Let’s begin with the more professional application - LinkedIn. Many of you may be familiar with this website, but are you taking advantage of all the tools it provides? One of the most important things to remember when using this site is to build a completed profile, which means you need to fill in ALL the information fields. Keep paragraphs brief while highlighting key accomplishments. Remember to try and limit any unnecessary military jargon. Many recruiters use LinkedIn to search for potential candidates, so make sure that you include current contact information to make it easy for them to get in touch with you. LinkedIn also provides various subscription plans that offer added features including the ability to send e-mails, see who’s viewed your profile, as well as other useful bonus capabilities for a modest price.

I strongly recommend joining reputable groups that are related to your field. Not only does this offer you the ability to network and connect with industry professionals, but many of them generate thoughtful discussions. LinkedIn also offers a feature that will generate groups you may like based on your activity. Many companies use this website to post jobs, so you can also use this to conduct job searches and apply for positions. Finally, get recommendations from peers, clients and superiors who can endorse your work. References are a great way to market yourself, so make sure you only connect with reputable professionals.

Facebook has gained a lot of negative attention in the media lately. To avoid harmful consequences, steer clear of posting inappropriate pictures and disparaging remarks. If you are a job seeker, it’s important for you to recognize there are many mistakes that can occur on this site which could prove to be quite costly. Many employers conduct social media searches on potential employees to “dig up dirt on you.” According to a study conducted by OPP, “65% of employers said they were likely to look at a potential employee’s online presence prior to interviewing them.” Don’t give them a reason to deny you an offer because of what could be considered questionable judgment on Facebook! First thing to nail down: know how to manage your account to set up privacy precautions. It’s important for you to control how you connect with people, as well as how you and your friends share information. A good rule of thumb to follow: if you wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing something with your family, don’t post it online where the world can see.

Twitter limits the number of characters you can “tweet,” but don’t let that scare you away from trying it out. It may not produce many leads for job seekers, but it doesn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the overall gist of the website since many companies use this to promote their services.

With technology becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s global business practices, it’s imperative that you showcase that you are savvy with social media tools, regardless of your industry. Keep in mind that despite the wonderful opportunities these sites can create, they can also wreak havoc if not used properly. A little common sense and precautionary judgment goes a long way.

The announcement of this year’s Most Valuable Employer (MVE) for Military® award finalists will spur scores of savvy military experienced job seekers to apply to military-friendly companies, and rightfully so. However, military experience is not a guaranteed foot in the door. So if you are among this group, you may be wondering how to better your chances of landing a coveted MVE career. The following steps will lead you in the right direction:

Step 1. Get inside their heads.

What motivates MVE and other companies to consistently dip into the military talent pool? Why do military-experienced employees mesh well into these organizations? According to Eric Salzman, Executive Consultant at Bradley-Morris, Inc., the nation’s largest placement firm focused solely on military-experienced talent, “documented leadership experience” sparks a company’s initial interest in military-experienced candidates. “Military leaders have been pushed and tried earlier and harder than most of their civilian counterparts and they are not easily overwhelmed,” he said. When asked what keeps his clients coming back to Bradley-Morris, Inc. for their hiring needs, Salzman replied, “Because hiring military works… companies see a return on their investment.” Understanding what drives companies can go a long way in helping you to sell yourself.

Often, a company-specific answer can be uncovered through a little networking and research. Before applying, research the company of interest online. Pinpoint defining core values by analyzing the company’s history, reputation, products and services, and vision statement. Without asking for a job outright, connect to military-experienced employees through professional networking sites. Seek to understand what they bring to the table as individuals and as a group, gain insight into the company’s corporate culture and hiring needs, and discover your potential value-add.

Coming up empty-handed? Many military-to-civilian executives attribute their corporate success to leadership traits acquired unequivocally through military service, including excellent communication skills, a deeply rooted sense of ethics, the ability to calmly make sound decisions under pressure, defining a goal and motivating others to achieve it, organizational skills such as strategic planning and the effective use of limited resources, and adaptability. I think it’s safe to say most companies value these traits and most military leaders possess them.

Step 2. Target your sales pitch.

