military terms to civilian terms resume

• Wardrobe “Basic Load”
• Keys to Franchising Success
• Returning to College
• Post-Government Employment Restrictions
• Corporate Functions List
• Apprenticeships & Rotational Programs
• USAJOBS Resume Builder

Military to Civilian Thesaurus

• Mission Transition Lessons Learned
• Sample Resumes, Letters & Notes
• Financial Needs Exercises
• Mission Transition Bibliography
• Mission Transition Additional Reading
• Veteran Employment Details by State
• Veterans Benefits Timetable
• Budget Pro Forma Template
• Veteran Guard & Reserve Guidance
• Prioritization Matrices
• Contact List Template
• Veteran Collaboratives
• Transition Data
• Additional Hiring Veteran Resources by Chapter
• Hiring Veterans Bibliography
• US Military Ranks & Insignia
• Applicable Regulations and Incentives Template
• State Tax Incentives for Hiring Veterans
• How to Apply for the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
• State & Territory Employer Support Websites
• Summary of Pertinent State & Territory Laws Governing Military Affairs
• Pertinent State & Territory Employment Laws Governing Military Affairs
• List of Supporting Policies Template
• Veteran Support Program Executive Dashboard Template
• Veteran Support Program Metric Template
• Veteran Support Program Scope Template
• Stakeholder Analysis Template
• Lessons for New Veteran Hires
• Mentoring Program Structure Template
• Communications Plan Template
• US Military Installation Population by State
• Comparison of Military and Civilian Benefits
• Compensation and Benefits Comparison Summary Template
• In-Person Interview Form
• Screening Interview Form
• Department of Defense Military Organizational Structure Chart
• Mission Transition
• Hiring Veterans
• Video Course

The following terms are organized by service, and only intended for civilian (non-government) resumes. This listing is also intended to be inclusive of the National Guard and Merchant Marines. It draws from the DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms and related references from the respective services.

This list is intended only to suggest possible translations. Please use it as a guide. It is not intended to indicate mandatory translations or suggest applicability in all instances. The user must interpolate appropriate application given the specific nature of that individual’s unique circumstances. A ‘one size fits all’ approach does not apply to resumes.

Finally, this list admittedly only scratches the surface when it comes to military terminology. Please provide additional suggestions via the form at the bottom of this page .

Legend:  (adj) = adjective       (adv) = adverb       (n) = noun      (v) = verb

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Military Term(s):

Translated Civilian Term(s): Please leave this field empty.

 See: “Joint Publication 1-02, DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms,” Defense Technical Information Center , July 2017, accessed August 5, 2017, http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/dictionary.pdf .

See: “ADRP 1-02 TERMS AND MILITARY SYMBOLS,” HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY , September 2013, accessed August 5, 2017,   http://usacac.army.mil/sites/default/files/misc/doctrine/CDG/cdg_resources/manuals/adrp/adrp1_02.pdf .

See: “Marine Corps Supplement to the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms; MCRP 1-10.2,” US Marine Corps , August 19, 2013, accessed November 2, 2017, http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/MCRP%201-10.2%20(Formerly%20MCRP%205-12C).pdf?ver=2016-06-23-085133-250 .  

See: “NAVY SUPPLEMENT TO THE DOD DICTIONARY OF MILITARY AND ASSOCIATED TERMS NTRP 1-02,” Defense Technical Information Center , June 2012, accessed August 5, 2017, http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA562336 .

See: “AIR FORCE  SUPPLEMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DICTIONARY OF MILITARY AND ASSOCIATED TERMS, Air Force Doctrine Document 1-02 Change 1,” LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education , January 6, 2012, accessed August 5, 2017, https://fas.org/irp/doddir/usaf/afdd1-2.pdf .  

See: “Glossary of Bridge Terms,” US Coast Guard , accessed August 5, 2017, http://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5pw/Office%20of%20Bridge%20Programs/GLOSSARY.pdf .  See also: “List of Commonly Used Coast Guard Acronyms,” United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Ninth Coast Guard District – Central Region , June 2005, accessed August 19, 2017, http://www.central.districtnine.org/docs/AcronymsList.pdf . See also: “US Coast Guard Publication 1: Doctrine for the US Coast Guard,” US Coast Guard , February 2014, 95-99, accessed August 20, 2017, http://www.overview.uscg.mil/Portals/6/Documents/PDF/CGPub_1-0_Doctrine.pdf?ver=2016-10-20-094949-363 .

See: "Air Force & Space Force Almanac 2022," Air Force Magazine , June / July 2022, pp 167-168, accessed October 1, 2023, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2022/07/Almanac2022_Fullissue-1.pdf . See also: "Space Doctrine Publication (SDP) 4-0," Sustainment Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) , December 2022, accessed October 1, 2023, https://www.starcom.spaceforce.mil/Portals/2/SDP%204-0%20Sustainment%20(Signed).pdf?ver=jFc_4BiAkDjJdc49LmESgg%3D%3D#:~:text=Space%20Doctrine%20Publication%20(SDP)%204%2D0%2C%20one%20of,%2C%20from%2C%20and%20to%20space.&text=Access%20to%20and%20the%20ability,are%20vital%20to%20national%20interests. See also: " Space Doctrine Publication (SDP) 1-0 Personnel, United States Space Force (USSF) , September 2022, accessed October 1, 2023, https://www.starcom.spaceforce.mil/Portals/2/SDP%201-0%20Personnel%207%20September%202022.pdf?ver=erudfM8rwArAPlxplIu47g%3D%3D .

See: "Military (Jargon) to Civilian Translations," San Fracisco Federal Executive Board , accessed October 1, 2023, https://media.licdn.com/dms/document/media/D561FAQGO8socnJkLpQ/feedshare-document-pdf-analyzed/0/1687263384040?e=1696464000&v=beta&t=cx8PAupKMfm1JLDnbzv6hLiiAP0wrnxI8nsKtEyruJU .

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.
• For group discussions for veterans on resumes and gaining employment after service. (Veterans only/ screened and weeded out by questions and profile)
• For discussing Skill Bridge opportunities and military transitions. Skill bridge is a military program for giving veterans an opportunity to learn and work at civilian companies for 6 months before leaving the military.
• 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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Military to Civilian Resume: Tips to Show Off Your Skills

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One of the most challenging things when creating a resume is condensing a career’s worth of experience to one or two pages. This becomes increasingly difficult the longer you have been in the workforce. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

The key is knowing which information to include, how to format your resume, and how to set yourself apart from the crowd. After all, the purpose of a resume isn’t to get you a job; it’s to secure an interview.

These tips will help you write a resume showcasing your skills, abilities, and accomplishments – whether you have a few years or a few decades of work experience. These tips will help your resume get noticed and, hopefully, get you on the shortlist for a face-to-face or phone interview .

10-15 Seconds ~ That’s all the Time You Have

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Hiring managers often receive over one hundred resumes for each job opening they post. No, that is not a typo. With so many resumes and so little time, they need to ruthlessly cull the stack of resumes to a more manageable shortlist – the select group of resumes that will get looked at in more depth and possibly lead to an interview.

The sheer number of applications many managers receive is also why many jobs are never advertised and remain in the hidden job market .

There are several ways managers chop the list – the first is automated software (see the keyword section below), followed by simple manual screening – did the applicant submit the resume in the correct format, is it easy to read, are there any glaring spelling or grammar errors, is the applicant qualified?

Using these filters makes it quick and easy to toss out resumes – and when there are so many applicants, the easiest way to start the process is to first look for reasons to throw out resumes, not look for the best candidate. If your resume passes muster, then it might go to the shortlist of potential interviews, while the others are filed in the round basket on the floor of the hiring manager’s desk.

You’re right if you think that scented paper or envelopes, colored paper or fonts, or monogrammed stationery will make an impression. Unfortunately, it’s not the right impression. These are a waste of time and money; in most cases, they will send your resume straight to the reject pile.

The truth is that most resumes today are submitted in a digital format and HR reps and hiring managers don’t want to mess around with non-standard resume formats, colored paper, and fonts, or other distractions.

Their time is limited and they want to be able to quickly and easily size up an applicant with as little trouble as possible.

The most effective method for making your resume stand out is by using a clean and easy to read format that clearly highlights your skills, talents, and abilities.

Let’s walk through some tips and examples of writing a resume that will cut through the clutter and rise to the top of that long list of job applicants who can’t be bothered to take the time to research how to write and submit a resume according to the employer’s guidelines. Let’s go.

I know it sounds elementary, but it bears repeating – the little things really do matter. And they are also the easiest mistakes to avoid .

You must use proper spelling and attention to details when writing a resume.

You don’t necessarily need to write grammatically correct sentences (fragments are acceptable and often preferable), but you do need to pay attention to proper capitalization, commas, periods, semi-colons, and other grammatical elements when called for. And always, always, always, use spell-check*.

*Keep in mind that spell-check isn’t the same as grammar check, write right?

Let’s assume for a minute that you have years of experience under your belt. Listing a career’s worth of experience on a resume can not only be a daunting task, it can also be an exercise in futility.

The first thing you should do is decide which type of job you are looking for. That seems easy on the surface, and for many people, it is.

But some people have various skills and can fit into multiple job positions. Take a few moments to brainstorm the type of job you seek, and commit this to paper – not only for your resume but for yourself.

Think of it as your personal job statement . Keep it handy, because you will need to use this as your guiding light as you search for your next job – and create the ultimate resume.

The military equips its personnel to handle a variety of situations. It’s not uncommon to see a junior military member managing millions of dollars worth of equipment or making life-and-death decisions. In many ways, military members handle decisions and responsibilities far greater than their peers in the corporate world. But how do you get that across in a resume?

You possess a unique capacity to set yourself apart as a service member. You need to understand a few basic points to highlight these unique skill sets.

