As a veteran, you offer unique perspectives and experiences uncommon to the average civilian applicant. Your military experience has equipped you with a collection of soft skills that are highly desirable to civilian employers. Outside of these qualities, there are endless veteran-targeted resources at your disposal to aid in your job search. Your status as a veteran can give you a competitive advantage against other applicants in landing your next job. In this post, we’ll provide five ways to streamline your job-hunt using your status as a veteran and the associated experience you have gained through your time in the military.
Maximize your Chances of Landing a Job as a Veteran
1. List your Military Experience on your Resume
Include your role in the military as a position in the Experience section of your resume when applying to jobs. Be sure to keep your position title simple and readable for a civilian hiring manager (e.g. write “Health Care Specialist” instead of “68W”). Avoid using military jargon when describing your duties and be sure to When applying for jobs, include your military role in the Experience section of your resume. Use a simple and clear position title that a civilian hiring manager can easily understand (for example, write “Health Care Specialist” instead of “68W”). Avoid using military jargon when describing your duties, and whenever possible, quantify your achievements (for instance, “taught a class to 50 soldiers in the company”).
Make sure to highlight any transferable skills you gained during your military service, such as discipline, adaptability, and leadership. Additionally, you can list any relevant certifications obtained through the military that apply to civilian roles. Quantify your previous work experience whenever possible (e.g. taught a class to 50 soldiers in the company). Ensure you emphasize any transferable skills you have gained through the military such as discipline, adaptability, leadership, among others. You can also include any relevant certifications you may have obtained through the military that transfer to the civilian world.
2. Network within your Military Circle
Networking is a highly underrated tactic to maximize your chances of securing a new position. This can be particularly beneficial for veterans who were part-time military in a Reserve or National Guard unit. Most reservists work full-time jobs outside their part-time military obligations, so use this to your advantage.
For full-time military veterans, your peers and supervisors likely still have connections in the civilian world that can prove useful for your job search. You can find out who works in a career field that interests you and start a conversation. These connections can be useful for informational interviews, shadowing opportunities, and even informing you of other useful connections or open positions.
3. Use Job Search Platforms like USAJobs
USAJobs is a website for listing open federal positions, which are natural jobs to transition into for many former military members. Some positions listed on USAJobs grant preference for veteran and other active military applicants. Other positions are open to only veterans and part-time military, and civilians are not eligible to apply. Various hiring paths on USAJobs (e.g. “Veterans”) allow you to filter for jobs you are eligible for easily.
Keep in mind that you will have to create a federal resume to apply for jobs on this site, but fear not! USAJobs can build this for you, and you only need to plug in the required information for each section.
You can get started with an account here: https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email.
4. Make Use of Veteran Job Resources
Veterans have access to a wide range of resources designed to help them successfully transition to a career after military service. The Veteran and Military Transition Center, available through CareerOneStop, offers numerous useful tools to help identify potential career fields, assess current skill sets, and navigate various aspects of the job search process.
Hire Heroes USA provides free services for veteran and military job seekers, including personalized assistance with resume building, job searching, and interview practice with a career mentor. These are just a few examples, but more resources for education and training opportunities, transition programs, and accommodations for disabled veteran sare available online.
For a comprehensive list of career resources available to veterans, you can visit the VA website here: https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/veteran-resources/.
5. Use your Military Experience to Answer Interview Questions
Once you land an interview with a prospective employer, your responses and perspectives as a veteran can help to facilitate a follow-up interview or even a job offer. Be sure to incorporate your experiences from the military when answering behavioral interview questions. Whether in a leadership role or not, you were likely put in charge of mission-essential tasks during your time in the military. Communicate these roles when answering questions such as “Describe a time when you had to step up and demonstrate leadership skills”.
When responding to questions such as “Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment,” don’t hesitate to mention trainings, missions, deployments, and even promotions that had positive outcomes for your military career. By conveying pride in your military accomplishments and referencing life experiences specific to veterans, you will can set yourself apart as a candidate for the job.
Closing
Military service equips you with unique experiences and knowledge that undoubtedly sets you apart from other job applicants. By highlighting your military service on a resume, you can effectively communicate these one-of-a kind experiences and skillsets to a civilian employer.
Networking within the military community can provide insight into careers of interest and awareness of potential job opportunities.
Be sure to use available resources for veterans and take advantage of federal job sites like USAJobs. Stand out in interviews by drawing upon your accomplishments and experiences in the military to answer behavioral interview questions.
Your status as a veteran is a strength in the job search process that will follow you throughout your career, so be sure to make the most of it! For more veteran and military career resources, visit our website at https://career.uml.edu/channels/veterans/.