Through research and networking, let’s say you’ve uncovered a company’s penchant for loyal workers who work well as a part of a team, inspire healthy competition and goal attainment, and can maximize resources/manpower and minimize waste/downtime. Simply stating your ability to minimize waste, for instance, in your military resume or in an interview is not enough. You must prove it. Always backup something intrinsic, i.e. “cost-conscious”, with something extrinsic, i.e. “…saved $30k quarterly by developing and managing a first-of-its-kind parts reclamation program…” According to Salzman, “Companies want to see quantifiable data attached to experience such as number of people led, total value of a project or budget, and cost avoidance… that’s a big one.”

Step 3. Don’t make a you-know-what out of you and me.

Just because a company has a track record of hiring military experienced job seekers, don’t assume a military jargon-laden resume copied straight from your performance evaluations is going to do the trick. Salzman warns, “Your résumé should be easily understood by everyone from the HR specialist to the CEO.” As the former director of MilitaryResumes.com and a current recruiter at Bradley-Morris, Inc., I’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands, of military resumes. However, I have yet to master the meaning of every acronym or understand the purpose of every command, program, system, or specialty for every branch of service.

Briefly describe your command (mission, services, “customers”, etc.), the technical makeup and capability of military-specific systems/equipment (if applicable), and the scope of your duties to establish due context, no matter the target company. Focus not on your formal, DoD-approved job descriptions, but on the skills derived from each job with respect to the company and job opportunity at hand instead. Finally, add plenty of individual accomplishments to make you stand out as a top-notch performer worthy of corporate recruitment.

Salzman enjoys getting companies to see the value of military experience. He is a master of showing his clients how military experience fits into their organizations through comparable success stories. But perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the job is the service he is able to provide to veterans. “I really enjoy seeing candidates I’ve placed come back and use me when they have hiring needs again,” said Salzman.

This is the first interview in a series Salzman has graciously agreed to on behalf of MtC readers:

Everyone knows the economy has seen better days, yet Bradley-Morris continues to place military-experienced job seekers into civilian jobs. What motivates a company to turn to a military placement firm for talent in spite of a saturated job market?

Most of my clients turn to me for two main reasons: First is the speed and efficiency of our military hiring events. These events allow them to see 8 to 10 pre-screened candidates (all qualified and interested in the job, location and salary) in a one-day format. Second, companies are targeting candidates that are easily promotable. This adds bench-strength to an organization. The intangibles military-experienced candidates bring to the table (such as work ethic, discipline, problem-solving and decision-making under pressure) are seen as true assets.

Are there common misconceptions about military-experienced job seekers in Corporate America?

Corporate America harbors several misconceptions about the military. The main one I see pertains to a military-experienced job seeker’s ability to conform to a “corporate culture”, where the rules and duties are not always as clear as they are in the military.

As a seasoned executive consultant, how do you overcome those misconceptions to best position your military-experienced candidates for consideration?

I identify misconceptions and tackle them head-on with examples of successful candidates I placed into very satisfied companies. Because Bradley-Morris specializes in recruiting military-experienced talent, I am able to clearly explain a candidate’s skill set, how it relates to the job, and how the military has prepared them to exceed goals and expectations.

How should a veteran market their military experience, especially when it does not correlate directly with industry or vacancy requirements?

How has the playing field changed in the past two years, and what can we expect next year?

Companies are really looking for candidates with great energy and attitudes. This seems to be the case more now than ever. Companies are focusing on building teams that work well together and not just focusing on finding the candidate with the most qualifications. I’ve seen an overwhelming number of candidates selected for jobs because of their positive attitude.

For more information on Bradley-Morris, a free service for military-experienced job seekers, please visit www.Bradley-Morris.com. Eric Salzman can be reached at esalzman@bradley-morris.com or http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsalzman1.

Judy’s passion for educating and cultivating effective employees and leaders, and writing for www.MilitarytoCivilian.com, has influenced her to develop her own career mentor blog site, where she provides insight into (civilian) career transitions (see www.portablementor.com). To see all of Judy’s acclaimed articles, keyword search MilitarytoCivilian.com for “Judy”.  You may reach her for comments and feedback at judy@portablementor.com.

