how to include military service on resume example

How to Put Military Experience on a Resume
Federal Resume Guide
Military Resume Help

Last Updated on 02/12/2024

Military service immerses people in a separate world with its terminology, codes, job titles, and acronyms. When it’s time for you to enter the civilian job world, your resume with military experience might confuse job recruiters. They often have trouble connecting military job descriptions with job requirements.

Table of Contents

1 How to Add Military Experience to a Resume
2.1 Where Do You Put Military Experience on a Resume?
3.1 How to Translate Military Experience to Resume
3.2 Highlight Your Security Clearance
3.3 Get Feedback
4.1 Translate Enlisted Military Titles
4.2 Attract Recruiters with Your Military Experience Summary
4.3 Military Resume Summary Example:
4.4 Military Expirience Resume Summary Example:
4.5 Adjust Acronyms and Military Terms
4.6 Job Description Keywords
4.7 Enforce Your Military Experience on Resume with Cover Letter and Objective

How to Add Military Experience to a Resume

To fix the problem, you’ll strip away the military language and write the resume for a general audience. The effort will be worthwhile because then you can make a resume with military experience that gets you interviews.

Don’t describe yourself this way:

MOS 12B Combat Engineer charged with establishing secure routes for HMMWV movements.

A better approach for a civilian audience would be:

Civil Engineering Technician in charge of building roads for use by heavy vehicles.

The second strategy for successfully adding military experience to your resume involves how you present the information. Surely you’ve been asking yourself should I put military service on my resume?

You’ll naturally feel inclined to place the military at the center of your writing. But for better results, frame your work experience descriptions around the job opening. Introduce your skills in the context of the job that you’re applying for and then mention that they came from military service.

Military Experience on Resume Examples

The following Do and Don’t resume sample excerpts illustrate how to put military experience on resume.

Don’t:

Marine Corps Captain responsible for commanding 62 Marines during combat operations by assessing tactical data and managing daily operations.
Guided 62 subordinates through daily operations in the role of U.S. Marine Corps Captain while achieving management’s priorities and goals.
CW2 Officer oversaw decontamination and disposal of hazardous materials and weapons in overseas theater.
Determined the safest methods for processing hazardous materials encountered by personnel during field operations in the role of Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Army.
O-2 U.S. Army Officer managed company during urban environment operations to locate and neutralize insurgents.
Worked as executive officer managing 1,000-person company for 3 years to complete 59 complex missions that required coordination of information from multiple agencies while serving as First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Air National Guard pilot completed demanding flight schedules that resulted in 20 missions in Afghanistan over the course of 6 weeks.
Experienced pilot rated among the top 1% of peers after flying 20 missions to transport 30 tons of equipment and 120 passengers while serving in the Air National Guard.

This is an extended description of how to include military service on a resume, example:

S-1 Advisor coordinated 15 joint missions between Iraqi and U.S. military personnel while managing command communications.
Professional entrusted with personnel management duties including payroll, vacations, and communications who served as the lead coordinator with Iraqi allies while deployed as the battalion commander’s chief personnel officer with U.S. Army consulting group.

Where Do You Put Military Experience on a Resume?

You could describe your service under the heading military experience. This is appropriate if you have other work experience that you want to mention. If all of your work history comes from military service, then you can simply label the section Work History or Work Experience.

Within your Military Experience or Work History section, you can choose the:

Chronological Approach – List your jobs and describe your skills and duties. Explain to them how they will fit the employer’s goals. If you’re wondering how to list military experience on a resume, it’s acceptable to use bullet points under each job.

Skills-Based Approach – Break out the information into subsections that draw attention to your abilities. Leadership Skills or Technical Skills are typical examples. Use the requirements in the job description to help you select your strongest skills for the position.

One more option where to put your military service on resume is to add section headings like Special Training or Awards and Honors.

Doubt how to add your military experience for a job? Check out Military Transition Resume Writing Services .

How to Write Military Experience on Resume

Quantify the results of your work as much as possible. Include percentages, numbers, or other quantifiable results as you explain your accomplishments.

Don’t assume job recruiters will know things like how many people form a platoon or flight crew. Cite any awards or commendations that you received. This shows employers that you excelled in your work. You need to be precise on how to list military service on resume. If you want to mention decorations and awards, explain the details that led superiors to recognize you.

Good Military Service on Resume Example:

Supervised 6 mechanics on a crew that maintained 50 armored vehicles and reduced rate of mechanical failures in the field by 11% over 2 years.

Look over the job description and find keywords that the employer used to describe the duties and requirements. Make it your top priority to communicate your skills that match the keywords. Regardless of your resume format, your text should contain the keywords used by the employer.

How to Translate Military Experience to Resume

Use online resources to find job positions and descriptions that fit your military experience. The MOS Code to Civilian Occupation Translator and Military.com’s Skills Translator take your military job and show you applicable jobs. Study these job postings and find the terms that employers used to describe the skills that they want. You’ll also get good ideas for friendly names for your military job titles. Think of this process as reverse engineering. You find jobs in private sector for your military experience and then harvest civilian terminology from them for your resume.

Highlight Your Security Clearance

Always mention your security clearance prominently. Security clearance communicates your trustworthiness and ability to pass a background check.

Don’t lean on military codes like TS/SCI.
Do state exactly that you had a security clearance that authorized your access to sensitive information.

Get Feedback

Have someone without military experience read your resume. The feedback will help you fix areas that remain difficult to understand. Read more articles on how to write a resume with military service. Study the wording on these and adapt it to your circumstances without copying the text.

Writing your military career to resume takes more effort than transferring text from the VMET to a resume builder. You need to strip military jargon and acronyms from your work military experience.

Terms like SQDN, PCS, and UAV will likely mean nothing. Because writing a resume and translating military jargon for an audience are both challenging tasks, it’s best to break them up.

To begin, set aside worries about military terms and write a master military resume. Use the military terms that you’re familiar with on this first draft.

For the First Draft, focus on:

Placing your strongest skills and accomplishments at the forefront
Crafting a concise objective statement about your career goals
Choosing verbs that convey action, responsibility, and success
Including keywords that match up with the types of jobs that you want

For the Second Draft:

If possible, ask a nonmilitary person to read your first resume draft. The person could provide insights into which parts are the hardest to understand.

Look at that first draft yourself. Try to imagine that you have to explain it someone who knows nothing about military operations.

Circle or highlight your military titles, acronyms, equipment names, and duties to adjust the content of the resume.

Most of these will need to be adjusted or rephrased to communicate the military experience to resume effectively.

Translate Enlisted Military Titles

Enlisted service members have rank designations of E1 through E9. To make these labels meaningful for a state job recruiter, select generic terms like a team member or foreman.

Lower ranks E1 through E3 would translate into entry-level positions like technician or operator. The middle tiers of E4 to E6 would match with titles like an assistant manager or section leader. The top tiers of E7 to E9 correspond with roles like department manager or supervisor.

Warrant Officer
First Sergeant Manager
Platoon Sergeant
Personnel Specialist
Senior Personnel and Program Manager
Senior Technician, Technical Advisor, Chief
Group Supervisor, Senior Advisor, Group
First Line Supervisor, Training Instructor
Administrative Clerk

It’s fine to mention your rank, but you should expand on the description to clarify its meaning for others.

Commissioned officers and warrant officers have similar designations with the letters O and W. Include terms that represent the greater responsibilities of these positions like a general manager or district director.

Attract Recruiters with Your Military Experience Summary

Let’s consider a resume summary for a job by the following military experience on resume example.

Rick Walker is a retired Quality Control Officer with 18 years of successful military aviation experience. Now he holds a position of a Operations Manager in one of the leading aviation company.

When it comes to showoff an impressive military history, Rick can choose the first option. But what are his chances of getting a job? Will HRs’ understand encrypted information with acronyms and abbreviations? Let’s get deeper into the subject.

Military Resume Summary Example:

Quality Control Officer Proven leader with extensive experience for providing National Guard and aviation units with proper implementation of Army aircraft and airworthiness. Responsible for maintaining and repairing both UH-60 and UH-1 aircraft. Lead financial planning, prepared options, and recommendations on aircraft combat systems. Conducted training and mentoring battalion level maintenance management techniques to aviation maintenance officers.

But what if Rick will translate his responsibilities into civilian-friendly terms?

Military Expirience Resume Summary Example:

Operations Manager Dedicated supervisor with 18 years of experience in coordinating program activities for maintenance and repair work, useful in quality control checks. Responsible for the safe condition of over $32 million in aircraft and equipment. Reduced aircraft maintenance up to 34% due to implementation of cost-effective programs. Developed and implemented training programs; evaluated instruction and performance outcomes for employees.

As you can see several phrases, abbreviations and words substituted by general terms as aircraft and equipment instead of UH-60 and UH-1 aircraft, employees instead of soldiers.

Besides resume summary include exact numbers, which make it more competitive and attractive for recruiters.

Adjust Acronyms and Military Terms

Writing out the full names represented by acronyms could improve comprehension in most cases. Replace words like soldiers or airmen with personnel. In all places, make an effort to put your jargon into simple terms using words familiar to most people.

Suspense Date
Conflict, emergency situations, crisis
Function, tasks, obligations, priorities
Confidential
Personnel, individuals, staff

You also need to interpret military jobs to state jobs for resume. It’s helpful to include facts and figures, such as how many people you supervised or how many pieces of equipment that you maintained.

After editing your first draft, your second draft will have shifted the resume from military to civilian terms. This process of altering military resumes for jobs prepares you to tailor the content for specific job applications.

Have a doubt on how to translate military skills? Choose the Best Military Resume Writing Service .

Job Description Keywords

The words used by an employer to describe an open position are vitally important. You need to incorporate these keywords into the top half of your resume.

Among Fortune 500 companies, 98% of them use software to scan resumes before forwarding them to actual recruiters. Analyze the terms in the job description and select those that fit with your skills. Change some of the terms on your resume if necessary to create keyword matches.

Just select your service (for example Air Force) and enter your MOS code (for example 11A4 – Airlift Pilot). Search for equivalent job titles and read a job description to match your experience.

Pick up a few keywords from the job description, and include into your ex-military resume.

Enforce Your Military Experience on Resume with Cover Letter and Objective

Your resume should include a brief statement about your job objective after your contact information. As succinctly as possible, explain how you wish to apply your valuable military training to the job. Explain how your military experience on resume will promote the employer’s goals in the military to resume objective.

Your letter offers a place where you can expand upon your objective and how it meets an employer’s purpose. Draw upon the military experience that you liked the most during your military career. Did you feel like you were thriving when collaborating with others? Did you contribute the most when operating heavy machinery?

Use these positive experiences to communicate your enthusiasm for a chance at employment.

How To Add Military Experience To A Resume (With Examples)

General Resume Examples
Resume With No Experience
Student Resume
College Resume
Entry Level Resume
Military Resume
Internship Resume
First Resume
College Application Resume
2 Page Resume
Blank Resume Template
College Freshman Resume
Work History
Resume Templates

Find a Job You Really Want In

After getting out of the military , it can be difficult to get a job because there is often a gap in your resume for the time you serve. You may be wondering how it’s possible to get a job with only your military experience under your belt. Believe it or not, you can put your military experience on your resume to help you get a job after you get back from your service. If you just got out of the military, we’ll go over how to put military experience on a resume, provide an example resume with military experience, as well as how to use the military experience as an advantage to help you get your next job. Key Takeaways: Military experience on resume can be added to the sections: Summary statement Work experience Awards or achievements Skills and certifications Have a non-military friend look over your resume because they can identify confusing aspects that someone with a military background might take for granted. Avoid using military-specific jargon when discussing military status in cv because it can confuse anyone who is not in the military. In This Article Skip to section How to add military experience to a resume Example of resume with military experience What do employers like to see in applicants with military experience? Tips for adding military experience to your resume Military skills to include on your resume How to use military experience to your advantage during your interview Military experience on resume FAQ Final thoughts References Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs Show More How to add military experience to a resume

When adding military experience to your resume, you should include it in your resume summary statement or include it in your work experience section. Here are more ways to how to list military service on resume:

Include it in your resume summary statement. If your military experience is fairly recent, it’s a good idea to include it in your resume summary statement . Recruiters and hiring managers often read this part first to gain a quick understanding of who you are and what you’re all about.

In about four sentences, talk about your military background in the context of the job you’re applying for. Focus on the key skills and qualities that your military experience instilled in you and how those prepared you for a career in your chosen civilian field.

Include it in your work experience section. You had a job in the military and, just like any other job, it should be included in your professional history . Name your position, the dates you were in that position, and add a few bullet points of your most impressive responsibilities and accomplishments.

Read the job description carefully and mirror the keywords you find there. Whenever you can apply a keyword to your military experience naturally, do so.

Clearly separate your former civilian and military roles. For both categories, though, quantify achievements when you can; numbers help recruiters and hiring managers understand the tangible impact you made.

Include it in your achievements or awards section. If you received any military honors during your service, definitely include those on your resume.

While you can put them in your work experience in a bullet point, you can make them stand out more in their own accomplishments section . Medals, awards, or any other honors you received are fair game.

Include it in your skills and certifications sections. The military likely certified you to perform certain tasks, and those certifications might carry a lot of weight depending on your industry.

Language skills , certifications for machinery or processes, and other technical skills that transfer to the job you’re applying for can all be impressive.

Example of resume with military experience

John Peterson Fort Campbell North, KY 24698 | 555-555-5555 | www.linkedin.com/in/john-peterson SUMMARY Proven leader with 8 years of experience training, supervising, and leading over 200 personnel. Expert operations manager with a track record of lower costs, higher efficiency, and optimizing workflows and processes. Managed over $1M in hardware, reduced overhead by 14%, and reduced safety incidents by 21%. WORK EXPERIENCE United States Army Staff Sergeant | 03/2016-01/2021 Managed distribution and registration of military shipments valued at over $1M, including updates and agent communication Trained 100+ US Army soldiers in 15 training rotations in combat environments in Iraq and Afghanistan, including maintaining electronic aerial surveillance Accessed Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS) with authority to initiate and update security clearances Developed and led the risk management committee overseeing over 2,000 service members in hostile environments Sergeant | 01/2013-03/2016 Assisted in 18 security operations and planned interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational counter-terrorism objectives Managed a fire team of 6 soldiers, overseeing daily responsibilities, tracking performance, and awarding commendations Trained a total of 75+ army personnel and achieved a 98% pass rate for recruits Home Depot Warehouse Manager | 08/2011-12/2013 Onboarded, trained, and supervised the warehouse with 15-20 employees Reduced accident rate by 13% in first 3 months; received a safety award in August 2012 Oversaw reception and stocking of over 200 packages with a weight of over 2 tons daily AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS Completed Hazmat and CLS Training Awarded National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Army Achievement Medal Honorable Discharge — January 2021 Microsoft Certified Professional EDUCATION Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry | 07/2011 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL GPA 3.7 SKILLS Process Improvement Proficient with Microsoft Office and Google Suite Inventory Management Safety Protocols Risk Management Training, Supervising, and Mentoring Operations Optimization

What do employers like to see in applicants with military experience?

More than anything, someone with military experience understands how a chain of command works and knows how to follow through with pretty much any set of marching orders they’re given. Military experience can bring desirable qualities that employers are looking for such as:

Strong work ethic

Reliability

The ability to work with a team

Even if serving in the military came with no additional experience or other benefits , this would still be massively valuable to employers.

And people who have spent years in the military don’t always know the best way to describe the things that they’re capable of doing in less military-specific terms.

Tips for adding military experience to your resume

When adding military experience to your resume you should avoid using any military-specific jargon and include keywords from the job description to match your skills and qualifications. Here are some more tips to keep in mind when adding military experience to your resume.

Avoid acronyms and military-specific jargon. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it can be tough to remember which terms you’re familiar with because you’re a human who’s been alive as long as you have, and which ones you only know because of your service. Take care to exclude the latter ones where possible.

Leave out irrelevant certifications. If you trained as an electrical engineer while you were in the service, that’s probably a good thing to bring up. Weapons training is probably not quite as relevant .

List it the same way that you would any other work experience. Even if the truth is a bit more complicated, anyone reading your resume should be able to understand the short version of your experience at a glance. Stick to a few short bullet points, and make sure to list dates.

