how to write a resume for veterans

Military to Civilian Resume Example for Veterans [Updated 2024]

Transitioning from a military lifestyle to that of a civilian is far from easy.

According to a Pew Research Center study, 95% of veterans seek employment after serving in the military.

26% of veteran respondents, however, found shifting from the military to the civilian lifestyle to be somewhat difficult.

Coincidentally, one of the biggest struggles for veterans is creating a compelling military to civilian resume that’s going to help them get a job that’s well-paid and enjoyable.

To help solve that problem, though, we wrote this guide. Read on to learn everything you need to know to create a compelling veteran resume, including:

• Military to Civilian Resume Example
• How to Write a Military Veteran Resume (8 Simple Steps)
• Free Military to Civilian Resume Template
• Essential (Free) Job-Search Resources for Veterans

In case you’re looking to brush up on the resume basics, watch the video below.

If you’re ready to get started, though, let’s start by reviewing a well-written military to civilian resume example.

Military to Civilian Resume Example (for Veterans)

Compelling, right? Here’s what the above military to civilian resume example does right: 

• Follows a functional resume format. The functional resume format focuses more on your skills and strengths rather than work experience. It helps convey how your military experience is going to help you perform well in the civilian role you’re applying for.
• Lists the contact information the right way. It includes the applicant’s full name, email, location, phone number, and even a LinkedIn URL while skipping out on a photo.
• Captures the hiring manager’s attention with a resume summary. The summary on top of the military to civilian resume example offers a brief snapshot of the candidate’s career, instantly showing the recruiter their value.
• Focuses on transferable skills instead of work experience. Instead of mentioning military buzzwords that civilians wouldn’t understand in the first place, the resume example instead focuses on how the candidate's experiences helped them develop valuable skills.
• Mentions achievements when possible. Achievements help convince the recruiter that they’re not just any candidate - you’re an overachiever who plays to win.
• Uses bullet points to make the resume easier to skim. The recruiter doesn’t have all day - they have hundreds of other resumes to review just for a single role. Making the resume easy to skim makes it more likely to be read.
• Includes educational history (in brief). The military to civilian resume example describes the candidate’s educational background, which includes taking a leadership course and basic training.
• Makes use of the optional sections. The achievements and interests sections help shed light on the candidate’s personality outside of work, as well.

Now, let’s talk about how YOU can make your resume as impressive as the example above.

How to Write a Military Veteran Resume (8 Easy Steps)

In this section, we’re going to walk you through the 8 steps to creating a powerful military veteran resume, starting with:

#1. Pick a Functional Resume Format

These are the 3 most popular resume formats out there:

• Reverse-chronological . This format focuses on your work history over education or skills.
• Functional . It focuses less on your work background and more on your skills and how they make you a qualified candidate.
• Combination . This format is a mix of the other two formats. It puts equal emphasis on skills and experiences. 

As a military veteran, you’re better off with a functional format .

As you can see above, the resume example focuses more on key strengths instead of just listing out work experiences.

This improves your odds of landing a civilian job for one important reason: 

Most recruiters aren’t really familiar with military lingo.

Your experiences in the military might be super compelling, but chances are, most recruiters won’t understand how these experiences make you a good candidate for the role.

By framing your experiences around your skills, on the other hand, your resume becomes more understandable for a civilian.

Once you’ve decided on the format, you also need to sort out your resume style, layout, font, and more. Here’s what this includes:

• Don’t go over one page . Your resume should be concise and to the point. More often than not, if you’re going over one page, you’re probably including information that isn’t relevant for the role.
• Pick the right font and font size . In terms of size, go for 11-12 pt for body text. For the font, pick something like Ubuntu, Times New Roman, etc. That way your resume will look professional AND stand out at the same time. 
• Use the military-to-civilian resume template . Want to skip the hassle of formatting a resume? Hit the link and pick from one of our free templates! Our templates are easy to use AND look much more compelling than the conventional black-and-white ones.

#2. Include Contact Information

Now that we’ve got the formatting hassle out of the way, let’s talk about resume content.

The first thing in your veteran resume is the contact information section.

