Veterans and military personnel alike have endured unique experiences that set them apart from the average civilian job applicant. The thought of transitioning back to civilian life can seem daunting enough without taking into account job searching and securing a civilian job.

Alternatively, maybe you are part-time in the military and seeking employment on the civilian side. Whether active duty, reserve, or National Guard, you raised your right hand and signed up to be the <1% to serve your country. That sacrifice comes with endless knowledge and experience that cannot be gained anywhere else. So let’s take about five ways you can highlight your military experience on a resume that will allow you to stand out as a candidate in the civilian job market.

What is a Resume, and Why Does it Matter?

A resume is a document that compiles your education and experience and serves as a first glance at you as an applicant. A resume should emphasize your skills and accomplishments and effectively market your experience to a hiring manager. A strong resume is more likely to get you an interview and is the first step in the process of securing your desired job.

Highlighting Military Experience

1. List Your Certifications and Technical Skills

Many military occupations come with several weeks to months of job-specific training following boot camp. Often, this job-specific training comes with certifications or skills that translate to the civilian side. Maybe you were a medic and got certified as an EMT, or you had a job in transportation and received a CDL. Alternatively, maybe your specialty was in human resources or intelligence, and you gained expertise with certain technologies or software. Be sure to highlight any certifications and skills you gained during your time in the military that may translate into the civilian world.

2. Emphasize Soft Skills

As someone who has served the military, I know you have likely endured countless long days, sacrificed time with family, and put a lot of energy into accomplishing specific tasks. Both during boot camp and in the years following, you quickly learned to maintain discipline and accountability.

Whether as a lower enlisted soldier, squad leader, sergeant, or officer, you have likely gained strong communication skills. You learned how to work and thrive in a team environment, and played a key role in the success of the unit. Highlighting these soft skills in a skills section or experience section is a great way to help you stand out.

3. Add Military Service as an Experience

Regardless of the position you held within the organization, you should list it on your resume. Military experience is unique in that it does not have to be relevant to your desired career to be included. If it does not directly relate to your job prospects, I would recommend making an “Military Experience” section and including it there. Be sure to highlight both those technical and soft skills mentioned earlier and try to quantify your duties and accomplishments where applicable (e.g. Lead a class on X topic for 30 soldiers in the company). 

4. List Your Honors and Awards

Everyone who has served in the military has received an award, and most likely multiple awards. Whether it’s a medal, ribbon, or other distinguishing merit, listing these on the resume highlights your dedication and accomplishments during your time in the military. Maybe you served on an important task force, deployed domestically or overseas, or showed excellent character during a training exercise.

I recommend including the most notable one or two and not all of them. Be sure to briefly describe what each award was for to emphasize your accomplishments.

5. Translate Military Language

Most civilian employers do not call their employees “troops” or “joes”, use a million and one acronyms, or communicate with the phonetic alphabet. Using any military jargon on a resume can confuse a hiring manager, preventing you from effectively marketing yourself.

Try to break down your duties and accomplishments into commonly used words or phrases that could be easily understood by anyone. If you are unsure how to translate words used in the military, have a civilian family member or friend help or refer to this guide.

Closing

Military service equips you with unique experiences and knowledge that undoubtedly sets you apart. By properly highlighting your military service on a resume, you can effectively market your unique experiences and skillset to a civilian employer. Be sure to list acquired technical skills, certifications, awards, and emphasize soft skills. Incorporate military service as you would any other position, and translate language into an easy-to-read format without any military jargon.

For more veteran and military resources in career development, visit our website at https://career.uml.edu/channels/veterans/.