First, civilians rarely understand the scope a military career field covers. It is your job to inform them. Second, you need to translate those military responsibilities into civilian-friendly summaries. Limit your acronyms — employers rarely understand them.

Military veterans often have many skills and talents civilian employers seek. But sometimes, the veterans and the employers don’t speak the same language. Today, we will show you a few resources you can use to help translate your military service into terms civilian employers can better understand – making you more valuable as a potential employee and potentially helping you more easily get a job.

The term “Infantryman” covers a fairly broad category, encompassing several definitions and many responsibilities. As a service member, how do you translate your wholly unique set of skills to civilian employers? If your military occupational specialty is infantry, you can convert that into a civilian-friendly summary of qualifications. Instead of simply denoting yourself as an “infantryman who shot machine guns,” take a second, grab some water, and relax.

Very few employers are enamored with machine-gun management. They are, however, more apt to entertain the idea you “operated equipment in high-stress situations.” Think outside the military “box.” Deconstruct your responsibilities, pulling from individual acts, instead of an all-encompassing billet denoted by the Department of Defense.

Continuing with the theme of “translation” and DOD billets, it’s time you civilianize your job title. Let’s face it, as a “Company Gunnery Sergeant,” you managed a group of pugnacious young men, keeping them on schedule and saving their hides’ regularly – essentially a high-level “Supervisor.”

Similarly, a “Commanding Officer” in the Air Force is responsible for scheduling training, directing operations, and making other executive decisions. In the civilian world, “Operations Manager” parallels that of “Commanding Officer.”

Also, when compiling your resume, stay away from acronyms and abbreviations. We veterans may know what you’re saying, but the rest of America doesn’t. Translate them into layperson terms.

Military training/schooling should be simplified into the real meaning of said education. For example, the job qualifications of a Naval “EMN ET” are rather intense, involving some of the most comprehensive high-tech training available in the world. If you gained certification as an “EMN ET,” explain the assortment of letters (Electricians Mate [Nuclear Field]) and the months of cutting-edge schooling you endured.

And don’t forget to spell-check – it’s there for a reason!

The military has a host of jobs that don’t exist in the civilian world, and putting the skills you learned in those positions may seem difficult, and it can be if you start from scratch. Thankfully, there are a few online tools that you can use to help craft a civilian resume that will attract attention, regardless of your former military position.

• O*NET, the Occupational Information Network . This tool was developed for the U.S. Department of Labor and helps military members translate their skills into civilian terms. Simply enter your MOS, AFSC, Rating, or job title and the database will return a summary of your military job and some examples of skills you can use on your resume.
• Military.com MOS Translator . This tool works the same way as the above link. Simply enter your military job, and you will receive a synopsis of skills learned on the job.
• Texas Veterans Commission Skills Translation . This page lists several additional resources that work the same as the above two tools. There are several similar tools to be found online, and once you learn how to use one of them, they should all be somewhat similar in function.

There is also a list of new career resources for veterans on this site which can point you in the right direction.

The next step is to create a master resume that captures everything you have done throughout your applicable career (note the word applicable). It doesn’t make sense to list things that aren’t related to your current job search if they happened years ago and you won’t need that experience in your next job.

For example, I served for six years in the military as an aircraft mechanic. My military service was a decidedly blue-collar experience, and every job I have held in my post-military career has been of a white-collar nature.

In my resume, I limit reference to my military experience to the dates and locations I worked in that field and a one or two-line description of my duties. Nothing more is necessary, as I am not going back into the aircraft maintenance field.

Length isn’t important – yet. Don’t worry about how long the first draft of your base resume is – the purpose of this resume is to capture all of your skills and experience and serve as a foundation for the resumes you are actually going to submit.

This resume could be two or three pages long or five or six pages long. It doesn’t matter – this is for you only, as the purpose of it is to help you create the resumes you will actually submit for your applications.

Yes, we are creating multiple resumes here. Remember – we are going for the ultimate resume that will get you noticed, not a boilerplate resume you can blast on a job site and hope you receive a phone call or e-mail from your dream employer.

*Bonus tip. You should update your master resume at least every six months, or any time you have a change in duties and responsibilities. Since this is a master resume that contains your career record, you may find it helpful to append the date at the end so you can quickly determine when it was last updated. I prefer to use a format such as yyyy_mm_dd.

Creating a one-size-fits-all resume is almost universally discouraged. Most experts recommend writing resumes for each job or industry you are applying for.

But there are two schools of thought here: build a unique resume for each specific job you apply for, or make a unique resume for each field or type of job you apply for.

The first option is self-explanatory. You can write a unique resume for each job application.

This isn’t a problem if you are only applying to a few locations. The downside to this approach happens when you apply for many different jobs.

You could spend hours tweaking multiple drafts of what is essentially the same resume. There is something to be said about leaving well enough alone .

You may be better off writing multiple versions of your resume if you are applying for jobs that you are qualified for, but would be classified under different job titles. Let’s look at an example of when this might work:

Say you have experience as a mechanical engineer with a background in project management, quality control, and Six Sigma. If you are interested in applying for jobs specializing in those four skills, you may be better off writing a unique resume for each of these four career fields to better emphasize your skills in those areas. We’ll cover how to keep track of these variations in a later section.

Writing the perfect customized resume. Start with the base resume you created earlier and tailor it for each specific position or company you are applying for.

Most resumes should be limited to one or two pages, with some exceptions (see next section on length), so you will likely need to slash items from your work history. For example, you may be able to cut your first few job positions down to the company, dates worked, job title, and a one or two-line summary (as I mentioned above regarding my military experience).

Use the majority of the space to focus on your most recent and/or relevant work, along with your education, certifications , and skills. This takes more work, as it needs to be customized for each position, but you end up with a resume that is more applicable to the company/position you are applying for and one that is more likely to float to the top of the stack.

It can be difficult to reduce years, or even decades, of experience to one or two pages. Do it anyway.

Many hiring managers only give 10-15 seconds to a resume on an initial pass. If you have three or four or five pages, chances are very high your resume will be placed in the reject pile.*

Be considerate of the hiring manager and condense your resume to the hardest-hitting bullet points and most valuable skills.

*The exception to this rule would be for high-level positions such as C-level managers or highly specialized jobs requiring a long list of qualifications or certifications. Use your judgment, career position, and knowledge of your specific industry as your guide.

You want to include as much information as possible in your resume, but you also want it to be easy on the eyes and easy to read. Bullets are preferable to long blocks of text. A manager can quickly scan bullets on dozens of resumes, but text in a paragraph format is not as easy to scan quickly and will likely be skipped over.

You can play with the formatting to reduce white space, condense lines, or make it easier to read. But don’t get too creative (unless you are in the creative arts industry or a similar field, and even then, be careful).

You want your resume to stick out, but not if that means it is automatically rejected as being too difficult to read or understand. When in doubt, err on the side of standardization and simplification.

Bonus formatting tip: For my first post-military job, I adjusted the borders of my resume so I could fit an extra line or two on my resume. (I was using MS Word).

I tested it by opening it on multiple computers, printing it on my home computer, etc. I thought it was good to go, so I submitted it electronically.

However, when I went to the interview, the interviewing manager brought a copy of my resume with him to the interview and I was horrified to see that it was two pages – with the second page only containing one line of printed material!

Thankfully, the interview went well, and I got the job. But that was a lesson learned on my part. Don’t make my mistake!

Give your resume a descriptive file name. A good example is something like, FirstName_LastName_Job_Description.pdf * .

For example, if I were applying for a project management position, I would use a resume with the following filename: Ryan_Guina_Project_Manager.pdf .

Remember, most resumes are submitted digitally and end up as e-mail attachments, or as part of a larger database of resumes. Using a keyword or job description in your file name makes it easier for an HR rep or hiring manager to find and remember your resume at a glance and avoid having to open it, just to see your name or which position you are applying for.

The worst thing you can do is name your file, Resume.doc . That works for your own computer, where you are the only person who will see it, but it’s awful for a hiring manager who may be looking at multiple files with the same name.

A generic title is much more likely to end up in the trash bin than on the shortlist for interviews.

*See next section on resume file formats

Contrary to popular belief, not all businesses use Microsoft Word , even though that is still the standard in most industries. Since not all companies use or support MS Word, using an extension such as .doc, or .docx may not be a good idea, unless it is the requested format.

When deciding which file extension to use, always pay attention to the requirements listed by the hiring company.

Other popular formats. If in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a .pdf format, which is freely available and used by most businesses (it is also system agnostic, meaning it can be opened on Windows, Macs, and Linux machines with a free version of Adobe Reader ).

You also don’t need a full version of Adobe to create a .pdf – many word processors or operating systems can easily convert documents to a .pdf format. Otherwise, you can find free converters online.

Some HR reps and hiring managers prefer to receive the resume inside the e-mail so they don’t have to spend time downloading and opening an attachment. When in doubt, ask!

Submitting to a proprietary system? Use a text file. You may run into companies or hiring agencies that require you to manually enter your resume into their proprietary system ( USAJobs.gov is a prime example; see their Resume Builder site for tips on filing a resume with the US govt).

This can be a pain, but if it’s the only way to apply, you have to deal with their system. And if you already have a resume from another application, you can always copy/paste, which saves time.

First, copy your data into a text file first (Notepad on PC, TextEdit on Mac), which will strip formatting and extra code from your source document. MS Word is notorious for adding extraneous lines of code when copied/pasted, so first transferring your data into a text document will ensure your information is input into the system cleanly.

A word about manual entries. Some companies which require you to enter your resume manually don’t have a length limit, and you wouldn’t know you were up against it anyway, since you can’t always see what it looks like in its finished format.

Even though you may feel freedom without the constraints of length, it’s still a good idea to limit yourself to the items with the most impact on your resume. Focus on streamlining your resume for the exact position – remember, you want it to stand out, not be pages and pages of fluff.

