. Because so many service people have diverse
backgrounds, they often make the mistake of creating resumes that are too
general to be effective. Before writing your resume, do some soul-searching,
research occupations and pinpoint a specific career path. If you are having
trouble with this step, tap into your local transition office or solicit the
help of a career coach. If you find that you are torn between two or more
potential goals, set up different resumes
Create a Resume that Speaks to Employers' Needs
Now that your objective is defined, you are ready to
create a winning resume. Consider a resume's purpose: To answer the
employer's question, "What can this person do for me?"
A great way to start thinking about employers' needs is to
research your target job. What types of skills and experiences are
employers seeking? What aspects of your background are most relevant?
Any information that does not relate to your goal should
be eliminated or de-emphasized, and this includes any unrelated military
awards, training and distinctions. For example, that medal you won for rifle
marksmanship doesn't belong on a civilian resume. This is often the hardest
step for ex-military personnel, which is why it's so common to see military
resumes span five pages or longer. As you make the decision about which
information to include, ask yourself, "Will a potential employer care about
this experience?" Only include information that will help you land an
interview.
Assume the Hiring Manager Knows Nothing about the
Military
Demilitarize your job titles, duties, accomplishments,
training and awards to appeal to civilian hiring managers. Employers with no
exposure to the military don't understand military terminology and acronyms,
so translate these into "civilianese." Show your resume to several
non-military friends and ask them to point out terms they don't understand.
Use job postings as a tool to substitute civilian keywords for military
terms.
One big issue Veterans returning from combat duty are
finding as they seek civilian jobs is that civilian employers don't
understand that skills honed on the battlefield are in fact transferrable to
the civilian jobs they have available.
In addition to translating your military record to a
civilian resume, a Veteran must be able to speak about their job, position
title, and responsibilities in a coherent and easy to understand fashion...
without the military jargon.
Showcase Your Track Record of Accomplishments
Your military career has offered you excellent
opportunities for training, practical experience and advancement. Tout your
accomplishments so the average civilian understands the importance of your
achievements and the measurable outcomes. Here's an example of a
demilitarized accomplishment statement:
- Increased employee retention rate by 16
percent by focusing on training, team building and recognition programs.
Earned reputation as one of the most progressive and innovative IT
organizations in the Army's communications and IT community.
Here's an example of incorporating a military award so
employers understand its value:
- Received Army Achievement Medal for
completing 400+ medical evaluations and developing patient database
using MS Access. The database improved reporting functions and tracked
patient demographics, records, medication, appointments and status.
Show off Your Military Background
You might have heard you need to develop a functional
resume format to mask or downplay your military experience, but the opposite
is true. Your military experience is an asset and should be marketed as
such. Many employers realize the value of bringing veterans on board.
Attributes honed in the military include dedication, leadership, teamwork,
positive work ethic and cross-functional skills. If you fear a potential
employer won't realize the significance of your military experience, make
sure your resume clearly communicates the value that you bring to the table.
If You Were in Active Combat, Leave out the Details
 Defending your country and its interests is among the most
admirable pursuits, but the sad truth is actual references to the horrors of
combat leave many employers squeamish. While you might have worked in a
short-range air defense engagement zone, this experience might not relate to
your future goal. Tone down or remove references to the battlefield.
Test Drive Your Resume
For some veterans, developing a resume that works in the
civilian world is an ongoing process. After you have polished your resume,
start your distribution and keep track of your resume's response rate.
Solicit feedback and listen carefully to suggestions for improving your
resume, and continue modifying the document until it successfully generates
job interviews.
Don't forget the Cover Letter
- as important as the resume is, the first thing future employers will read
is your Cover Letter. Check out our latest offer -
100+ Cover
Letter Examples for less than $20.
Read more tips on how
to write a Military Resume.
excerpt from
Monster.com
[
Sample Cover Letters ] [
Military Resume Example ] [ Military Transition
]
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Five Resume Essentials
1. Proofread your resume.
"I read it when I wrote it!" my sister yells when I ask her if she proofread
her resume.
"Hmmm," I say, looking over the piece of paper riddled with typos. "That's
why it says you have 'good people kills.'"
Maybe not the strongest qualification for the bank manager position she was
going for.
(I could give you more examples of loved ones who neglected to proofread
their resumes and paid the price, but I'd like to go home for the holidays
this year.)
The best practice is to put your resume in front of a couple of different
folks - your boss excluded - and listen seriously to their suggestions.
2. You are what you read.
It amazes me.
People will stampede to get the latest Suzanne Somers' diet book, but go
catatonic when I suggest they buy a career-related book.
"Can I borrow your copy?" they ask.
Believe me, the right book will pay for itself.