Describe non-obvious items from your resume. Lastly, make sure that any training or certifications you have that aren’t totally self-explanatory gets at least a cursory description — and remember that you might have a different perspective of what is or isn’t self-explanatory.

Proofread. It’s important to take the extra couple of minutes and look at your resume again. This helps find any spelling errors or grammar mistakes that could come off as unprofessional. Have someone else take a look at your resume to see if they can catch something you might have missed.

Use keywords. This is a great way to employers that you are a good fit for the position. Reread the job description and pick out any keywords that they have included that match your skills or qualifications.

Get a second opinion. Now that you’ve included your military experience throughout your resume, have a civilian give your resume a look. They can identify confusing aspects that someone with a military background might take for granted.

Military skills to include on your resume

When you’re in the military, you can learn valuable soft and hard skills that will help you when applying for jobs when you’re no longer serving. Here are some transferable skills that you may have gained in the military that are useful in civilian careers:

Communication. When you’re in the military, communication is essential. You have to communicate with your team members and supervisors to complete objectives and missions. Those skills will be useful in almost any civilian job. Communication is essential for any successful team and employers are looking for this skill on your resume.

Flexibility. Oftentimes when you’re in the military, you learn how to be flexible and adapt to new changes. You may have to adapt to a new location, team, or new job. This skill will help you in many civilian jobs to help you stay productive and successful. Flexibility will also help you work with coworkers who may have different opinions or work styles.

Problem-solving. Problem-solving is a skill that you can learn pretty quickly in the military because there may be times when you have limited resources and you have to find a way to complete the job with the limited resources. This skill is useful in civilian jobs and is a skill most employers are looking for.

Teamwork. Teamwork is an essential skill whether you’re working with your team in the military or your team in an office. Having teamwork skills allows you to achieve goals and meet deadlines and is a useful skill most employers are looking for.

Leadership. There are different levels of the hierarchy structure in the military and the military teaches excellent leadership and management skills no matter what level you are. Leadership skills allow you to branch out into management or supervisor positions and is a skill employers are looking for on resumes.

How to use military experience to your advantage during your interview

When you are in an interview, you should keep the conversation on the topic if an employer asks too many questions regarding your military experience. Here are some other ways to use your military experience during the interview:

Keep the conversation on the topic. An employer might spend far too much time grilling you on your military experience, which can sometimes paint you in a light you’re not comfortable with. On the other hand, some civilian employers might be hesitant to bring up your military background out of nervousness.

In either case, a balance is necessary — make sure it gets brought up, but don’t let it take things over.

Keep things relevant. If you have a decade or more of military experience, remember that the rules are the same as with civilian job experience — talk about the most relevant thing first. It’s not super useful to talk about your early training if you’ve been in the Armed Forces for a dozen or so years.

Decline inappropriate questions. If the questions someone is asking regarding your service are inappropriate or too personal, don’t be afraid to shut them down. Your military experience is your own, and not for them to dissect — bring up what’s relevant, and make sure they respect your privacy about the rest.

Military experience on resume FAQ

What is considered military experience?

Military experience consists of any relevant job experience obtained while enlisted in a branch of the military. Your military experience could consist of your year in the military or if you served 20 years.

Is military service good on a resume?

Yes, your military service is good for your resume. Your military experience is good for your resume because there are many skills that you learn in the military that are useful for many civilian jobs. However, if the experience is not relevant to the job you are applying for, you can leave it off your resume.

Should I disclose my military service on my resume?

Yes, you should disclose your military service on your resume if you plan on using the experience for career progression. While you can leave the military affiliation section blank on your job application, not disclosing any affiliation could potentially result in legal employment termination if the military affiliation conflicts with employment requirements.

Final thoughts

That’s all for this one! Just keep in mind: When talking about your experience, framing it as a story is the most important thing.

Regardless of whether you really “learned anything” in a big cosmic sense from your military experience, people are going to expect you to be able to codify the experience into some kind of employment-related fable.

That means becoming comfortable saying things like “Doing [this particular thing I did] in the military really taught me about [responsibility or respect or something like that].”

It’s possible you really feel that you have some sort of major, easily digestible takeaway from your experience — in which case, congratulations!

But life is messy, and often what an experience means to you can be tough to parse out.

So whatever you do, make sure you think about what your own service means to you beforehand, because — fair or not — people are going to expect you to have an answer on that count .

Military One Source – How to Write a Civilian Resume

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Ryan Morris was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog who tried to make the job process a little more entertaining for all those involved. He obtained his BA and Masters from Appalachian State University.

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.

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Military Experience Resume

Military to Civilian Resume Example for Veterans [Updated 2024]

Transitioning from a military lifestyle to that of a civilian is far from easy.

According to a Pew Research Center study, 95% of veterans seek employment after serving in the military.

26% of veteran respondents, however, found shifting from the military to the civilian lifestyle to be somewhat difficult.

Coincidentally, one of the biggest struggles for veterans is creating a compelling military to civilian resume that’s going to help them get a job that’s well-paid and enjoyable.

To help solve that problem, though, we wrote this guide. Read on to learn everything you need to know to create a compelling veteran resume, including:

Military to Civilian Resume Example
How to Write a Military Veteran Resume (8 Simple Steps)
Free Military to Civilian Resume Template
Essential (Free) Job-Search Resources for Veterans

In case you’re looking to brush up on the resume basics, watch the video below.

If you’re ready to get started, though, let’s start by reviewing a well-written military to civilian resume example.

Military to Civilian Resume Example (for Veterans)

Compelling, right? Here’s what the above military to civilian resume example does right:

Follows a functional resume format. The functional resume format focuses more on your skills and strengths rather than work experience. It helps convey how your military experience is going to help you perform well in the civilian role you’re applying for.
Lists the contact information the right way. It includes the applicant’s full name, email, location, phone number, and even a LinkedIn URL while skipping out on a photo.
Captures the hiring manager’s attention with a resume summary. The summary on top of the military to civilian resume example offers a brief snapshot of the candidate’s career, instantly showing the recruiter their value.
Focuses on transferable skills instead of work experience. Instead of mentioning military buzzwords that civilians wouldn’t understand in the first place, the resume example instead focuses on how the candidate's experiences helped them develop valuable skills.
Mentions achievements when possible. Achievements help convince the recruiter that they’re not just any candidate - you’re an overachiever who plays to win.
Uses bullet points to make the resume easier to skim. The recruiter doesn’t have all day - they have hundreds of other resumes to review just for a single role. Making the resume easy to skim makes it more likely to be read.
Includes educational history (in brief). The military to civilian resume example describes the candidate’s educational background, which includes taking a leadership course and basic training.
Makes use of the optional sections. The achievements and interests sections help shed light on the candidate’s personality outside of work, as well.

Now, let’s talk about how YOU can make your resume as impressive as the example above.

How to Write a Military Veteran Resume (8 Easy Steps)

In this section, we’re going to walk you through the 8 steps to creating a powerful military veteran resume, starting with:

#1. Pick a Functional Resume Format

These are the 3 most popular resume formats out there:

Reverse-chronological . This format focuses on your work history over education or skills.
Functional . It focuses less on your work background and more on your skills and how they make you a qualified candidate.
Combination . This format is a mix of the other two formats. It puts equal emphasis on skills and experiences.

As a military veteran, you’re better off with a functional format .

As you can see above, the resume example focuses more on key strengths instead of just listing out work experiences.

This improves your odds of landing a civilian job for one important reason:

Most recruiters aren’t really familiar with military lingo.

Your experiences in the military might be super compelling, but chances are, most recruiters won’t understand how these experiences make you a good candidate for the role.

By framing your experiences around your skills, on the other hand, your resume becomes more understandable for a civilian.

Once you’ve decided on the format, you also need to sort out your resume style, layout, font, and more. Here’s what this includes:

Don’t go over one page . Your resume should be concise and to the point. More often than not, if you’re going over one page, you’re probably including information that isn’t relevant for the role.
Pick the right font and font size . In terms of size, go for 11-12 pt for body text. For the font, pick something like Ubuntu, Times New Roman, etc. That way your resume will look professional AND stand out at the same time.
Use the military-to-civilian resume template . Want to skip the hassle of formatting a resume? Hit the link and pick from one of our free templates! Our templates are easy to use AND look much more compelling than the conventional black-and-white ones.

#2. Include Contact Information

Now that we’ve got the formatting hassle out of the way, let’s talk about resume content.

The first thing in your veteran resume is the contact information section.

Here, you need to include:

Descriptive title. This should include your title in the military, as well as the title you’re applying for. Something like “Security Officer Seeking a Role as Customer Support Specialist.”
Phone number.
Professional email address. Think, [name][lastname]@gmail.com
Location. City and state are good enough, you don’t need to include an address.
(Optional) LinkedIn URL. If you have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, you can include a URL in the contact information section.

And finally, make sure NOT to include a photo in your military to civilian resume. In the US, employers prefer that you don’t include a picture to avoid unconscious bias during the hiring process.

Here’s what your resume contact information section should look like at the end:

Security & Customer Service Professional

[email protected]

416-821-9879

Seattle, US

linkedin.com/in/john.doe

#3. Capture the Hiring Manager’s Attention with a Military Veteran Resume Summary

When reading your resume for the first time, the recruiter will spend roughly 7 seconds skimming it to make sure that you’re qualified for the role.

If the resume catches their attention, they’ll give it a more in-depth look.

If it doesn’t, they’ll simply move on to the next one.

This is where a compelling resume summary can come in handy.

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence “summary” of your past work experience. It helps the recruiter understand your skill-set and whether you’re relevant for the role in a single glance.

Here’s what a convincing military to civilian resume summary looks like:

Dedicated professional with over 9 years of outstanding performance and results in the U.S. Military. Earned three promotions and excelled as a leader. Seeking to apply the skills I gained in the military as a Customer Support Specialist at Company X.

When writing your resume summary, make sure to include the following information:

Your title in the military and the role you’re applying for.
Years of experience.
Top achievements and experiences.

#4. Summarize Your Experiences with a Key Strengths Section

This one’s arguably the most important part of your military to civilian resume.

At the end of the day, the main deciding factor in whether you get invited for an interview or not is if your resume manages to convince the recruiter that you’re capable of doing the job…

And that’s where the key strengths section comes in handy.

To create yours, start by listing out your top strengths as section headers. Then, underneath each header, list your achievements and responsibilities that prove you actually have the relevant skill.

Here’s what this looks like on a resume:

Customer Service

Promoted within a short period by demonstrating an over-achieving dedication that maximized results for the entire team.
Proved internal customer service by relating to all personnel in a professional manner that facilitated the development of a diversified group.
Enhanced soldiers’ individual and professional growth, developing them into independent decision-makers.
Accounted for the safety of equipment valued at over $1.3 million.
Secure the personal safety, training, and performance of fifteen U.S. Army soldiers.

Operations and Administration

Organized schedules for over 45 soldiers.
Implemented new routes, resulting in savings in gas time and reduced work time.
Prevented over 10 cancellations and negotiated over 20 contract renewals with the local government.

Applying for a Military or Private Security Role? Do This

Now, in case you’re applying for a role that’s somewhat related to your experience in the military (e.g. in private security), then you can simply create a conventional Work Experience section instead of Key Strengths .

If that’s your case, here’s how you should format the section:

Create a section header called “ Work Experience .”
Start by listing your most recent role and go backward in time from there.
For each entry, include your title, company name, dates employed, and 3-5 top achievements.
For older positions, you can include fewer achievements and responsibilities.

Now, if you want your work experiences to stand out from the rest of the candidates, we recommend you to include achievements over responsibilities.

Achieved a 99.5% average delivery rate on all assignments, resulting in no losses of materials or assets.
Conducted deliveries of materials and assets.

The first example shows just how the candidate stands out from other applicants. The 2nd, on the other hand, does not.

#5. Mention Your Education (the Right Way)

On to the next section!

The next step to creating a convincing military to civilian resume is mentioning your educational background .

This is where you mention your higher educational degrees, as well as training (e.g. boot camps) and any personal development courses you’ve taken.

First things first, here’s how you’d go about the formatting part:

Create a header called “Education”
Add your latest degree right on top. Then, include older degrees underneath.
If you have a B.A. or an M.A., you can skip your high school degree altogether.
You can skip mentioning a GPA. These days, no one cares about your grades.

Here’s how the end result would look like:

B.A. in Communications Boston University 08/2016 - 05/2020

Now, if you don’t have the relevant experience needed for the role you’re applying for, you can use your education section to show off your knowledge or skills.

You can do this by including:

Any honors you might have earned.
Exact courses you’ve attended.
Any other way you’ve excelled during your education.

#6. Include In-Demand Skills (For the Industry You’re Applying for)

Another must-have of a military to civilian resume is the skills section.

This is where you list out all of your hard and soft skills and (optionally) grade them by knowledge level.

The key here, though, is not to simply list out random skills like:

Critical Thinking
Microsoft Word

Rather, you want to include the skills relevant to the role .

E.g. applying for a role in accounting? You should probably mention payroll tax accounting, cost reduction strategies, budgeting and forecasting , and so on.

You wouldn’t want to mention your Adobe Illustrator skills, for example (even if you’re an expert at it).

So, how can you know which skills are essential to your resume, and which ones aren’t?

The best way to understand this is to read the job ad you’re applying for. More often than not, they include an exact list of skills required for the role, and all you have to do is mention them in your resume (as long as you possess the said skills, of course).

#7. Take Advantage of the Optional Resume Sections

If you still have some space on your military veteran resume, you can take advantage of some optional resume sections.

While these sections won’t land you the job on their own, they can definitely help you stand out from other applicants seeking the same role.

Some optional sections you can include are:

Projects. Any type of personal project you’ve worked on. This can be a local business you started, a side-gig, freelance work, and so on.
Certifications. Any type of certification you might possess. If you don’t have the experience for the role you’re applying for, certifications can help show the recruiter that what you do have is the right skill-set.
Volunteering Experience. If you’ve volunteered in the past, you should definitely include it in your resume. Employers love candidates who love to help others (even if there’s no monetary incentive for it).
Hobbies & Interests. Including hobbies or interests in your resume helps the recruiter see more of your personal side. While your hobbies won’t land you the job, they might help you build rapport with the interviewer.

#8. Make Sure Your Military to Civilian Cover Letter is as Impressive as Your Resume.

At this point, your military veteran resume should be quite compelling…

But you’re not done just yet!

To have both a complete and compelling job application, you need to pair your resume with a cover letter that’s just as good.

Here are our top tips on how to write a quality cover letter :

Start the cover letter by addressing the hiring manager directly. Sure, you could go with the default “Dear Sir or Madam,” but mentioning the hiring manager’s name shows that you’ve done your research and really care about working at the company.
In your introduction, mention the most important parts of your background. E.g. years of experience, key achievements, top skills, and why you’re applying for the job in question.
In the body section of your cover letter, expand on whatever you mentioned in the introduction. This is where you can also explain how the experiences mentioned in your resume make you a good candidate for the role.
Conclude the cover letter with a call to action . E.g. “Looking forward to hearing more from you!” or “I’d love to discuss how I can help Company X as a Support Specialist over a call or an interview.”

Want to learn more? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter .

Essential Job-Search Resources for Veterans

There are a lot of free job-search resources for veterans on the internet - everything from dedicated job boards to free tools, programs, and more.

Here’s a comprehensive list of some of the very best resources:

Veteran Job-Search Resources

Job board that helps you find federal organizations that prioritize hiring veterans over other candidates.
Lots of quality resources to help you transition into civilian life.
If you’re not sure what kind of career you want to focus on, you can use this website to discover different occupations and learn what they’re about.
Website for finding veteran job fairs in your area.
Free career consulting and job search help for veterans.
American Corporate Partners matches you with a free, year-long mentor to help you build your career.
For group discussions for veterans on resumes and gaining employment after service. (Veterans only/ screened and weeded out by questions and profile)
For discussing Skill Bridge opportunities and military transitions. Skill bridge is a military program for giving veterans an opportunity to learn and work at civilian companies for 6 months before leaving the military.
LinkedIn offers its Premium program to veterans for free for a year. You can use the platform to learn new skills, kick-start your career, as well as find and apply for jobs.
A website dedicated to helping veterans transition into a civilian lifestyle. You can use it to find jobs, discover career events, attend job fairs, and more.
Job board for US federal jobs. While it’s not specifically made for veterans, the US government prioritizes hiring veterans over other candidates.
Job board for veteran-friendly roles and companies.
Job board for roles in the private security industry.
Another veteran-only job board.