As we mentioned above, creating a customized resume based on your job search is essential. Because of this, you will have multiple versions of your resume specific to different companies or career fields.

Unless you are organized from the outset, you may lose track of which resume you sent to which company. This would be a bad thing.

Use the file naming format to create a list of resumes you send out. For example, if I applied for a project management position at Google, I would use the following filename:

• Ryan_Guina_Project_Manager_Google.pdf, or
• Google_Ryan_Guina_Project_Manager.pdf

Following a standard naming convention* allows you to easily find the exact resume you need when you receive a callback or phone interview. And if you need to apply for another project manager position or similar job, you can grab this version and tweak it for a different company or related job description.

Remember, there is no need to recreate the wheel – use shortcuts when it makes sense!

I don’t recommend including the company name in the file you send to the company. It could come across as presumptuous or as though you are shotgunning your resume.

*There is no universal naming convention. Use what makes the most sense to you. For example, you may prefer to append something like v1.0, v1.1, etc. at the end, or use a date convention, such as yyyy_mm_dd.

We’ve only discussed formatting, file names, and length. These are all essential, as ignoring these items may get your resume tossed before it is even looked at.

But if your resume doesn’t have legs, it can’t stand. So you need to fill it with your skills, abilities, accomplishments, education, awards, and anything else which might sell you as the perfect employee for the job you are applying to.

The two most important things to remember are to stick to the facts and sell yourself . (Seriously, don’t get caught in a lie; nothing good will come from it).

A few words about lying on your resume: Don’t do it. This rings true regardless of whether you are applying for an entry-level position or you are applying to a C-Level job at a Fortune 500 company.

Scott Thompson, the former CEO of Yahoo, was ousted after only 4 months on the job after Yahoo determined he lied on his resume .

It’s not just high-ranking people who falsify their resumes and bios. The same thing can happen to you if you submit a fraudulent resume for a job application.

Most companies and hiring managers do a background check when hiring employees. It may be as basic as a criminal background check, or, for higher-level positions, it can be as deep as a full background check, including verifying your resume and educational background.

The safe thing – both professionally and morally – is to always be truthful when writing your resume. The last thing you want is to be hired, only to be fired shortly afterward for a fraudulent resume.

You would not only lose the job you just got, but potentially lose out on other positions, either those which you declined interviews for after you got hired at your new job or from other companies which would decline even to interview you if they got wind of your lack of ethics when you applied to your former position.

And don’t dismiss the last possibility – some industries are very tight and many of them have contacts at other companies. I’ve worked in some of those industries where news travels very quickly and it is easy to see your professional stock rise or drop very quickly.

Falsifying your resume is just not worth damaging your personal or professional reputation.

There are three main formats for resumes: chronological, functional, and hybrid:

The most common type of resume is the chronological resume , which lists your jobs and accomplishments in reverse chronological order. This is usually the preferred format as it is the format most hiring managers are familiar with, and it lists your most recent accomplishments first.

This is perfect for service members who’ve consistently been employed, military or otherwise. It’s important to account for lapses in employment, as companies look for consistency.

The next most common type of resume is the functional resume , in which you list your skills first. Functional resumes are generally best for applicants who are changing industries, don’t have an extensive work history, or have a long employment gap (unemployment, going back to school, etc.).

So-called “skills translators” are great tools to utilize when writing a functional resume. They will translate military skills into civilian terms. Military.com has an excellent skills translator, and www.onetonline.org offers an excellent free MOS decoder. For example, rather than simply denoting yourself as an infantryman, the skills translator suggests you “operated weapons and equipment in ground combat operations.”

A hybrid resume is another option to consider. This option combines the two previous formats by using a more extensive summary which includes a more in-depth list of skills, followed by a reverse chronology of work history. The key is to find a format that best highlights your work experience.

Note: These formats work for most industries but are not universal. Your resume should be constructed based on industry standards and expectations. A tech resume, for example, might be formatted slightly differently, as the emphasis is on skills and proficiencies.

Pay close attention to the job description when creating your tailored resume. Each job listing will have a list of keywords in the job description.

It’s a great idea to use some of these exact phrases in your resume, as long as they represent your skills and abilities.

Why is this a good idea?

Because many HR departments use software to screen resumes to lessen the load on the hiring managers.

The more keywords your resume matches to the job description, the more likely your resume will float to the top and be read by a human instead of filtered as not being a match.

Don’t use this knowledge to spam your resume if you don’t have the skills. Instead, use this knowledge to rework and refine your resume to make it more in line with what the company is looking for.

Your contact information is straightforward – list your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address*.

You can also include your personal website , LinkedIn profile , or other social media profiles if applicable. In most cases, your boss doesn’t need to see your FaceBook page. But including a link or url to an online resume or portfolio may do wonders, especially if you are in a creative industry and need to show examples of your previous work.

Your LinkedIn profile may also be a way for a potential employer to research your professional background further and could lead to you being hired . In all cases, only include this information if you present a professional image.

*Always use a professional e-mail address. [email protected] or something similar is always preferable to [email protected] .

Most resume templates include a section for both the Objective and Summary. You can almost always kill the objective statement without hurting your resume.

Most objective statements are obvious, and you waste space that could be used for more important information, such as your actual skills and accomplishments.

The Summary statement is also something I have seen people recommend scrapping. I’m in favor of keeping it, so long as you make it useful and concise .

Only include strong statements about your top-level qualifications. Use this section to include keywords from the posted job description, which will help your resume get through automatic filters.

Tip: Use this space to show the company what you can do for them, not to tell the company what you want from them.

If you are fresh out of college, it’s essential to use anything you can use to your advantage to set you apart from others.

So you will likely want to include things such as the university you attended, location, degree achieved, college major, minor, GPA, student activities/clubs/groups (especially if you held an office, such as club president), awards, and even scholarships or internships if relevant.

Once you have a few years of experience under your belt, some of your school activities and other education and training are no longer as important as what you have accomplished in your career and you can limit your education to the university, major, GPA if solid and anything that sets you apart.

Always list any relevant skills and certifications which apply to your job search. This includes professional certifications, language skills, and tech skills such as software or programming.

It is also a good idea to include your relevant professional affiliations, such as trade groups, industry affiliations, and similar professional groups.

These show that you are active in your professional growth and are more likely to be up to date with trends and technological advancements in your industry. You can also use this section to include professional training you have taken which may be relevant to your job search.

Be as specific as you can when describing your job title, tasks, duties, and accomplishments. If you trained new employees, then be specific: trained 15 new employees on internal standards and practices.

If you saved the company money or time, then try to quantify it. Quantifying your skills and abilities can go a long way toward helping you get the interview, get the job, and negotiate a higher salary .

Use hard numbers when possible. Let’s face it – figures are sexy, and sex sells. Which of these is more impressive:

• Saved company time and money by creating and implementing a new widget production process
• Created new widget production process; reduced production time by 20% and saved $1 million in production costs

The second one, right? Even if you remove the staggering sum of $1 million, it sounds more impressive, because it is concrete. The goal here isn’t to oversell yourself or to brag, but to put some scope into your past work experience.

Acronyms are commonly used in many industries and workplaces. But that doesn’t mean they always translate across career fields and employers.

If you use acronyms, be sure they are industry standards representing certifications or commonly understood topics. If in doubt, it’s almost always best to spell it out first, then use the acronym in parenthesis.

Then you can use the acronym throughout the resume. Example: If you are applying for a project management position, you can write this in your resume, Project Management Professional (PMP) certified. Future references to the certification can be listed as PMP, without spelling it out.

There are two sides to the argument when considering adding things outside of your normal work duties. Some people recommend sticking with only those items which relate to work. Other people say it’s OK to include outside activities.

I’m in the second camp, provided the items you include help you stand out from the pack . Listing your volunteer activities may also be another way to help your resume stand out.

Make sure that whatever you include in this section shows a potential employer the skills you bring to the table.

What digital resume? You mean you don’t have one? You should. A large percentage of employers perform an informal background check on job candidates.

A quick Google search can save an employer a lot of time and money if it helps them weed out the wrong candidates before spending time or money interviewing them, or worse, hiring them, only to find out they aren’t the right person for the job. Go search for your name in Google. When I search for my name , I see various articles I’ve written, websites I own, and social media profiles.

Any prospective employer can quickly and easily find the same thing. Make sure all your public profiles are professional in nature.

Want more information on creating a digital resume? We wrote another 1,600+ word resource on creating video and digital resumes, including how and where to do it (there are many free resources to create and upload your video resume or portfolio). So we won’t recreate the wheel in this article.

Just know that having your resume available in different formats and locations increases the likelihood of it being found. The more engaging it is, the more likely you will be contacted for an interview.

The vast majority of job openings never get posted on public job boards, as many jobs are filled internally, or via recommendations from current employees or headhunters . Because of this, your personal and professional network is the best place to find a job.

Not only that, but they can be the best source for reviewing your resume and offering advice on where it can be improved. The bonus is that when you ask for someone to review it, they may put it in front of someone who is looking to hire someone or knows someone who is hiring.

The more people who see your resume when you are looking for a job, the better.

Many of the following are common sense, but others you may not have thought about. Either way, here’s a good checklist you can use to catch the eye of potential employers:

Roles and Responsibilities. Avoid jargon. Focus on essential transferable skills and titles.

Experience. Highlight the experience where you provided added value to an employer.

Skills. Your skills will complement your experience and should ultimately illustrate your suitability for the job offered.

Results and Achievements. Not a separate category, but figure out a way to weave these things into your narrative.

Education. Include relevant educational certificates, particularly when listed as essential or desirable in the selection criteria.

Formatting. Make sure it’s easy to read, with no typos, so an employer can quickly scan it. Use only one font. Instead of rambling sentences, use bullet points to outline skills, achievements, and responsibilities.