 Resourcefulness

 By: Judy Navarrete, SPHR

Recently, while interviewing a veteran of the U.S. Navy, I realized the extent to which civilians take the ease of obtaining items stateside for granted, and the resourcefulness of deployed servicemen/women. Easily obtainable “comforts of home” are often shared with deployed servicemen via care packages. But to sustain complex military operations in austere environments is a different story. It is increasingly challenging for deployed service members to get their hands on both comforts and necessities while on foreign soil. 

I was recently introduced to a former naval storekeeper transitioning from the service to the civilian work after a deployment in Iraq. This veteran had logistics and financial administration experience and a military resume drafted with the assistance of TAPS (transition) counselors. To be quite honest, his resume was difficult to read and appeared highly inflated, that is, until I dug deeper into the breadth of his experience overseas.

His title was “storekeeper” – “supply chain manager” to us civilians. Despite less than 4 years of military experience, the government entrusted him to manage an inventory valued at well over $10 million, a government credit card, and the distribution of resources only experienced supply chain managers would be allowed to handle in civilian business units. He received financial training and described the level of authority over funds and valuable assets he was afforded. He expedited inventory and consumables to global environments (in his case, other bases in challenging locales such as Africa, Japan, the Middle East, and the United States).

Although he lacked experience with state-of-the-art an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, a computerized system designed to manage inventory, and software programs such as SAP, Oracle, Enterprise, WPS, or AS400, he did manipulate spreadsheets using Excel and Word to track inventory and balance a budget. Systems can be taught and quickly learned; resourcefulness cannot. He explained, “When we [service members] are in a foreign country, we learn to be resourceful. We are in the middle of a desert, in the middle of nowhere, and if we don’t have something, we have to find a way to get it.”

I was so impressed with his selling points that I offered to place his military resume in front of the hiring manager at a leading aerospace company for a senior supply chain management role.  Usually, civilians are required to have a degree in business or accounting plus a few years of experience under their belts to be considered for this position. Yet, I was confident that his military experience and training were equivalent to the qualifications requested by the hiring manager.   

Prior to meeting with the manager for a face-to-face interview, the naval storekeeper will be coached on translating his military speak to civilian terms. For example, “financial administration” simply means accounting for and tracking expenses against budget constraints.  Combat/anti-terrorism training will be softened to describe “conflict resolution, resourcefulness, and interpersonal skills” and “government credit card” is better described as “purchasing authority”. 

When applying for civilian work, a military job seeker must keep in mind that the recruiter may not completely understand how to translate military terms. Furthermore, if the military job seekers cannot articulate their meaning during a phone interview or on a military resume, they may never have the opportunity to share their vast experience and sell themselves at the interview. So put the resourcefulness the military has ingrained you with to work  in presenting your experience in terms the business world can relate to… and demonstrate to potential employers that you actually have it.

At Military Resumes, we understand military experience and how to effectively “translate” it into terms civlians not only understand, but are actively looking for. For more information on professional military resume writing services custom-designed to market your unique attributes, please visit www.MilitaryResumes.com.

Pappas stresses that the hiring process is just that – a sequential process. There are many players involved and wickets to get through. While the process has a whole cast of supporting characters (mainly HR and recruiters), the hiring manger owns it, and getting to him or her should be the military job seeker’s ultimate goal. With regards to this, Pappas states:

…One of the most fundamental principles of marketing is understanding the needs of your customer. This is the *buyer* of the product you are selling – You. In the job hiring process the ultimate *buyer* is the hiring manager. It is the person who will be your future manager – the person you will be reporting to, as we say in the military. He or she will make the final decision if you are the right fit for the open position. But they usually don’t make this decision alone. And they are usually helped in the hiring process by several individuals…

So realize you must impress the hiring team, but it is the hiring manager’s opinion that ultimately matters. It’s a well-known fact that most jobs are landed via networking. Why? Because networking will often get you a direct line to the hiring manger. Military placement specialists, like the team at Bradley-Morris, Inc. – the nation’s leader in sourcing and placing military talent, are a great resource. They advocate for and network on behalf of military job seekers everyday, lining up interviews for eligible candidates with these elusive yet powerful decision-makers.

