For an exiting military person transitioning to civilian employment, the prospect of developing a resume that can professionally portray military experience into a format that will be appealing to a non-military employer can seem like an impossible task.
Here are some tips to assist you in the process:
Eliminate military-speak
Submitting your resume in a language unfamiliar to an employer would be disastrous for any job seeker; so too would incorporating military terminology throughout your military-to-civilian resume. It is imperative to translate all military-speak into civilian-appropriate language so that the reader can comprehend exactly what you are offering their organization. This relates to information such as job titles, responsibilities, contributions, professional development and training, and any awards or recognition. For example, soldiers become "staff" or "employees"; uniforms, machine guns and ammunition become "supplies"; and hangars and weapon dumps become "facilities." With regards to job titles, Field Artillery Battalion Operations Officer can become "Operations Manager" or "Operations Supervisor."
Training courses and school names can also be quite confusing, so try to use a functional equivalent, or detract attention from the school name by only listing the courses or relevant training received. Another alternative would be to include a statement such as, "Completed countless hours of project management, staffing and leadership, and operational management training courses." You could then elaborate further when attending an interview.
Keep it focused
As with any professional embarking on their career campaign, it is also important for military personnel to have a clearly-defined position objective. Service personnel often have diverse experience to offer and, unfortunately, make the mistake of providing all of this information in their resumes. The result is a broad and unfocused resume that is far less effective than one that has a specific job target.
Prior to putting pen to paper, it would be wise to perform some research into potential occupations first to pinpoint a specific career path. If you were targeting operations and project management experience, this could be portrayed well within one document; however, if you find that you have two distinct positions, it may be appropriate to develop two different resumes.
Eliminate irrelevant information
Your resume is a marketing document aimed at representing your skills as a suitable candidate for the position being advertised, and including redundant and irrelevant information will only lessen the overall impact. If the information does not relate to your career goal or if you are in doubt - leave it out. Also, while protecting your country is highly admirable, including active military combat and associated duties should also be avoided.