Key Takeaways

And that’s all you need to know to create a strong military veteran resume!

Before you go, though, let’s do a quick recap of the key learning points we just covered:

For a military to civilian resume, use a functional resume format to show off your skills instead of work history.
Use a “Key Strengths” section to explain how your military experience distills into valuable skills for a civilian role.
Don’t include every skill under the sun on your resume. Instead, pick the ones relevant for the role you’re applying for.
Take advantage of the optional resume sections to show the recruiter that you’re an individual and not just a resume.
Finally, make sure that your cover letter is just as impressive as your resume by following the tips we mentioned above.

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Career Blog

Military Resume: Examples and Writing Tips for 2024

Are you a military veteran looking to transition into the civilian job market? If so, you’re not alone. The transition can be challenging, and crafting a compelling resume is a crucial first step. This article aims to guide veterans in writing an effective military resume that highlights their skills, experience, and achievements.

Importance of a Military Resume

A military resume is essential for veterans seeking employment outside of the military. Unlike a standard resume, a military resume is structured differently and emphasizes skills and accomplishments that translate to civilian job roles. A well-crafted resume can make a significant impact in getting an interview and ultimately landing a job.

Differences Between Military and Civilian Resumes

Military resumes differ from civilian resumes in several ways. Military resumes use terminology and acronyms that may be unfamiliar to civilian hiring managers. They also include information about military-specific training, experience, and accomplishments. A civilian recruiter may not understand the significance of certain military achievements, so it’s crucial to translate the military experience into civilian language.

Overview of the Article Sections

This article will provide examples and writing tips for crafting a successful military resume. The following sections will cover:

Formatting and structure of a military resume
Translating military experience and achievements into civilian language
Highlighting relevant skills and accomplishments
Including relevant education and certifications
Tips for tailoring the resume to specific job applications

By the end of this article, readers should have a comprehensive understanding of how to create an effective military resume that will help them transition into a civilian career.

Understanding the Military Resume Format

Military resume sections and heading.

When it comes to writing a military resume, it’s important to understand the different sections and headings that are typically included. The format of a military resume is slightly different from a civilian resume, with more emphasis placed on skills and duties over work experience.

The main sections you should include in your military resume are:

Contact information
Summary statement or objective
Education and training
Military experience
Relevant skills and certifications
Awards and honors
Professional references

Be sure to use a clear and easy-to-read font and keep your formatting consistent throughout the document.

Identifying Relevant Military Skills and Duties

One of the key challenges when writing a military resume is identifying the most relevant skills and duties to include. This is especially important if you’re transitioning from the military to a civilian career, as you’ll need to show how your military experience translates into relevant skills for the job you’re applying for.

To do this effectively, start by reviewing the job description and identifying the key skills and qualifications they’re looking for. Then, look for examples from your military experience that demonstrate those same skills and use them as bullet points under your relevant military experience section.

When describing your military duties, focus on the transferable skills you gained that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you were in the infantry, you might highlight your leadership and teamwork skills, your ability to work under pressure, and your attention to detail.

Importance of Using Keywords and Action Verbs

Finally, it’s important to use keywords and action verbs throughout your military resume to help it stand out to potential employers. Keywords are the specific skills and qualifications listed in the job posting, while action verbs are strong, active words that show what you accomplished in your previous roles.

Some examples of effective action verbs for a military resume include:

Implemented

By using these words and phrases, you can show employers that you have the skills and experience they’re looking for and help your military resume make it past the initial screening process.

When writing a military resume, it’s important to understand the different sections and headings, identify your most relevant skills and duties, and use keywords and action verbs throughout to make a strong impression on potential employers.

Tips to Make Your Military Resume Stand Out

Creating a military resume that stands out can be challenging, but with the right guidance, it is achievable. As a copywriter and subject matter expert with years of experience, I’ve distilled some tips that will help veterans transition successfully into civilian life.

Tailoring a Resume to a Specific Position

The first step in crafting a resume that stands out is tailoring it to the specific position. Job descriptions are the starting point. Use the language and keywords that appear in the job posting to demonstrate that you have the necessary skills and experience. Highlight your military work experience and other accomplishments that demonstrate your capabilities and qualifications for the job.

Remember that while your military experience is important, your resume should primarily focus on your transferable skills.

Highlighting Transferable Skills

Many veterans underestimate the value of the skills they’ve developed during their military service. These skills include leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. Highlighting these transferable skills is crucial when transitioning into civilian work. Employers place a premium on these skills, regardless of the industry or position.

Make sure your resume reflects your transferable skills by providing examples of how you applied them in your military roles. Quantify results wherever possible. For instance, if you helped reduce downtime in a mission-critical communications system or achieved a 100% success rate during range training, be sure to mention it in your resume.

Including Accomplishments and Achievements

Including your military accomplishments and achievements is essential in making your resume stand out. These accomplishments can demonstrate your strength, leadership, and expertise. Certificates of training, decorations, awards, and other official recognitions should be included in your resume. Highlight any leadership roles you held, as well as any missions or operations you participated in.

Avoiding Military Jargon

When creating a military resume, it is essential to avoid using military jargon. Although military jargon may be familiar to you, it might not be intelligible to civilian hiring managers. Instead, use plain language that is easy to understand. Also, avoid acronyms or abbreviations if possible, or clearly explain what they mean.

Consider these tips when drafting your military resume, and tailor your resume to the specific position. Highlight your transferable skills, showcase your achievements, and avoid using military jargon. Doing so will help you get noticed by hiring managers and increase your chances of landing a civilian job.

Military Resume Examples for Different Branches

When it comes to crafting a military resume, it’s important to highlight the unique experiences and skills that come with serving in a specific branch of the armed forces. Here are examples of military resumes tailored to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, to help guide your own resume writing process.

Army Resume Example

Name: John Doe Rank: Staff Sergeant Years of Service: 8 years Occupational Specialty: Infantry

Summary: Highly motivated Infantry Staff Sergeant with eight years of experience in combat operations, tactical planning, and leadership. Decorated with the Army Commendation Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge. Proven ability to lead soldiers in high-stress situations and achieve mission objectives.

Key Skills:

Tactical Planning
Combat Operations
Team Leadership
Weapons Proficiency
Risk Management

Experience:

Led 12-soldier infantry team on multiple combat patrols and security operations in Afghanistan
Supervised and trained platoon of 40 soldiers in marksmanship and combat skills
Coordinated and executed training exercises with other military branches and foreign armies
Conducted risk assessments and implemented safety protocols for training exercises and operations

Navy Resume Example

Name: Jane Smith Rank: Petty Officer First Class Years of Service: 10 years Occupational Specialty: Cryptologic Technician

Summary: Dedicated Cryptologic Technician Petty Officer First Class with 10 years of experience in signal intelligence analysis and data collection. Proven track record of supporting national security missions and delivering critical intel to senior leadership. Holds an active TS/SCI security clearance.

Signal Intelligence Analysis
Communications Security
Data Collection and Analysis
Cryptography
Security Clearance Management
Analyzed and reported critical intelligence to senior leadership during three deployments in support of national security objectives
Managed and secured classified information and communication systems
Trained and mentored junior personnel in signal intelligence and security procedures
Collaborated with interagency partners to share intel and coordinate operations

Air Force Resume Example

Name: Robert Johnson Rank: Technical Sergeant Years of Service: 12 years Occupational Specialty: Aircraft Maintenance

Summary: Highly skilled Aerospace Maintenance Technician with 12 years of experience in aircraft maintenance and repair. Demonstrated expertise in troubleshooting, inspecting, and maintaining various aircraft systems. Committed to upholding the highest standards of safety and professionalism. Proven ability to work efficiently in fast-paced and high-pressure environments.

Aircraft Maintenance Troubleshooting Technical Inspections Team Collaboration Safety Compliance

Performed scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on F-16 fighter aircraft, ensuring operational readiness
Conducted detailed inspections of aircraft components, identifying and resolving mechanical issues
Collaborated with a team of technicians to troubleshoot complex electrical and avionics systems
Assisted in aircraft launch and recovery operations, adhering to strict safety protocols
Maintained accurate maintenance records and documentation in accordance with Air Force regulations

Civilian Transitions: Examples and Tips

Civilian transition resume example.

As a veteran transitioning to civilian life, it’s important to have a strong, relevant resume that will catch the attention of potential employers. Here’s a sample civilian transition resume to help guide you:

Civilian Transition

Highly motivated and disciplined military veteran with a successful track record of leadership and operational excellence. Transitioning from a distinguished career in the military to a civilian role. Strong problem-solving skills, adaptability, and a commitment to teamwork. Seeking a challenging position that allows for the application of transferable skills in a civilian setting.

Operations Manager

XYZ Military Base October 2012 – Present

Led a team of 50 personnel in planning, coordinating, and executing operational missions in high-pressure environments.
Managed logistics and resources to ensure mission success and adherence to strict timelines.
Developed and implemented standard operating procedures (SOPs) to optimize efficiency and enhance performance.
Conducted risk assessments and implemented safety protocols to maintain a safe working environment.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to achieve mission objectives and maintain effective communication channels.

Training and Development Officer

ABC Military Training Center January 2009 – September 2012

Designed and delivered comprehensive training programs for military personnel, focusing on leadership development, team building, and technical skills.
Conducted needs assessments and identified training gaps to create tailored training solutions.
Evaluated training effectiveness and made necessary adjustments to meet performance objectives.
Provided mentoring and guidance to junior officers and enlisted personnel, fostering professional growth and development.
Managed training resources, including facilities, equipment, and instructional materials.
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration University of XYZ Graduated: May 2008
Leadership and team management
Strategic planning and problem-solving
Effective communication and interpersonal skills
Project management and organizational abilities
Adaptable and resilient in fast-paced environments

Certifications

Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
Hazardous Materials Handling Certification

Volunteer Experience

Community Outreach Volunteer

Local Veterans Organization January 2010 – Present

Engaged in community outreach programs to support and assist fellow veterans in their transition to civilian life.
Provided mentorship and guidance to veterans seeking employment and educational opportunities.
Organized and participated in fundraising events to support local veterans’ initiatives.

Professional Affiliations

Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
Member, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

Available upon request

Military Spouses: Resume Tips and Examples

As a military spouse, it can be tough to build and maintain a career due to the frequent relocations and unpredictability of military life. However, with the right resume and job search strategies, military spouses can successfully navigate the challenges and seize opportunities that come their way.

Challenges and Opportunities of Military Spouses

One of the biggest hurdles military spouses face is a lack of continuity in employment due to frequent moves. This results in gaps in the resume and difficulty in building a consistent career trajectory. Additionally, military spouses may find it challenging to explain their work history and educational qualifications to civilian employers, who may not understand the unique circumstances of military life.

However, military spouses also possess a wealth of transferable skills and experiences that can be leveraged to their advantage, such as adaptability, resilience, and cultural awareness. They may have experience in diverse industries, exposure to people from different backgrounds, and demonstrated ability to work effectively in high-stress environments. These qualities make them valuable assets in today’s globalized world.

Military Spouse Resume Example

A military spouse resume should highlight key skills and experiences that are relevant to the target job or industry. It should also address any gaps in employment and explain the rationale behind them. For example:

Sarah Thompson

Military Spouse

Dedicated and adaptable military spouse with a strong work ethic and excellent organizational skills. Experienced in managing various responsibilities while accommodating the demands of a military lifestyle. Proven ability to quickly adapt to new environments and work effectively within a team. Seeking a position that offers flexibility and allows for continued professional growth.

Administrative Assistant

ABC Company March 2018 – Present

Provide comprehensive administrative support to the executive team, including calendar management, meeting coordination, and travel arrangements.
Prepare and edit correspondence, reports, and presentations using Microsoft Office Suite.
Maintain confidential records and databases, ensuring accuracy and compliance with company policies.
Act as a liaison between departments, facilitating communication and streamlining workflow.
Assist in organizing company events and employee engagement initiatives.

Customer Service Representative

XYZ Corporation June 2015 – February 2018

Responded to customer inquiries and resolved issues promptly and professionally.
Managed a high volume of incoming calls and emails, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.
Handled customer complaints and worked towards effective resolutions.
Assisted in maintaining customer databases and updating customer records.
Collaborated with team members to improve customer service processes and enhance the overall customer experience.
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration University of XYZ Graduated: May 2014
Strong organizational and time management abilities
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
Customer service-oriented mindset
Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Family Readiness Group Volunteer

ABC Military Base June 2017 – Present

Assisted in organizing and coordinating events to support military families during deployments and separations.
Provided information and resources to military families, promoting a sense of community and support.
Facilitated communication between military families and base personnel, addressing concerns and providing assistance when needed.
Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)
Customer Service Excellence Certification
Member, Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP)
Member, National Military Family Association (NMFA)

Writing Tips from Veteran Experts

Here are some insights and recommendations from veteran experts to help transitioning military personnel land their dream jobs.

Benefits and Challenges of Hiring Veterans

Hiring veterans brings numerous benefits to organizations, such as their exceptional leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Vets are quick learners who can adapt to new environments and take on responsibilities with minimal supervision. They have a strong work ethic and can excel in high-stress situations. However, transitioning military personnel may face some challenges when entering the civilian job market. Some of these include translating their military experience into civilian terms, learning new communication styles, and adjusting to the differences in job expectations.

Insights and Recommendations from Veteran Experts

To overcome these challenges, veteran experts recommend seeking mentorship from other veterans, networking with industry professionals, and familiarizing yourself with the latest industry trends. It is also important to highlight your military experience on your resume and translate your skills and achievements into civilian terms. When applying for jobs, tailor your resume and cover letter to the job requirements and research the company culture to demonstrate your fit.

Do’s and Don’ts for Military Job Seekers

Here are some essential do’s and don’ts for military job seekers:

Highlight your unique military experience and skills on your resume
Translate military jargon into civilian language
Emphasize specific achievements and accomplishments
Show your flexibility and ability to adapt to new environments
Customize your resume and cover letter to each job application
Network with professionals in your desired field

Don’t:

Use military jargon or acronyms that civilian employers may not understand
Overemphasize rank or positions held in the military
Assume that civilian employers understand what the military does or how it operates
Rush the job application process and fail to research the company culture
Ignore the importance of networking and building professional relationships

By following these tips and recommendations, military job seekers can create effective resumes that highlight their unique skills and experience, increase their chances of landing their dream job, and successfully transition to the civilian workforce.

Military Resume Checklist and Common Mistakes

When it comes to writing a military resume, there are certain “must-haves” that recruiters and hiring managers are looking for. Here are some essential components of a strong military resume:

Clear and concise summary statement: Your summary statement should clearly state your experience and skills, and make it clear that you are a strong candidate for the job.
Quantifiable achievements: Use specific numbers and figures to demonstrate your accomplishments and impact in your military career.
Relevant skills and experience: If you’re applying for a civilian job, make sure to focus on the skills and experience that are most relevant to the position.
Education and training: Highlight any relevant degrees or certifications you’ve earned, as well as any training or professional development courses you’ve completed.

But it’s not just about including the right information – there are also common mistakes that many job seekers make on their military resumes. Here are a few of the most common mistakes to avoid:

Focusing too much on military jargon: While it’s important to highlight your military experience, it’s also important to make sure that a civilian employer will be able to understand what you did and how it translates to the job you’re applying for.
Including irrelevant information: While it’s great to be well-rounded, including information that isn’t relevant to the job you’re applying for can actually hurt your chances of getting hired.
Not tailoring your resume to the job: Every job is different, and your resume should reflect that. Make sure to customize your resume for each job you apply for.
Formatting and spelling errors: Even the best content can be overshadowed by poor formatting and spelling mistakes. Make sure to proofread your resume carefully, or have someone else look it over for you.

So how can you make sure your military resume is error-free and ready to impress potential employers? Here are a few proofreading and editing tips:

Read it out loud: This can help you catch mistakes that you might miss when reading silently.
Use a spellchecker: While spellcheckers can’t catch everything, they can help identify some common errors.
Get a second opinion: Having someone else look over your resume can help you identify mistakes you may have missed.
Take a break: Once you’ve finished writing your resume, give yourself some time (ideally a day or two) before coming back to it with fresh eyes. This can help you catch mistakes you may have overlooked before.

