When you leave the military, it can sometimes be hard to make the transition from a military position to a civilian job. You may have plenty of medals, awards and decorations from your military accomplishments, but no matter how much of a decorated veteran you are, you still have to know how to make the transition from military life to civilian life. Your military background can tremendously help you get a civilian job if you craft your resume correctly. Below are five key tips for developing your military resume.
Define Your Civilian Job Objective
Do some soul-searching and decide what you really want to do rather than having too general of a focus. Many military veterans make the mistake of being too general on their resume because they have diverse backgrounds and have skills that could be used for a variety of civilian jobs. You need to develop a clearly defined goal and pinpoint a specific career path.
Create a Resume that Speaks to Employers’ Needs
When crafting your resume, think about the skills that you possess that would most benefit the employee to which you are applying. The first step to doing this is to research the job for which you are applying as well as the company to which you are applying. Then reflect on the skills and experiences you gleamed from the military that would be most relevant on a civilian job resume. For example, some of your proudest military accomplishments like the medal you won for rifle marksmanship does not necessarily belong on a civilian job resume because it is not a skill you will be using for that job. Always try to ask yourself what military experiences your potential employer will care about. Those experiences should be some that the employer can see himself or herself benefiting from in some way.
Assume the Hiring Manager Knows Nothing About the Military
A mistake that many military veterans make when creating civilian job resumes is using military language and terminology. Demilitarize everything on your resume. Do not use military acronyms because people unfamiliar with military terminology will not understand what they stand for. Try to avoid military jargon as much as possible when speaking about your military skills so that your potential employer can fully comprehend what you are talking about.
Show Off Your Military Background
Some veterans think they should downplay their military background, but many employers realize the value and diversity that veterans bring to their workplace so show off your military background. Concepts that employers look for in military resumes include leadership, teamwork, dedication, positive work ethics and cross-functional skills. Focus on communicating to the employer the value that you bring to his or her company with these types of skills.
Leave Out Active Combat Details
Although you should show off your military background, leave out active combat details if you were in active combat. Defending your country is admirable, but many employers become uncomfortable when confronted with any details concerning war. Tone down any references to the battlefield.