In college, I bought a copy of Burton Jay Nadler's resume guide Liberal Arts
Power, and I still use the darn thing.
Still, if you're stashing your cash for a Thigh-Master, explore the career
section at your local library.
3. Be a resume voyeur.
It's not as kinky as it sounds, but it is informative.
Look at other people's resumes whenever you get the chance. You'll find good
ideas - and bad ones. Consider using the best ideas for your own resume, as
long as they relate to your experience.
4. The truth about Ms. ASCII.
I often get frantic e-mail from people around the world. A typical one goes
like this: "Please help! I've had several companies ask me to send my resume
to Ms. Ascii. Who is she?"
ASCII is not a person, but an abbreviation for "The American Standard Code
for the Interchange of Information." Or, put simply, plain-text format.
Look at the keys on your computer keyboard. All the characters you see there
-- excluding the function keys -- compose the ASCII family.
Online job boards and some recruiters prefer ASCII resumes, because they
retain their formatting, regardless of the software used to view them.
If you plan to post your resume online or to e-mail it to a recruiter,
you'll want to have an ASCII version.
Get more tips on ASCII resumes here:
http://www.hotjobs.com/htdocs/help/myresume.html#formatting
5. More resumes mean more chances.
You finally updated your resume, but you shouldn't stop there.
If you're going to apply to a variety of jobs, make sure you have a resume
tailored for each.
A writer, for example, might have as many as six resumes: One for writer
with additional versions for editor, copy editor, reporter, marketing
manager and freelancer.
What are
Behavior Based
Interviews? More Information.
More
Behavior-Based
Interview Questions and Guidelines
Interview Tips for
Clear Communications
Military-to-Civilian Transition Resume Service
- Online Service
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Action Words That Make An Amazing Resume
One of the most important things when
writing a resume is to use action words. Not only will these words increase the impact of your resume in the eyes of the employers but they might help your resume get selected when recruiters use resume scanning software.
Usually used to describe skills, experience and achievements, action words shouldn't however be "stuffed" in your resume as you need to make sure your document sounds natural.
Here is a list of action words that will turn your resume into a powerful marketing document:
ability
accelerated
accelerated
accomplished
accurate
achieved
acted
actively
adapted
addressed
administered
advised
alerted
allocated
analyzed
answered
appeared
applied
appointed
appraised
approved
arbitrated
arranged
assembled
assessed
assigned
assisted
assumed
assured
attained
audited
authored
automated
awarded
balanced
bought
briefed
broadened
brought
budgeted
built
calculated
capacity
careful
cataloged
caused
chaired
changed
clarified
clarified
classified
classified
closed
coached
collected
collected
combined
commented
commitment
communicated
compared
compiled
completed
comprehensive
computed
computed
conceived
conceived
conceptualized
conducted
conducted
considered
consolidated
constructed
consulted
continued
contracted
controlled
converted
coordinated
corrected
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correspond
graded
granted
guided
halved
handled
cost control
counseled
counted
created
created
critiqued
cut
dealt
decided
defined
delegated
delivered
demonstrated
described
designed
designed
determined
developed
devised
diagnosed
diagnosed
diplomatic
directed
discreet
discussed
dispatched
distributed
documented
doubled
drafted
earned
edited
educated
effected
effective
efficient
eliminated
enabled
encouraged
endorsed
engineered
enlarged
enlisted
entered
established
estimated
evaluated
examined
executed
expanded
expedited
experienced
experimented
explained
explored
expressed
extended
extracted
fabricated
facilitated
filed
filled
financed
focused
forecast
forecasted
formulated
found
founded
gathered
generated
headed
helped
hired
identified
implemented
improved
|
incorporated
increased
indexed
influenced
initiated
innovated
inspected
installed
instituted
instructed
insured
interpreted
interviewed
introduced
invented
invested
investigated
involved
issued
joined
kept
launched
learned
leased
lectured
led
licensed
listed
logged
made
maintained
managed
matched
measured
mediated
met
modified
monitored
motivated
moved
named
navigated
negotiated
observed
opened
operated
ordered
organized
oversaw
participated
perceived
performed
persuaded
planned
prepared
presented
processed
procured
programmed
prohibited
projected
promoted
proposed
provided
published
purchased
pursued
qualified
questioned
raised
ranked
rated
realized
received
recommended
reconciled
recorded
recruited
redesigned
reduced
regulated
rehabilitated
related
reorganized
repaired
replaced
replied
reported
|
represented
researched
resolved
responded
restored
revamped
reviewed
revise
saved
scheduled
selected
served
serviced
set
set up
shaped
shared
showed
simplified
sold
solved
sorted
sought
sparked
specified
spoke
started
streamlined
strengthened
stressed
stretched
structured
studied
submitted
substituted
succeeded
suggested
summarized
superseded
supervised
surveyed
systematized
tackled
targeted
taught
terminated
tested
took
toured
traced
tracked
traded
trained
transcribed
transferred
transformed
translated
transported
traveled
treated
trimmed
tripled
turned
tutored
umpired
uncovered
understood
understudied
unified
unraveled
updated
upgraded
used
utilized
verbalized
verified
visited
waged
weighed
widened
won
worked
wrote
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References: Resume References Win Job Offers
Inquiring minds want to know, and no minds
are more inquiring than those about to hire you. Rest assured, you will
be investigated. As a rule of thumb, the better the job and the higher
the pay, the tougher the screening process. If you are up for a good job at
a visible company, your references and past employers will be checked in
great detail. Your list of references is simply the beginning of the
investigation a prospective employer will conduct.