By following these military resume checklist items and avoiding common mistakes, you can create a strong, impressive resume that will help you stand out to potential employers.

Cover Letters for Military Resumes

A compelling cover letter can be the difference between your military resume being considered for a job or falling to the bottom of the pile. Here we will discuss the importance of a cover letter and provide tips for writing one that catches the attention of the hiring manager.

Importance of a Cover Letter

A cover letter is an opportunity to showcase your personality, highlight your strengths and experience, and provide specific examples of why you are the best candidate for the job. It’s a chance to explain any gaps in your military service or aspects of your experience that may not be easily understood from your resume alone.

A well-written cover letter can also demonstrate your communication skills and ability to convey important information in a concise and professional manner. It shows that you are taking the time and effort to tailor your application to the specific job and employer.

Tips for Writing a Compelling Cover Letter

Address the letter to a specific person whenever possible
Open with a strong and attention-grabbing statement or question
Tailor the letter to the specific job and employer, highlighting how your skills and experience align with their needs
Use specific examples to illustrate your skills and experience
Keep it concise and professional, ideally one page or less
Close with a strong call to action, requesting an interview or further discussions

Remember, your cover letter should complement your resume, not repeat it. It’s an opportunity to add additional context and information to your application.

Cover Letter Example

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],

I am writing to express my strong interest in the [Job Title] position at [Company Name]. As a decorated [Rank/Branch] with [X] years of experience in the [Military Branch], I am confident that my [Skill/Experience] make me an ideal candidate for this role.

My experience leading [X] teams on high-pressure missions has honed my ability to quickly and effectively adapt to changing situations. For example, during my deployment to [Location], I led a team of [X] personnel in ensuring the successful completion of numerous [Mission Objective] despite the challenging terrain and hostile environment.

At [Current/Previous Employer], I utilized my [Skill/Experience] to [Accomplishment] which resulted in [Outcome/Impact]. I am confident that these skills will allow me to excel in the [Job Title] position at [Company Name].

Thank you for your time and consideration of my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss further how my skills and experience can contribute to the success of [Company Name].

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Military Resume Samples, Template & Writing Guide for 2024
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The US military provides life and work experience training far superior to most casual jobs. However, returning to civilian life after a successful military career can be daunting and overwhelming for many Veterans. Whether you've served in the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, Army, or Coast Guard, retaining a high-paying civilian job will require a well-written and engaging Military resume.

Let's begin by breaking down a common myth – writing a resume with military experience is NO different than any other resume. You're not required to comply with any DOD writing standards, do not have to disclose your specific Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), or only need to include your previous military work history.

In fact, the main concern for former US service members typically breaks down to learning how to list military service on a resume. This is where reviewing some previous military resume examples or using military resume templates will significantly help US service members enter the civilian workforce. This is what we intend on accomplishing in the information below.

This article will provide the ultimate guide to drafting a military skills resume. We'll provide you with a few military resume examples (one from an enlisted Navy veteran) and one from an Army officer. We will explain how to include military service on resume example documents, how to write a military resume in general and some creative ways of adding military service resume keywords.

Let's get started on creating your civilian resume post military job career.

Military Resume Example

As you begin transferring to civilian life, it's a great idea to start focusing on industries that will permit you to showcase the skills and abilities you learned during your enlistment. This should be the first item on your post-military career path.

After you've compiled a list of three or four possible employment segments, you can start to flesh out your first resume. Then you can use that base resume as a template to create industry-specific resumes if you choose. We'll explain this strategy in the content below.

The two military resume samples posted below are diverse examples of how to format your resume for specific jobs. The first example is a US Navy Petty Officer 2nd class – a fire controlman (FC) specializing in the CWIS fire control system. The second is one of our US Army resume examples from an officer who worked with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Let's review both and highlight how our team of professional resume writers tackled their resume writing project.

Navy Fire Controlman Resume Sample

The first resume is for PO2 Jackson Stewart, who recently completed his enlistment contract in the United States Navy. As an FC, he was trained to maintain, repair, and operate advanced weapons systems, such as the Mark-15 Close-In Weapons System or CIWS (commonly known as the R2-D2). Like all other resumes, his begins with an easy-to-review personal contact information section that includes his legal name, phone number, email, and mailing address.

As you continue with the resume, you'll notice his resume summary, which is directly under his contact information. This section is a general overview of his qualifications and desire to join a specific job – or explore opportunities in an industry. In this case, the primary skill he learned during his Naval career was as an electrician.

In fact, you'll notice in the first sentence that he has earned his certified electrician apprentice in The State of California and is hoping to join the team at Sparky's Electrical Service in the same capacity. He has selected the electrical trade, as his MOS taught him the basics and advanced electrical diagnostics and repairs. This gives him the core skills and training to become a certified tradesman electrician.

Further in Jackson's resume, you'll notice that he has created a Summary of Qualifications section. Here he has listed some essential qualifications that will make him a great member of Sparky's team. Some of these include his security clearance (mainly added to showcase his trust and reliability), his ability to respond to emergency situations such as being first aid and CPR certified, electrical training, and his current certification in the State of California.

You will notice his work history section as you continue with the resume. Here he has notated some of the specific job duties and critical areas of responsibility (without disclosing OPSEC details). He continues to list his education, including graduating from C-School (which provided him the practical training to earn his apprenticeship.

Finally, he has provided a few references, including his commanding officer during his last deployment on the USS Roosevelt. The resume concludes with several skills related to the electrical industry.

US Army Officer Resume Sample

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Our second resume sample is for Major Peter Jacobs, who recently retired from the US Army after 15 years of service to his country. His specialty is mechanical engineering, having graduated with a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering before enlisting in the US Army. His resume follows a similar pattern and format as our Naval candidate above. However, there are a few subtle differences to notice.

Major Jacobs has expertise in mechanical engineering and served as an officer for 15 years, so he has chosen to seek an operational management position for a company that manufactures automotive aftermarket components in San Diego.

Like PO2 Stewart, he has written a customized resume summary for the company he hoped to join. However, he showcases some of his key accomplishments as a leader vs. general skills and experience. This continues into his Summary of Qualifications and Work Experience sections.

One takeaway from these two sample military resumes is that you should always create a resume for specific employment opportunities. While we strongly recommend writing a resume summary for each job application, it's more important to write resumes targeted to specific industries.

Let's briefly provide a bit of a curveball with Major Jacob's resume. With his leadership experience, he could have written his resume for different management positions in multiple industries where his engineering education and training would be applicable.

The same statement applies to PO2 Stewart's resume. He also was trained in mechanical repairs, so he could have focused his resume on jobs requiring specific skills and traits – such as repairing mechanical equipment.

The critical point we're trying to articulate here is that you'll find better success in gaining an interview when you write resumes for specific industries vs. a general overview of your experience. Plus, you can write a detailed resume that fits nicely on one page.

How to Write a Military Resume in 2024: Full Guide to Successful Military Service Resumes

When transitioning from military service to civilian employment, you must showcase the skills, abilities, and qualities you possess in every resume you draft. One significant advantage of military personnel over standard civilians is the work/life skills you learn during enlistment.

This begins in basic training, where you learn discipline, how to follow procedures, organization, the importance of teamwork, and paying attention to details. You'll also develop a solid work ethic, learn how to problem solve, and maintain a clean and safe work environment.

These are considered hard and soft skills – or the abilities you possess that make you a great worker. They are also keywords or action verbs searched by automated applicant tracking systems often used with hiring agencies or online job search engines.

However, inserting the right buzz terms alone will not dazzle a hiring manager or job recruiter. Setting the right tone from the outset, building a case of your qualifications, and supporting your application with evidence throughout the resume is a great way to stand ahead of the competition.

Every military resume should be concise, well-organized, and easy to follow. Although specific industries and employment segments might request different information to be included on your resume, most should include the following sections.

Personal Contact Information
Professional Summary
Summary of Qualifications
Work History
Certifications (if applicable)

One way to organize this project is to create a master resume – or a working document that permits you to write down every detail in all sections, fine-tune the content, and make appropriate edits. Plus, you can optimize the content for grammatical errors by using an online editing program called Grammarly.

So – if you're ready to learn how to create each section of your military or National Guard resume, let's get started with the specifics.

Section #1 – List Your Contact Information

It's critical to demonstrate outstanding attention to detail for any former military member. This will start when you document your up-to-date contact information at the beginning of your resume. You should include your complete legal name, email address, mailing address, and mobile phone for every post-military resume. There is no need to publish your social media pages like Facebook or LinkedIn on your contact information.

Ensure your phone is linked to your email so you can respond promptly when a recruiter or potential employer directly contacts you. Having your mobile number is crucial because many recruiters send SMS text messages to candidates to keep them up to date on the status of their applications.

*Specific Military Resume Tip: Here is something specifically applicable for future job candidates preparing to end their military service as they draft resumes. Hopefully, you've established where to move after your service contract ends. Also, make sure to update your cover letter as well.

If this information is up in the air (mainly with your physical address) - select a family member or close friend who will permit you to use their address - until you are settled. Once you have a permanent address, make sure to change your resume to update that information.

How to Format this Section

When you employ a resume template, the resume format is handled for you. Suppose you want to create a military resume by hand. In that case, we recommend including all contact information at the top of your document. This will help HR professionals contact you if your resume attracts their attention.

Section #2 – Professional Summary

The professional summary or resume overview is the section that allows you to pitch your expertise and qualifications to a future employer. This four- to five-sentence paragraph introduces you to the hiring managers or recruiting agency.

You'll want to include the relevant skills and attributes that candidates in the employment industry or career you seek possess. This is where specific examples of different industries will provide us with practical samples of how to format this section.

Electrician Resume Summary

Let's carefully examine PO2 Stewart's professional summary. He introduces his Naval experience, current electrician apprentice certification, and desire to join a specific company. This type of personal attention to detail is a great way to separate yourself from other potential candidates.

As you continue with his summary, you'll notice that he mentions his core comprehension of circuitry, electrical panels, and electrical testing and diagnostics equipment. He further introduces his interpersonal skills - or those that make him a trustworthy employee, team member and dedicated to safety. A lot of these requirements will be posted on a job description. So, if you’re going to write a customized resume, read the job posting carefully.

Operations Manager Resume Summary

Maj. Jacobs resume summary follows a similar structure. Open with a personalized desire to join the team and support the candidacy by explaining your qualifications. However, the main difference between this sample resume summary and PO2 Stewart's is Maj. Jacobs showcases key leadership accomplishments.

When looking for a leadership or management position fresh out of the military, you need to articulate that you have the experience and interpersonal leadership skills that will permit you to hit the ground running. This has been accomplished by both candidates.

Always keep your professional summary short, sweet, and to the point. It should be simple to read paragraph, about 150 to 200 words, with a professional – yet conversational tone. Consider the professional summary as your elevator pitch. Read it aloud before you paste it into a resume template.

Section #3 – Summary of Qualifications

Your ability to articulate why you're qualified for this position on the resume can help your resume stand out ahead of others. The summary of qualifications section is a bullet-point pile of evidence that helps start building your case as the best candidate for any job you seek.

You can see in Maj. Jacob's sample resume showed that he has 15 years of leadership experience, specifically with the US Army Corps of Engineers in mechanical engineering. His summary of qualifications showcases some of his specific qualifications as a leader in this industry.

This is the key to fleshing out this section of your resume. Pick the top 5 to 6 specific qualifications you possess that will put you ahead of other candidates.

You'll see that the best military resume samples include a bullet-point-driven section near the top that emphasizes their skills - or a summary of qualifications. This is a well-structured area with the essentials required. Simply list your experience in bullet points here. It makes it simple to read and allows you to take advantage of some of the above mentioned terms.

One bonus tip is to review the job posting to find out what qualifications they are seeking in a candidate. This will guide you on which qualifications you should consider listing on your resume.

Section #4 – Employment History

It's entirely possible that you don't have much relevant job experience in the field you want to pursue after your military career. However, this isn't always the case. That said, the employment history portion of your resume must demonstrate your abilities and talents that will be displayed at a company that chooses to hire you.

If you have previous experience, make sure to list your job responsibilities that are relevant to the application. For example, they must document those achievements if they are searching for a manager with experience in the automotive sector, working with engineers, and creating solutions that improve efficiency.

Using previous job experience where you've displayed leadership qualities is highly recommended. This is what Maj. Jacobs has done this in the sample section above. He focuses on introducing some of the key leadership tasks that a US Army officer is tasked to complete with every post of command. However, since he is applying to an automotive manufacturing company, he also showcases some of his expertise in mechanical engineering.

The most crucial aspect of your employment history is what you have recently or presently done. Each related entry should be listed in reverse chronological sequence. Always include your employer's name, the dates you worked for them, and significant areas of responsibility or accomplishments to help support your case for being a fantastic employee.

Section #5 – Education

Most job candidates with military experience apply for civilian positions after completing their contracts. It's also common for recently retired military to attend college to gain an education and take advantage of GI bill benefits. The education section permits candidates to list their highest completed education. However, if the position you're seeking is looking for candidates currently enrolled in college, it would be encouraged to list that education.

You'll notice that Maj. Jacobs has listed his mechanical engineering degree and his graduation from Officer Candidate School. This is to add to his leadership experience, as that is one of the biggest reasons for OCS in the first place.

The education section should be written in a chronological format - with your current or most-recent education listed first. You are not required to add any specialty courses, GPA, or other details – unless the job posting asks for this data.

Section #6 – References

References are individuals who can speak to your work ethic, expertise, and leadership abilities. For military members, they are typically former commanding officers, NCOs, or other peers that served with you.

With civilian job resumes, it's always best to select two professional references – or one professional reference and a personal reference. This is what PO2 Stewart has listed on his resume. You'll notice that his first reference is his former CO. The second reference is a personal reference, a business owner who is also a family friend and is involved in the commercial construction industry.

How to Format This Section

Best practices for references on Navy or Army military resumes are to include the individual name and their place of employment. You don't want to document their contact information on a resume for privacy reasons. Simply write "available on request" so the HR firm or hiring agency can contact them directly.

Section #7 - Skills

When it comes to a position that requires extensive education, including your talents on your CV is more of a formality than a must-have inclusion. However, since it's good practice to include it with your engineering resume, why not take advantage of automated applicant tracking system software?

When you review the sample resume posted above, you'll notice that Maj. Jacobs has listed six relevant skills in his job search. These include process management, AutoCad expertise, Problem Solving, Organization, OSHA Compliance, and Attention to Detail. He mainly focuses on his leadership skills or engineering-specific talents.

We recommend that you list your talents in a bullet point format. Using a resume builder or template is an excellent method to arrange and customize your skills section. The skills can be displayed in one of two locations: at the bottom of your CV, in one of the side columns, or towards the end of your resume.

Related Resume Templates

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. When you're in the process of writing your military experience resume, it's always a good idea to gather some practical tips by reviewing other resume samples. We've created multiple professionally written resumes that we invite you to review before starting your own resume.

Final Points on Crafting Effective Army Military Resumes

Any resume intends to provide a blueprint or road map that guides a hiring manager through your story. As a military member, your primary task is to build an argument with your resume – from start to finish – as to why you're the best candidate for this competitive job.

Always remember – a final resume should always be written and customized for the specific job you're applying to. For this reason, we recommend using a master resume to edit and personalize your content.

Here are some specific tips.

Make sure the resume has a smooth flow – from start to finish. Each section should lead to the next.
Always write your resume on a plain white background with black font.
Edit the document SEVERAL TIMES – through Grammarly or another good online editing tool and through visual inspection.
Ensure it's well-spaced, organized, and professional.
Finally, read it aloud a few times before you're ready to paste the content into a military resume template.

By following these tips above, you can write a military resume that is clean, organized, and attention-grabbing. Make sure to take your time, sprinkle those action verbs throughout your resume (for software optimization), and feel free to have a few peers (specifically a commanding officer or NCO) review the content before you finish.

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Veterans, Take Note: Here's How to Translate Your Military Experience to a Civilian Resume

As a member of the United States military, you’ve cultivated valuable skills and have a lot to offer the civilian workforce. But how do you get that message across when applying for jobs? According to Colleen Deere, the executive director of American Corporate Partners —a New York City-based nonprofit that offers career counseling to veterans as they transition to the civilian workforce—the key is knowing how to transform your military experience into a resume that hiring managers and recruiters will understand.

