The best way to write a military-to-civilian resume

When you are transitioning from a military career into a civilian profession, you need to have a strong resume. Your military-to-civilian resume must bridge the gap between the two worlds of the military and private sector. Writing a resume that highlights your skills and experiences during your military years in a way that relates to the requirements of the private sector employers will help you snag a civilian job faster.

Identify your civilian career goals

Depending on the skills and experiences you have gained during your military career, you can choose your post-military career goals. Narrow down the industries you want to work for and identify specific job titles that you are interested in. You can also have a look at employers who hire veterans and those who support prior service members.

List down your military duties

You need to tailor your resume for the job title when you apply for a civilian job. This means that not all the skills and experiences from your military years will be suitable to add to your resume for the civilian position. The best way to spot the relevant experiences is to list down the skills, achievements, experiences, and other qualifications from your military career. Then, you can remove those which aren’t related to the role at hand.

Translate military lingo

One important thing you must remember when writing a military-to-civilian resume is to translate the military lingo into civilian phrases. This ensures that the hiring manager who reads your resume can understand your achievements properly. Use non-military terms to describe your experience. For example, you should say “supervised” instead of “commanded” and “employees” instead of “subordinates.”

Use keywords

Your resume is an important piece of marketing material. Using keywords wisely on your resume will get you seen by the right employer. Pay attention to the keywords the employer has used in the job description. Incorporate these keywords into your resume. Remember to use keywords in the right frequency and context in your resume.

Highlight transferable skills

The skills section is very important for your civilian resume. This is where you must emphasize your familiarity with the skills required for the job. List the skills you gained from your military employment on your resume. Highlight transferable skills that are important for the new job you are applying for. Your management skills, leadership experience, and soft skills make for great transferable skills.

Emphasize licenses and certifications

If you have earned certifications relevant to the new job, you must display them prominently on your resume. Certifications and licenses relevant to the industry are good keywords to display on your resume. Create a separate certifications and licenses section to display your accomplishments.

Mention security clearances

Are you applying for a job in the defense sector? Then, you must mention your security clearances on your resume. Security clearances are important for several other jobs as well. If you want to show a potential employer that you have gone through extensive background checks and have experience working with sensitive information, you should add security clearances to your resume. They also highlight your confidentiality.