Here, you need to include:

• Descriptive title. This should include your title in the military, as well as the title you’re applying for. Something like “Security Officer Seeking a Role as Customer Support Specialist.”
• Phone number.
• Professional email address. Think, [name][lastname]@gmail.com
• Location. City and state are good enough, you don’t need to include an address.
• (Optional) LinkedIn URL. If you have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, you can include a URL in the contact information section.

And finally, make sure NOT to include a photo in your military to civilian resume. In the US, employers prefer that you don’t include a picture to avoid unconscious bias during the hiring process.

Here’s what your resume contact information section should look like at the end:

Security & Customer Service Professional

[email protected]

416-821-9879

Seattle, US

linkedin.com/in/john.doe

#3. Capture the Hiring Manager’s Attention with a Military Veteran Resume Summary

When reading your resume for the first time, the recruiter will spend roughly 7 seconds skimming it to make sure that you’re qualified for the role.

If the resume catches their attention, they’ll give it a more in-depth look.

If it doesn’t, they’ll simply move on to the next one.

This is where a compelling resume summary can come in handy.

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence “summary” of your past work experience. It helps the recruiter understand your skill-set and whether you’re relevant for the role in a single glance.

Here’s what a convincing military to civilian resume summary looks like:

Dedicated professional with over 9 years of outstanding performance and results in the U.S. Military. Earned three promotions and excelled as a leader. Seeking to apply the skills I gained in the military as a Customer Support Specialist at Company X.

When writing your resume summary, make sure to include the following information:

• Your title in the military and the role you’re applying for.
• Years of experience.
• Top achievements and experiences.

#4. Summarize Your Experiences with a Key Strengths Section

This one’s arguably the most important part of your military to civilian resume.

At the end of the day, the main deciding factor in whether you get invited for an interview or not is if your resume manages to convince the recruiter that you’re capable of doing the job…

And that’s where the key strengths section comes in handy.

To create yours, start by listing out your top strengths as section headers. Then, underneath each header, list your achievements and responsibilities that prove you actually have the relevant skill.

Here’s what this looks like on a resume:

Customer Service

• Promoted within a short period by demonstrating an over-achieving dedication that maximized results for the entire team. 
• Proved internal customer service by relating to all personnel in a professional manner that facilitated the development of a diversified group. 
• Enhanced soldiers’ individual and professional growth, developing them into independent decision-makers.
• Accounted for the safety of equipment valued at over $1.3 million. 
• Secure the personal safety, training, and performance of fifteen U.S. Army soldiers.

Operations and Administration

• Organized schedules for over 45 soldiers. 
• Implemented new routes, resulting in savings in gas time and reduced work time. 
• Prevented over 10 cancellations and negotiated over 20 contract renewals with the local government.

Applying for a Military or Private Security Role? Do This

Now, in case you’re applying for a role that’s somewhat related to your experience in the military (e.g. in private security), then you can simply create a conventional Work Experience section instead of Key Strengths .

If that’s your case, here’s how you should format the section:

• Create a section header called “ Work Experience .”
• Start by listing your most recent role and go backward in time from there.
• For each entry, include your title, company name, dates employed, and 3-5 top achievements.
• For older positions, you can include fewer achievements and responsibilities.

Now, if you want your work experiences to stand out from the rest of the candidates, we recommend you to include achievements over responsibilities.

• Achieved a 99.5% average delivery rate on all assignments, resulting in no losses of materials or assets.
• Conducted deliveries of materials and assets.

The first example shows just how the candidate stands out from other applicants. The 2nd, on the other hand, does not.

#5. Mention Your Education (the Right Way)

On to the next section!

The next step to creating a convincing military to civilian resume is mentioning your educational background .

This is where you mention your higher educational degrees, as well as training (e.g. boot camps) and any personal development courses you’ve taken.

First things first, here’s how you’d go about the formatting part:

• Create a header called “Education”
• Add your latest degree right on top. Then, include older degrees underneath.
• If you have a B.A. or an M.A., you can skip your high school degree altogether.
• You can skip mentioning a GPA. These days, no one cares about your grades.

