Tips on how to Transfer Military Service into a Civilian Resume

For some members of the military, transitioning out of the Armed Services may be a difficult and confusing time. Finding a career opportunity that matches your skills gained through your many years of service may seem like it’s impossible. And although there are many military friendly companies, a normal civilian reading your resume may have no idea how to read your military experience. I’ve put some tips together that will help you transfer those well-earned skills into a resume that any HR professional will be able to understand!

First the basics!

You might not have had to make a resume before so the first thing you need to do is to make sure you include your contact information, a basic summary of your overall skillset with a brief mention of what type of position/career you are looking for, your work experience, military experience, education and certifications, special achievements and/or security clearances you have obtained during your military service.

Transferring military skills into words into a civilian words (or some may call demilitarizing!) may seem hard but it doesn’t have to be!

First tip

Try not to use acronyms or military code which a normal civilian may not understand. While creating a resume, you will want to include all work history, special deployments and projects you completed while in the military. Be sure to write out the entire word or term, as that way a civilian will have a better idea of what it means.

Second tip

Be sure to add all the education, classes, certifications, special achievements/awards and security clearances you obtained during your military career. Make sure you’re specific about the names and titles of all certifications and awards. Include as much information as possible regarding education. Be proud of your accomplishments!

Third tip

Use a Military Translator website, these can be found on websites such as www.va.gov and www.military.com. These types of websites can help you translate military experience into language civilians will understand. You will add in your Branch of Service, Military Work Code, Code Status and Code Category and it will translate them into terms a civilian will be able to read.

I’ve passed these tips on to a number of veterans and they were all able to find careers in the civilian world that they loved. These tips could also help you gain a career in the civilian world too!

Thank you for your service!