How to Create a Winning Resume with Your Military Experience

How to Create a Winning Resume with Your Military Experience

Created on Monday, November 28 2016

Written by Natalie Severt

Military TransitionTransitioning from military to civilian life and employment isn't a piece of cake. If you're a veteran and a job seeker, you know what I'm talking about. Have you been sending out your military resume and not getting any replies from employers? You're not alone.

A recent study found out that veterans list finding a job as the greatest challenge they face when transitioning to civilian life.

So, can your military resume even land you a job? Sure. But only as long as you translate all of the valuable skills you've acquired while working in the military into competencies that are relevant to civilian jobs.

Here's how to get the most out of your military experience while writing your civilian resume.

1. Remember That Your Resume Serves Particular Objectives

As a professional transitioning from the military to the civilian sector, you need a resume that meets specific criteria. Naturally, it should entice recruiters to call you for an interview. But it also needs to serve as proof of your ability to transition into civilian employment. That's why you should demonstrate the civilian applications of your military skills and experiences. Your resume should also aim to bridge the gap between the professional you were in the service, and the civilian employee you wish to become.

2. Plan Your Career, Here's How

You won't be able to market your skills for a civilian job if you haven't developed a career strategy first. Start with your military employment and research occupations which are close to the positions you've held previously. You've got a specific skill set and training. Have a look around to see which industries employ people with these qualifications. If you're undecided, it's not a problem. You can write several versions of your resume for different career paths.

Got your target job? Great.

Now, list all your skills, education, and experience that are relevant and valuable. For an obvious example, if you're applying for a job in accounting, your marksmanship skills won't help you land the position. Expect to let go of some of your skills. That’s simply part of transitioning to a different industry.

If you list irrelevant skills and experiences on your resume, recruiters won’t see you as a relevant candidate.  Focus only on qualifications that you can transfer to your new role.

For more information please click the link below

http://www.veteransenterprise.com/index.php/articles-online-magazine/articles/work/574-how-to-create-a-winning-resume-with-your-military-experience

Emailing Your Resume by Schlinger, Robin - Mar, 2016

Everyone is emailing resumes these days—but are they doing it correctly? Here are a few rules to follow when you are emailing your resume.

•Send your resume in the format requested in the job posting. Usually this will be Word or .txt format (not .pdf unless specifically requested).

•Make sure you are using the correct email address. If you make any mistake in the recipient’s address, the email will not arrive—and you may not be notified.

•Do not send unsolicited emails to random addresses (for example, CEO@company.com). Most companies have software that will bar you from reaching that address and most employees are well aware of the dangers of opening unsolicited email.

•Check the job posting for information on what to put in the subject line of the email.

•If the job posting does not give directions about the subject line, include the position ID or name (for example, “Resume for Junior Accountant Position”).

•Write a professional cover email and include the same content as you would in a cover letter. The rule here is that a cover email might not be read but a blank email or one filled with emoticons is not professional.

•Make sure your content information is included in your email just as it appears on your resume.

•Send your email from a professional email address (for example, jjones@yahoo.com), not the one you use for friends and family (for example, dudeandbabe@yahoo.com).

•Do not send multiple, daily follow-up emails. The rule here favors the employer over the job applicant. You can contact the company after a week or so to make sure they received your resume—but if the job posting stated you should wait to hear from them, then you should simply wait and assume that you didn’t get the job if you don’t hear.

"TRANSITION ON THE GO" Event 3.22.2016

This event is FREE and only OPEN TO Transitioning Military, Active-Duty, Veterans, National Guard & Reserve, Military Retirees and All Spouses

MARCH 22, 2016

8:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Location:

Peninsula Workforce Development Center

600 Butler Farm Rd.

Hampton, VA 23666

TOPICS

.           Tips on Successful Networking

.           Resume Rx - Prescription to Heal Your Resume Disorder

.           Interview I.Q.

.           VA Benefits

.           Social Media Workshop

.           Employers' Panel

.           Resource Fair

FREE BREAKFAST SNACKS AND LUNCH PROVIDED

MUST RSVP- RSVP THROUGH THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE ONLY bit.ly/MAR22TOG http://www.eventbrite.com/e/transition-on-the-go-tickets-21205716870

Offered by the Transition-Employment Assistance to the Military (TEAM) partners

TEAM partners include the Fleet and Family Support Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis (Army Community Service); Langley Airman & Family Readiness Center, Fort Eustis Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP), Coast Guard Work Life Program, Virginia Employment Commission, Peninsula Worklink, Peninsula Council for Workforce Development, Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia Values Veterans (V3), and Virginia Transition Assistance Program (VTAP).

Military-Civilian Resume Data Base

http://www.military-civilian.com/pages/post-resume/

You must have an active candidate account with this site to proceed.

If you do not have an account, please contact Lucy to set one up.

Please do not attach any Qualifications/Certificates/SS# or DD214 Papers until requested by a company recruiter.

Please use the keyword field to highlight your work experience!

All resumes will be approved before publishing in the Military-Civilian resume data base

Posting a resume in the Military-Civilian data base does not guarantee employment.

All resumes must be current to remain

posted in the Military-Civilian resume data base. All resumes that have not be updated and/or re-uploaded after 90 days will be removed.

You will receive an automatic renewal notice via email on the 85th day of posting and a 5 day window to do this as we do not want out of date/old resumes in the Military-Civilian data base.

When you get employed, reach back and help a fellow Service men and women over the wall.

