JULY 26, 2023 – Whether you’re planning to join the armed forces or have just recently left your military career and are trying to switch to the civilian job market, you’ll need a resume.
Serving in the military is not only about being on the battlefield. A range of other jobs is open for civilians as well. For instance, you might join the armed forces as a dentist, teacher, judge, instructor, or ship captain. The list of military jobs doesn’t end here. Meanwhile, how can one compose a military resume that wins jobs? Check the answer in the article below.
What is a Military Resume?
Such a resume is a part of your job search package and is a document that summarizes your skills, experience, and education. Like a CV and cover letter, a resume aims to show you as a job candidate in a good light. If you’ve never written anything like that before, you can always reach out to writing services like essay reviews and get professional help.
If you decide to compose a resume yourself, check the guide below.
Start with a Structure
Contacts Section
This is where you’re supposed to put down the name, phone number, and email.
Summary or Objective
A summary is a better option for professionals who have been in the industry for longer than two years. Meanwhile, an objective is great for newbies and career changers.
Skills vs. Experience
Learn your formats for military professionals with years of experience. It lists the candidate’s work experiences in chronological order. At the same time, the Functional format is perfect for beginners since it focuses on one’s skills.
So, You Choose Experience
This is where you’ve decided to stick to the Chronological format and open your resume with the Experience section. The latter is one of the key elements in a military resume and should follow the exact structure as the one below.
Name of the Job and the Branch of Service
Dates of Service
Job Description (you can divide this section into Key Responsibilities and Key Achievements. Also, if you’re switching to a civilian job, make the military terminology easy to understand).
… Or You’ve Decided to Focus on Skills
The Functional format opens with the Skills section proceeding right after the Summary or Objective. And 66% of employers assume that an average candidate would exaggerate their skills to stay honest. Don’t write down skills you’ve never had or planned to acquire.
Commonly, the Skills section would have a structure as follows:
Skills Section
Hard Skills (list them in a bullet point list)
Soft Skills (list them in a bullet point list)
The Hard and Soft Skills sections must be specifically tailored to the job you’re applying for. Not all your military skills can be applied to civilian jobs; hence be careful. For instance, the knowledge of weapons is an excellent skill for a security guard but not for a high school teacher (if this is the job you’re transferring to).
List of military skills that can be transferred to civilian jobs:
- Leadership – management positions and supervisory roles;
- Communication – perfect if you’re transferring to people-centric positions;
- Teamwork – industries like business and healthcare value one’s ability to be a part of the team;
- Problem-solving – highly stressful jobs (healthcare, police forces) require quick analytical thinking;
- Technical skills – knowing how to maintain a vehicle or deal with cybersecurity issues (yes, cybersecurity specialists can also be a part of the armed forces) is a road to careers where one must operate hardware and software technologies.
Proceed with Knowledge
Education
The Education section often goes after the Skills or Experience parts. List the certifications and training you’ve received in the armed forces. Add civilian education if you’ve got one. In fact, most success stories mention characters with more than one Bachelor’s degree, which helped them return to civilian life after the military service.
The structure of the Education section will often be as follows:
Name of the College/University/Military School
Years spent studying
Name of the Degree
Additional data (you can list important coursework in a bullet-point list)
Certifications and Training
This is often an additional section devoted to a candidate’s secondary education.
Finish with Authenticity
The last section that closes your resume is Other Sections. This section often includes subsections like Languages, Other Projects, Awards, etc. This is the place where one can stress their individuality.
Other Sections allow you to showcase skills and experiences that other candidates don’t have. For instance, the knowledge of languages or projects you’ve been working on and ones that can be transferred to civilian jobs.
The structure for Other Sections is simple:
Other Sections
Name of the Subsection (Languages, Other Projects, Awards, etc.)
List the data in bullet points.
Add Some Clarity
Even the best resume writing service won’t help you secure the job if your job search pack lacks clarity. What do we mean by it?
- Clear terminology. Use terms that a reader understands. Avoid military jargon and paraphrase;
- Structured format. Here at Essay-reviews, we can’t emphasize the importance of a well-structured and perfectly designed resume with a proper sequence of sections;
- Keep your data relevant. Add the new data to your job search documents if you’ve changed your living place.
Final Thoughts
As you might have understood, writing a great military resume doesn’t happen without structure and format in mind. When building your job package, ensure your resume has the required sections. Mention skills that can be applied in other industries if you’re moving to a civilian job. Other than that, keep the data relevant. And if you’re still confused, contact Essay-reviews – we’ll be glad to help!