“You only have about 30 seconds to impress the person reading your resume,” Deere says. “They aren’t going to do the work of researching your military jobs to figure out what they mean, so make sure to put the prep work in up front.”

Remember, it’s not a question of whether you have valuable transferable experience (you do!), but rather whether you’re able to explain that experience in a way that will make sense to a civilian hiring manager. Here’s how to do just that.

Focus on the Right Things

When considering how your military experience translates, “we always advise veterans to describe their accomplishments rather than simply outlining their previous job descriptions,” Deere says.

To start, make a list of everything you accomplished during your time with the military. For example, did you earn a promotion? Help execute a new initiative? Assist with training? Then, highlight the achievements that feel most relevant to the particular job you’re applying for. Being selective will also help you avoid making a mistake that Deere often sees: cramming too much onto the page. “One of the most common challenges for veterans to overcome is their desire to list every single duty assignment, which very few hiring managers will take the time to read,” she cautions.

Spotlight Your Transferable Skills

Skills like leadership, teamwork, training, communication, problem solving, and adaptability will all serve you well in a civilian workplace and should be highlighted on your resume. But determining what aspects of your military experience will show off those skills is admittedly more of an art than a science—and it’ll depend greatly on what type of job you’re pursuing. The best indicator of transferable skills can usually be found by browsing job descriptions.

Just bear in mind that you may need to zoom out a bit to find a skills match. For example, if you’re interested in customer service positions and most of your military experience was in the infantry, it might be challenging to find areas of overlap. But, if you take a step back, you’ll note that both require patience, following instructions, interacting with teammates, communication, and problem solving. A bullet point on a resume might say, “Collaborated daily with a diverse team of 25 people to resolve or complete 60 complex initiatives with a 98% success rate.”

Translate Terms Into Civilian Language

Some positions, such as those in combat, can be harder to quantify. In those cases, it’s important to put the job into terms that any lay person could understand. For example, if you were responsible for property and equipment, you might say, “proactively maintained and repaired six vital IOT-enabled pieces of equipment, ensuring operational efficiency for 300+ team members.” Or if you worked under stressful conditions, you could say “cultivated strong attention to detail under stressful conditions, successfully completing 23 initiatives while juggling multiple competing priorities.”

If you can translate your actual job titles into civilian terms, it’s worth including both on your resume. “This can work well in some cases, like Team Lead instead of Squad Leader, or Operations Manager instead of Operations NCO,” says Deere. Here’s what it might look like:

Squad Leader (Team Lead) | United States Air Force | May 2013 - July 2019

(You’re in luck if you had a position like Army medic or Navy HR officer because both the titles and responsibilities are straightforward.)

Lastly, don’t forget that the military has a language all its own and most civilians won’t understand the acronyms and jargon. So, do your best to simplify or translate whenever possible. A tank might be an “operational vehicle” or a piece of “equipment,” a mission might be better described as an “initiative” or “project,” and reconnaissance might be “data collection” or “research.”

Pick the Right Format

The most common (and recruiter-approved) resume format is the single-page chronological layout, which displays experience in descending order starting with your current or most recent job. It also generally includes a brief summary of your experience, a list of your technical skills and education or training, and your interests or volunteer work. You’ll find a fantastic guide (with an example) here .

If you’re looking to make a more substantial career pivot, a functional resume might be a better option, since these layouts allow you to more prominently feature your most relevant skills and experience separate from your work history. A functional resume does have some drawbacks, however—namely that recruiters typically prefer a chronological format. (Because functional resumes are more often favored by candidates with less conventional work histories, some recruiters may unfairly screen out applicants who use them, assuming that they don’t have the right skills for the job.) You can read up on functional resumes (and see an example) here .

Need something in the middle? Try a combination resume . This format combines the traditional appeal of a chronological layout with the flexibility of a functional version, and can be a “best of both worlds” option if you have a mix of directly transferable skills and less conventional experience.

Know the Basics

Here are a few tried-and-true fundamentals you’ll want to incorporate into your resume.

1. Write a Summary

Summaries are a great way to help a prospective employer understand where you’re coming from and what you’re hoping to do next. “It’s like an elevator pitch. If you have only 30 seconds to explain who you are, what would you say? What makes you stand out and what do you bring to the table?” Deere says. It doesn’t need to be long—just two or three lines—but it can make a big difference. Use this simple formula as you write your own:

[Relevant traits] + [former job title] eager to leverage [transferable skills/areas of expertise] to [outcome] within a [target job title] role in the [target industry] space.

Here’s what that might look like:

Adaptable, team-oriented former Army operations specialist eager to leverage strong communication skills, resilience under pressure, and enthusiasm for technology to generate viable sales leads and drive new business within a BDR role in the SaaS space.

2. Keep it to a Single Page

Recruiters often receive hundreds of resumes every day, so they simply don’t have time to read every single line. That’s why it’s important to keep your resume short, sweet, and relevant. So, if something doesn’t pertain to the job you’re applying for, leave it out. Sticking to more recent experience (within the last 10 years) is another great way to keep the length down.

3. Create Clearly Defined Sections

Recruiters love resumes that are visually scannable, and individual sections—summary, experience, education, etc.—will make your resume much more appealing. Use caps or a bold font or underline the title of each subsection to make it easier to read.

4. Write Well-Crafted Bullet Points

Bullet points are the most effective way to clearly and concisely explain your experience. They consist of a few key ingredients: a compelling verb (directed, resolved, led), a brief description of the job duty, specific metrics (team of 35, month-long, six-part), and the result (if applicable)—all contained within one to two lines of text.

For example:

Installed and maintained 100+ communication devices across six locations, connecting more than 400 team members and ensuring operational efficiency.

5. Read up on Keywords

Most resumes pass through an applicant tracking system (ATS) that scans each application before it reaches an actual recruiter. If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right keywords, it might get automatically screened out. Sites like JobScan can help you determine which keywords to include, depending on the posting.

6. Include Relevant Technical Skills

As you browse job postings, make a note of the technical skills each requires. You’ll often see Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Google Drive (Gmail, Docs, Sheets), Mac/PC, and even social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram. If you have strong experience with any of the technologies mentioned in a given description, be sure to list it on your resume.

7. List Awards, Education, and Training

Resumes are meant to showcase your abilities and accomplishments, so there’s no need to be modest here. Awards and education always translate well.

Reach Out to Your Resources

Transitioning from a military career to a civilian job can feel understandably overwhelming, but you don’t have to do this alone. “Talk to other veterans who have successfully made the transition and ask to look at their resumes,” Deere suggests.

Your civilian friends and family members are also great resources. Deere recommends talking to them (or better yet, showing them your resume if you have a rough draft ready to go!) about what you did in the military and noting down what they struggle to understand about your duties. That should be a good indicator of where a recruiter or hiring manager might be confused, and will help you to identify the areas of your resume that need to be tweaked. And don’t be shy about coming back to your support network with a new or revised version. It’ll likely take you a few tries to get it just right.

You can also partner with a career advisor or resume writer for additional support. They’ll know what hiring managers are looking for and can help you bridge the gap between military terminology and civilian workplace lingo.

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How To Include Military Experience on a Resume

Transitioning from the military to civilian life isn’t always easy — especially when you’re looking for a job. This guide, written by an ex-veteran hiring manager, tells you everything you need to know.

2 years ago • 6 min read

Transitioning from the military to civilian life isn’t always easy — especially when you’re looking for a job. In this guide, we’ll cover some of the best tips for including military experience on your resume, including how to translate military experience into recruiter-friendly achievements and real military resume examples.

Translating your military experience: A step-by-step guide

Here’s how to land a job by including military experience on your resume:

Use a standard resume format. You can download one of our ready-made resume templates to get started quickly.
Translate your military branch and job title to a civilian-friendly version (scroll down for our handy translation guide).
Consolidate related experience under a single job heading instead of listing each posting separately.
Stick to the highlights. Only list skills and accomplishments that are relevant to the job you’re applying for — no matter how impressive your other accomplishments may be.
Include your military training and education — but skip the military honors and awards.
Add a resume summary to highlight your military service and explain how your background is relevant.
Ask a non-military friend or contact to read your resume and make sure they understand it. Alternatively, use a free resume scanner to quickly skim your resume for any military jargon you may have missed.

Here's an infographic that summarizes a few key details — we'll dive into each item in the rest of the article.

Infographic showing how to list military experience on your resume

Military resume do's and don'ts

When including military service on a resume, it’s more important to be understood than to be completely accurate. This might mean leaving out details that might confuse someone who isn’t familiar with the military, or using approximate civilian-friendly terms to describe your experience.

Listing military contact details

DO: List basic contact details for your military branch ( U.S. Army , Navy, Air Force, Marines, etc.). A general address and phone number is perfectly fine. You can search the National Personnel Records Center to find the relevant contact details for your base.

DON'T: Give a direct line to your division — instead, list the general address for your military branch and a phone number for headquarters or human resources command. By listing the general contact details for your military branch, anyone performing a background or reference check can be directed to the appropriate channels, even if your supervisor has since moved on.

Resume example:

San Antonio, TX | 1-800-555-0000

Explaining how your military background is relevant

DO: If you want to highlight that you’re a veteran on your resume, consider including a resume summary above your experience section. Use your target job title in your summary, too – it may feel odd at first, but it helps.

Business development manager with 10+ years of leadership experience across Army operations, Fortune 500 companies and startups. Proven experience in [x, y, and z]. [Add 1-3 examples of your most relevant or impressive accomplishments.]

Writing a resume-friendly military work history

DO: If you moved around a lot or changed job titles but kept mostly the same responsibilities, you can list these positions under a single all-encompassing job title. If you’ve taken on higher responsibilities over time, you could even frame that as a promotion .

DON'T: List every single posting as a separate job. This may come across to civilian recruiters like job hopping, which isn't accurate. Remember that a resume isn't an official legal document — it's okay to skip the details for the sake of clarity.

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE Information Assurance Manager / Operational Analyst (2009-2013)

Find out if you have translated your military experience into recruiter-friendly accomplishments

DO: Get another pair of eyes to look over your resume before you submit it. A quick way to find out if you have translated your military experience into recruiter-friendly accomplishments is to upload your resume to the tool below — it’ll scan it and let you know if you have showcased the right military experience and skills that highlight your transferable skills.

Translating education, training, and awards

DO: Include relevant military education and training on your resume. Like your work experience, it's okay to translate this into a more generic, civilian-friendly version .

DON'T: Include details of specific military honors and awards. If you truly believe they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for, translate them in a way that demonstrates their relevance.

EDUCATION United States Military Academy, West Point, NY Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering

Avoiding military jargon

DO: Use civilian-friendly terms on your resume, even if those aren’t 100% accurate. While certain terms may appear obvious to you, they’re less likely to make sense to a hiring manager. It’s always better to explain your experience and accomplishments in plain language using simple everyday terms.

DON'T: Use military jargon. This includes military codes, acronyms, awards, and details of combat experience. If you must include acronyms, always spell out what they stand for — what’s obvious to you might not be obvious to someone outside the military.

Resume examples:

Not sure what’s too complicated for a civilian resume? Here’s a handy cheat sheet of simple changes you can make:

Chief Petty Officer -> Team Leader
Commander —> Director or senior manager
Subordinates —> Employees, coworkers, or direct reports
Regulations —> Guidance, policy, or instructions
Commanding —> Leading or managing
Reconnaissance —> Data collection and analysis
Combat experience —> Operational experience
Duty assignment or deployment —> Business travel
Barracks and other buildings —> Facilities
Uniforms and arms —> Resources

If you’re ready to start updating your resume, scroll down for examples of civilian-friendly job titles and accomplishments you can include.

Examples of military resumes

Here’s an example of what your resume could look like, including a civilian-friendly job title and accomplishments:

Resume highlighting military experience in a way that civilian hiring managers can easily understand.

Here are some more examples you can use, covering some of the more common roles you may have held and the skills you should highlight.

Technical roles

If you previously held a technical role, you’re well-positioned to parlay your skills and experience into a civilian career. List your specific technical skills in a separate skills list and showcase how you used them in your accomplishment bullet points.

Job titles:

Financial Operations Technician
Engineering Specialist
Healthcare Specialist

Bullet point examples:

Identified and supported Information Assurance (IA) accreditation and security issues, ensuring compliance with all IA policies, guidance, and training.
Prepared, verified, and audited transactions for over 10,000 military and civilian employees.
Designed and improved service and maintenance routine to reduce incidence of breakdowns by 80%.
Conducted routine maintenance and repairs for equipment valued at over $200,000 with 0% loss.

Some of the most common industries ex-military job seekers go into are government jobs, defense contracting and IT - to get a list of hard skills for the specific job you want, you can search for jobs like computer engineer below to find relevant skills.

Leadership roles

Whether you managed an administrative team or led troops into combat, leadership experience is something well worth highlighting on your resume.

Team Leader
Senior Advisor
Technical Manager
Managed 6 pharmacy technicians and 2 staff pharmacists in daily operations, allocating resources and directing workflow to maximize efficiency while maintaining quality across processes.
Managed distribution and registration of military shipments valued at over $1M, including updates and agent communication.
Led team of 25 employees, including tracking performance and overseeing daily responsibilities.

Training and communication

Communication skills are relevant to pretty much any role you apply for. Use numbers and metrics to quantify your success in communicating or training others.

Personnel Supervisor
Communications Specialist
Trained a total of 75+ new hires and achieved a 98% overall pass rate.
Key player in success of high-profile joint training exercise spanning 4000+ personnel, providing critical voice and data communications and training participants in use of single channel ground and airborne radio systems.
Assigned and organized 15 field activities to optimize resources efficiently through strong written and oral communication.

Project management

Project management in the military isn’t all that different to corporate life. Use your bullet points to highlight important soft skills like time management and organization .

Project Manager
Supply Manager
Logistics Manager
Directed complex pharmacy projects spanning 8 months, building cross-functional teams to integrate new processes, such as inventory and vendor technology integration, meeting all deadlines and budget requirements.
Established and implemented departmental policies, goals, objectives, and procedures, conferring with board members, organization officials, and staff members as necessary.
Collaborated with developers and product management team to assess project outcomes and prioritize future features.
Career Changers

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5 Military Resume Examples Made for Success in 2024

Best for senior and mid-level candidates

There’s plenty of room in our elegant resume template to add your professional experience while impressing recruiters with a sleek design.

Resume Builder

Like this template? Customize this resume and make it your own with the help of our Al-powered suggestions, accent colors, and modern fonts.

Military Resume

Military Resumes by Experience
Military Resumes by Role
Write Your Military Resume

Your multifaceted role in the military could cover anything from groundwork or combat to manufacturing or communications. With unmatched expertise, you anticipate challenges and avert conflicts proactively, making decisions under pressure with ease.

The skills you amass during your service—leadership, adaptability, and teamwork—are invaluable. Now the question is: how do you describe your courage and discipline when writing an effective cover letter or one-page resume ?

Not to worry—we’re here to help. With our military resume examples , you can transform your raw experience into a captivating application that will get you the attention and the interviews you deserve.

or download as PDF

Military resume example with 10 years of experience

Why this resume works

You’re pretty sure you’re the right fit for the role, but the hiring team could be on the fence. How about swaying their opinion by turning action-oriented verbs like “guided,” “trained,” and “maintained” to good account right at the beginning of your bullet points?
Don’t overlook the power of garnishing your job descriptions with numbers like “41% decrease in criminal incidents” and “79% reduction in preventable casualties.” Such riveting metrics bring your tangible impact in past roles to light and give recruiters a taste of what you’re capable of pulling off.
Of course, not all your skills need to make it to your resume. However, demonstrated proficiency with equipment and principles like KOCOA, DAGR, JTT, M4 carbine, and MQ-9 reaper highlights not just a strong foundation but also someone off to a flying start when it comes to technical knowledge and field readiness.
And to put a bow on it? Review the job posting to decode the exact experience or proficiencies the hiring institution is hunting for. Then, refine your resume until it mirrors those needs. Adding a phrase like “design and implement four successful road construction projects” is a great idea.

Military Veteran Resume

To make such an achievement count in your military veteran resume, highlight how much you helped reduce equipment downtime to sustain uninterrupted workflows.