No Inconsistencies. Make sure there are no unexplained gaps in your work history or inconsistencies in the responsibilities or achievements you’ve included.

Relevant Language. Use important keywords throughout your resume that are relevant to your field. To do this, scan the job description and make sure your language mirrors it. Avoid excessive jargon

Format and Label. Ensure your resume is formatted in such a way that the recipient will be able to open it easily. When you save your resume, include your name in the saved title.

Scanability. Although you’ll choose the best action words and power verbs for your resume, accept that few hiring managers are reading your resume.

Instead, they scan the page, looking for keywords, job titles, and major facts that will show if you are a good fit for the position.

If you’re not sure where or how to start, break down the process into these 7 basic steps:

• Choose a format.
• Start with your contact information.
• Include your professional profile.
• Summarize your education and experience.
• Highlight your skills.
• Include your certifications.
• Conclude with additional sections that are relevant for the job or industry.

At a minimum, all resumes should contact the same basic elements. Here are the five main sections of a resume:

Contact information. Your name, city and state, phone number, and email address should be prominently displayed at the top of your resume. Include social media profile links and your personal website or blog, if applicable.

Introduction. In many cases, you’ll benefit from a brief overarching introduction. Add a couple of sentences that show the value you offer by highlighting your skills and some career successes.

Professional experience. This is the most critical section, but many job seekers mistake listing their job duties instead of their accomplishments.

Skills. What are you particularly strong at that will let an employer see the value you bring to a need they have? Focus on technical, people, and industry-specific skills and make them prominent.

Education. Go beyond listing your college degree. Add certificates, classes and other training that will set you apart from other applicants.

Unless you’re highly experienced or have a long list of relevant specialized knowledge that you need to convey, keep it to one page. In some cases, spillover to a second page is okay.

But remember, you’ll lose your readers if you go way too long. An overly long resume will work against you, so go for your greatest hits and nothing more.

The three standard resume formats. Each provides the same information but it’s just organized differently.

A functional resume draws attention to your skills instead of your past employment or work history. You group relevant skills and accomplishments into special categories and place them before the work history section of your resume. This is a great approach for highly technical positions.

A chronological resume emphasizes your past employment by listing your work history near the beginning of your resume. List your most ccurrent position first and then other positions going back up to about 15 years or so.

A combination resume mixes the best features of the functional and chronological styles by emphasizing your abilities while including a full job history. This format is quickly becoming the format of choice for upwardly mobile professionals due to its flexibility and ability to highlight strengths and skills.

Employers like it because it makes the task of looking for searchable keywords easier to accomplish. This is best suited for professionals with a long history, many contacts and references, and at least some sort of reputation in the field.

Avoid these resume killers at all costs:

• Poor writing or word choices
• Bragging (learn the difference between this and responsibilities and achievements).
• Poor layout or illegible font.
• Fancy design. Make it easy to read.
• Political affiliations.
• Too much information.
• Inaccuracies about your qualifications or experience.
• Unnecessary personal information.
• Marital status.
• Negative comments about a former employer.
• Your hobbies and interests.
• An unprofessional email (i.e. [email protected] does not work!)
• Multiple phone numbers
• Outdated or irrelevant social media profiles
• Sexual orientation
• Spiritual beliefs.
• Salary history
• References. When it’s time, they’ll ask.

Here are some things to consider when drafting a cover letter.

• Keep it simple.
• A cover letter is only a polite handshake and nothing more.
• Three or four paragraphs should be enough.
• Triple check for spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Be polite, confident and upbeat.
• Avoid jargon, cliches or too many technical terms.
• Explain why you are the best candidate and what you can bring to the job.
• Say thank you and request a follow up (i.e., “I look forward to discussing this position…)

The job markets are very competitive right now, so you must do everything possible to set yourself apart from the pack. Your resume is one of the first ways to do that.

Treat your job search, resume writing, and interview preparation as a full-time job. It is that important.

Put in the time, create an excellent resume, and be prepared when you are called in for an interview.

Always update your resume every few months to reflect your current skills, abilities, and accomplishments. This will make it easier to apply to jobs in the future.

We’ve covered a lot in this article, and I hope this has been helpful for you. Click on the links throughout the article for further information on crafting your resume, or leave a comment with questions or tips you have for others.

About Post Author

Ryan Guina is The Military Wallet’s founder. He is a writer, small business owner, and entrepreneur. He served over six years on active duty in the USAF and is a current member of the Tennessee Air National Guard.

Ryan started The Military Wallet in 2007 after separating from active duty military service and has been writing about financial, small business, and military benefits topics since then.

Featured In: Ryan’s writing has been featured in the following publications: Forbes, Military.com, US News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, Reserve & National Guard Magazine (print and online editions), Military Influencer Magazine, Cash Money Life, The Military Guide, USAA, Go Banking Rates, and many other publications.

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Get Your Military Resume in Shape for a Civilian Job Search

You're leaving the service and are faced with the daunting task of developing your resume. Your military career is filled with accomplishments, but even the most decorated veteran needs to figure out how to communicate effectively and sell those successes in civilian terms. Follow these tips to draft a high-impact resume that shows how your military experience is transferable to a civilian job.

Define Your Civilian Job Objective

You can't market yourself effectively for a civilian job if you don't have a clearly defined goal. Because so many service people have diverse backgrounds, they often make the mistake of creating resumes that are too general.

Before writing your resume, do some soul-searching, research occupations and pinpoint a specific career path. If you're having trouble with this step, tap into your local transition office or solicit the help of a career coach. If you're torn between two or more potential goals, set up different resumes.

Create a Resume that Speaks to Employers' Needs

Now that your objective is defined, you're ready to create a winning resume. Consider a resume's purpose: To answer the employer's question, "What can this person do for me?"

A great way to start thinking about employers' needs is to research your target job. Search for jobs on Monster, scour company websites and read as many job postings as possible. What types of skills and experiences are employers seeking? What aspects of your background are most relevant?

Any information that does not relate to your goal should be eliminated or deemphasized, and this includes any unrelated military awards, training and distinctions. For example, that medal you won for rifle marksmanship doesn't belong on a civilian resume.

This is often the hardest step for former military personnel, which is why it's so common to see their resumes span five pages or more. As you decide which information to include, ask yourself, "Will a potential employer care about this experience?" Include only the information that will help you land an interview.

Assume No Knowledge of the Military

Demilitarize your job titles, duties, accomplishments, training and awards to appeal to civilian hiring managers. Employers with no exposure to the military don't understand the terminology and acronyms, so translate these into civilian terms. Show your resume to several nonmilitary friends and ask them to point out terms they don't understand. Refer to job postings and Military.com's skills translator for help substituting civilian keywords for military terms.

Showcase Your Accomplishments (in Civilian Terms)

Your military career has offered you excellent opportunities for training, practical experience and advancement. Tout these accomplishments on your resume so the average civilian understands the importance of your achievements and the measurable outcomes.

Here's an example of a demilitarized accomplishment statement:

* Increased employee retention rate by 16% by focusing on training, team building and recognition programs. Earned reputation as one of the most progressive and innovative IT organizations in the  Army 's communications and IT community.

Here's an example of incorporating a military award so employers understand its value:

* Received Army Achievement Medal for completing 400+ medical evaluations and developing patient database, using MS Access. Database improved reporting functions and tracked patient demographics, records, medication, appointments and status.

Flaunt Your Military Background

You might have heard you need to develop a functional resume to mask or downplay your military experience, but the opposite is true. Your military experience is an asset and should be marketed as such.

Many employers realize the value of bringing veterans on board. Attributes honed in the military include dedication, leadership, teamwork, positive work ethic and cross-functional skills.

If you fear a potential employer won't realize the significance of your military experience, make sure your resume clearly communicates the value you bring to the table.

If You Were in Active Combat, Leave out the Details

Defending your country and its interests is among the most admirable pursuits, but the sad truth is that actual references to the horrors of combat leave many employers squeamish. While you might have worked in a short-range air defense engagement zone, this experience might not relate to your future goal. Tone down or remove references to the battlefield unless they relate to specific elements of the job you're interested in.

Test-Drive Your Resume

For some veterans, developing a resume that works in the civilian world is an ongoing process. After you've polished your resume, start your distribution and keep track of your resume's response rate. Solicit feedback and listen carefully to suggestions for improving your resume. Continue modifying the document until it successfully generates job interviews.

Find the Right Veteran Job

Whether you want to polish your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Subscribe to Military.com to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox.

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How to Build a Military to Civilian Resume [+ Tips & Examples]

Are you an ex-military member seeking a job, but any responses to your resume are AWOL? Does it feel like you are fighting a losing battle when it comes to landing a civilian job?

Using military to civilian resume examples , we’ll clarify how you as an ex-service member can generate the type of army to civilian resume that will wow hiring managers while still providing details about what you did while serving.

In addition, there’s always our templates and resume examples that can help guide you as you build your professional document.

Table of content:

Finding a Civilian Job After Your Military Experience

You would think that someone who served in the military might be a shoo-in for many jobs, as those who served are undoubtedly disciplined and possess a strong work ethic.

Well, a lack of responses to a veteran resume could be because in many cases, a military background does not translate well into the civilian world.

In other words, an army resume detailing your military service might not look or sound quite like the work history or experience section of a civilian resume.

A story that fully illustrates the difference between civilian and military terms:

After leaving military life, an Army sergeant decides to pursue a career in project management . During an interview, he is at a loss when asked to describe a time he managed a project. His reply: in the military, he only managed missions, not projects.

However, his experience in managing missions could easily be translated into managing projects, as it is likely he utilized team management, scheduling, time management , communication, problem-solving, and risk management skills when leading missions—all skills needed in project management!

So, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve successfully created a military to civilian resume that can relate your duties in the service while showing that you can handle the responsibilities of a civilian job… and to do so using civilian rather than military terms.

