Are you confused about how to use military experience on a resume?
For over nine years, I worked as a bilingual employment counselor at a military base.It was my role to help hundreds of clients make the transition from military to civilian life. Ironically, when I was a civilian, the military did not offer a program designed to educate outgoing personnel on creating compelling resumes for civilian employers, teach them current networking strategies, or offer them career coaching.
Then my much acclaimed "how to de-militarize your resume" seminar was born. What followed was career seminars to soldiers, airmen/women, and sailors alike at Canadian Forces Base Kingston and Trenton, Canada. The Lt (N) at CFB Trenton chose me over other services providers. She trusted my expertise and protected the "intellectual property" of my seminars' content.
Military personnel need to market their transferable skills to attract a civilian employer.
A transferable skill is acquired in the following ways:
Paid work experience (i.e. trainer, manager, personnel officer)
Life skills (i.e. coordinator of a special event)
Volunteer experience (i.e. volunteer firefighter, coach of a minor hockey team)
How Are Military Personnel Attractive And Valuable To Civilian Employers?
Military people have been "cross-trained" in different areas (i.e. working in line management and staff consulting jobs). Cross training is very prevalent in the manufacturing field and gaining ground in other sectors.
Military people are very well trained (courses and instruction).
A recruiting poll showed that "military personnel make excellent leaders, once given a specific task: they are decisive, resourceful and tremendous team players; and they perform well under pressure." (Peter Newfield, President, Career Resumes, www.headhunter.com, October 10, 2001)
People in the military who have leadership qualities often receive intense training and development. Result: They are more valuable to employers (i.e. training personnel/staff; performance evaluations).
This is only the tip of the iceberg about what you as an outgoing military member can offer.
How To Present Yourself To Civilian Employers
Your goal: Convince civilian employers that your transferable skills, qualifications, and credentials are invaluable to a civilian employer. You need to convince employers that you are well-qualified. You are not defined by your military occupation title.Employers don't speak military.
1. Research what was the equivalent of your trade, profession, or specialization. Try to find the equivalent of your outgoing rank. For example, Sergeants are the "backbone of the army." The word "sergeant" is derived from the Latin "severe" which means "to serve." Try to find a match between your skills and qualifications and the skill set that the employer is looking for.
2. Remove any jargon or buzzwords that may confuse the employer or cause him or her to misunderstand how you are presenting yourself. Consult a career professional/coach/consultant to "de-militarize" your resume.
3. Develop an online social media profile. Set up a Twitter or LinkedIn account for professional networking and inform your "warm" level of contacts that you are looking for employment or changing careers.
4. Stay away from a military resume format. Military resumes can be long and confusing because the material and/or content doesn't relate to the job position or to the employer's needs. The traditional military resume is already obsolete.
5. Make the transition from military to civilian employment by understanding how your talents, skills, and abilities relate to a targeted business or industry. Above all, know what you offer (value) to a potential employer. If you cannot answer, ask former superiors, get a copy of your most recent (and hopefully glowing) performance evaluation.
6. Create a civilian resume and cover letter that will show a potential employer that you are a good fit. Avoid ranks and titles. Choose language and terminology specific to a chosen industry and profession. Your cover letter should show your"non-military side and distinguish yourself as a talented candidate. Create a value proposition letter, which includes three accomplishments and does not exceed 300 words.
7. Decide on an appropriate resume format. Chronological (dates-based) is still the most preferred format, according to employers. Functional resumes are skills-based and highlight capabilities in professional categories. Create at least TWO versions of your resume: plain text (bare bones) to e-mail employers and accomplishments based. For those who are bolder and follow trends, develop a "social media" resume. This is still in evolution on the Internet. Make sure every version of your resume has a link to your social networks: Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook (remember, professional!).
8. Create your "two minute pitch" to prepare for interviews. CBS News published a five minute video from Forbes magazine contributor Carmine Gallo. Watch it! You need to sell your product (YOU) to your potential customer (the employer).
9. Attend interview seminars either at your base or in your home community. The rules of interviewing have changed dramatically in recent years. It's in your best interest to learn the latest techniques and trends.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.