Here’s how the end result would look like:

B.A. in Communications Boston University 08/2016 - 05/2020

Now, if you don’t have the relevant experience needed for the role you’re applying for, you can use your education section to show off your knowledge or skills.

You can do this by including:

• Any honors you might have earned.
• Exact courses you’ve attended.
• Any other way you’ve excelled during your education.

#6. Include In-Demand Skills (For the Industry You’re Applying for)

Another must-have of a military to civilian resume is the skills section.

This is where you list out all of your hard and soft skills and (optionally) grade them by knowledge level.

The key here, though, is not to simply list out random skills like:

• Critical Thinking
• Microsoft Word

Rather, you want to include the skills relevant to the role . 

E.g. applying for a role in accounting? You should probably mention payroll tax accounting, cost reduction strategies, budgeting and forecasting , and so on.

You wouldn’t want to mention your Adobe Illustrator skills, for example (even if you’re an expert at it).

So, how can you know which skills are essential to your resume, and which ones aren’t?

The best way to understand this is to read the job ad you’re applying for. More often than not, they include an exact list of skills required for the role, and all you have to do is mention them in your resume (as long as you possess the said skills, of course).

#7. Take Advantage of the Optional Resume Sections

If you still have some space on your military veteran resume, you can take advantage of some optional resume sections.

While these sections won’t land you the job on their own, they can definitely help you stand out from other applicants seeking the same role.

Some optional sections you can include are:

• Projects. Any type of personal project you’ve worked on. This can be a local business you started, a side-gig, freelance work, and so on.
• Certifications. Any type of certification you might possess. If you don’t have the experience for the role you’re applying for, certifications can help show the recruiter that what you do have is the right skill-set.
• Volunteering Experience. If you’ve volunteered in the past, you should definitely include it in your resume. Employers love candidates who love to help others (even if there’s no monetary incentive for it).
• Hobbies & Interests. Including hobbies or interests in your resume helps the recruiter see more of your personal side. While your hobbies won’t land you the job, they might help you build rapport with the interviewer.

#8. Make Sure Your Military to Civilian Cover Letter is as Impressive as Your Resume.

At this point, your military veteran resume should be quite compelling…

But you’re not done just yet!

To have both a complete and compelling job application, you need to pair your resume with a cover letter that’s just as good.

Here are our top tips on how to write a quality cover letter :

• Start the cover letter by addressing the hiring manager directly. Sure, you could go with the default “Dear Sir or Madam,” but mentioning the hiring manager’s name shows that you’ve done your research and really care about working at the company.
• In your introduction, mention the most important parts of your background. E.g. years of experience, key achievements, top skills, and why you’re applying for the job in question.
• In the body section of your cover letter, expand on whatever you mentioned in the introduction. This is where you can also explain how the experiences mentioned in your resume make you a good candidate for the role.
• Conclude the cover letter with a call to action . E.g. “Looking forward to hearing more from you!” or “I’d love to discuss how I can help Company X as a Support Specialist over a call or an interview.”

Want to learn more? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter .

Essential Job-Search Resources for Veterans

There are a lot of free job-search resources for veterans on the internet - everything from dedicated job boards to free tools, programs, and more.

Here’s a comprehensive list of some of the very best resources:

Veteran Job-Search Resources

• Job board that helps you find federal organizations that prioritize hiring veterans over other candidates.
• Lots of quality resources to help you transition into civilian life.
• If you’re not sure what kind of career you want to focus on, you can use this website to discover different occupations and learn what they’re about.
• Website for finding veteran job fairs in your area.
• Free career consulting and job search help for veterans.
• American Corporate Partners matches you with a free, year-long mentor to help you build your career.
• LinkedIn offers its Premium program to veterans for free for a year. You can use the platform to learn new skills, kick-start your career, as well as find and apply for jobs.
• A website dedicated to helping veterans transition into a civilian lifestyle. You can use it to find jobs, discover career events, attend job fairs, and more.
• Job board for US federal jobs. While it’s not specifically made for veterans, the US government prioritizes hiring veterans over other candidates.
• Job board for veteran-friendly roles and companies.
• Job board for roles in the private security industry.
• Another veteran-only job board.