For example, you might have assumed a wide range of MP duties. However, for a hiring manager unfamiliar with MP standing for Military Police, simply stating that you handled MP duties will not be informative and could even be confusing.

Better to provide details: you “performed patrol duties; conducted criminal investigations; carried out search and seizures; led traffic stops; oversaw suspect interviewing; and responded to traffic accidents.”

Let’s start with some specific tips and examples to create your civilian resume.

Decommission the Military Jargon

While you may be used to referring to yourself as an MSgt E-8 or a CWO4 in the Marines, that will basically mean nothing to a hiring manager in the civilian world.

It will help to spell it out: Master Sergeant or Chief Warrant Officer 4. Then, detail your duties following your job title.

When possible, change your military title to a more civilian-friendly title for a successful military transition resume. You might have been a “Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO)” or “Senior NCO” in your military life, but it’ll be a lot more effective to let civilian recruiters know that you were a “Supervisor.”

Some military veteran resume examples of military titles translated into civilian terms include:

88H Cargo Specialist – Distribution Manager

Supply Sergeant – Logistics or Supply Manager

Force Squad Leader – Team Leader

Commander – Senior Manager

Undoubtedly, as a commander you gave orders to and directed personnel, while your duties as a supply sergeant led you to tracking inventory and ordering needed supplies.

These are details that a civilian hiring manager will relate to, so be sure to spell it out in terms that make sense to them.

So, you didn’t “deploy troops”, you coordinated teams; you didn’t “distribute tactical equipment”, you ordered requested supplies; you didn’t “perform reconnaissance”, you “collected data.”

Designations such as E-8 simply reflect pay grade and only have meaning within a military organization. You can leave such information off your civilian resume.

Listing your Military Experience on a Civilian Resume

Ready to take a look at what might and might not work on a military to civilian resume?

We’ll focus on military experience for this example.

How should you best list your military experience on a civilian resume? Not like that:

Field Artillery Officer U.S. Army September 2020 – October 2022

• Performed repairs and maintenance on AAM, AAA, ABM, and ASM.
• Specialized in BM and CM systems.
• Oversaw team responsible for CRBM.

Your service is, of course, truly appreciated, and we salute you for being a member of the United States Armed Forces.

However, we honestly do not have any idea what you did while you served based on this entry, and most likely any hiring manager will not have any idea, either.

So, your experience should look like this:

• Operated, maintained, and repaired various types of missile systems.
• Controlled placement of field artillery equipment.
• Directed operation of fire control communications systems.
• Managed field artillery operations post.
• Led a team of 15 artillerymen.
• Coordinated new equipment placement.
• Trained subordinates in logistics operations and radio procedures.

In this example, you clearly demonstrate your management, coordination, training, teamwork, and mechanical skills—all abilities generally sought for civilian positions and that could attract a recruiter or hiring manager much more than a string of acronyms they simply will not understand.

Another example: say you worked as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician for the military. You would not say:

Aircraft Maintenance Technician U.S. Air Force June 2019 – July 2021

• Serviced and maintained HC130J, HC-144, MH-60T, and the MH-65E.
• Documented inspection and maintenance processes in FERMS and IMDS.
• Completed all maintenance and repairs in accordance with AFI 21-101 standards.

Again, a little too much military lingo!

Instead, you might try:

• Serviced and maintained fleet of USAF aircraft.
• Maintained inspection and maintenance records in required systems.
• Ensured all maintenance and repairs were conducted according to established standards.

In the latter, you show to be versatile, compliant, and meticulous , without any of the confusing jargon that would likely put off any recruiter.

It doesn’t take much to make the change on a military to civilian resume!

Simply be cognizant of the acronyms and terms you grew accustomed to while in the military, and understand that those who never served will not be familiar with things that are common to you.

Accomplishments on a Resume for Veterans

As with a civilian resume, it’s important and helpful to note any accomplishments and awards on a military transition resume.

Just as professional successes and accomplishments should be listed on a civilian resume, so too should these be noted on a military to civilian resume.

Were you awarded an Expert Marksman award? A Good Conduct Medal? Combat Action Badge?

These should definitely be listed on your military to civilian resume. By acknowledging these, you will show yourself to be hard-working, dedicated, focused, and attentive to detail.

It’s also effective to identify any accomplishments that are easily transferrable to civilian work-life.

For example, you might have overseen a team responsible for maintaining aircraft for the U.S. Air Force that consistently led to a decrease in repairs. Add this fact! This shows you can be all you can be when it comes to teamwork and leadership.

Avoid listing extensive combat details on your resume if possible, as some might view those who were involved in combat situations to possibly suffer some effects such as PTSD or depression.

It’s also recommended to list any clearances and certifications on your civilian resume , as these reflect your ability to shoulder responsibility and accountability.

Some companies might even require some types of security clearance , such as those that manufacture military equipment, so it’s important to show that you have the necessary clearance.

If you’re applying to those types of companies, put your clearances at the top of your resume.

Recruiters might be glad they don’t have to follow security clearance protocols, as they would with a candidate without any prior clearances.

Examples of clearances and certifications are:

• Weapons Certification
• First Aid Certification
• Secret Level Clearance
• Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information Clearance (TS/SCI)

Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for Military to Civilian Resume

While describing your military duties and responsibilities might not be civilian-friendly when using military terms, one thing that can translate easily in a military to civilian resume is a list of key skills you developed during your service.

Were you responsible for assembling troops? You have coordination skills.

Relay orders from your superior officers? That’s communication skills .

Work closely with fellow soldiers to reach a common goal? You utilized effective collaborative skills.

Other key skills that might prove effective on a military to civilian resume are:

• Problem-solving
• Risk management
• Critical thinking
• Detail oriented
• Team player

Align the skills you built during your military service to those being sought for a particular position.

For example, if you managed military recruits, and you’re applying for a management position, be sure to list leadership, team management, communication, and coordination among your key skills.

Always lead off a bullet point beneath your job title with an action verb. For a military to civilian resume, some of the best power words to employ are:

• Collaborated

With these types of strong and engaging words , you’ll be able to describe your military experience in civilian terms while remaining true to exactly what you did as a member of the armed forces.

Ready to march into job-seeking battle with your own military to civilian resume? Use one of our free resume templates to create your document.

By following our examples and using a strong template, you can change your army resume or veteran resume that will allow you to soldier on through the job-seeking process with more effective results.

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Military to Civilian Resume: [Examples & How to Write]

All you need to know to write a military to civilian resume with a template, examples, links to resume writers, tips, and military term translators.

Are you retiring or thinking of retiring from active military duty to engage again as a civilian?

Well first, we would like to sincerely thank you for serving our country.

But more than that, we would like to help you.

The writing of a civilian resume is a key part of your transition. Without an effective resume, your chances of landing an interview are greatly reduced.

The best advice on how to write an effective military to civilian resume is:

• Choose a career path.
• Eliminate military jargon.
• Be clear about your accomplishments.
• Sell yourself.
• Keep your resume to a maximum of 2 pages.

This article will give you all the resources and information that you need to create a great civilian resume for your job search.

However, if you would just like to dive right into creating your resume with a template, we have provided one to download here:

For those who would like more information about writing your military transition resume, keep reading!

How to Write a Military to Civilian Resume

Whether you want to work in the public sector or work in the private sector, the advice that we have for you will prove to be pivotal.

1. Choose Your Career Path

You can start planning ahead long before you retire from active military duty.

Communicating with recruiters and companies will get your foot in the door, which will give you a headstart on others.

You can use the time prior to retirement to determine exactly what and where fits you best.

By the time you are pulling your civilian resume together, having a narrower focus on your career path will help you select the skills to highlight.

You should tailor your resume to each individual job posting, but if you choose a specific career path, fewer modifications will be needed to be made to this first draft.

It initially seems a bit counterintuitive to think that ruling out some options increases your chances of securing a job, but it does. It helps you focus your energy in the direction you should go, instead of spreading yourself thin.

If you need some assistance,  CareerOneStop provides a Veterans Job Matcher where you can enter your MOS code and see civilian jobs that are similar to your military occupation. The results show salary information, education requirements, career outlook, and a link to find jobs.

2. Understand That Recruiters May Not Understand Military Jargon

You are going to have to spell out your military experience on your civilian resume. And you are going to have to do so in a universally understandable way.

There is a lot of gratitude for your service, but that does not mean that the average person is particularly informed about the ins and outs of military life.

A military resume is very difficult to understand if the reader is not familiar with military language.

Terms that might be impressive and useful to those who understand them might go right over the head of a hiring manager.

As an example, you might list your previous role as “Sergeant Major.” What if the hiring manager has no idea what responsibilities are held in such a position? You are better off saying “Senior Advisor.” That’s clear and understandable to all recruiters.

That was a simple example. Imagine outlining an achievement that you reached with a certain team. You’d need to get that thesaurus out real quick. Otherwise, you risk your resume getting placed to the side, no matter how good a fit you are. Because the hiring manager is not going to take out a thesaurus.

Don’t let your aptitude be negatively influenced by something like that.

Consequently, spell it out. And remember that humility very much has its place, but not here.

3. Translate Your Military Experience

As was alluded to above, the solution is to put all the jargon from your previous profession into layman’s terms.

This applies across the board whenever anyone is changing paths.

But it is especially difficult for military professionals transitioning into the civilian world. Why? Because the verbiage is so unique in the military. It is nothing like the corporate world!

There are even expert military to civilian resume writers who specialize in translating military terms to civilian. But don’t worry, we’ll teach you what you need to know!

Words like “Sergeant”, “Officer”, “Major”, “Subordinate”, “Unit”, “Reconnaissance” and so on may be rather self-explanatory to you.

But the hiring manager even having to pause for one second to process any information puts you at a disadvantage.

You have the tools at your disposal to turn these words into those that can be easily understood.

