The 5 Do’s and Don’ts in Preparing Your Resume for Civilian Jobs When

You Have a Military Background

Your military experiences I know you are proud of your military

experiences and accomplishments. But these often do not belong on the resume.

Not because they are not important but because civilians unfamiliar with the military do not understand what those words or acronyms mean.

The best person for the job Do not let your resume end up in the trash

because the hiring manager did not understand why or how you were the best person for the job.

My five Do’s and Don’ts below will help you prepare a resume for a civilian employer who does not know anything about the military.

The Five Do’s - Number 1

Research the Company

Research the company to see if publically identifies with being a company that hires military. Look for a logo on the website.

If you see a logo or identifier that the company hires military you will have some flexibility on how you prepare your resume.

The Five Do’s - Number 1

Some military friendly companies will have a page devoted to helping you translate your skills into jobs that they offer.

The railroad industry is just one of them. Find the corresponding job and use the words listed on that website in your resume.

The Five Do’s - Number 2

Research the Hiring Manager

Use LinkedIn to find the hiring manager for the company. Review his or her background.

If the hiring manager is former military and the company is one that fills military contracts you will again have some leeway on how you write your resume.

The Five Do’s - Number 2

But, you will want to pay attention to item number four.

Look for buzz words or keywords and use these keywords in your resume.

The Five Do’s - Number 3

Convert your military experiences to civilian language.

You must write each resume for each job you are applying.

You must know how what you did in the military converts to the civilian world.

The Five Do’s - Number 4

Keep it relevant. the person reading your resume is only interested in skills you have that pertain to the job you are applying.

Do not list everything you ever did in the military. Do not list every military school or military correspondence course you took. Only list the ones that pertain to the job.

The Five Do’s - Number 5

Please use spell-check

Every computer I know of comes with the spell-check feature.

Use it. Do not let typos cause your image to be tarnished.

The Five Don’ts – Number 1

Do not lie, mislead, or embellish

Be honest about your skills. An admin person in the military often knows nothing about civilian human resource rules or laws.

Do not say you are qualified as a human resource specialist or human resource manager if you do not possess the civilian qualifications.

The Five Don’ts – Number 1

You must know how your skills translate and be honest about your managerial and leadership capabilities.

Leading morning physical training or supervising weekly field day does not make you qualified to be a middle manager or executive level manager.

The Five Don’ts – Number 2

Don’t be in a hurry.

Do not rush when preparing your resume. Let it sit overnight so you can view it with fresh eyes in the morning.

Proof read, proof read, proof read.

The Five Don’ts – Number 2

If the job requires you to provide KSA’s or answer assessment questions you need to plan on several days to type, edit, and review your answers.

Do not assume the person will know what you did based on your resume. They want you to explain in detail and give examples.

The Five Don’ts – Number 3• Don’t make it generic. . Do not be lazy

and assume the hiring manager will know that the wording in your resume means you are qualified for the job they advertised.

• If the job is a psychologist then use the word psychologist not psychotherapist. If the job is seeking a heavy equipment mechanic ensure you use that language a not diesel mechanic.

The Five Don’ts – Number 4

Do not put your rank, the fact you retired, combat tours, or awards

on your resume.

These items can cause someone to make judgments based on what you can do, your age, possible disability status or expected pay. Avoid being stereotyped.

The Five Don’ts – Number 5

Do not provide your social security number, date of birth, or marital status on your resume.

Your date of birth and marital status may cause someone to discriminate against you.

The Five Don’ts – Number 5

In the civilian world you must protect your identity and know what the information will be used for before providing.

Some applications may require this information for a background check but you will be asked for after you have uploaded your resume and are completing the online assessment.

The one resume fits all?

The one resume fits all or generic resume does not exist if you want to get hired.

You will have several resumes that you use as the basis for tailoring each of your resumes for each job you are applying.

Research the company

When you research the company, research the hiring manager, know how your skills translate, and follow my tips on what not to include you will have a resume that gets you hired.

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About Me • I’m your host Coach Jaynine• I am a Retired United States Marine• www.writetherightresume.com• 910-539-2810• Jaynine@coachjaynine.com • Facebook Fan Page – Coach for the Military• Twitter – uneedaresume• Pinterest – CoachJaynine• LinkedIn – Jaynine Ray-Howard