Key Takeaways

And that’s all you need to know to create a strong military veteran resume!

Before you go, though, let’s do a quick recap of the key learning points we just covered:

• For a military to civilian resume, use a functional resume format to show off your skills instead of work history.
• Use a “Key Strengths” section to explain how your military experience distills into valuable skills for a civilian role.
• Don’t include every skill under the sun on your resume. Instead, pick the ones relevant for the role you’re applying for.
• Take advantage of the optional resume sections to show the recruiter that you’re an individual and not just a resume.
• Finally, make sure that your cover letter is just as impressive as your resume by following the tips we mentioned above.

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For Veterans, How to Write a Résumé

Tips on how to translate your military skills into a civilian career.

For veterans looking for a  civilian job  can feel like traveling to a foreign country. That’s how different the language, culture and hierarchy can be when transitioning from the military to the private sector. But just as finding a good translator and researching the customs of your desired destination are stepping-stones to a great vacation, such moves can also be the foundation for  writing a résumé that helps launch a new career .

With your résumé as a passport, you’ll be ready to take on new roles and responsibilities as you pursue your goals. Here are some tips on how to write a résumé that highlights the skills you developed during military service — along with additional advice that can help veterans with their search for jobs.

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1. Demilitarize the language.  List your title and rank in your résumé, of course, but provide some basic information about what that position means without resorting to jargon. Assume recruiters aren’t veterans, so avoid military terms and acronyms they won’t understand. Identify the job titles private sector firms use to cover the duties you performed in the military. Luckily, there are numerous sources of “translation” services to help.

2. Focus on skills . Describe the skills gained from your role in the military, not just the assigned responsibilities. For example, a member of the infantry who patrolled a base and engaged in combat must demonstrate how that experience is relevant to a nonmilitary environment. “Don’t say you patrolled. Say you created a safe working environment for 300 people,” said Terry Howell, senior director of strategic alliances at Military.com, a website loaded with information about how veterans can find jobs. “Don’t say you shot at people. Talk about working under pressure and constantly assessing situations,” said Howell, who served in the Coast Guard for 20 years.

3. Brag a little.  Boast about your individual accomplishments. Bragging isn’t encouraged in the team-focused military. And while civilian companies definitely value individuals who work productively with others, employers are considering whether they should hire you. Emphasize your specific contributions to the team’s success.

4. Keep it short.  Limit your résumé to two pages or less. Many civilians don’t understand how the military operates (and may even have negative stereotypes about veterans). But your résumé is not the place to provide a detailed explanation of military practices and procedures. Stick to your experience, check the document for spelling and grammar, and tailor each résumé to the specific position you are seeking.

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5. Use all your options.  Your status as a veteran gives you access to special help with the job-hunt . Every branch of the military provides its members with transition training. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Labor Department also offer tools to ease the road to a civilian career, as do many private employers. Some ex-military members don’t consider themselves veterans if they didn’t see combat so they harbor misgivings about taking advantage of these services, according to Brian Kropp, HR practice leader at Gartner, who works on strategies to recruit veterans. He encourages veterans to use every program at their disposal. Identifying firms that are actively recruiting veterans and reaching out directly to those in charge of these efforts is a great way to find a job, even though the idea might make some veterans uncomfortable, he noted. “For veterans that can be like breaking the chain of command,” he said. Military.com lists companies that want to hire veterans. Other sources are Veteran Jobs Mission and Hire Heroes USA .

6. Find a mentor.  Look for another former member of the military who already has made the switch to the career that interests you. That person can help guide you through the process and discuss successful strategies for making the change.

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 7. Speak freely.  Be aware that communications in the civilian world are more relaxed than they are in the military, said Carol Pugh, a professor at Grantham University who served in the army for seven years. About half the students at the school are ex-military, and she runs a program to teach corporations about the benefits of hiring veterans. She said that during interviews, veterans should feel free to ask questions and highlight their achievements.