You have to assume that the resumes that yours is up against are clear.

The company that you are applying to may indeed be missing out on a fantastic candidate by not considering you, but that is part of this process.

Even if the hiring manager does understand the jargon, it can still be a turn-off. They may think that your abilities do not extend beyond the military.

The issue of jargon is completely in your hands. See the section below for military to civilian resume translators.

Once you think that you have cut all the jargon out of your resume, test it! Show your resume to non-military friends and family, it won’t take long for someone to spot a detail that they don’t understand.

4. Choose the Best Resume Format for You

With several resume formats to choose from, it is anything but just going with a random format. There will be one that fits your experience and skills best, so use that one!

Chronological Resume Format:

The chronological resume format is the one that is the most used at present.

It provides an extensive look at your work experience, in reverse chronological order.

If you have a lot of experience in the field that you are applying to, then this may be the format for you.

Because this format strongly expresses work experience, this is not the best fit for many veterans.

If your military experience and training don’t match your new career goals, then this format will actually highlight your inexperience.

Functional Resume Format:

Do you feel that using the chronological format would expose your inexperience?

Instead, you may go with the functional resume format. This is the second most frequently used resume format.

Emphasis is placed here on the skills that you possess, rather than your work experience.

You specify your skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the job that you are applying to.

Instead of exposing your inexperience, you highlight exactly what skills you bring to the table.

This is ideal for a lot of veterans who have lots of skills that they can offer, but little experience.

Combination Resume Format:

The combination resume format is also referred to as the hybrid format.

Maybe you do have a bit of experience but would still like the focus to be on your skills. A third option is that you prepare a combination resume.

It is as the name suggests. You combine a chronological resume with a functional resume.

You talk about your skills first and foremost, but employment experience is also covered.

It can be difficult to find the right balance between skills and experience in such a short document.

But if you get it right, it can be the best of both worlds.

(For more information about these resume formats, as well as samples of what they might look like, take a look at The 5 Best Resume Formats .)

5. Keep it Simple

It goes without saying that you want your resume to yield positive results.

But imagine if the document was 4 pages long with loads of extraneous information?

It wouldn’t do you any favors.

Instead, keep it short. Two pages long is a maximum, but nothing is wrong with keeping it to 1 page.

Carrying on about every little achievement that you have may be tempting.

But focus more on big ones. Quality beats quantity every time.

What about your skills?

Again, keep it simple. You don’t want a potential employer to read a long list of boring skills, with few of them actually transferring over into the work environment.

Highlight only relevant skills that will help show that they need you.

Also, format your resume to be an attractive read.

From the font to font size, to margins, to white space, to colors and so on, there is a lot that needs to be planned out well.

(Read our article 9 Best Fonts for a Resume for full guidance on your resume formatting.)

6. Tailor Your Resume to the Job You Are Applying To

So you have loads of skills. Which ones do you put on your resume?

When talking about your skills, do your best to highlight applicable skills to that specific job.

In military service, you will have gained or polished many skills: from communication to observation, from leadership to teamwork, and from risk management to critical thinking. The list goes on.

You can tailor your skills and qualifications to line up with the job you are applying for.

Applying to become an accountant? Being organized and fantastic with numbers is a great start.

Applying to start training to become a nurse? Highlight your communication, empathy and observation skills.

Applying to become a laborer? Address developments in the military that you were involved in. Highlight your relevant strengths. And that includes strength.

Show that you know the needs for where you are applying and that you meet that need.

Learn precisely what they are looking for, and then state that you possess these qualities.

Remember that if you have any special, uncommon skills, those are definitely worth mentioning as they will help make you stand out.

The job description of the position you are applying for is like a cheat sheet to help you tailor your resume. Use keywords from the job posting to outline your skills for the job.

7. Make Your Resume Easy To Scan

Your resume should be easily scannable by both Applicant Tracking Systems and hiring managers. If a recruiter spends 6 seconds on your resume before making a decision, you’ll want your information to be organized and found easily.

• Have clear sections and headings . You do not want your resume to blur into one big wall of text. The ATS and hiring managers won’t find that to be enticing. An ATS will scan your resume for keywords within your headings so your information needs to be easy to find.
• Check for spelling and accuracy . A stray “0” that isn’t meant to be in a number can change the entire tone. You want to ensure that you mean everything that you say. Also, getting rid of typos is just good practice in general. You don’t want the hiring manager’s attention to be on your mistakes.
• Provide numbers where you can . Adding a number to something quantifies the achievement. “A lot” is good and all, but “increasing by 50%” blows it out of the water. Numbers are easy to see on a resume. As a recruiter is scanning your resume, their eyes will be drawn to your numbers and accomplishments.

8. Avoid These Mistakes on Your Resume

For the last tip, we will look at some final things that you need to avoid while creating your military to civilian resume.

• Avoid irrelevant information. You don’t need to mention your religion, height, weight, marital status or favorite flavor of ice cream. It is not relevant, so it wastes space.
• Avoid limiting your skills. You have narrowed down your options and determined the best skills to include on your resume. Don’t state them with limitations. You aren’t a good analyst provided you aren’t distracted, you’re just a good analyst.
• Avoid discussing conflict. Issues such as PTSD and depression may come to the mind of the recruiter. That may make them more hesitant about considering you.
• Avoid being blunt. Word choice matters. If you state things too bluntly, you risk looking insensitive or unprofessional. Instead of stating that you “killed the enemy forces,” state that you “accomplished objectives.” Instead of saying “hostile environment,” say “complex environment” (no matter how hostile the environment really was.)

Knowing what to leave off your resume is as important as knowing what to include.

(For more resume writing tips, see  How To Make a Resume That Gets Past the Bots .)

Military Term Translators

As explained above, the problem phrasing your experience and accomplishments lies in the fact that the words used in the military are not frequently used elsewhere.

Imagine telling someone the ingredients and guidelines for how to make your family’s famous soup, but doing so verbally in Shakespearean English.

You wouldn’t expect them to create the same results as if you spoke to them in a way they would understand.

The average resume only gets looked at for a matter of seconds before the hiring manager decides whether it is worth their time.

They’re not about to bust ye olde Google out for every sentence you write. Your resume will just get placed to the side.

But fear not!

See below for military terms put into civilian lingo.

Translate Military Job Titles

You want the titles and positions specified on your resume to be clear. That does not mean to lie about the titles. Just phrase it in a way that can be universally understood.

Instead of saying:

“Nourishment consultant and provider at a center for education.”

You’d expect someone to say “School Cook.”

Even if you can understand the words, it is faster and easier to just present it to the recipient in the most understandable way possible.

Below is a table of military job title examples, and what you should say on your resume instead:

See the difference that can be made simply because of your selection of words?

Be sure to use the same word throughout your cover letter and resume for the same military term so as to not confuse things.

Translate Military Acronyms

It would be quite the turn-off to be hit with a lot of acronyms that you don’t understand.

That’s like this article telling you that the secret for veterans in a job search is to TPE the NLQD until you successfully reach CE to accomplish NOPE.

Not descriptive or remotely helpful, is it?

Not unless you understand it.

Assume that the hiring manager doesn’t.

Instead, see what you can say in place of these acronyms:

Instead of the hiring manager being completely clueless about an NCOER that went well (which they could think means anything), they read that your performance appraisal went well.

Well, that’s good!

Translate Military Classroom Terms

So there are ample military courses and qualifications available.

While the titles are fairly self-explanatory, they can still be simplified.

Simplifying is good.

Because of that, we have gathered the names for a number of courses and training and have put them into words that are very resume-friendly.

Using an actual course title is not a deal-breaker by any means. This is the least significant of all the military terms that need to be put into civilian speak.

However, it still helps you to ensure that your resume is as clear and digestible as possible, and this accomplishes that.

Translate Mission Titles & Miscellaneous Terms

So what about the other words that may crop up on your resume?

As with every other group of terms, there is a civilian-friendly way of saying almost anything.

Here are some remaining military terms and their civilian resume counterpart:

So now you are prepared to put your experiences into words that can be universally understood.

Your service is greatly appreciated and valued. So translate your service in a way that is understandable to the hiring manager.

(If there is anything that you are unsure about, refer to TAOnline for more guidance.)

Cover Letter Tips for Military Transition

So in addition to a resume, you may be sending a cover letter as part of your job application.

Discuss Both The Employer and Yourself

Express why you are interested in the position that you have applied to. Highlight that your skills make you a fantastic candidate. Talk about the specific job as well as the company as a whole, but don’t go on for too long.

Also, mention your transition away from the military and back to civilian life.

Here is an example as to how you can write that:

I am just finishing ten years of service in the United States Army, serving in the military police. In the time I spent there, I polished skills in observation, risk assessment, versatility, and critical thinking, which are all vital skills in [Job] at [Company].  I was handpicked to represent our branch on several occasions, so responsibility was something that was very much valued, and all of these skills are transferable. I would love to have the opportunity to use my skills and responsibility to add value here.

Compliment What is on Your Resume

It would be a huge turn-off for your cover letter and resume to both cover the exact same information. You risk sounding like a broken record.

Instead, provide information that is complementary to what you have included on your resume, but not exactly the same.

Does your resume state that you spearheaded an initiative that saw training time be reduced by 10%?

Maybe your cover letter can address what was accomplished with all that extra time.

Follow the Same Tips as Your Resume

Imagine being so careful about avoiding the common mistakes on your resume just to find that you made these mistakes on your cover letter?

Be careful here too, and you give yourself the best chance to advance to the interview stage.

(For more cover letter advice, see our article  How To Write An Amazing Cover Letter .)

Key Takeaways

Writing an effective resume is extremely important. Your entire job search is based on how you present yourself on paper.

So remember:

• Tailor your resume to where you are applying.
• Translate all military terms to be universally understood.
• Always remember to prioritize quality over quantity.
• Keep your resume easily digestible.