Retired Military Resume

Speaking of your experience, list your missions and other roles in reverse chronological order, with your most recent positions and more impactful achievements taking precedence. Finish off this outline with side columns highlighting your military coursework, skills, and certifications.

Military Police Resume

For instance, “Assisted in slashing response times” could be better put as “Instituted advanced emergency protocols using NEC NeoFace, slashing response times by 44%.”

Military to Civilian Resume

It underscores your ability to communicate effectively and ensure that all objectives are met within set timelines; attributes that make you an easy pick for joining the civilian workforce.

Related resume examples

Officer Manager
Operations Manager
Office Administrator

Create a Military Resume That Fits Your Dream Job

Job seeker stands with hands in air, questioning how to fill out job materials

Your military personnel resume should focus on showcasing skills vital to defense and strategic operations. Precision is paramount, so avoid vague terms like “team player.” If your role is technical, zero in on hard skills instead.

Some of the things you could discuss include your proficiency in various weaponry, tactical strategies, and specialized equipment operation. You can also consider highlighting soft skills like leadership, communication, and crisis management.

Ensure your skills resonate with the job’s requirements, whether it’s combat tactics or logistical coordination. Highlight the elevated level of discipline and stress management skills your service in the military has helped you develop, be it for another role within the military or a civilian job.

Looking for guidance?

15 best military skills

Tactical Strategy
Weapon Proficiency
Logistical Coordination
Military Comms
Cybersecurity
Foreign Languages
Crisis Management
Radio Operations
Risk Assessment
Joint Tactical Terminal
Blue Force Tracker

Your military work experience bullet points

Between orchestrating strategic missions and leading successful teams, your military service showcases exceptional achievements. Rather than rehashing routine tasks, spotlight your impactful contributions.

Your role directly influences the stability and security of operations, safeguarding national interests, and minimizing potential risks. While the nature of your experiences varies, harness this section to highlight your proudest moments, whether enhancing emergency response efficiency or mitigating adverse consequences.

Make sure to back up your claims with quantifiable metrics to zero in on the magnitude of your successes. These could be anything from your budget optimization to the number of personnel you’ve trained—it all depends on your specific role and achievements.

Demonstrate your leadership and strategic skills with mission success rates.
Showcase your ability to make quick decisions under pressure with metrics on your average response times.
Highlight your commitment to operational readiness by presenting the percentage decrease in equipment downtimes after implementing maintenance protocols.
Show off your adaptability by mentioning the varying shifts you’ve worked, deployments you’ve been sent on, and languages you’ve learned.

See what we mean?

Created a comprehensive training program for recruits, resulting in a 78% reduction in onboarding time
Conducted an employee satisfaction survey, resulting in an 88% satisfaction rate with internal communication efforts
Maintained an 91% incident resolution rate by handling a variety of security issues and ensuring the safety of personnel and facilities
Implemented a new internal communication system, which resulted in a 28% reduction in information gaps among employees

9 active verbs to start your military work experience bullet points

Coordinated
Implemented

3 Tips for Writing a Military Resume Without Much Experience

Emphasize the significance of every role you’ve undertaken, regardless of your experience level. You can include relevant skills and accomplishments from your military service, training, and related roles. For instance, if you’re transitioning to a civilian logistics position, highlight your experience coordinating complex missions and managing supplies.
Use your military projects to showcase your skills and flexibility. Mention specific initiatives or tasks you’ve executed during your service that align with the new position or civilian job you’re applying to. For example, discuss leading a team to establish a forward operating base, demonstrating your leadership and strategic planning abilities.
Utilize internships, relevant coursework, or hobbies to spotlight transferable skills. Highlight leadership, teamwork, adaptability, and technical proficiencies that align with the role. For example, when applying for a communications role, discuss your experience with working in large teams and communicating under stress.

3 Tips for Writing an Experienced Military Resume

If you have specialized military skills like leadership, logistics, or intelligence analysis, show them off. Next, tailor your accomplishments and metrics to align with the specific role you’re pursuing, highlighting your expertise and achievements in those areas.
Adding relevant metrics really makes your achievements stand out more. Highlight your mission success rates, operational efficiency improvements, and leadership impact. This is good if you’re transitioning away from the military; for instance, in a logistics role, you can discuss how you optimized supply chain processes, reducing turnaround time by 39%.
Include relevant military certifications that demonstrate your expertise and training. Whether it’s command certifications, technical training, or specialized courses, these credentials highlight your readiness for the civilian role or a promotion up the military ranks.

While optional, a tailored career objective or summary can be valuable, especially if you’re switching to a whole new career. Emphasize your military experience and skills that align with the job, such as leadership, logistical coordination, or crisis management.

Make sure to use relevant keywords from the job description . Highlight your military accomplishments, skills, and specialized training that match the job requirements. ATS looks for keyword matches, so use terminology from both your military background and the civilian role you’re applying to.

Emphasize mission success rates, response times, equipment maintenance improvements, and any other quantifiable achievements. These metrics demonstrate your effectiveness in critical situations and your ability to impact operations positively.

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Resume and Cover Letter
How to List Military...

How to List Military Experience on Your Resume

7 min read · Updated on November 15, 2022

Your military experience can be extremely attractive to potential employers, but only if you know how to list that experience in your resume in a way that translates to civilian needs.

If you are a veteran of the armed forces, there is a good chance that you have asked yourself, “Should I list my military experience on my resume?” The answer is simple: yes, you should! According to government estimates , roughly 200,000 American military personnel leave their active duty roles each year. For many, the transition to civilian employment can be challenging, as they often feel as though they are starting their lives over from scratch.

Without a compelling resume that highlights your skills, you may continue to struggle to reach your full civilian employment potential. In this post, we will show you how to list military experience on your resume in a way that enables potential employers to better understand how your skills translate to civilian employment.

Begin by making a list of all of your skills

During your service, you will have learned and utilized a host of valuable skills . What you may not realize is that many of those skills you used each day in the military can be just as valuable in the civilian workforce. Moreover, there is a good chance that your experience using these skills will have helped develop them in a way that gives you a clear advantage over other civilian job seekers. The key is to identify those skills and recognize how they translate to civilian employment.

These abilities will include both hard and soft skills that civilian employers look for in their hiring efforts. For example, military experience can hone soft skills like:

Leadership and team building

Strong work ethic

Respect for authority and chain-of-command

Self-initiative and resourcefulness

Integrity and reliability

Discipline and attention to detail

Communication

Your time in the military will have also taught you valuable hard skills that employers need. These skills can include things like:

Technical writing

Computer programming

Quality assurance

Network security

Information technology support

Mechanical maintenance and repair

Before you prepare to list military experience on your resume, you should narrow that list of skills so that you focus on those that are needed for the job you seek. You can refer to the job description during this process, and make sure that you use the same terminology the company used in that description. That will help to ensure that your resume satisfies any applicant tracking system that the company may be utilizing.

Use available resources to translate military skills and job roles into civilian terms

As you create your list of skills, you may find yourself struggling to translate the descriptions into civilian terms. This is important to do since you do not want to confuse your resume reader with military jargon, titles, or acronyms. Fortunately, there are resources available to help you with that process. For example, milConnect provides a Verification of Military Experience and Training document that can help you describe your military role in terms that civilians can more easily understand.

Include your military experience in your resume summary

The first place you should focus on is your resume summary. Since this is usually the first thing that hiring managers review when they see your resume, it is important to make a great first impression. Be sure to include mention of your relevant experience, skills, achievements, and career highlights in that summary. It is also important to quantify any achievements with real numbers so that the hiring manager can better understand the value that you can provide to their organization. For example:

Resolute leader with twelve years of experience organizing and developing talent for personnel deployment in the United States Navy. Skilled communications expert with a deep understanding of project management, workforce development needs, and the benefits of an integrated approach to team-building. Responsible for creating and implementing workforce optimization strategies that increased team efficiency by 12% while raising personnel retention numbers by 18% over a two-year period.

Detail your service and achievements in your work experience section

Of course, you will be able to go into even more detail when listing your various military experiences in the employment history section of your resume. You should approach this process just as you would with any other type of work history, with a separate experience listing for each role you filled during your service. The only difference is that you may want to create a separate experience section for your military service, in addition to a section devoted to your experience in civilian life—unless your entire work history has been devoted to military service.

Again, use simple civilian terms that any hiring manager can understand, avoiding military jargon and occupational specialty codes. You can even translate your job positions into civilian terms. For example, if you were a commissioned officer, you may just want to describe your role as a supervisor or manager. Most importantly, don't forget to focus on real achievements that have relevance to the position you are seeking.

As for any combat experience you may have earned, it is usually best to avoid focusing on the war aspects of those operations. Instead, detail the skills you used during that deployment like strategy development, operational management, communication abilities, and leadership. Those are the types of skills and experiences that translate well to civilian employment.

Examples of how to list military experience on your resume

The following examples demonstrate some possible options for listing your military experience on your resume. Obviously, your experiences will vary, so be sure to use these examples as a guide while crafting your own military experience section.

Example #1:

Military Experience

UNITED STATES ARMY (deployments around the globe) 8/2010 to 8/2022

Security Supervisor

Led 16-person team tasked with maintaining operational security of multiple bases. Responsible for leading security threat assessment, developing incident response strategies, and overseeing day-to-day external and internal security details.

Trained and mentored personnel, increasing promotion rate by 10% and reducing attrition by 8%.

Implemented regular technology upgrades used for monitoring grounds, maintaining incident documentation, and safeguarding property and equipment.

Conducted and oversaw multiple security investigations, interviews with witnesses, and regular security reviews.

Example #2:

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE (deployments around the globe) 5/2014 to 5/2022

Aviation Maintenance Supervisor

Led a dynamic team of avionics specialists to maintain and repair hundreds of millions of dollars worth of critical aircraft assets. Conducted regular scheduled maintenance inspections, identified needed repairs, and worked with the team to ensure the highest levels of operational effectiveness and safety.

Trained and mentored team members to ensure that all relevant safety standards were maintained at all times. Supervised usage of personal protective equipment and monitored compliance with HazMat regulations.

Scheduled and prioritized aircraft maintenance and repair to meet the goal of ensuring operational flights exceeding 4,000 each year. Maintained a 97% success rate for timely maintenance completion.

Focus on attention to detail and effective planning resulted in a 100% quality assurance rate over a five-year period, resulting in more than 98% flight readiness.

Military skills and experience can often be extremely attractive to potential employers if you know how to list military experience on your resume in a way that hiring managers can understand. These tips and examples should provide the insight you need to ensure that your resume highlights your most relevant skills, makes the best possible impression to a hiring manager, and lands you the interview you need to secure civilian employment.

If you are a veteran who needs a resume that can help you simplify your transition from military to civilian life, our team of professional resume writers at TopResume can help you find your next mission !

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Military-to-Civilian Resume: How to Translate Your Service Experience

Customers Interviewed by:

How to write a military-to-civilian resume

Get started by creating a master military resume
Consult your VMET and fitness evaluations for ideas and resume content
Translate your military titles and skills for civilian readers
Focus on experience that is relevant to the job for which you’re applying
Top-load your resume with targeted keywords and accomplishments
Don’t separate your military experience from your other work experience

Get help if you need it

Military veterans transition into the corporate job market with a broad skill set and experience shouldering unimaginable responsibility. Unfortunately, most civilians have no idea what’s going on in the military or how to decipher military terminology. To succeed in a post-military job search, it’s up to a transitioning veteran to create a military-to-civilian resume that describes their experience in a way that makes sense to civilian recruiters and hiring managers.

To gain some insight, I spoke with three military resume experts:

Jen St. Pierre , Warriors to Work Specialist at Wounded Warrior Project
David Madden , Veterans Representative at Worksource King County
Clif Cooper , Former Army Transition Manager

The military speaks its own languages. Each service has its own way of communicating things. “Even between the different services within the military, I can’t read some of their lingo,” said Cooper. If the Army has trouble understanding the Navy or Air Force, you can bet that a civilian recruiter will be confused by all of it.

“If the veteran went straight from school into the military and hasn’t had any type of civilian employment, when they come out, everything they speak is military language,” said Madden. “How do you go to an employer, who really knows nothing about the military, and answer when they ask, ‘What was your job description?'”

The first step in creating a strong military-to-civilian resume is to, as St. Pierre put it, “demilitarize the language.”

“What I mean by that is avoiding military terms and acronyms that civilian recruiters and hiring managers aren’t going to understand.”

Translate your titles, acronyms, equipment, skills, and anything else that could go over the head of a civilian decision-maker.

Start with a master military resume using the terms you know best

When you’re looking at a blank resume template , translating your military experience on the fly makes it a more difficult process than it needs to be. “It’d be like me applying for a job in the Hague and trying to write it in Dutch in my first draft,” explained Cooper. “I would write it in English and then translate it to Dutch.”

For veterans struggling to get started, creating a master military resume can be an effective first step. “I tell people when they write their resume , use military lingo on your first draft because that’s what you know,” said Cooper.

“In this master resume, we can speak to everything,” said Madden. “They have that opportunity to get it out of their system.”

Consult your documentation and fitness evaluations

There are records and resources available to all veterans that can provide a starting point or fill in some gaps.

“VMET stands for Vocational and Military Employment Training,” explained St. Pierre. “That is a document that every single [service member] receives when they transfer out. They don’t really realize that they have access to it. It’s basically their military resume. It contains every MOS [military occupational specialty] they were in with a description. Not only that, but every single course and certification they took.”

“A lot of information is available on your fitness reports or evaluations and quarterly counselings,” added Cooper.

“It’s different in every branch of the service,” continued St. Pierre. “It could be a ‘fit eval,’ or a ‘fit rep.’ These are performance reviews. … These contain such valuable information for a resume. They contain measurable results, number one. And number two, real specifics about their accomplishments , spoken from their leader’s point of view.”

Digging up these documents can make a world of difference when it comes to creating a strong resume foundation.

Translate your military ranks, titles, and duties

Civilians do not understand the hierarchy or responsibilities of military titles. One of the most helpful things you can do on your military-to-civilian resume is to change your titles into something a civilian reader will find familiar.

“Most corporate and profitable environments aren’t going to have any idea how to translate E1, E2, first sergeant,” warned St. Pierre. “Instead of taking the time to research it, they’re going to count the candidate out of the lot because they don’t understand.”

St. Pierre shared these examples:

“For instance, E7 to E9 … the civilian equivalent could be director, supervisor, department manager, senior advisor. Below that is an E4 to an E6, which depending on what service they’re in [would be a] corporal, specialist, petty officer, or sergeant. That translates over to assistant manager, line supervisor, section leader, task leader, foreman. Same things with the lower ranks, like E1 to E3. Maybe they were private or a seaman recruit or a seaman apprentice. That could be a production worker, an assembler, a technician, an apprentice, or a team member. So even when they’re lower ranks, you can still give it a strong civilian title.”

This practice also extends beyond official titles to roles and duties.

“If I was a main battle tank crew member, in the civilian world, we would translate that to ‘heavy equipment operator,'” explained St. Pierre. “We’re taking those titles and we’re civilianizing them.”

This can be a tough pill for veterans to swallow. It’s not just heavy equipment, after all. The responsibility of human safety or millions of dollars in equipment that comes with performing any number of military duties won’t be found in your average civilian job description. “The military gives you an immense amount of responsibility that you will never be responsible for again,” said Cooper, but making your military resume accessible for civilian hiring personnel will make a big difference in your job search.

Perhaps the most powerful tool for this type of translation is O*NET’s Military Crosswalk search .

Enter your service branch and classification code or title to receive a detailed report including all the tasks, skills, technology, and knowledge associated with the position, as well as a list of civilian-equivalent job titles.

“A lot of times, individuals do not even know Military Crosswalk exists,” said Madden.

Translate everything you can on your resume. St. Pierre suggested spelling out any necessary acronyms and even replacing the word “soldiers” with “personnel.”

Tailor your resume to the job description

“A veteran thinks, and rightfully so, they can do human resources, operations, logistics– kind of the whole gamut,” said Cooper. “While that’s true, and there’s nothing wrong with that mindset, it actually hurts them in the search.”

Veterans are trusted with a great deal of responsibility and can serve in a wide variety of roles throughout their military career. It’s tricky to narrow all that experience down. Referring to some of the resumes she receives from her clients, St. Pierre jokingly said they’re “like eight pages long.”