8. Plan ahead.  Don’t wait until your discharge to think about your next move. Explore the many educational opportunities the military offers its members. Consider taking classes, especially if you want to pursue a career that requires a different skill set than the one developed in your military role. Volunteering for organizations that are related to your next career goal is another way to prepare for the transition.

Editor’s note: This article, originally published Nov. 2, 2017, has been updated with the latest job resources available from AARP.

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How to Write a Winning Civilian Resume

Your civilian resume summarizes your background and experience and it’s likely to be the first information about you that an employer will see.

With your military service, you already have impressive skills and knowledge.

These tips will help you make a resume that will stand out.

Collect Your Assets

•  Get a copy of your Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET) through the Department of Defense. Your VMET will give an  overview of the skills you’ve  gained in the military.
• Computer technicians, mechanics and engineers How to Write a Winning Civilian Resume have skills that can be easily converted to civilian jobs.Convert your military job training into civilian terms. For example, budgeting is a critical skill in civilian companies.
• Make a list of your intangible skills. This list should include leadership, discipline and a strong work ethic.

Select Your Resume Style

Your resume should highlight your unique qualifications. There are different ways to organize your resume. Pick a style that highlights your strengths.

• Your employment history is highlighted in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent position.
• Include your responsibilities and accomplishments under each particular job.
• Your skills are highlighted. Your work history and gaps are de emphasized.
• Skills and accomplishments should be divided into specific areas of expertise.
• Your skills earned in various jobs are highlighted using a job history format.
• Your specific skills will form the main body of the resume, followed by a concise employment history.Include These Essential Components:
• Contact information: In the heading, include your name, address, phone number and  email address.
• Objective or job target: In one or two lines, say what kind of job you’re looking or applying for and what makes you uniquely qualified.
• Summary of qualifications: This is a bulleted section just below the objective in the visual center of the resume.
• Include five or six lines highlighting the skills that qualify you for the job.
• This will include your experience, certifications and related training.
• Title this section Highlights of Qualifications, Summary of Skills or Summary of Experience.
• Employment history: This will vary depending on the type of resume.
• Education and training: List colleges, schools or military training schools you attended. You can list the school’s name and location, but not necessarily the dates.
• Special skills: Include foreign languages, computer skills or any other relevant skills that will set you apart.Make Your Resume Unique to YouYou’ve got the basics down. Now use your resume to showcase your unique abilities and accomplishments.
• Target your resume. Change and tailor your resume for the job you’re targeting. Learn what this employer looks for and highlight those qualities.

Translate everything into civilian terms

• For example, replace “officer in charge” with “managed.”
• Take out the acronyms and use terms civilians understand. For example, replace “SNOIC for 2d MarDiv G-3, planning and executing all logistics for operations conducted in our AOR” with “Supervised staff of 15 people. Planned and coordinated operations conducted by various subordinate units within our division.”
• Include your accomplishments. Use numbers to highlight achievements, if possible. For example, “Managed budget of $100K” or “Reduced training time from 26 weeks to 24 weeks.
• Be concise. Limit your resume to one or two pages.
• Include volunteer experience if it’s relevant to the job. Volunteer experience can add to credibility and character.
• Leave off unnecessary details. Don’t include marital status, height and weight or religious affiliation. Leave off salary information unless it was explicitly requested.
• Check spelling and accuracy. Proofread your resume, ask someone else to proofread it and read your resume backward to catch typos.

Write a Cover Letter

Always send a cover letter with your resume. Your cover letter will explain why you’re interested in the position and how your skills make you the best choice for the job.

• Get the name of the person in charge of hiring. Send your email or cover letter to them. Usually, you can just call the company and ask for their name.
• Mention the job that you’re applying for in the first paragraph. Focus on describing how your skills and abilities can help the company.
• Keep it to one page. Use a business-letter format.
• Always follow up. Mention that you will call to follow up and don’t forget to do it.

Tap Into Resume Building Tools

These websites have tools to help you build your resume and translate your military 

credentials and experience into civilian skills. They reference veterans, but they’re also for active duty.