Before scouring your network for job opportunities and preparing or investing in a professional military résumé, take a step back and understand why it’s important to do so. Then sell yourself I terms of the knowledge, skills, and abilities the buyer is looking for.

For more information on professional military resume writing services, please visit http://www.militaryresumes.com

Getting Started in Your Military Transition

For many transitioning veterans, the economy has transformed the job search process into an uphill battle. Military job seekers are in a seller’s market. Companies are able to select from an array of top tier talent at bargain basement prices. It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially for transitioning veterans who have risked their lives in service to their country only to find themselves faced with yet another battle on foreign terrain, the civilian job market. Business language differs from military jargon and new social media and job search tools pose yet another challenge. Rest assured veteran job seekers, this new era of “tweeting” and “branding” via social electronic media is new to us all. With any luck, the following tips will help you better prepare for your next opportunity.

Let’s walk through the first step in a career search. By now, most of us are familiar with popular job search sites. But these sites are not the best place to begin a job search. Luckily, your military training has instilled you with confidence and resourcefulness as evidenced by the very fact that you are reading this article on militarytocivilian.com. (I also highly recommend portablementor.com.)  Glean as much advice as you can from resources such as these and then do some soul searching before you invest in professionally preparing your personal marketing tools and honing your presentation delivery (i.e. your military resume, social media profiles, and interview techniques). It is important to fully understand who you are (strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, etc.) and what you are meant to do before you can build a brand to target the jobs that best suit you.

I recently spent some time with my own career mentors to discuss my own career development and found their direction and advice consistent. They asked me to look at my values and beliefs, make a list of what is important to me, and then find companies and career opportunities that support those beliefs. So, military job seekers, before we get to my next article, “Doer or Accomplisher,” in which I will discuss how you can word your experience to reflect the fact that you are an accomplished leader versus a static manager, take the time to do a personal inventory.

This personal inventory should be a time of reflection. Get to a quiet place and list your values and beliefs. Write out what is important to you. While doing this, don’t worry about how silly and unrealistic it may sound, just write. I know; you are getting antsy. Time is ticking and you need a job. But think about it… getting a job is important… but not as important as getting the right job. Those of you who are married, did you select your partner because you wanted somebody – anybody? Or did you take the time to self-reflect and find the right person? When you selected which branch of the service to go into, did you randomly select? Or did you research the branches to find the best fit? Why not follow the same approach during your job search? The military has provided you with the best training and a disciplined mind. Not everyone can endure the level of development you have endured. Knowing this, do not sell yourself short and accept a job that merely pays the bills. Veteran job seekers can choose jobs that align with their core values and enjoin in a lasting partnership.

So take the time this week to reflect on who you are, what you want, and what you have to offer an employer. Once you do this, you will be prepared for the next article and action item: preparing your introduction – your military resume and your brand.

To MilitaryResumes.com clients, I also recommend  hashing out key work considerations such as ideal working environment (indoor/outdoors, part of a team/working alone, diverse/like-minded groups, etc.), work motivators (such as financial security, creativity, advancement, intellectual challenge, fixing equipment, etc.), and favorite work skills (organizing, negotiating, writing, problem solving, communicating, etc.), in addition to the key personality considerations (personality type, interests, strengths, achievements, core values, and life goals).

Compile a list of any and all careers that interest you in the slightest – no matter how wacky they may sound. Ask your inner circle for help. Then bounce that list off of your list of key work and personality considerations. Where do the two lists synch up? Start your career search there. I realize this is easier said than done. But like Judy said, investing the mental and emotional energy into this self-reflection exercise will go a long way in your militay job search.

Judy Navarrete contacted me at MilitaryResumes.com to express her interest in sharing her vast human resources and operations management experience and insight into the business world with military job seekers.  Her observations are food for thought as you reflect on your own military experience (and how it applies to corporate America) when preparing your military resume or for an interview.  She draws on her conversations with a poised and well-respected Marine Corps Staff Sergeant to craft informative lessons of her own.  To see all of Judy’s acclaimed articles, keyword search MilitarytoCivilian.com for “Judy”.

