Resume Writing

This past week I was privileged to join an employer panel assembled by Mr. Monte Jones of the Fleet and Family Support Center at Naval Base San Diego. Joining me were two contingency recruiters – who make their living placing transitioning military people in civilian firms (the placement fees are paid by the employers, not by the job candidates) – three internal recruiters for major defense contracting firms and a transitioning executive with deep not-for-profit experience. Below are selected comments made in response to audience questions.

• Recruiters will spend 30 to 40 seconds scanning your resume and 5 to 10 seconds scanning your cover letter. This is why your resume must highlight your most recent achievements in the top half of the first page. These recruiters were not bothered by long resumes, but hate resumes that are long on job description and short on achievements. Your introductory or summary statement must clearly express what you can do for the employer, with an emphasis on making money and saving money.

• The education section needs to also include significant non-degree programs that enhance your potential value to the hiring organization, such as the Sergeants Major Academy and six sigma certification.

• For more and more firms, everything begins with a phone interview. Be in business mode, with copies of your application, resume and schedule immediately available – since these documents will be an excellent source of talking points and the objective is to book a follow-on live appointment before the conversation closes – or at least understand the next steps in the hiring process.

• Do not name your resume – My Resume; imagine how many resumes are received without a noun name for the document name. Use last name – first name – Resume – and date. And, always save attachments in the Word 1997 to 2003 format (with a .doc suffix) or use .pdf. These recruiters like 11 or 12 font size and a little white space in the document to make it easier on the eyes.

• Remember that the Viet Nam generation has moved up to senior management and is not usually involved in initial candidate screening. Accordingly, you’ll need to be prepared to express your military skills in terms that a non-Veteran will understand. For example, a successful Navy fire control technician offers a deep background in computer technology, displays interface and data base management.

• Ensure your resume is edited to include the key words applicable to the position and the industry. Refer to the position description and your internal contacts to learn the appropriate key words and terminology.

• Do not attempt to civilianize military resumes. For example, a commanding officer is not a CEO. At best, it’s a chief operating officer equivalent.

• Contingency recruiters should not charge any candidate fees and should not restrict a candidate’s ability to independently develop and pursue job leads.

• Review your social media presence to ensure it reinforces your professional image.

• Recruiters like to see resumes 90 days from a candidate’s availability date.

• If trying to decide between graduate school and immediate civilian employment, this panel favored gaining civilian work experience first and deferring graduate study, unless you are accepted into a nationally recognized MBA program or a graduate degree is specifically required for entry into your prospective career field.

Finally – and read this carefully – small companies find supporting reserve and National Guard commitments very disruptive. For this reason, it’s best practice not to address your intention to affiliate with a reserve component unless specifically asked. Employer support of the Guard and reserve is the law, but it can negatively influence a hiring decision. Jim Carman, MOAA Director of Career Transition Services.

Posted By Jim Carman