Thank you for serving your country with honor and distinction. This separates you from so many others and will give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs. Follow these tips if you are a veteran trying to land yourself that perfect job. This country owes it to you after your years of service, so make yourself a marketable candidate!
1. Do not ignore your roots
Do not ignore your military service in your resume. Regardless of what type of job you are applying for and regardless of the field and the particular position, you should include your service. Be specific and include where you served, your rank(s), qualifications, and your responsibilities. Many times your resume will survive the first round of readings simply because the reader has a respect and honor for former veterans.
2. Avoid military speak
While you have spent many years of your past in the military, those reading your application probably have not done so. They will not understand most military ranks, classifications, terms, and wordings. You should assume that the readers of your application and your potential employers no absolutely nothing about the military. This will force you to be descriptive and speak in simple terms. They will be confused and will not take the time to research the meaning of the term you utilized. Therefore, avoid using complicated military words at all costs. Instead, in place of the military speak substitute civilian words that they can understand and relate to. This way the reader will be able to truly understand what you are writing about and will be truly able to appreciate what you did.
3. Leave out the gory details
If you were in direct combat leave out the concrete details of what occurred. Even if what you have done has been publicized, photographed, and videotaped there is no need to remind your future employer of them. However, be sure to mention that you were in direct combat and the basics of what you did there so that your future employer has an idea of what you did and how your pasts responsibilities can translate into future success.
4. Highlight relevant experience and minimize the minutia
Some aspects of your military career make great assets to your resume and are highly sought after in any job. Leadership, honesty, strength, and organization are all traits ingrained in all members of the military that will always be highly sought after. However, your skills with an M-16 Rife is something that in most jobs will not really do anything for you or the company. It’s important to be very selective in your resume when you choosing what to use from your military career. Be sure to include examples which obviously apply to the job you are seeking. For example, if you are applying for a job as a teacher and you spent time as drill sergeant teaching new recruits, absolutely include that past experience in your resume. However, if you are an expert at explosive devices that can be omitted as it is not related to the field of education.