Judy Navarrete, SPHR, an accomplished HR manager, contacted me at Military Resumes to express her interest in sharing her vast human resources and operations management experience and insight into the business world with military job seekers.  Her observations are food for thought as you reflect on your own military experience (and how it applies to corporate America) when preparing your military resume or for an interview.  She draws on her conversations with a poised and well-respected Marine Corps Staff Sergeant to craft informative lessons of her own.  To see all of Judy’s acclaimed articles, keyword search MilitarytoCivilian.com for “Judy”.

The Portable Employee

“Everyone is replaceable” is a common business saying.  Despite the truth to that statement, it does not always make economical or common sense to dispose of or swap out talent.  Each individual is just that – an individual, endowed with his or her own personality, attributes, and talents.  When an organization loses an individual, it loses their unique experience and imprint on the business, not to mention the investment in time and money required to source, hire, and train them. 

As a person begins their career, they strive to increase their marketability, responsibility, and experience to affect their imprint and increase their financial return.  Leading business books will tell you how to be an invaluable employee and earn clout.  These books will tell you to plug into the industry, know the trends, gain knowledge and ability, and commit to being the best at what you do.  They will advise you to take on additional tasks and accept challenging, high-profile assignments.  Acting upon this advice will surely land you a great position and career.

However, what happens then?  In today’s day and age, middle managers are often eliminated as companies aggressively streamline and restructure to become more efficient and cut costs.  Perhaps we shouldn’t look to a particular company to define our success, but rather look inward.  The straight and narrow career path of yesteryear has evolved.  One must take ownership of his or her development by honing and diversifying skills…  by sharpening the knife so to speak.  Staying current with technology and industry trends ensures mobility and flexibility, enabling outward movement toward career-building opportunities.  Advancement is not always vertical; it is also outward.  Building bench-strength and diversifying your experience makes you an indispensable, portable employee.

A portable employee is one who can rebound quickly from a layoff or, better, one who sees the writing on the wall and uses their network to secure their next opportunity.  The old saying, “don’t keep your eggs in one basket,” can and should be applied to one’s livelihood.  So who are these portable people and how does one become portable?

 Portable employees absorb information and experience.  They take on projects, especially high- risk and high-profile ones.  They love their work and immerse themselves in it.  They do not forward to the weekend and R&R.  Rather, they use their down-time wisely, on productive things that add value to their experience and benefit others.  To be portable, one needs to be willing to take risks, make mistakes, and take ownership and accountability.  Portable employees are equipped to start their own business.  They are forward thinkers.  Portable employees make it their business to be a business. 

The military creates extreme portable employees.  Each service-member is his or her own machine; his or her own tool.  They are trained to care for their machine mentally and physically.  Should they be cut off from communications with the overall organization, they are equipped to survive and accomplish their mission.  Military leaders are cross-trained and counted on to perform multiple roles simultaneously.  Every Marine logistician, for example, is also a warrior.  Every Submariner has a multitude of collateral duties due submarine space constraints.  Every Sailor is a damage control specialist.  Every Air Force Pilot manages an administrative program.  The list goes on and on for all branches of service.  Whether in a foreign land or close to home, military members have what it takes to be their own business.

In today’s world of mergers, restructuring, layoffs, closures, and outsourcing, it is to one’s benefit to be a portable employee.  Once one realizes the importance of portability, the uphill struggles the business world will likely present will become a little less arduous.  To a portable employee, life would not be challenging or exciting if it were any other way.

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Judy Navarrete, SPHR, is an accomplished HR Strategist and Career Mentor.  Her articles and insight into the business world are helpful in understanding how military training and experience prepares talent for business professions.  Her articles are inspired by her deep respect for a Marine Corps Staff Sergeant, who is currently deployed in Afghanistan.  Fortunately, his skill and experience as a Marine for over 14 years has well prepared him to be portable abroad.  Judy’s articles and blogs can also be seen on portablementor.com.  She can be reached at judy@aorsolutions.com.