What goes around, comes around. Help when and where you can.

You, a family member or friend could be next to need a job.

Please share out to your social media site such as Face Book via Bookmarks

Please join Military-Civilian resume data base

http://www.military-civilian.com/pages/post-resume/

Please do not attach any Qualifications/Certificates/SS# or DD214 Papers until requested by a company recruiter.

Please use the keyword field to highlight your work experience!

All resumes will be approved before publishing in the Military-Civilian resume data base

Posting a resume in the Military-Civilian data base does not guarantee employment.

All resumes must be current to remain posted in the Military-Civilian resume data base. All resumes that have not be updated and/or re-uploaded after 90 days will be removed.

You will receive an automatic renewal notice via email on the 85th day of posting and a 5 day window to do this as we do not want out of date/old resumes in the Military-Civilian data base.

When you get employed, reach back and help a fellow Service men and women over the wall.

What goes around, comes around. Help when and where you can.

You, a family member or friend could be next to need a job.

The Dos and Don'ts of Posting Your Resume Online

The Dos and Don'ts of Posting Your Resume Online

Kim Boatman

In this uncertain job market, there’s at least one sure thing. The process of submitting your resume to apply for a job opening is as easy as clicking the mouse on your computer.

However, flooding cyberspace with your resume may not always be the safest move. It can place your confidential information at risk and expose you to scam artists and identity thieves. “I think people let their guard down,” says Susan Joyce, owner and publisher of free online job search guide Job Hunt. “They just don’t want to let anything get between them and an opportunity.”

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the tough job market, and pinning many of their latest scam tactics on job-related angles. “I think most of them are going for identity theft,” Joyce says. “They’re looking for the kind of information you have on your resume, and they’re hoping they can weasel your social security number out of you.

Before you post your resume online, review these do’s and don’ts:

•Don’t share personal information. The sort of private information you would routinely post on a paper resume can put you at risk when posting a resume online. Certainly, never include your social security number, your driver’s license number, your age, your address or financial information, says Jason M. Hill, managing partner of Sound Advice, a New York-based staffing and recruiting company.

So, be vague about personal details, advises Hill. For instance, list simply your city or region for an address. If you don’t want your current employer to know you’re looking for a job, don’t list the employer by name. Simply offer a generic explanation, such as an “international software company.”

Be aware that some legitimate employers now ask for social security numbers and run credit checks, Joyce says. She doesn’t like the practice. There’s no real reason an employer would need your social security number until you’re hired and filling out tax forms, she says.

•Do set up a job search email address. Establish an email address that you use solely for job hunting. This way, you won’t expose your personal email to the spam you might receive after posting your resume, and you’ll be able to track emails related to your job search more easily.

•Don’t post your resume indiscriminately. Hill figures there are about 10,000 job boards on the Internet. He points out that there are 1,500 staffing agencies just in the state of New York. Posing as a job board is a simple way for thieves to troll for personal information, Hill says. Some job boards aggregate resumes so they can sell your data, he points out. You’re better off tailoring your resume and cover letter to specific job opportunities, Joyce says. “Pick and choose the opportunities you’re after, customize your response and be really careful of your identity,’’ she advises.

•Do track where you’ve posted your resume. Maintain a spreadsheet or even a simple Microsoft Word document that tracks when and where you’ve posted your resume. Be wary of email blasting services that distribute your resume to hundreds of job boards. With such broad distribution means “you’ve widely distributed your information to the world, and you have no control over it,’’ Joyce says.

•Do limit reference information. If someone is nice enough to provide a reference for you, don’t repay the favor by placing his or her personal information at risk. Limit contact information for your references as well.

•Don’t overlook the fine print. Review the privacy policy of job sites, and understand what will happen with your personal information. Find out how long a site or board will hang onto your resume.

•Do be wary of job solicitations. The trend in this tight job market is for nefarious sorts to prey on job seekers. Watch out for unsolicited emails offering work opportunities. Many play on familiar scams, such as asking you to deposit a check and then wire money using Western Union. Of course, the check is no good, and you’re out the cash.

Look out for bogus jobs and recruiting sites as well. Joyce recommends visiting Domain tools if you’re suspicious of a web site. You’ll be able to review registration information about the site. “Be especially careful if it’s a new domain name just a few days old,’’ she says. “If it looks legitimate, Google the phone number.”

Posting a resume and clicking might be simple enough, but you owe it to yourself to invest more effort in protecting your information. “You really need to make sure you’re talking to a real company, a real business,’’ says Joyce. “There are just so many angles these days.”

Copyright (c) Studio One Networks. All rights reserved

Please join Military-Civilian resume data base.

Log-in here

http://www.military-civilian.com/pages/post-resume/

Please do not attach any qualifications/certificates/SS# or DD214 papers until requested by a company recruiter.

Please use the keyword field to highlight your work experience!

All resumes will be approved before publishing in the Military-Civilian resume data base

Posting a resume in the Military-Civilian data base does not guarantee employment.

All resumes must be current to remain posted in the resume data base. All resumes that have not be updated and re-uploaded after 90 days will be removed.

You will receive an automatic renewal notice via email on the 85th day of posting and a 5 day window to do this as we do not want out of date/old resumes in the Military-Civilian data base.

When you get employed, reach back and help a fellow Service men and women over the wall. What goes around, comes around. Help when and where you can. You, a family member or friend could be next to need a job.

Please feel free to contact me.

Lucy