Many veterans struggle applying for jobs and showcasing their military experience on their resume/curriculum vitae (CV).

This is because, generally, most are unsure of how to add their military experience to their resume/CV in a way that is recognisable and relatable to a prospective civilian employer. It is essential to translate your military experience into a manner that will be understandable to and impress the employer and guarantee that you will be hired for the job.

Veterans have many vital skills that are beneficial to employers, but only if they are communicated effectively. Military experience equips individuals with abilities such as leadership, teamwork, dedication, and an excellent work ethic, among others.

In addition to these, some various awards and honours can assist you to stand out from the crowd during the employment process.

Below are some guidelines you might want to consider when translating your military experience into a civilian resume/CV.

Focus on Military Background

The period you served in the military (whether as an officer or enlisted) can help to make you attractive to prospective employers.

There is a need to remain objective and focus on your military background. This is important because it gives employers an impression of your unique abilities.

In order to understand your skills, there are numerous civil war topics for research that can highlight the military’s corporate potential. These topics show the human side of military life and how experience assists in building strong corporate workers.

The skills and abilities gained through military life can be a perfect foundation for your organisational growth. However, you must be able to translate these skills into something that employers can relate with and understand. It is also essential to know what the job responsibilities entail and leverage your skills to show employers that you are the right candidate.

While you are focusing on your military background, be precise, be formal, use appropriate business language, and dress accordingly. Exactly how you present you resume/CV will depend on the culture of the industry/organisation you wish to join, so do you homework.

Do not Use Military Jargon

Another essential aspect is to ensure that you do not use military jargon in your resume/CV. When writing your resume/CV, ensure that you focus on translating your skills to a language appealing and specific to those who will read it.

While in the military people focus on the chain of command, the corporate work environment requires foregoing the superior position, sometimes, to attain better results for the team. Instead of saying that you served as a commander, you can say that you were a senior manager, supervisor, training manager, or personnel manager, for example. All these roles are essential but must be communicated in a way that appeals to the prospesctive employer. If you think you need a professional touch on your resume/CV, you can try the federal resume writing service. This will ensure that your military-cum-civilian resume/CV standouts and sets you on a path to career success.

The language must be professional and formal. Remember, corporate environments value mental, psychological, and emotional tenacity rather than physical. Always be keen to portray an image of a person who can easily connect with others and work together to attain the business goals.

Include Your Military Positions, Responsibilities, Honours, and Awards

It is essential to make sure that prospective employers understand that you were a valuable member of the team. You can achieve this by including the various awards, decorations, positions, and acknowledgments you received during your military career.

However, only add statements, of any military medals and honorary titles that you obtained while in service, that add value to the position you are applying for.

As mentioned above, remember to communicate this information using non-military jargon to stand out and appeal to prospective employers.

In order to avoid cluttering your resume, you can create a specific section dedicated to military awards, positions, and honours. This will be a bonus point because it will reveal your outstanding organisational/leadership skills and leverage your abilities to convince the hiring team.

Proofread and Edit Your Resume/CV

Proofreading is an essential aspect of any writing process. It not only eliminates any errors but also enhances your confidence and gives a positive image of yourself to the prospective employer.

When writing your resume/CV, make sure that you proofread it (at least once) before submission. This is important because it allows you to correct errors and ensure that you remain the right candidate. When prospective employers read resumes/CV’s with errors, it can quickly disqualify you as an ideal candidate.

It can demonstrate that you are not as diligent as your resume/CV suggests and, by extension, may make errors when they hire you. Be attentive and read through your CV (more than once), editing any errors and information that is necessary to ensure that you get hired for the job and not another candidate.

There is no limit to the number of times you should proofread your resume/CV, but before you submit, make sure you proofread and edit at least once.

Let a Civilian Read Your Resume for Feedback

According to Adam Lawrence, editor and writer from fast growing writing service Edu Jungles, since you are an experienced enlisted or military officer, it may be challenging to identify aspects of your resume/CV that may need change.

Further, you may be prone to apply formal/non-formal wording inappropriately because you are used to military jargon. Therefore, in order to stand out, it is advisbale to get a review of your resume/CV from a civilian. They can help you understand the any errors that can be eliminated and make your resume/CV stand out.

Since they have experience in the civilian world of work, they can also reword your statements to make them more appealling to prospective employers.

Utilise their feedback to refine your resume/CV and make it more outstanding. This is an essential aspect of your journey to become a civilian employee. Experts (at an employment agency, for example) will be able to ensure that your resume/CV uses understandable/appropriate wording ans statements, is clear and concise, and includes all relevant information to convince prospective employers to hire you.

However, always remain positive and seek guidance where necessary. Writing a professional resume/CV is not an easy task, especially for veterans who may have never written a resume/CV previously. You must be keen to eliminate all unnecessary jargon and give employers a perfect impression of yourself.

Summary

In summary, there are many beneficial skills that organisations can gain from military veterans. However, veterans must communicate these skills in an appealingly manner.

The language, style of writing, and presentation must align with the organisation’s goals and missions, as well as their cultural preferences.

The military equips people with strong leadership skills and this must be communicated effectively to warrant success.

There is a need to consult professional resume writing services or (at least) a civilian friend willing to assist you. Otherwise, make sure that you follow these procedures when writing your resume/CV on your own.

It is essential to make sure that there are no mistakes or jargon. The objective of writing a resume/CV is to show and demonstrate to employers your abilities and how they can benefit the organisation when they hire you.

Do not hesitate to seek professional services if you think you cannot do it yourself.