Pappas, now an international marketing executive whose been focused on his company and career, took inspiration from the informal career advice he provided to fellow former military service members who asked for his guidance. These were friends and contacts in his personal network. He says, “I received a lot of positive feedback on my ‘unique’ approach, but didn’t think much about it. Recently, I started reading about how difficult it is for military veterans to find a job. As I looked into this trend, I got more frustrated and decided to do something about it. That was the start of my new blog.”

What can readers expect? The kind of advice Pappas wished he had when he left the service – an insider’s advice on how to accelerate the military transition – a mentor. According to Pappas, “There is a lot of information about military transition, but there isn’t a blueprint of the process – what I call the ‘map of the terrain.”’ And in this day and age, every job seekers needs a detailed plan. Think about it; you wouldn’t dare navigate a big, unfamiliar city without a map would you? As every service member knows, falling off course can set a devastating domino effect in motion. Wrong turns and loss of focus can cost you precious time, money, and opportunities, not to mention your self-confidence. So why would you tackle an unfamiliar job market without a plan? M2B can provide you with that plan.

For more information on aligning your unique military skills and specific leadership attributes with your target industry or job, please consult the professional military resume writing experts at www.MilitaryResumes.com.

Judy Navarrete, SPHR, an accomplished HR manager, contacted me at Military Resumes to express her interest in sharing her vast human resources and operations management experience and insight into the business world with military job seekers.  Her observations are food for thought as you reflect on your own military experience (and how it applies to corporate America) when preparing your military resume or for an interview. She draws on her conversations with a poised and well-respected Marine Corps Staff Sergeant, who she has come to know very well, to craft informative lessons of her own. This Staff Sergeant recently deployed to Afghanistan – your thoughts and prayers are appreciated. To see all of Judy’s acclaimed articles, keyword search MilitarytoCivilian.com for “Judy”.

Hope

I recently came to the conclusion that it is important for an organization’s leadership to remain hopeful of its future and to convey this hope to others. Recalling conversations with a trusted confidant and true leader, a Marine Corps Staff Sergeant, is one of the catalysts that led me to this understanding. On more than one occasion, when I asked him for his opinion on the possible outcomes of future events, he responded with, “I hope… ”.  At the time, I thought to myself, “how could one with such extensive training, wisdom, and mental discipline, possess nothing more than ‘hope’”? To me, “hope” meant uncertainty with a negative connotation. I now know that he wasn’t necessarily uncertain of the future, but rather, our understanding of “hope” differed.

Hope is better interpreted, as the way the Staff Sergeant intended it to be, as optimism. The complete definition of hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to one’s life. Hope is feeling that wants can be had or events will turn out for the best. To better explain the deep philosophical definition of hope, we turn to some well-respected, modern and historical influences. Oprah Winfrey was quoted saying, “I choose to rise up out of that storm and see that in moments of desperation, fear, and helplessness, each of us can be a rainbow of hope, doing what we can to extend ourselves in kindness and race to one another.” Clearly, she sees hope as inspiration, providing assurance to others in an effort to ease their pain. Sri Chimoy, a poet and spiritual teacher, writes, “Hope is man’s preparation for the unknown. Hope is man’s aspiration for the unknowable.” In conclusion, hope is not uncertainty; it’s honest, not misleading. Hope is not a “cop out”; it’s unavoidable, since there is no telling what the future holds. Because man needs to believe in positive outcomes to persevere, hope is inherently optimistic.

In the life of a Staff Sergeant, work, plans, and schedules often change. Marines (and other service members) stand ready to deploy anywhere in the world within a matter of hours. The military prepares its members to be ready for anything, which makes it difficult for them to make definite plans outside of work. For example, what was expected to be a January deployment resulted in an April deployment. What was anticipated to be a trip to the East Coast ended up as a trip to the Northwest. A weekend home with the family was overruled by an extended stay on assignment. My confidant’s common response, “I hope so”, was often followed by, “things change”.  Those with military experience easily adapt to ever-changing circumstances and know that, despite rigorous training and detailed planning, things change. Hope becomes the mechanism by which this incredible adaptability and perseverance, critical to both military and business operations, becomes possible. In today’s doom and gloom environment, this is yet another valuable lesson that business leaders can learn from their military counterparts.