• Veterans.gov from the U.S. Department of Labor has an online job exchange with access to employers, skills translators, resume builders, interest profilers, etc.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs at va.gov offers an interest profiler, educational and career counseling and links to other job resources, such as support for veteran owned small businesses.

Prepare for Your Job Search Early

The earlier you can start your preparation for civilian employment, the better. The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) office on your installation can help you get started. Military OneSource also offers the Transitioning Veterans specialty consultation to further assist you in transitioning from military to civilian life.

Taking the next step in your career can be intimidating, but it’s far from impossible. You are qualified and equipped with the right tools. Go get them!

Related Posts

Not just a “plane” job, u.s. veterans magazine’s job board: your partner in navigating your career transition , aviation companies hiring veterans, top 10 tips to workforce transition.

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Crafting a Standout Resume for Veterans and Transitioning Military Personnel: Expert Tips for Success

by Workshops for Warriors | Oct 12, 2023 | Blog , Careers , Education , News & Media

Leaving the military and transitioning to civilian life is a monumental step that comes with its unique set of challenges. One of the most crucial aspects of this transition is crafting a resume that effectively communicates your skills, experiences, and accomplishments to potential employers. A well-structured resume can make all the difference in securing that post-military career you’ve been working towards. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the essential tips for writing a resume for veterans and transitioning military making the leap into the civilian job market.

1. Start with a Powerful Summary Statement

The first thing recruiters see when they review your resume is the summary statement. This brief section should encapsulate your skills, experience, and career goals in a compelling way. Tailor it to the specific job you’re applying for, focusing on how your military experience makes you an ideal candidate.

2. Highlight Your Military Experience

Your military service is an asset, and you should leverage it to the fullest. When detailing your military experience, be sure to:

– Use military terminology that translates to the civilian world. Explain your roles and responsibilities in a way that is understandable to those not familiar with the military.

– Emphasize leadership and teamwork skills. These are highly valued by civilian employers.

– Mention any special achievements, awards, or recognitions you received during your service.

– Quantify your accomplishments where possible. For example, “Managed a team of 20 soldiers” or “Supervised logistics operations with a budget of $1 million.”

3. Translate Military Skills into Civilian Language

When writing a resume for veterans and transitioning military, it’s essential to bridge the gap between military jargon and civilian terminology. Use online resources and career counselors to help you translate your skills into language that resonates with civilian employers. For instance, if you were a combat engineer, highlight your problem-solving abilities and project management skills. Workshops for Warriors hosts a resume-writing session each semester with Hire Heroes to assist students with translating military terminology to language civilians understand.

4. Showcase Relevant Training and Certifications

Your military training and certifications are highly valuable. Make a dedicated section in your resume to list relevant qualifications, such as technical skills, leadership training, or security clearances. These can give you a significant edge in certain industries like law enforcement, IT, or project management.

5. Focus on Achievements, Not Just Duties

Recruiters are more interested in what you achieved in your previous roles than simply your job duties. Use bullet points to highlight accomplishments, showcasing the tangible results of your work. For instance:

– Instead of saying, “Managed a team of soldiers,” say, “Led a team to achieve a 95% pass rate on critical training exercises.”

– Instead of mentioning routine tasks, emphasize projects or initiatives you led, and the positive outcomes you delivered.

6. Tailor Your Resume to Each Job Application

One size does not fit all when it comes to resumes. Customize your resume for each job you apply for by highlighting the skills and experiences most relevant to the specific position. By doing this, you demonstrate genuine interest in the role and your commitment to the employer’s needs.

7. Emphasize Soft Skills

In addition to your technical and job-specific skills, don’t forget to highlight your soft skills. Veterans often possess exceptional qualities like discipline, adaptability, and resilience, which are highly sought after in the civilian job market. Mention these skills in your resume and provide specific examples of how you’ve demonstrated them.

8. Include Relevant Civilian Work Experience

If you have any work experience in civilian roles, even while in the military, be sure to include it on your resume. This demonstrates that you are not only prepared for civilian work but have already gained experience in that context. Be concise and focus on transferable skills.