We understand that the process can be quite stressful and hope to have eliminated some of that stress for you.

Once you are ready to get started on your civilian job search, check out:  Jobs for Veterans & How To Find Them .

Thank you again for what you have done for our country, we wish you the very best for your future!

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Linkvet support, military terms for your civilian resume.

Below is some basic information adapted from the Department of Labor's Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Manual. For additional resume guidelines and examples of military experience to civilian resumes please see the Department of Labor's TAP information online.

While creating your resume you will want to avoid military specific language. Most civilian employers do not deal with military acronyms and language on a daily basis so they are unfamiliar with military jargon. Please see some of the basic guidelines and table below for the most common military terms:

• Do not use acronyms, if needed, write out the term and give a brief explanation of the meaning. (Example: Permanent Change of Station - Relocated due to U.S. Military orders)
• For any military training or courses accomplished during your enlistment include hours of professional and technical training. Only include this information if it pertains to the job. (Example: Leadership Development Course - Performance counseling, equal opportunity, sexual harassment, etc.)

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Translating Your Military Experience for a Civilian Career

4 min read · Updated on December 13, 2021

The transition from military to civilian life doesn't have be rocky. Here's how to take your transferable skill sets and translate them to fit your next career goal.

Kudos to you! You recently served in the armed forces and are ready to take that next step in transitioning your military career over to the civilian sector. Often, this requires some careful preparation. Below are some steps to help ease the process.

Focus less on jargon and more on transferable skills.

Much of the military terminology commonly used between you and your fellow colleagues on a daily basis will appear foreign to most recruiters, depending on the field you are choosing to transition into. Take a look at your current resume that you've used to apply for military and government positions, and work to clean up the content in terms of jargon, abbreviations, etc. Find out how to translate your skills and experience in a way that makes sense to your target audience — a prospective employer in the civilian sector.

Take inventory of your abilities.

It's easy to get caught up in the terminology, facts, and figures that, while serving in a military role, meant a great deal to your commanding officers. Those skills and achievements still mean a lot, but can be translated into core competencies that are strongly desired in almost any civilian career sector. Critical thinking, time management, interpersonal skills, communication, teamwork, project management, strategic planning, and many other qualities are found in job postings across almost all career sectors. Find ways to explain your expertise and showcase your notable accomplishments in civilian-friendly language that speaks to a non-military audience.

Create a LinkedIn profile.

This social media tool is optimal for networking and sharing ideas. Having a well-crafted profile not only showcases your skills in a more comprehensive manner than on a standard two-page resume, but it also demonstrates your tech savvy and social media skills, which are strongly desired across various career fields. Plus, you can create a custom URL that can be listed as a form of contact on your resume. Not sure where to start? Check out LinkedIn for Veterans.

Simplify all of the training.

While it is wonderful to have a litany of education and training that you acquired during your years of military service, the entire list will likely not fit within the confines of a standard, modern two-page civilian resume format. Sift through it all and list only the transferable skill sets and remarkable awards. If possible, also create a resume appendix of sorts that, if an employer asks for detailed information, you can provide in an aesthetic format that matches your resume. The PDFs and print transcripts provided by military branches are often unreadable by those not familiar with the military, so a more concise list of all completed trainings will highlight your talents without bogging readers down with unnecessary details.

Related: Changing Careers? 7 Details to Include on Your Resume

Consider a professional resume rewrite.

There are resume services out there to help you and guide you in developing a brand-new civilian resume and cover letter that you'll feel confident using when applying to post-military positions. The benefit of a professional resume writer's expertise is invaluable to the many clients they serve, so take some time and research the many products and services offered by a professional resume-writing firm; some like TopResume even offer content development services for your LinkedIn profile .

Take advantage of the organizations that exist to help you.

It's likely that your particular military branch offers transition services for enlisted personnel that are soon to be discharged. These services are free and useful, so take advantage of them if you are still in. There are also other organizations and resources, such as the Wounded Warrior Project , The Real Warriors Campaign , and many more that offer assistance. Many of those professional resume-writing services I previously mentioned hire writers who have specific experience in working with veterans and government personnel, so if you plan to opt for that service, be sure to strongly indicate that you are a military veteran looking to switch into a new and exciting career!

While the prospect of transitioning to a new chapter can be scary and overwhelming, with the right resources and information at your disposal, it is my hope that your transition to a civilian career will be a smooth process and exciting change. Best of luck and cheers!

Click on the following link for more resume advice .

Need help with your resume? Take advantage of our free resume critique today!

Recommended Reading:

5 Signs You Need a Professional Resume Review

Resume and LinkedIn Profile Writing: How Different Should They Be?

6 Essential Job-Search Tools for Veterans Looking for Civilian Jobs

Related Articles:

7 Signs Your Resume is Making You Look Old

Why a Simple Resume Layout is a Successful Resume

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Translate Military Experience into a Job-Winning Resume

In today’s job market, translating your military experience into a professional resume is critical for success. You have spent years learning many valuable, real-world skills that are difficult to duplicate in a classroom environment, so it is important to know how to communicate these skills to a future employer in a way that differentiates you from other candidates.

Omitting Irrelevant Information Highlight the skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the specific job you are seeking, and leave irrelevant details out. Since the resume needs to be as concise and to-the-point as possible, putting your "greatest hits" - and only that - in front of an employer's eyes is a strategy for success. 

Three Steps for Success

Step 1: de-militarize your document.

The military has its own language, acronyms, rank structures, service branches and jargon, which can often seem like a foreign language to non-military personnel. Even though you may be more comfortable “speaking military,” hiring managers may reject your resume if it is written with language that isn’t easily understood.

Step 2: Give the Full Picture of Your Experience

From infantry to logistics management.

Military Experience: An infantryman with 23 years in the Army (E-9/Command Sergeant Major) who operated tanks and weapons and dug ditches is having a hard time identifying skills or direct experience to bring to the civilian workforce.

Experience to Market to Civilian Employers: Trained and evaluated 40 personnel supporting 2,000+ troops in 4 countries, with an inventory list of 1,500 line items and assets valued at $65M.

Functional Areas of Expertise or Core Competencies: Personnel management, logistics and operations. Strategic planning and tactical application.

Possible Employment Opportunities: Based on his experience, this Command Sergeant Major could market his skills as a logistics expert and apply for management positions.

Key Skill Areas to Highlight

Technical Military careers such as a telecommunication technician, financial management technician, mechanic and health care specialist all have closely related civilian careers. The technical skills you develop in your military career should be included in your resume.

Interpersonal In the military, you’ll work with a variety of people from high ranking officers to unit commanders, teammates and subordinates. Oftentimes, service members must master the art of interacting with supervisors, peers and subordinates in order to complete their missions. Interpersonal skills are valued in the civilian workplace, and should be detailed in your resume to reflect your ability to work with many different kinds of colleagues to get the job done.

Leadership Any leadership experience or training that you acquired in the military.

Showcasing Communication Skills

Knowing how to translate and articulate effectively provides a glimpse into your communication skills. This is especially important when hired, because you will be communicating with your co-workers and you may be translating a company’s products and services to outside customers and suppliers.

In converting your experience to civilian language, here are some examples of terms you can use in your military to civilian resume.

• Soldiers should be called staff, employees and/or co-workers
• Uniforms and weapons, etc. become supplies or equipment
• Barracks and other buildings are simply facilities

Step 3: Translating the Details

It is also important to convert your education, medals and accomplishments into civilian language, provided that they are relevant to the position you seek.

For example, you would not use your marksmanship or your frontline experience on a civilian resume, so do not worry about this. Also, an achievement such as meritorious promotion in a combat zone can be turned into a simple statement such as “extensive management experience in critical situations.”

All in all, converting the military language into terms that are understandable to public sector employers will be one of the most important aspects of your military to civilian resume writing. While you need to make sure that your resume is focused, you cannot do this without first making sure that it is comprehensible.

Make your classroom achievements easy to understand. Feel free to edit course titles for clarity's sake. Here are some common examples:

• Basic Training or Boot Camp : Basic Skills Course
• Basic Non-Commissioned Officers Course (BNOC) : Intermediate Leadership and Management Development Course
• Combined Arms Staff College : Senior Managerial Leadership School
• Advanced Individual Training (AIT) : Depending on your specific Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) this could be translated to Medical Training, Human Resources Specialist Training, etc.

Common Terms

What you know it as v. what they know it as:

• Commander, Chief : Division Head, Director, Senior Manager
• TDY/TAD : Business travel
• Subordinates : Employees, co-workers
• Regulations : Guidance, policy, instructions
• Reconnaissance : Data collection, survey, analysis

You might have a list of ARCOMs, MSMs, and AAMs - and that is a good thing. Clearly, you did your job well. Don’t, however, fill your resume with each and every one of them. Simply mention, where appropriate, that you received awards for outstanding job performance and be sure to include any awards related to the position you are applying for.

Don’t get caught up in making sure your positional military title (Captain, Major, Sergeant) translates. Focus more on communicating the functional area of your job title (Communications Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, Nurse).

That said, here are some common translations that may be helpful:

• Warrant Officer : Technical Manager/Specialist Department Manager
• Senior NCOs : First-Line Supervisor
• Sergeant Major : Senior Advisor
• First Sergeant : Personnel Supervisor
• Squad Leader : Team Leader/Team Chief
• Operations NCO : Operations Supervisor
• Platoon Sergeant : Supervisor/Instructor/Trainer

Remember, it is not necessary that everything be on your resume. Only mention the most recent and relative information.

Get a Civilian Critique

When you have finished, ask someone else to take a look at your resume and ask if it makes sense. Get input from other civilians who can tell you if your resume is still "wearing too much camouflage." The job seeker who articulates and translates best will ultimately land the interview!