A participant at a leadership meeting I recently attended called upon leaders to convey hope to their groups. He pointed out that, in this day and age, when many people are troubled by financial challenges, war, stress, joblessness, and home loss, they look to leadership for hope. As leaders, we need to provide that hope. A leader can only provide hope if he/she embodies it. If sales drop, layoffs continue, or business necessitates change, a leader should assure his/her team that things will be OK. Because, eventually, they will be.

Judy Navarrete, SPHR, is an accomplished HR manager who is dedicated to assisting former military personnel in transitioning to civilian careers.  She may be contacted at judy@aorsolutions.com.

As Stone points out, “Before you can translate your experience, you have to know what language you’re translating to. Experts recommend starting with the employer and working backward from there so your résumé is grounded in an understanding of the target industry and the needs of the company.” While this is true, it is easier said than done. As the Director of MilitaryResumes.com, I am frequently asked, “Which jobs am I qualified for?” Many military job seekers don’t even know which industry, let alone company, to target. Surprisingly, the more military experience a client has, the more likely the question. Career search advice and targeted military resumes are things we regularly provide to our MilitaryResumes.com customers. But for those going it alone, I suggest the O*Net website as a resource.

O*Net allows you to pinpoint the civilian job title that most closely matches your military experience and interests. You can use this knowledge to look for companies hiring for your civilian-equivalent job title and target your resume by analyzing your target job announcement for specific language. For more information on O*Net, see my previous post on the topic.

Stone goes on to discuss the importance of creatively drawing less than obvious parallels between military experience and civilian qualifications. Specifically, he cites one Infantry Officer’s struggle to translate his experience. This military job seeker thought about “soft skills” such as “leadership” and added situational details. While I don’t recommend overusing soft skills in the resume itself, as they tend to be interpreted as “fluff”, this can be an effective means to an end.

Creative writers often use a technique called spiraling to develop characters and plots. Spiraling involves placing a main character trait in the center of a blank sheet of paper (such as “Quiet”) and drawing concentric lines around it to point to possible storylines (i.e. repressed memories, solo camping trips, communicates best with animals, etc.). Place a soft skill in the center of a sheet of paper (financially savvy/cost-minded), and spiral out hard skills (fiscal administration and budget management), specific examples (managed a $500,000 training budget), and achievements (optimized training funds and cut travel costs by 50%, saving $25,000 per quarter, by combining 2 courses…). Or try this exercise in reverse; place a tangible experience (managed the construction of an Iraqi school) in the center, and spiral out skills (project management, budget management, quality assurance, etc.). Then spiral out from each of those skills. Are there more examples of project management in your experience? Notice that “budget management” reoccurs. Run with common threads.

To Stone’s well-put insights on how to “word it right”, I’d like to add the importance of putting experience in its proper context. I’ve read hundreds of military resumes and failing to establish context is one of the most common resume writing mistakes veterans make. Lack of context may hinder a civilian’s ability to fully comprehend your experience. The better context you provide, the more the civilian reader can appreciate the unique challenges you have faced on the job. Use context to liberally round out your experience and provide a more realistic backdrop for your accomplishments. Describe your military unit or organization in the context of its industry (size [number of people vs. “battalion”], mission, location [an austere environment like Afghanistan is worthy of mention], “customers”, and services). Briefly describe the scope of your responsibilities, aligning word choice with your status. In other words, a senior executive probably doesn’t need to mention his or her ability to file paperwork.

Military resumes are the most inherently challenging to write, or at the very least, write well. Obstacles faced when building a military resume worthy of civilian attention can be overcome with a little elbow grease and creative thinking. Keep in mind who you are trying to please when writing your military resume – you or the hiring manager? Determine a hiring manager’s needs and, through your accomplishments-driven resume, tell them you are the best person to fulfill those needs.

For more information on professional military resume writing services, please visit www.MilitaryResumes.com or email me at jrichardson@militaryresumes.com.