9 Secrets of Successful Military Resume Writing
Military jobs are becoming more popular due to the uncertain economic period. Dozens of citizens apply for military jobs to the employment agencies. Military jobs are specific in the sense that they don’t refer to any particular field and act as an independent structure.
Therefore, employment agencies are powerless when it comes to providing jobless people with a military job. The good news is that you can apply for a military position directly to the agency you want to work in.
The first thing you should think about is a military resume. Many specialists of military resume writing services claim that even the most qualified and experienced veteran with multiple awards is supposed to provide paper proof of his accomplishments and skills.
The following 10 resume writing tips are revealing the secret of the appropriate military resume format.
Write a Cover Letter
A cover letter may not be required in the job description but it doesn’t mean that sending it is a bad idea. A military man, who wants to impress a civilian manager, should write a cover letter that explains possible confusing issues and reveals a personal story.
A cover letter’s aim lies in motivating a potential recruiter to read the resume. It shouldn’t repeat the information from the military resume. It should contain additional information targeted to the specific job and turning a candidacy into the perfect fit for the position.
Not every applicant can write a good cover letter or a powerful resume, so it’s better to apply for professional writing help from reliable companies such as Resume Writing Lab. It is important to remember that no default resume will suit any career. Thus, a military resume is nothing like a resume of a teacher.
Avoid Confusing Words
A military transition resume may contain specific words, so to say acronyms, which may confuse a civilian HR manager. Using too many alien words leads to misunderstanding and irritation. The best way to avoid it is to avoid using acronyms and replacing them with the full forms or explaining them further.
Adjust Your Accomplishments
Military experience on a resume may contain military accomplishments, which are also usually clear to militaries but not to civilian managers. FRG abbreviation requires a transcript – “raised (sum of money) to provide financial support to ensure the improvement of soldier and family readiness”. Your goal lies in making a military resume 100% relevant.
However, no need to make it too dry. Help your potential recruiters see you as an actual person. Be sure to mention helpful hobbies and interests that can attract the positive attention of employers.
Proofread Everything You Send
Sending a military resume with errors is unacceptable. Just imagine –a decorated veteran, the owner of the multiple accomplishments and awards makes a mistake in the word “ombudsman”, for instance. Proofreading is essential for your image and reputation. It may sound obvious but why dozens of applicants step on the same rake again?
Don’t Overload Your Resume
The only thing every recruiter hopes to get from the military resume is what the establishment will get from your experience, skill, and accomplishments and how you will influence the productivity of the company or institution. Therefore, including your hobbies or skills that don’t refer to a particular military job is impossible. The recruiter doesn’t care about your IT skills if you need to understand the basis of the military equipment working.
Also, if you are interested in a nursing career, be sure to check nursing resume tips as well!
Emphasize Your Achievements
Listing the military duties from your previous jobs doesn’t show your professional competence. The duties don’t tell about your experience as mentioning them doesn’t mean you were good at them. Your goal is to mention your accomplishments as they show the clear result of your work. Emphasize what you managed to achieve instead of what you were supposed to do.
Explain Employment Gaps
Have some employment gaps is not the end of the world. You must take an advantage of them. Use these gaps for your education, professional development, courses, workshops, etc. If you can mention some temporary employment, just do it! However, you might want to read how to put freelance work on a resume to avoid any possible misunderstandings.
Fill with Keywords
In today’s digital era, using keywords is a must. Therefore, check out the job description or ad and highlight the keywords (especially from the skills section of your resume), and transfer them into your military resume.
Choose Appropriate Format
Being too serious or grave is boring but being too designed is ridiculous. Choose the golden mean or apply for professional help.