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How To: Translate Military Terms

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A recent ZipRecruiter study set out to determine the biggest challenges facing veterans as they search for civilian jobs. We interviewed both veterans and people who recruit veterans, and of those interviewed, 78% cited “translating skills” as a hurdle veterans must overcome*. This is unsurprising considering the military-specific terms and titles that are used within the service—terms which average civilians probably won’t understand—and explains why it can be difficult for veterans to communicate their abilities to civilian employers and get the interviews and jobs they want.

If you are a veteran on the civilian job hunt, building a basic understanding of how to translate your military experience to a civilian resume is crucial. You might find it useful to include your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Code on your resume if you’re hoping to land a job similar to your military position. But if you’re seeking employment in a completely new line of work, incorporating basic corporate translations is the best way to make your resume civilian-friendly. Below, we’ve rounded up the most common military-specific terms (left) and their civilian equivalent (right).

Hierarchy or Seniority Level Terms

Skills and Responsibilities Terms

If you’re unsure about what types of civilian jobs to apply for, an MOS translator can help you hone in on the jobs you’re most qualified for based on your military experience. Here are a few to consider:

• CareerOneStop
• Military to Civilian Translator
• Explorative Skills Matcher
• Military Crosswalk Search
• MOS Code to Civilian Occupations Translator
• Military.com
• Skills Translator

As a new member of the civilian workforce, you’ll be asked to speak to your military experience in resumes, cover letters, and interviews many times over. You want to make sure you have an arsenal of civilian-friendly tools and terms that allow you to do this, so you can show employers in any industry why you’re the right fit for their open job.

*ZipRecruiter Internal Data, July 2018. Of 14 candidates interviewed regarding the most prevalent challenges faced by Veteran job seekers, 11 listed and mentioned translating skills as the top challenge. These candidates were a combination of Veteran job seekers, Veteran-specific corporate recruiters, and non profit employment programs that serve transitioning Veterans.

Written by  The ZipRecruiter Editors

At ZipRecruiter, our mission is to connect employers and job seekers with their next great opportunity. On the ZipRecruiter blog, we use insider experience and data derived from our AI-driven jobs marketplace to provide advice and insights on topics such as the job search process, interviewing, and labor market trends. Start your  job search  or  post a job  today and connect with us on  Twitter ,  Facebook , and  LinkedIn !

Veterans, Take Note: Here's How to Translate Your Military Experience to a Civilian Resume

As a member of the United States military, you’ve cultivated valuable skills and have a lot to offer the civilian workforce. But how do you get that message across when applying for jobs? According to Colleen Deere, the executive director of  American Corporate Partners —a New York City-based nonprofit that offers career counseling to veterans as they transition to the civilian workforce—the key is knowing how to transform your military experience into a resume that hiring managers and recruiters will understand.

“You only have about 30 seconds to impress the person reading your resume,” Deere says. “They aren’t going to do the work of researching your military jobs to figure out what they mean, so make sure to put the prep work in up front.”

Remember, it’s not a question of whether you have valuable transferable experience (you do!), but rather whether you’re able to explain that experience in a way that will make sense to a civilian hiring manager. Here’s how to do just that.

Focus on the Right Things

When considering how your military experience translates, “we always advise veterans to describe their accomplishments rather than simply outlining their previous job descriptions,” Deere says.

To start, make a list of everything you accomplished during your time with the military. For example, did you earn a promotion? Help execute a new initiative? Assist with training? Then, highlight the achievements that feel most relevant to the particular job you’re applying for. Being selective will also help you avoid making a mistake that Deere often sees: cramming too much onto the page. “One of the most common challenges for veterans to overcome is their desire to list every single duty assignment, which very few hiring managers will take the time to read,” she cautions.

Spotlight Your Transferable Skills

Skills like leadership, teamwork, training, communication, problem solving, and adaptability will all serve you well in a civilian workplace and should be highlighted on your resume. But determining what aspects of your military experience will show off those skills is admittedly more of an art than a science—and it’ll depend greatly on what type of job you’re pursuing. The best indicator of transferable skills can usually be found by browsing job descriptions.

Just bear in mind that you may need to zoom out a bit to find a skills match. For example, if you’re interested in customer service positions and most of your military experience was in the infantry, it might be challenging to find areas of overlap. But, if you take a step back, you’ll note that both require patience, following instructions, interacting with teammates, communication, and problem solving. A bullet point on a resume might say, “Collaborated daily with a diverse team of 25 people to resolve or complete 60 complex initiatives with a 98% success rate.”

Translate Terms Into Civilian Language

Some positions, such as those in combat, can be harder to quantify. In those cases, it’s important to put the job into terms that any lay person could understand. For example, if you were responsible for property and equipment, you might say, “proactively maintained and repaired six vital IOT-enabled pieces of equipment, ensuring operational efficiency for 300+ team members.” Or if you worked under stressful conditions, you could say “cultivated strong attention to detail under stressful conditions, successfully completing 23 initiatives while juggling multiple competing priorities.”

If you can translate your actual job titles into civilian terms, it’s worth including both on your resume. “This can work well in some cases, like Team Lead instead of Squad Leader, or Operations Manager instead of Operations NCO,” says Deere. Here’s what it might look like:

Squad Leader (Team Lead) | United States Air Force | May 2013 - July 2019

(You’re in luck if you had a position like Army medic or Navy HR officer because both the titles and responsibilities are straightforward.)

Lastly, don’t forget that the military has a language all its own and most civilians won’t understand the acronyms and jargon. So, do your best to simplify or translate whenever possible. A tank might be an “operational vehicle” or a piece of “equipment,” a mission might be better described as an “initiative” or “project,” and reconnaissance might be “data collection” or “research.”

Pick the Right Format

The most common (and recruiter-approved) resume format is the single-page chronological layout, which displays experience in descending order starting with your current or most recent job. It also generally includes a brief summary of your experience, a list of your technical skills and education or training, and your interests or volunteer work. You’ll find a fantastic guide (with an example)  here .

If you’re looking to make a more substantial career pivot, a functional resume might be a better option, since these layouts allow you to more prominently feature your most relevant skills and experience separate from your work history. A functional resume does have some drawbacks, however—namely that recruiters typically prefer a chronological format. (Because functional resumes are more often favored by candidates with less conventional work histories, some recruiters may unfairly screen out applicants who use them, assuming that they don’t have the right skills for the job.) You can read up on functional resumes (and see an example)  here .

Need something in the middle? Try a  combination resume . This format combines the traditional appeal of a chronological layout with the flexibility of a functional version, and can be a “best of both worlds” option if you have a mix of directly transferable skills and less conventional experience.

Know the Basics

Here are a few tried-and-true fundamentals you’ll want to incorporate into your resume.

1. Write a Summary

Summaries are a great way to help a prospective employer understand where you’re coming from and what you’re hoping to do next. “It’s like an elevator pitch. If you have only 30 seconds to explain who you are, what would you say? What makes you stand out and what do you bring to the table?” Deere says. It doesn’t need to be long—just two or three lines—but it can make a big difference. Use this simple formula as you write your own:

[Relevant traits] + [former job title] eager to leverage [transferable skills/areas of expertise] to [outcome] within a [target job title] role in the [target industry] space.

Here’s what that might look like:

Adaptable, team-oriented former Army operations specialist eager to leverage strong communication skills, resilience under pressure, and enthusiasm for technology to generate viable sales leads and drive new business within a BDR role in the SaaS space.

2. Keep it to a Single Page

Recruiters often receive hundreds of resumes every day, so they simply don’t have time to read every single line. That’s why it’s important to keep your resume short, sweet, and relevant. So, if something doesn’t pertain to the job you’re applying for, leave it out. Sticking to more recent experience (within the last 10 years) is another great way to keep the length down.

3. Create Clearly Defined Sections

Recruiters love resumes that are visually scannable, and individual sections—summary, experience, education, etc.—will make your resume much more appealing. Use caps or a bold font or underline the title of each subsection to make it easier to read.

4. Write Well-Crafted Bullet Points

Bullet points are the most effective way to clearly and concisely explain your experience. They consist of a few key ingredients: a compelling  verb  (directed, resolved, led), a brief description of the job duty, specific  metrics  (team of 35, month-long, six-part), and the  result  (if applicable)—all contained within one to two lines of text.

For example:

Installed and maintained 100+ communication devices across six locations, connecting more than 400 team members and ensuring operational efficiency.

5. Read up on Keywords

Most resumes pass through an  applicant tracking system  (ATS) that scans each application before it reaches an actual recruiter. If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right keywords, it might get automatically screened out. Sites like  JobScan  can help you determine which keywords to include, depending on the posting.

6. Include Relevant Technical Skills

As you browse job postings, make a note of the technical skills each requires. You’ll often see Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Google Drive (Gmail, Docs, Sheets), Mac/PC, and even social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram. If you have strong experience with any of the technologies mentioned in a given description, be sure to list it on your resume.

7. List Awards, Education, and Training

Resumes are meant to showcase your abilities and accomplishments, so there’s no need to be modest here. Awards and education always translate well.

Reach Out to Your Resources

Transitioning from a military career to a civilian job can feel understandably overwhelming, but you don’t have to do this alone. “Talk to other veterans who have successfully made the transition and ask to look at their resumes,” Deere suggests.

Your civilian friends and family members are also great resources. Deere recommends talking to them (or better yet, showing them your resume if you have a rough draft ready to go!) about what you did in the military and noting down what they struggle to understand about your duties. That should be a good indicator of where a recruiter or hiring manager might be confused, and will help you to identify the areas of your resume that need to be tweaked. And don’t be shy about coming back to your support network with a new or revised version. It’ll likely take you a few tries to get it just right.

You can also partner with a career advisor or resume writer for additional support. They’ll know what hiring managers are looking for and can help you bridge the gap between military terminology and civilian workplace lingo.