Once a transitioning veteran decides which direction to take their career, they benefit from removing as much unrelated experience as possible . A targeted resume is not a list of everything you’ve done. Rather, it answers the questions asked in the job description. Tailoring your resume to the job description makes it fast and easy for the recruiter to see how you’ll make an impact.

“Look at the things that are important to the employer [in the job description],” said Madden. “It’s great that you’ve done these things [in the military], but the employer is looking for XYZ.”

“We really want to focus on speaking the language of the employer,” added St. Pierre.

Both St. Pierre and Madden advocate for using Jobscan to home in on what the employer wants to see. Jobscan analyzes your resume against the job description to see which skills and requirements you’re missing.

“That’s what we’ve been able to help them do time and again [by] using Jobscan,” said Madden. “We’ve been able to really take the game to another level because we’re speaking the language and we’re showing [the veterans] live, this is what it looks like.”

“I bring up the Jobscan report and I walk them through it,” said St. Pierre. “Every single section, what it means, how to incorporate those keywords into the resume. It makes sense to them.”

Scan your military to civilian resume with Jobscan.

Include your military measurable results

Accomplishments and achievements are a great way for anyone to make their resume stand out. A military veteran’s experience is full of opportunities to include these measurable results.

“Usually what I do is talk [veterans] through stories and really figure out, what are the results?” said Cooper. “It needs to have a number … whether it’s man hours, reduction in steps, or additional steps for compliance.”

For some veterans, aspects of their roles might overshadow seemingly mundane results, making it difficult for them to see the value. “Nobody [in the corporate world] cares that you were a fighter pilot,” pleaded Cooper. “How much money did you save by buying doors or surfboards or windshields last year?”

“We all deal with money because [the military] a global force now,” continued Cooper. “Simple things like government travel cards, saving money, coming up with better ways to save money” can make for quality measurable results on a military-to-civilian resume.

“There’s so much project management within the military,” St. Pierre used as an example. “A strong action verb would be, ‘C ollaborated with a team of six senior leaders to develop a security action plan that resulted in zero incidents within the command for the year of 2017.'”

As previously mentioned, some of these results can be found in the VMET or fit evals. “Sometimes I take exact sentences from them because their leaders did a great job of quantifying and explaining [the veteran’s] accomplishments,” said St. Pierre.

Measurable results should be sprinkled throughout your resume, from your summary section down through your work experience.

Military-to-civilian resume formatting tips

Formatting your military resume presents a unique challenge. You might have served through a series of diverse roles with increasing responsibility all around the world. How do you sum that up on a resume in a way that makes sense?

“The first top half of the resume is the most important,” said St. Pierre. “That is what a recruiter will spend their six-to-seven seconds on.”

After your name and contact information, St. Pierre recommends having a strong summary statement that introduces that you’re a veteran as well as your areas of expertise. She also recommends including a skills section “so that the recruiter can easily find those resume keywords that they need.”

If you went back to school after leaving the military and you’re not far removed from earning a degree, your education section can come next.

When it comes to your experience section, “I wouldn’t separate it out, military and civilian,” advised St. Pierre. “I would just put ‘Work Experience.'”

St. Pierre recommends breaking up your different roles within the military, but underneath a single heading for the service branch, resulting in something like this:

This format helps keep the resume in a format familiar to the recruiter, and should help to minimize confusion.

“Seek out assistance,” concluded St. Pierre. “[Veterans] aren’t expert resume writers and that’s okay. Seek out subject matter experts and mentors. Like the Wounded Warrior Project Warriors to Work program, there are many, many VSOs out there that help .”

There are also people online willing to help. Create a LinkedIn profile and follow or reach out to veteran career coaches and advocates like Michael Quinn , Leslie Coffey , Daniel Savage , Maggie Cutler , Tom Cal , Jacqueline Contreras , and others for tips, resources, and mentorship during your transition.

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• Led a team of 8 in deploying cutting-edge network security solutions for large corporate clients, increasing overall security compliance by 25%
• Implemented a strategic data recovery plan for high-risk clients, effectively reducing data loss incidents by 40% annually
• Facilitated the migration of 500+ workstations to a cloud-based platform ahead of schedule, enhancing operational efficiency
• Developed a custom automation script that streamlined system updates for clients, saving an average of 15 hours of manual work per project
• Negotiated with vendors for better pricing on enterprise software, resulting in a cost saving of $20,000 per annum
• Conducted regular IT audits, identifying and addressing potential vulnerabilities, leading to the prevention of potential data breaches
• Oversaw the successful integration of a new ERP system across the company, improving data management and resource planning
• Initiated a company-wide cybersecurity training program, enhancing staff awareness of best practices in digital security
• Coordinated the upgrade of network infrastructure which supported a 50% increase in company data traffic
• Authored a monthly IT performance report highlighting key tech stats, leading to better informed strategic decisions
• Managed a cross-functional project team resulting in the timely resolution of critical IT incidents, reducing downtime by 30%
• Maintained a 99.9% network uptime by monitoring and optimizing network performance across the organization
• Implemented robust network security policies which decreased vulnerability to attacks by 20%
• Assisted in the rollout of a new VoIP communication system, which reduced company telecommunication costs by 15%
• Provided technical support and training for staff, significantly improving company-wide tech literacy rates

5 Military Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

When crafting your military resume, it's crucial to highlight your leadership experience. Demonstrate the scale and impact of the teams or projects you have led. Showcase your ability to adapt and overcome challenging situations. Your resume should reflect your problem-solving skills and resilience.

All resume examples in this guide

Traditional

Resume Guide

Resume Format Tips

Resume Experience

Skills on Resume

Education & Certifications

Resume Summary Tips

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

One challenge you may encounter as a military veteran is effectively translating your military experience into civilian terms that resonate with potential employers. Our comprehensive guide can provide you with tailored strategies and examples to bridge this gap, aligning your unique skills with the needs of the civilian job market.

Get inspired from our military resume samples with industry-leading skills, certifications, and more.
Show how you can impact the organization with your resume summary and experience.
Introducing your unique military expertise with a focus on tangible results and achievements.

If the military resume isn't the right one for you, take a look at other related guides we have:

Federal Resume Example
Regulatory Affairs Resume Example
Policy Analyst Resume Example
Canvasser Resume Example
Grant Writer Resume Example
Government Resume Example

Enhancing your military resume: format and layout tips

Four popular formatting rules (and an additional tip) are here to optimize your military resume:

Listing experience in reverse chronological order - start with your most recent job experiences. This layout helps recruiters see your career progression and emphasizes your most relevant roles.
Including contact details in the header - make sure your contact information is easily accessible at the top of your resume. In the header, you might also include a professional photo.
Aligning your expertise with the job requirements - this involves adding essential sections such as experience, skills, and education that match the job you're applying for.
Curating your expertise on a single page - if your experience spans over a decade, a two-page resume is also acceptable.

Bonus tip: Ensure your military resume is in PDF format when submitting. This format maintains the integrity of images, icons, and layout, making your resume easier to share.

Finally, concerning your resume format and the Applicant Tracker System (ATS):

Use simple yet modern fonts like Rubik, Lato, Montserrat, etc.
All serif and sans-serif fonts are friendly to ATS systems. Avoid script fonts that look like handwriting, however.
Fonts such as Ariel and Times New Roman are suitable, though commonly used.
Both single and double-column resumes can perform well with the ATS.

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Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

Always remember that your military certifications can be quantified across different resume sections, like your experience, summary, or objective. For example, you could include concise details within the expertise bullets of how the specific certificate has improved your on-the-job performance.

Traditional sections, appreciated by recruiters, for your military resume:

Clear and concise header with relevant links and contact details
Summary or objective with precise snapshot of our career highlights and why you're a suitable candidate for the military role
Experience that goes into the nuts and bolts of your professional qualifications and success
Skills section(-s) for more in-depth talent-alignment between job keywords and your own profile
Education and certifications sections to further show your commitment for growth in the specific niche

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

Proven leadership experience and ability to lead teams in high-pressure situations
Demonstrated excellence in tactical planning, strategy development, and mission execution
Expertise in handling sensitive information with the utmost discretion and adherence to security protocols
Strong understanding of military protocols, chain of command, and experience working within a military structure
Physical fitness and the capacity to meet the rigorous demands of military operations

Essential tips for crafting your military resume experience section

The experience section is indeed the core of your military resume . It's where you present your past and current job roles. But how should you approach this crucial part?

A common error is treating the experience section as merely a list of job duties. Many candidates fall into the trap of detailing what they did without illustrating the impact of their actions.

To effectively write your military resume experience section, consider these guidelines:

Emphasize your achievements, supported by concrete metrics such as percentages, revenue increases, or customer satisfaction rates;
Avoid using generic buzzwords like communication, hard work, or leadership. Instead, demonstrate how these skills added value in your previous roles;
Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb, followed by a skill, and then the result of your actions;
Tailor your resume for each job application by selecting the most relevant experiences, responsibilities, and successes.

We have an array of resume examples that illustrate how to optimally curate your military resume experience section.

Directed a team of 12 in executing strategic patrol operations resulting in a 30% reduction in security incidents within our area of responsibility.
Implemented an advanced technology update for communication systems, resulting in enhanced coordination and a 40% decrease in equipment failure rate.
Designed and supervised rigorous training programs for new recruits, improving overall unit readiness and performance metrics by 25%.
Conducted over 150 reconnaissance and surveillance missions, providing critical intelligence that informed the strategic decisions of high-level commanders.
Oversaw the integration of unmanned aerial systems into the unit’s operations, which improved the surveillance coverage by 50% and reduced risk to personnel.
Managed a budget of $2 million for equipment procurement and maintenance, ensuring optimal resource allocation and zero over-expenditure.
Led an armored vehicle crew through 100+ successful missions with a keen focus on safety procedures and threat assessment, minimizing risks during high-tension scenarios.
Mentored and evaluated 20+ personnel, developing goal-oriented training plans that enhanced their tactical skills and operational performance.
Organized cross-functional training with allied military units, which resulted in improved collaboration and mission success rates for multinational operations.
Efficiently processed and analyzed over 500 intelligence reports, creating actionable strategies that preemptively neutralized threats and safeguarded troops.
Developed a comprehensive intelligence-sharing network with regional partners that bolstered collective security efforts and reduced intelligence gaps by 40%.
Spearheaded the modernization of the unit's intelligence database systems, which shortened report processing time by 20% and improved data reliability.
Orchestrated the logistics for deploying 400 personnel and equipment to overseas locations, ensuring 100% accountability and zero loss of assets.
Served as a primary advisor for sustainment operations, optimizing supply chain management and reducing logistical costs by 15% without compromising operational readiness.
Coordinated with multiple service branches to support joint exercises, achieving seamless integration of logistical support across diverse military units.
Piloted multiple aircraft models in a variety of weather conditions, accumulating over 1000 flight hours and maintaining an impeccable safety record.
Developed and executed air support plans that provided critical cover for ground operations, enhancing the offensive capabilities of the unit in hostile environments.
Trained 30+ new pilots, emphasizing aerial combat techniques and effective mission planning, which resulted in these pilots exceeding the squadron's average readiness scores.
Deployed as part of an elite Special Operations unit, contributing to high-risk missions that disrupted enemy supply chains and reduced hostile activities by 60%.
Initiated a comprehensive cyber-security protocol for the unit, vastly improving the security of communication channels and sensitive data.
Led a joint humanitarian operation that provided medical and disaster relief assistance to over 10,000 affected civilians, earning a commendation for outstanding service and leadership.
Supervised the operation and maintenance of complex radar and electronic warfare systems, ensuring peak performance during critical surveillance operations.
Led an initiative to train personnel in advanced signal processing techniques, which improved detection capabilities and reduced false alarm rates by 20%.
Collaborated with engineering teams to upgrade electronic defense infrastructure, greatly enhancing the operational lifespan and effectiveness of the systems.

Quantifying impact on your resume

Quantify your leadership experience by stating the number of personnel you've managed or trained.
Highlight the size of the budget you were responsible for to demonstrate financial acumen.
Mention the number of missions or operations you've planned and executed to indicate organizational skills.
Specify the percentage of efficiency improvement or cost reduction you achieved in your role.
Detail the number of countries or regions you operated in to show your adaptability.
Include the quantities of equipment or assets you were accountable for to showcase responsibility.
State the number of reports or briefings you've produced to underline your communication skills.
List the measurable improvements in performance indicators under your command or guidance.

Action verbs for your military resume

No relevant experience - what to feature instead

Suppose you're new to the job market or considering a switch in industry or niche. In such cases, it's common to have limited standard professional experience . However, this isn't a cause for concern. You can still craft an impressive military resume by emphasizing other sections, showing why you're a great fit for the role:

Emphasize your educational background and extracurricular activities to demonstrate your industry knowledge;
Replace the typical experience section with internships or temporary jobs where you've gained relevant skills and expertise;
Highlight your unique skill set, encompassing both technological and personal abilities;
Showcase transferable skills acquired throughout your life and work experiences so far.

Featuring your hard skills and soft skills on your military resume

The skills section of your military resume needs to your various capabilities that align with the job requirements. List hard skills (or technical skills) to showcase to potential employers that you're perfectly apt at dealing with technological innovations and niche software. Meanwhile, your soft skills need to detail how you'd thrive within your new, potential environment with personal skills (e.g. resilience, negotiation, organization, etc.) Your military resume skills section needs to include both types of skills to promote how you're both technical and cultural fit. Here's how to create your bespoke military skills section to help you stand out:

Focus on skill requirements that are listed toward the top of the job advert.
Include niche skills that you've worked hard to obtain.
Select specific soft skills that match the company (or the department) culture.
Cover some of the basic job requirements by including important skills for the military role - ones you haven't been able to list through the rest of your resume.

Get inspired with our military sample skill list to list some of the most prominent hard and soft skills across the field.

Top skills for your military resume:

Weapons Handling

Tactical Planning

Physical Fitness

Maintenance and Repair

Communication Systems

Survival Training

Logistics Management

Intelligence Analysis

Problem-Solving

Adaptability

Stress Management

Decision Making

Strong Work Ethic

Effective Communication

Situational Awareness

The more time and effort you've put into obtaining the relevant certificate, the closer to the top it should be listed. This is especially important for more senior roles and if the company you're applying for is more forward-facing.

What are the best certificates to add to your military resume + how to curate your education section

The education and certification resume sections are the underdogs of your military resume.

They showcase to recruiters that you've invested plenty of time to gain valuable and specific know-how, vital for growth.

As far as the resume education section is concerned:

Detail only advanced education, specifying the institution and timeframe.
Indicate your forthcoming graduation date if you're in the midst of your studies.
Consider omitting degrees that don't align with the job's requirements.
Offer a description of your academic journey if it underscores your notable achievements.

When curating your degrees and certificates on your military resume:

Select only accreditation that matters to the role
Niche knowledge that could help you stand out as a candidate (as is within the past few years), should be listed towards the top of your resume
Include any pertinent data for credibility (e.g. institute name, graduation dates, etc.)
Irrelevant degrees and certifications shouldn't make it on your resume. Those include your high school diploma and any specializations that have nothing to do with the technical or soft skills that are required for the job

As a final note, if you feel tempted to exclude your education or certification from your resume, don't.

These two sections could help you have a better competitive edge over other candidates - hinting that your professional journey in the industry may be for a longer period of time.

Recruiters find all of these military credentials impressive:

The top 5 certifications for your military resume:

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) - (ISC)²
Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute (PMI)
Certified Protection Professional (CPP) - ASIS International
Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Civil Engineer Certifications - U.S. Air Force
Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Certifications - U.S. Department of Defense

Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.

Perfecting the Education Section on Your Resume

Professional summary or objective for your military resume

military candidates sometimes get confused between the difference of a resume summary and a resume objective.

Which one should you be using?

Remember that the:

Resume objective has more to do with your dreams and goals for your career. Within it, you have the opportunity to showcase to recruiters why your application is an important one and, at the same time, help them imagine what your impact on the role, team, and company would be.
Resume summary should recount key achievements, tailored for the role, through your career. Allowing recruiters to quickly scan and understand the breadth of your military expertise.

The resume objectives are always an excellent choice for candidates starting off their career, while the resume summary is more fitting for experienced candidates.

