Only a small percentage of the United States population serves in the military, which means not everyone understands what military personnel brings to the workforce. Creating a resume that translates all of the military experience in an appealing manner is key to getting an excellent job in civilian or corporate services. Here are a few tips on how to create a strong civilian resume to land a job.
- The key is the translation
It’s of utmost importance that you review the job description and tailor your skills as per the job requirement and the employer’s expectation, looking for a job is almost like having a job. Make sure to articulate all your relevant skills related to the post so that your chances of getting it are higher. - Don’t shy away from taking the credit
In the military, it’s all about team effort. Servicemen and women are both taught never to take credit for the accomplishments of the whole. Whereas in the civilian world, while searching for a candidate, it is all about vetting someone as an individual. You should find ways to translate how your individual efforts resulted in positive outcomes during your service. - Highlight your perks during deployment
Military service more often than not lead to deployments that are beyond the control of an individual. When creating your resume make sure to highlight all the positive aspects of your deployment experience, including the new skill sets you acquired, cultural experiences and the ability to learn quickly should all be incorporated into your resume. - Debunk the Misconceptions about your service
Often military ranks and levels are entirely unknown to civilian recruiters. Make sure you consider where your resume has flexibility on language. For instance, instead of relying on the titles you held and let them do the talking, look at what the functions of the job were and try to elaborate on them so that the recruiter can understand what your role was.
These tips can help you develop a strong resume that will help you shine and stand out in the crowd and appeal to your prospective civilian employer. It’s not an easy transition, but it is one that can be made easy with the help of those around and by making small changes in your own ways.
