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civilian resume

Civilian Resumes for Veterans

Earlier this year I had a question from a former member of the military asking how to translate military experience into a civilian resume. In honor of Veterans Day, I’d like to expand on some of the advice I gave that correspondent. Here are a few of the most important considerations if you are a veteran looking for a civilian job:

  1. Know what job/industry you are interested in. The military assigns you where they want you; civilian companies expect you to tell them where you fit.
  2. Military abbreviations and jargon are hard for civilians to understand. Keep acronyms to a minimum and spell them out first. You also may want to use a non-military equivalent.
  3. Numbers are as important in civilian life as in military life. Maybe you supported 1,000 troops with your supply chain skills; trained 300 individuals; or kept a 30-vehicle motor pool humming—all those numbers are easy for civilians to grasp.
  4. When relaying your experience in your civilian resume, concentrate on the common denominators between the military and civilian careers. In both environments, people value individuals who communicate clearly, are able to work with all levels of the organization, have leadership skills, and have demonstrated concern with efficiency, productivity, and cost control.
  5. Focus on results. Companies are less interested in how you saved $5,000 or organized the transfer of 400 troops than in the fact that you did it. Even if military procedures have no equivalent in civilian life, the results definitely resonate.
  6. Focus on the numbers, experiences, and results that are most in line with the position you are applying for. Your resume does not have to include everything you accomplished during your military career, only those accomplishments that relate to the job you want.
  7. Person-to-person networking is just as important as filling out forms online. Make sure of local veteran resources and also attend the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups to get a handle on what businesses are looking for and to sharpen your networking skills.
  8. In many cases, your security clearance, overseas experience, ability to work with diverse or remote teams, and quickness of advancement will generate interest in civilian employers. Make sure you mention any awards or special recognition you received.

If you are a veteran in need of resume writing and career advice, please contact me.

Federal Job Resumes

Applying for a federal job is not the same as applying for a civilian job, and the resumes must be different in many areas.

For example, a civilian resume does not normally need to show the exact address, supervisor and wages paid for each job. However, this information must appear on the federal resume. Also, you should never include your social security number on a civilian resume but, again, you must include it on a federal resume. As a further example, your prior service in the armed forces should appear on a resume; though it may or may not help you win a civilian job, it can be a deciding factor with a government job.

Important information about applying for federal jobs appears on my website, along with examples of federal resumes. As a Certified Federal Resume Writer, I would be honored to help you develop the appropriate resume for the government position you are interested in.

Define a Great Resume? Easy!

For recruiters and hiring managers, a great resume is one that tells them what they want to know fast. They review hundreds of resumes for every job opening. They lack the time to hunt for the qualifications, experience, achievements and attitudes they want in the perfect candidate. So your resume has to fulfill their wish for quick and thorough information.

Your resume is a marketing document. It is marketing you. With the holidays approaching, your mailbox is full of brochures. Consider what the best marketing pieces have in common: The contact information is easy to find and read; a bold statement up front makes that company stand out from the crowd; and the detailed information gives the facts that any consumer wants before deciding to buy.

Your resume must do the same thing: make it easy for recruiters to contact you, start with a strong statement of your outstanding skills and accomplishments and cover the details that recruiters and marketing managers are looking for. And it has to do all without wasting their time.

I have more than 10 years of experience writing professional resumes for individuals at all levels, from upper management to support staff, in technical, retail, government, manufacturing and many other fields. Look at the samples on this website for civilian and federal  resumes. Then call me today so we can get started on marketing you.