Transitioning from a Military to Civilian Resume: Helpful Resource for Job Seekers

From http://www.careeronestop.org/militarytransition/resumeWriter.aspx

The skills and experience you gain in the military are in high demand in civilian jobs. But describing your military experiences to a perspective employer can be difficult.

To get started, use these resources:

• Obtain Your Verification of Military Experience and Training Document. Your VMET lists your military job experience and training history, recommended college credit information, and civilian equivalent job titles. Read more about how to download your VMET and how Military Experience and Training can help with your job search at TurboTap.org.
  
• Visit CareerOneStop's Military to Civilian Occupation Translator to help you identify civilian occupations that match your military occupation, skills and experience. Even if you have already identified the civilian occupations you are interested in, this tool can provide you with lists of skills and work activities that you may want to include on your resume.
  
• Visit TurboTAP.org’s Resume Writing for the New Millennium for more advice.

Don’t overlook your skills.

You’ve likely gained a wide variety of skills in the military. Your job when writing your resume is to highlight your assets for employers. Include examples of the following types of skills:

• Technical skills. Military careers such as a telecommunications technician, financial management technician, mechanic, healthcare specialist all have closely related civilian careers. The technical skills you developed in your military career in these and other military occupations should be included on your resume.
  
• Discipline skills. The discipline skills that you developed in the military are highly valued by civilian employers.
  
• Leadership skills. Any leadership experience or training that you acquired in the military is also highly valued by civilian employers.

Follow a standard resume format.

Use a resume sample or template as your guide. If you don’t have civilian work experience, consider using a functional resume that addresses your skills rather than the positions you have held. For a walk-through of the resume writing process, visit CareerOneStop’s Resume Guide.

Looking for more?

• Browse job boards to find sites to post your resume.
• Create a cover letter.
• Get help naming your skills.
• Use the Tools and Technology report to find terms and buzzwords to highlight in your resume.