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Transforming Your Military Experience into a Civilian Resume

Deciding to leave the military and enter the civilian workforce can be daunting. It’s important to remember that you have many qualifications to offer employers, but you must show them in a way they will understand. This means that it’s time to translate your military experience and jargon into a civilian resume. Here are some tips on how to transform your military service to a civilian resume that can easily be read and understood by those in the civilian world.


Research Civilian Job Titles


One of the most important steps is researching job titles for positions you may be interested in. If possible, try to find one that matches what you did in the military as closely as possible. Many employers don’t understand military terminology, so having an equivalent title on your resume is key. If no exact match exists, use similar language from other industries or look for related terms and titles online.


Highlight Transferable Skills on Your Military to Civilian Resume


When creating your resume, make sure you list any transferable skills relevant to the job you want. These include leadership experience, training skills, problem-solving abilities, team management knowledge or expertise with specific software programs or technologies used in the industry. You may also find additional skills unrelated to your career field but which are essential in any work environment such as communication and interpersonal skills, organizational abilities or flexibility when facing new tasks and challenges.


Translate from Military to Civilian Resume


Military terms can be confusing for non-military personnel so it’s important to change them into terms that they will understand better if you want your resume noticed by potential employers. It might help to start by looking up each term online until you get a good feel for its civilian equivalent so that you can use it correctly on your resume without sounding too technical or out of place among other resumes sent by non-military people applying for the same position.


Contact Us Today


As an exiting service member transitioning into civilian life, creating a great resume is essential if you want employers to take notice of your skills and experiences. By researching civilian job titles, highlighting transferable skills and translating military terminology into easier-to-understand language for civilians, you will increase your chances of landing an interview with companies looking for employees with excellent qualifications like yours!


If the task seems like too much for you, pass the job over to our experts at El Paso Professional Resumes. We offer expertise in reading your military documents and researching keywords for your job search. Check out our calendar today to set up a free consultation.

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