9. Use a Clean and Professional Format

A resume should be easy to read and navigate. Choose a clean and professional format that includes:

– Clear headings and subheadings to organize information.

– Bullet points to make your achievements and skills stand out.

– A legible font, such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.

– Ample white space to avoid a cluttered appearance.

– A professional email address.

10. Keep It Concise

Your resume should ideally be limited to one or two pages. Recruiters often spend just a few seconds reviewing each resume, so it’s crucial to provide essential information concisely. If you have an extensive military career, focus on the most relevant and recent experiences.

11. Use Action Words

Make your resume more dynamic by starting each bullet point with an action verb. Action words create a sense of accomplishment and energy. For example, “Managed,” “Directed,” “Developed,” “Implemented,” etc.

12. Highlight Relevant Education

Include your educational background, particularly if it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for. List your degree(s), the name of the institution, and the graduation date. If you have advanced degrees or certifications like the ones students earn at Workshops for Warriors , don’t forget to mention those as well.

13. Show Adaptability

Demonstrate your adaptability by mentioning any overseas deployments, cross-training experiences, or language proficiency you’ve acquired during your military service. These qualities can make you an attractive candidate for international or diverse workplaces.

14. Mention Your Security Clearance

If you hold a security clearance, this is an essential selling point. Include the level of your clearance and any relevant information, as this can be a significant advantage when applying for positions in government, defense, or security-related industries.

15. Address Employment Gaps

If you have employment gaps due to deployments, training, or other military commitments, don’t leave them unexplained. Briefly mention the reason for the gap in your cover letter or in a one-liner on your resume.

16. Seek Professional Help

Transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce is a significant change, and it can be beneficial to seek the assistance of professionals who specialize in helping veterans with their resumes. There are many career counselors, resume writers, and job placement services that understand the unique challenges you face. As mentioned earlier, in addition to advanced manufacturing training , Workshops for Warriors provides soft skill seminars to students every semester, including a session focused on tips for writing a resume for veterans and transitioning military.

17. Tailor Your Cover Letter

Your cover letter is an excellent opportunity to elaborate on your military experience and explain how it makes you an ideal candidate for the job. Use it to address specific points in the job description, and make a personal connection between your skills and the company’s needs.

18. Use Online Tools and Resources

Take advantage of online resources, including veteran-specific job boards, resume builders, and military transition websites. These can provide templates, examples, and guidance to create an effective resume.

19. Proofread and Edit

Before submitting your resume, carefully proofread and edit it. Check for spelling and grammatical errors, and ensure that all information is accurate and up-to-date. Mistakes can make a poor impression on potential employers.

Creating a resume as a veteran or transitioning military personnel may seem like a challenging task, but with the right approach and attention to detail, you can present your skills and experience in a way that resonates with civilian employers.

Remember to focus on the value you bring to the table, translating your military accomplishments into language that civilian recruiters can understand. With these expert tips, you’ll be well on your way to securing a successful career in the civilian workforce.

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How To Write A Great Resume

We want you to have a smooth transition from your military to civilian career. One of the first and vital steps in this career transition is in creating your resume.

And this is why we’re here – to give you the information you need to write a great resume and to support you as your veteran’s employment services expert. Because we communicate with corporate clients on a daily basis, we know what employers are looking for in candidate resumes.

We’ve put together our top resume writing tips that will help you convert your military experience, education, and skills to a civilian career.

Before we get into specifics, want to remind you of one key point about every single resume: you absolutely cannot have spelling or grammatical errors or have a disorganized and poorly formatted resume. It doesn’t matter how talented you are, if the hiring manager or human resources specialist struggles to read and understand your resume, it quickly goes to the bottom of the pile.

Follow our advice to create a great resume that stands out, gets you noticed, and hired.

Research The Civilian Job Requirements

It’s important that you do more than read the job description and title – you have to really understand what the employer is looking for. This means, reading between the lines and paying attention to mandatory skills and education, nice-to-have skills, and bonus criteria that can give you an edge.