When a prospective employer has completed the first round of interviews and
you are among the top candidates, its next logical step is to check your
references and interview those individuals to whom you reported. Are you
certain these individuals will seal the deal for you, or will they blow it
away? If you are like most people, you probably haven't given your
references much thought. Instead, you have focused on your résumé,
interviewing skills, networking, and what to wear to the interview. Now the
focus shifts.
Your biggest concern should be the quality of your references and
recommendations from past employers, because they can make or break your
chances. About half of all references that get checked range from mediocre
to poor, so it is very possible that the great job you lost out on at the
last moment had nothing to do with your skill level. It could have had more
to do with what a reference or past employer said about you. So, if you are
concerned that someone, somewhere, might be giving you a bum rap, you are
probably right. That's a frightening scenario when your livelihood is at
stake.
Here is a sampling of the damaging comments HR people and line managers hear
when they check references:
- "Our company policy prohibits us saying
anything. We can only verify dates of employment and title." Then the
reference goes on to say something like, "Check his references very,
very carefully."
- "Are you certain he gave my name as a
reference?"
- "After we settle our lawsuit..."
- "Let me see what the paperwork says I am
able to give out regarding _______."
- "Is he still in this field?"
References and past employers won't call and
warn you that they are not going to be complimentary. The reference
situation is ever changing and therefore very volatile because of shifting
company policies (not that many employees choose to follow them anyway), new
employees in HR departments, new laws governing references, and company
liability for giving references.
You are well advised to take more control of your career momentum by finding
out what every potential reference will say about you. If the odds hold, as
they will, those references will range from stellar to negative; yet when
you know what someone is going to say about you, you can pass on your best
references with greater confidence. You will also have the opportunity to
stop references from saying things that are not true or inaccurate.
Increasing Your Chances of a Good Reference.
Here are some general rules of thumb to maximize the tone and accuracy of
your references.
- Make sure your records are
correct.
Occasionally an interviewee looks bad because his former HR department
did not have the same job date and title information in his file as he
did on his résumé. Data entry or communications errors are not unusual,
so check with your HR department to ensure that their records correspond
to yours. Conflicting data will be perceived as a big negative to a
prospective employer.
- Maintain active and positive
relationships with your references.
Stay in touch over the phone or over coffee. Keep the reference
up-to-date about your progress, and make sure you have the most
up-to-date information about them. If the reference's title (or name)
has changed, or if they've left their position and you've provided old
information to the prospective employer, it doesn't look good.
- Advise a reference about an
important opportunity.
To avoid burning out your references, you don't need to call about every
single job opportunity. However, if a particular position is very
important to you, call the reference and give them details about what
the company may be looking for.
- Know reporting relationships.
Even though you've given the senior vice president's name as a
reference, the prospective employer may resort to calling the director
you reported to because she can't reach the senior VP. Even though you
have not given that person's name as a reference, it is on the
application that you probably filled out. You may want to advise your
former boss about the potential for a reference check and explain what
the company is looking for.
- Know your company's policy.
Although federal law restricts reference information, some states now
allow more extensive disclosure. Know which regulations and policies
govern your company. In addition, be aware that some employees will
break company policy. Make sure that works in your favor by checking
with references to gain an understanding of what they might say.
- Don't rely on relatives or
letters of recommendation.
You are well advised not to let Uncle John regale a prospective employer
about your antics as a youth. Also, although letters of recommendation
can be helpful, information such as titles and even names can change
over time. Make sure that the information on your letter of
recommendation is correct by contacting the reference periodically.
- Use a reference-checking
service.
If you want help in providing good references or if you find that you
are losing too many opportunities after several interviews with an
organization, you might want to commission a professional
reference-checking service. Check to ensure that the service has the
professional and legal personnel that can develop a strategic use of
your references. Typical service fees range from $59 to $99 per
reference checked, depending on level of job position being sought.
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