If you’re wondering how to include military service on your resume, you’ve come to the right place! The military speaks its own language and operates differently than the civilian world.
As a 15-year (and counting) military spouse and professional resume writer, I understand both military speak and civilian lingo very well! Last year, I helped my husband translate his military experience into a civilian resume as he transitioned from active duty to the reserves and accepted a full-time civilian job! Because of our family journey, I am passionate about helping military service members and spouses with resumes and job searches.
What Employers Look for on Resumes
It is important to know that most employers seek the right person and not necessarily the right job-related skills.
Employers want candidates with great employability skills such as time management, problem-solving, leadership, etc. They will train the right candidate for the job how they want it done. So, you must remember to include soft skills (or employability skills) on your resume and provide evidence of how you have demonstrated them.
Next, employers look for a strong match between your resume and job description. If you’re wondering how to include military service on your resume, you must start by carefully analyzing the job description. Look for ways your military experiences fit the skills and attributes the employer seeks.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have changed the way employers screen applicants. ATS will take the job description and scan each applicant’s resume for keywords. If your resume is a strong match, meaning it uses enough keywords, it will likely be passed along to human eyes. If your resume doesn’t screen as a strong match (meaning there are not enough keywords matching the job description), your resume will likely never make it to the hiring manager.
Translating Your Military Skills to Civilian Language
Since these Applicant Tracking Systems have changed the application process, you must always analyze the job description.
As you identify the skills and experience the employer seeks, think of ways you demonstrated or gained that experience in the military. Then, you should use the language from the job description to explain your skill or experience.
For example, if the employer seeks leadership skills, you can talk about leadership skills rather than providing your rank and job title. “Leadership Skills – Lead a department of 50 sailors in aircraft maintenance” is much stronger than writing “Chief of Aircraft Division.” The civilian job market won’t likely understand what the rank of “Chief” means or what an aircraft division is either.
Here are a few additional examples of how you can translate military skills into civilian terms:
- Detachment planning – If you planned a large detachment or military exercise, you could highlight that experience as event planning and management, project management, or logistic experience.
- Military asset management—Perhaps you managed supplies, ordinance, or assets. On a civilian resume, you could translate this to supply chain management or inventory management.
- Petty Officer or Staff Sergeant – If you managed a division or department in the military, quantify your experience and translate it to leadership and management skills. “Managed a team of 15 airmen ensuring safety and accuracy of work”
It is important to understand that you have so much valuable experience to offer as a Veteran! If you need more tips on how to include military service on your resume, please take advantage of a free consultation with me!
How to Structure Military Experience on a Resume
There are three main ways to structure a resume: reverse chronological, functional, and combination. While each professional is different and may require a different organization, my go-to resume structure for someone changing occupations is the combination resume.
The combination resume emphasizes skills but also includes work history. Typically, a combination resume will include a professional summary, skills section, work history, and possibly another section that could be volunteer work, community service, accomplishments, awards, or another relevant heading. The combination resume structure works well for veterans because it allows you to emphasize the skills the employer seeks over military job titles and work history that may be difficult for civilian hiring managers to understand fully.
While the combination structure is great, I ask veterans, “How closely aligned is your desired civilian job to your military job?” If you were an Air Traffic Controller in the military and also seeking work in the civilian market, you may choose to use the reverse chronological (most traditional resume structure) instead simply because the jobs are very similar. If you are an officer in the Army seeking a career in business management, a combination structure is probably the best choice. Book a free consultation with me for more help on how to include military service on your resume and what resume structure to use!
Key Achievements and How to Highlight Them
The military does a great job of recognizing service members with ribbons, medals, and awards!
If you earned accolades in the military, you may be wondering how to include military service on your resume regarding your awards. As mentioned in the previous section, you can include an “Awards and Accomplishments” section on your resume! Alternatively, you can list awards and accolades under a job description if you don’t have space for a section.
One of the best ways to list a military award is to write the name of the medal, ribbon, etc., and then explain what it represents or why it was awarded. For example, say you are a Sailor in the Navy and were named “Sailor of the Year.” Next to that award name, describe why you were nominated and chosen and out of how many colleagues. Explaining helps hiring managers understand the significance behind the accomplishment and how the action behind that recognition will benefit their organization!
Additional Resources
If you are transitioning from the military to civilian life, you will participate in the TAP (Transition Assistance Program) if you have not already. Resume writing strategy and job search help are included with that program; however, if you find that it is not specific enough to your situation or needs, please contact me so I can help! I offer free, 20-minute consultations where I can provide tips and pointers for your specific transition.
To assist you with writing your resume to each job description, consider using ATS help software such as Skill Syncher. The Skill Syncher website will scan the job description you provide and your resume. It will tell you how well your resume matches the keywords in the job description and provide you with a list of terms you can work into your resume to improve your ATS score.
Final Thoughts on How to Include Military Service on Your Resume
Please remember that most employers seek the right personality and employability skills for their team. The skills you demonstrated in the military, such as leadership, responsibility, integrity, and accountability, are extremely valuable to today’s hiring managers! Highlighting your military accomplishments and selling your employability skills will make you a very desirable candidate!
About Loren & Resume Writing Services
I have been writing resumes professionally for six years and had a successful career in workforce development prior to starting my own business! Throughout the years, I have helped many veterans and military spouses write robust resumes that result in invitations to interview. It would be my pleasure to help you with your professional transition! Book a free consultation today!
