How to Get Your Military Resume in Shape for a Civilian Job Search

How to Get Your Military Resume in Shape for a Civilian Job Search How to Get Your Military Resume in Shape for a Civilian Job SearchYour military experience can be valuable to an employer if you use it wisely.Its easy for veterans to get discouraged during the job search when they dont see a clear connection between their military service and a job in the civilian world. The harte nuss, of course, isnt a lack of skills, qualifications, or professionalism its the challenge of translating military service into terms employers recognize and value. Its a problem of perspective, and one you can solve with a strategically-written resume. Check out these tips on how to get your military resume in shape for a civilian job search.Connect the dotsThe clearer and more obvious you make the connections between your military-based capabilities and an employers needs, the better your chances of landing the job. Most job seekers, military or civilian, write about themselves leid to their audienc es needs. Instead, you should build your resume to showcase how your strengths will deliver value to your target employer. Take inventory of not only the roles you played in the service, but also the training, skills, and qualities that you developed getting there. Most importantly, feature any major accomplishments or important projects you took part in that can be related back to the role for which you are applying.Use your documentationAll professionals should keep a brag book throughout their careers to track their notable accomplishments. As a veteran, you have an advantage, as your career is documented in much greater detail than those of your civilian counterparts. SMART transcripts, VMETs, evaluation reports, training certificates, and award narratives all detail valuable training and accomplishments you can use in your job search.The Raters Comments section on evaluations is especially useful, often yielding not only specific metrics about your performance but quotable test imonials about accomplishments and character. Remember If someone put it in writing, its fair game to repurpose for your resume.Related6 Essential Tools for Veterans Looking for Civilian JobsHighlight your security clearancesSecurity clearances can be extremely valuable to employers, so they should be highlighted on any military-to-civilian resume. Lets say you have Top Secret Clearance. It would cost a private employer hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for that degree of background investigation. Any security clearance you may have saves employers time and money.Of course, many civilian careers will not require any kind of high-level security clearance. However, you should still include those details on your resume as they demonstrate your responsibility and accountability.Showcase your accomplishmentsUse metrics to benchmark your accomplishments. Many veterans were entrusted with equipment, supply inventories, and budgets running into the millions of dollars. How was your pe rformance measured? What difference did you make, and how can you describe that in numbers? Again, look to your records to find documentation of these data points. Think in terms of numbers, dollar amounts, and percentages rankings, cost savings, degree of improvement, etc.Translate military terminology and acronymsEmployers cant value what they cant understand. Thankfully, there are many online resources to help you put your military vocabulary into laymans terms. A few you may find usefulO*NET Online, from the Department of LaborO*NETs companion site for veterans, My Next MoveDepartment of Labor (DOL) Military to Civilian Occupation TranslatorMilitary.coms Military Skills TranslatorVA for VETS Military Skills TranslatorClick on the following link for more job-search advice.Make sure your military-to-civilian resume is in tiptop shape. Hire a TopResume professional resume writer todayRecommended ReadingJobs for Veterans What to Consider Before Accepting the JobThe Truth About Resum e WritingAdvice for Veterans Starting a Business and Entrepreneurial CareerRelated Articles