• Pay attention to the language used in the job description. Is it very formal or more relaxed and friendly? This can tell you a lot about the company, the people you’ll be working with, and the type of person the company is looking for.
• Look for keywords and repeated emphasis on skills, education, etc. Does the job description use words like leadership, management, people person, responsive, time management, etc.? These are clue words that can tell you more about what the job is likely to entail.
• Is there an emphasis in the job description on education, experience, or both? This is important especially when you’re converting your military experience to civilian. Make sure you have a list of all of your military training, education, courses, workshops, etc., these can be useful when a job description puts a big emphasis on education.

Know Your Career Goals

Your resume is your marketing material, so you need to use it to clearly identify your career goals. It’s useful to include a top introductory section similar to this:

Career Goal: To use my 10 years of technical and design skills to create tangible advancements in end-user software. I’m keen to work in a team environment on software that can improve the lives of people and help them meet their own personal goals in health, fitness, and wellness.

This example career goal statement clearly communicates a few vital pieces of information: years of experience, core skill set, soft skills, and an alignment with company goals.

It’s important to remember that your career goal should be tailored to the job you’re applying for. Highlight your education, how your skills match those in the job description, and include keywords from the job description such as teamwork, health, wellness, software, etc.

Do not write a vague career goal that you use on every single resume.

Use Plain Language

Remember that most people are not up-to-date with the latest military language including job titles, job descriptions, and jargon. Your resume has to be easy-to-read and understand, so if it is cluttered with unfamiliar language, the human resources specialist will quickly ignore your resume.

We understand that it can be hard to explain your military experience and career to someone who has no military experience. It might sound simplistic but think about how you would explain your military job description to a 10-year old – you would use terms and language that communicate how you spend your day but leave out the nitty gritty details and confusing language.

There are some useful online tools that you can use to help translate your military skills to civilian requirements:

• Military Skills Translator
• Military Crosswalk Search

Remember Your Soft Skills

Don’t overlook your soft skills when creating your resume. This includes skills that you likely took for granted as just being part of the job:

• Communication
• Attention-to-detail

When reading the job description look for these keywords and make sure you emphasize these same words when creating the work experience section of your resume.

Highlight Your Military Accomplishments and Background

Your military background and accomplishments are extremely valuable. Don’t gloss over your military accomplishments and career. Many employers want to give jobs to veterans so it’s key that you showcase your military background.

However, remember to keep the language free of military jargon and descriptions that only make sense to those with military experience. Your military experience is an attribute so be clear about what you did, what you learned, and what you want to do with this experience.

Customize Your Resume For The Civilian Job

Yes, this does take more time, but it’s important that you customize your resume for the job you’re applying for. Even when applying for jobs in the same industry, each job will have slightly different job requirements.

It’s your responsibility to clearly explain how you meet the job requirements and why you’ll be an asset to the company. Remember the importance of looking for keywords and in clearly translating your military experience to civilian.

Make it easy for the employer to understand how and why you can help them solve their problems. This means you need to be clear, concise, and obvious. Tell the employer what you’ve done but don’t include every single job you’ve ever had – include only the relevant experience, skills, and education.

Key Resume Sections

Your resume needs to be easy to quickly scan – giving the person exactly what they want and expect. Make sure your resume includes these key sections:

• Contact Information : double-check your email address and phone number. You’d be surprised at how many people misspell their email address or make an error in their phone number.
• Career Goal : clearly state your career goal and include some key qualities such as years of experience, skills, and how you mesh with the company goals.
• Education : include relevant post-secondary education such as college degrees, post-secondary course work, military training, workshops, etc.
• Work Experience : customize this to the job you’re applying for. Emphasize the work experience that is relevant to the job. Include the job title, job description, and your key duties. This is your chance to highlight important soft skills.
• Volunteer/Professional Development/Organization Memberships : tailor this section so you can for example, highlight your membership in a professional organization or showcase your community volunteer work.

Veteran’s Employment Is Here To Help

We want to help you find your ideal employment opportunity.

Our focus is on finding employment for veterans – men and women like you who have served Americans and are now looking for new ways to contribute and make positive change.

We work with leading American corporations to give you the best employment opportunities possible. We’re excited about your future and we want you to feel the same.

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