No matter if you chose a summary or objective, get some extra inspiration from real-world professional military resumes:

Resume summaries for a military job

Decorated U.S. Army Captain with over 12 years of experience leading high-stakes operations in challenging environments. Expert in strategic planning and cross-functional team leadership. Notable career achievement includes orchestrating the evacuation of a besieged embassy, ensuring zero casualties under volatile conditions.
Seasoned Marine Corps Officer with 15 years of proven experience in logistical coordination, personnel management, and process improvement. Spearheaded the development of critical supply chain streamlined strategies, cutting operational costs by 25% without compromising mission-critical capabilities.
Highly skilled cybersecurity professional eager to apply a decade of experience in IT infrastructure protection to safeguard national security interests. Advanced proficiency in network defense strategies, with a significant triumph in detecting and mitigating a complex, multi-vector cyber-attack against government systems.
Driven financial analyst, transitioning from a successful 8-year tenure with major Wall Street firms to bolster fiscal efficiency within defense budgeting. Exceptional track record in portfolio management and predictive analytics, resulting in a 20% reduction in risk exposure for multimillion-dollar investment accounts.
Aspiring to utilize my leadership skills and unwavering commitment to national service, cultivated through 4 years as Student Government President and extensive volunteer work, to embolden team dynamics and drive mission success in a challenging military environment.
With a passion for technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, my objective is to leverage my software development skills, in-depth understanding of machine learning, and collaborative spirit to contribute to the cutting-edge advancements in military defense systems.

Taking your military resume to the next level with these four additional resume sections

Your military resume can feature a variety of skills (both hard and soft) in diverse sections . Choose those that align best with the job requirements and reflect your suitability for the company culture.

Consider these four additional resume sections recommended by our experts:

Languages - State any languages you are proficient in and your level of proficiency. This demonstrates your commitment to communication and potential for international growth.
Projects - Highlight up to three significant projects you've completed outside of work, showcasing skill development. Include a link to your project portfolio in the military resume header, if applicable.
My Time - How you allocate your time outside work can indicate your organizational skills and cultural fit within the company.
Volunteering - Detail causes you're passionate about, roles you've held, and achievements in volunteering. Such experiences likely have honed a range of soft skills crucial for your dream job.

Key takeaways

The logic of your resume presentation should follow your career highlights and alignment with the role;
Curate information within different sections (e.g. summary, experience, etc.) that helps highlight your strengths;
Exclude from your resume irrelevant experience items - that way you'd ensure it stays no longer than two pages and is easy to read;
Dedicate space within the summary, experience, and/or achievements to highlight precisely why you're the best candidate for the role via your previous success;
Both your technical and people capabilities should also play a crucial role in building up your military application. Prove your skill set in various resume sections.

Looking to build your own Military resume?

Resume Examples

How to Use Abbreviations on Your Resume

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Resume Preparation

How to Add Military Experience to a Resume

Last Updated: August 17, 2024

This article was co-authored by Katrina Georgiou . Katrina Georgiou is a career coach and the founder of Katrina Georgiou Coaching based in Silicon Valley. Katrina helps individuals find new careers as well as career advancement, including resume writing, interview preparation, salary negotiation, and performance reviews. Trained in the co-active method from the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), Katrina uses personalized communication and leadership strategies to support her clients in building successful and fulfilling careers. This article has been viewed 93,336 times.

Applying for a job with military experience can be a struggle, as you may not be sure how to translate your military background into skills that will impress an employer. Start by translating your military experience into civilian language to show employers you have key skills like leadership, teamwork, dedication, and a good work ethic. Supplemental sections for honors, additional training, and technical skills you learned in the military can also help to strengthen your resume. When you compose your resume, make sure you use a clear, concise structure so employers can understand your value as an employee.

Sample Resume

Translating Military Experience to Civilian Language

Step 1 Translate your military title into its equivalent in the civilian world.

For example, you may translate a military role like “Commander” into a civilian role like “Director” or “Senior Manager.” Or you may be qualified for a civilian role like “Personnel Manager” if you were a “First Sergeant” in the military.

Step 2 Avoid military jargon, acronyms, and codes.

Use an online tool that helps you rephrase military terms into civilian terms like: https://www.onetonline.org/crosswalk/MOC/ .
Rephrase your military experience and show it to someone who is not in the military to see if they understand it.

Step 3 Focus on military experience that shows you are a leader and a go-getter.

For example, you may have held a leadership position like the leader of a small group or of a unit within a larger team. Or you may have had a higher ranking in the military that meant you delegated tasks or jobs to others.

Step 4 Use military experience that highlights your accomplishments.

For example, you may include any military medals or awards you received. Or you may note that you were “honorably discharged” to note this achievement.

Composing Your Resume

Step 1 Read over the job description for keywords.

For example, if you notice a skill like “multi-tasker” is listed in the job description, choose roles in your time in the military that show you can multi-task.

Step 2 Create a section called “Military Experience.

If you do not have any other work experience for your resume, you can list your military experience first in a section called “Relevant Experience" or "Work Experience" so it is the primary focus of the resume.

Step 3 Organize your experience under specific skills for a focused structure.

For example, you may group your experience under a subsection called “Leadership Skills” and include any experience that demonstrates your leadership. Or you may use a subsection called “Teaching and Training” and then include any relevant experience in this section.

Step 4 List your experience under each position or role for a broad structure.

For example, you may use a job title like, “Information and Media Section Leader” or “Squad Director.” You can then explain each job, with a focus on language that is easy to follow.

Step 5 Discuss the character attributes and skills you gained from your experience.

For example, you may note attributes like “good time management,” “conflict-resolution,” and “the ability to stay organized under pressure.” Or you may discuss skills like “teaching and training young people,” “analyzing complex situations,” or “communicating with my colleagues.”

Step 6 Use data and numbers to add detail.

For example, you may note, “Trained and supervised an 8 person team,” “Arranged the transport of Air Force equipment worth millions of dollars,” or “Organized a 10 person team to setup and tear-down 2 Emergency rooms in a high stress environment.”

Step 7 Include relevant dates for your experience.

Usually employers like to see that you’ve held a position for at least 6 months-1 year. If you’ve held a position for several consecutive years, this usually tells employers you are a dedicated and reliable employee.

Adding Supplemental Sections

Step 1 List honors and achievements in a separate section entitled “Honors.”

For example, you may write under the Honors heading, “Good Conduct Medal (2009)” or “Achievement Medal (2012).”

Step 2 Include additional training in a section called “Skills and Training.”

For example, you may write under the Skills and Training heading, “Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel” or “Trained in computer programming software.”

Step 3 Stay away from details about active combat or deployments.

For example, you may list operations or missions you worked on in your resume if you feel it illustrates important skills like leadership or conflict-resolution. However, you do not need to provide more than 1-2 key details about the operation or mission on your resume.

Expert Q&A

Once you are finished adding your military experience, make sure the section fits the format of the rest of your resume in terms of style, font, and theme. Pick one style for your resume, or use a resume template, and stick with it so your resume looks concise and well-structured. [4] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

↑ http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/resume-writing/translating-military-skills-into-resume.html
↑ https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/present-your-military-skills
↑ Katrina Georgiou. Career Coach. Expert Interview. 25 June 2020.
↑ https://www.workitdaily.com/how-military-experience-resume/

About This Article

Military experience can show a potential employer you have key skills like leadership, teamwork, and dedication. To add your military experience to your resume, make a section on your resume called “Military Experience.” Then, list the positions you held in the military. Under each position, list 1-3 bullet points that explain specific duties you had. You should also put the dates you held each position. Translate your military titles into their equivalent in the civilian world so employers can understand them. For instance, if you were a First Sergeant, you would write “Personnel Manager.” You should also avoid complicated military jargon or acronyms that might confuse your employer. To learn how to add supplemental sections to your resume, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Military resume examples & templates

Joining the military is a life-changing experience. Your motivation may be patriotism, career opportunity or education, but regardless of your reasons, you are choosing to serve your country. Members of the military may have civilian training in a profession or be enlisting directly out of high school. In either case, your resume must demonstrate a devotion to your country, as well as exceptional personal traits. This military resume example and guide will help you do just that.

While a military career may be in almost any field imaginable, Resume.io’s resources, including resume guides and resume examples for 350+ professions,and an easy-to-use resume builder, can provide you with the information and tools you need to succeed. We will help you confidently express yourself and land a position in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard.

This resume guide, along with the corresponding military resume example will cover the following topics:

What are the opportunities for military personnel?

How to write a military resume

The best format for a military resume sample
Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
Professional resume layout and design hints.

What do military personnel do?

The question “What do military personnel do,” can’t be answered in a few sentences because military personnel do almost any job you can imagine.

Across all branches of the military, more than 152,000 members are combat specialists, but that is not the largest category of professions. The top spot goes to engineering, science and technical personnel with more than 177,000 workers and vehicle and machinery mechanics at almost 134,000 positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .

Special Corps

Here are just some specialized roles you may choose in different military branches.

Cyber technology
Chaplain Corp
Law (Judge Advocate General--JAG--Corp)
Health care
Special forces
Aviation rescue swimmer
Information systems technician
Nuclear operations
Cryptography
Arts and humanities
Natural science
Mental health
Future technologies
Personnel and administration
Intelligence

Coast Guard

Aviation maintenance technician
Marine science technician
Public affairs specialist
Aviation survival technician

In need for more inspiration? View our other resume examples from the same protective and security industry here below:

Volunteer Firefighter resume sample
Security and protective services resume sample
Security Officer resume sample
Police Officer resume sample
Security Guard resume sample
Firefighter resume sample

Military job market and outlook

The labor bureau does not make projections on military force numbers because these numbers depend on the world stage as well as governmental and political factors.

The Army also employs more than 330,000 people in its Civilian Corp . These workers provide non-combat support to soldiers and lists budget and finance, contracting and cyberspace as areas of high need. It also categorizes civil and mechanical engineering, auditing, human resources, mathematics, nursing, natural resource management, biological sciences, physical science, chemistry and information technology management as “urgent hiring” needs.

Writing your military resume should follow the same basic format as all other resumes. It should consist of the following sections:

The resume header
The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
The employment history section
The resume skills section
The education section

Since the military is a strictly ordered and regimented career choice, your resume should reflect that with a professional and neutral tone. This is not the place to get flowery with your language. Instead, choose your words carefully and be concise.To help you create the correct tone, take a look at recruitment literature and websites and try to echo the writing style.

Although you will not be applying to many different organizations, you should still make sure you tailor your resume for the specific military job you seek.

Choosing the best resume format for military personnel

The best resume format for military personnel depends a bit on where you are in your career. Most job hunters will be best served by the reverse chronological order resume format and we recommend using that unless you have a compelling reason not to.

If you are applying for a detailed, technical or scientific role, you may consider using the functional resume format. This format allows you to emphasize important niche or complex skills and competencies rather than your work history. This type of resume will have a larger than usual skills section with detailed explanations and a very diminished employment history. The combination resume format takes the best from both worlds and can be implemented in various ways (niche IT specialists sometimes use this type of document).

Candidates who are new to the workforce can check out the resume formats we suggest as chronological alternatives or hybrids. Those who already have careers and are looking to join a specialized military corp or the civilian corp may also get value from these ideas.

Resume summary example: enlist your writing ability

Your military resume summary is the spot to answer the very important question: Why do you want to join the military and what do you hope to get out of it? Equally as important is your answer to the question: What will you bring to the military?

While maintaining your professional tone, you need to show your desire to serve your country to recruiters and answer those questions. You should also include your proudest achievement to illustrate that you know how to work hard to reach a goal. All of this information must be imparted in 3-5 lines of text.

Read the military resume example text below to get your start.

Dedicated Military member with a decorated career safely planning and executing hundreds of military operations. Successfully piloted many combat missions, bringing supplies to troops and those in need. Experienced in training other military personnel and future officers. Driven and enthusiastic, with the ability to manage projects and people. Dedicated to serving others for the well-being of the greater good.

Employment history resume sample: your march of progress

Reverse chronological order is a great way to demonstrate your career progress within the employment history section of your military resume and it is the most commonly used resume sample format. Your employment history gives recruiters a detailed look at what you have accomplished and how.

A simple list of responsibilities is not as powerful as a recounting of how you have solved problems or created benefit for your employers. Try to illustrate a progression of knowledge and responsibilities from your first job on. If you are changing careers (from a police officer position, for example), include the skills and accomplishments that best demonstrate your value to the military.

If you are choosing to enlist right out of high school, this section will be short, but remember that part-time or volunteering you worked at during school tells recruiters that you can handle responsibility and care about your community.

Use the CAR method to create your bullet points by spelling out a challenge , explaining the action you took to solve it, and using data or details to tell the results you achieved.

Use our customizable military resume example text to get you started.

Military Police Officer, First Lieutenant at United States Army October 2016 - Present

Serve in coherence with military practices and exhibited honor, and dedication.
Perform night patrols in assigned areas.
Handle combat missions with expertise and precision.
Serve as a committed and reliable member of a team.
Resolve crisis situations and aim to uphold safety, law, and order.

Military Police Officer, Second Lieutenant at United States Army September 2015 - September 2016

Effectively trained infantry soldiers for future combat and ensured they remained in a high state of readiness.
Routinely enforced an understanding of the mission-essential task list.
Properly delegated roles and lead infantry platoons.

CV skills example: boost your rank

The skills section of your military CV may seem redundant, but it is actually very important, so you must curate it carefully. It is here that you choose the top skills that recruiters seek and the ones that you believe will best represent what you bring to the table.

Military recruiters see hundreds of resume examples so yours needs to stand out with high-level and targeted skills, especially if you have a career goal you are hoping to achieve.

Military personnel must exhibit more than technical job skills. Dependability, understanding and following orders, precision and calm under pressure are all necessary to be successful in the armed forces. Don’t neglect these attributes, known as soft skills, in favor of the hard skills you have learned along the way in related positions such as security guard. Instead, find a good mix.

Brainstorm every skill or attribute that you have. Then choose your top 5-7 based on what your branch of the military and the position you are targeting ask for.

Use the military resume sample text below to guide you.

Excellent Communication
Commitment to Justice
Physical Endurance

Military resume education example

The education section is the most rigid in your military resume. Simply list all your degrees and certifications here. If you have earned any honors or distinctions, note them here as well.

It is not necessary to list your high school diploma if you have a master’s degree or higher.

Value-add sections

If you are a scientist or other professional who has published papers in your field, you should include a Publications section.

Other sections to consider are Affiliations and Memberships or Accolades.

Remember to keep your military resume to no more than two pages.

Here is resume example formatting for your education section.

United States Army Military Police School June 2014 - May 2015

Bachelor of Psychology, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY September 2010 - May 2014

High School Diploma, Hunter High School, New York September 2006 - May 2010

Resume layout and design: crisp as a military march

Do my layout and design really matter when I have a great career story? Yes, they do. Why? You’re reading this guide because you want the best resume possible. That means considering how the document looks as well as the information you impart. Think about military parades. Nothing is out of place and personnel march in lockstep. Your resume design needs to give the same feeling.

Here are some pointers for making that happen:

Use one-inch margins all around
Keep the font simple and legible
Spice it up just a bit with a standout contact section; you definitely want recruiters to be able to get ahold of you easily
Submit without using an online resume builder that includes spellcheck or have a friend proofread
Forget that our road-tested resume templates have great designs to eliminate any formatting worries.

Key takeaways for a military resume

The military offers a great range of career options for everyone from recent high school graduates to those who have established careers (as security officers for example.)
Make sure you let recruiters know why you want to enlist and what you will bring to the force.
Keep in mind the attributes all military personnel need when crafting your skills section.
Take advantage of resume.io’s online tools and layouts to make your job search easier!

Beautiful ready-to-use resume templates

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svg]:fill-accent-900"> 10.6K

Tips for writing the perfect post-military resume

By Angela Caban

Updated on Aug 16, 2024 10:42 AM PDT

4 minute read

Industry research shows that recruiters spend six to eight seconds reviewing a resume before they decide whether the candidate is suitable for the position or not. So, what is the point of spending so much time writing the perfect resume, if recruiters will not even bother to invest 10 seconds in reading it?

Your resume is the single most important professional document you own, as it will determine your future earning potential. As military spouses and transitioning service members, we can be easily overwhelmed and confused when it comes to writing our resumes. What do we include? Is it ok that we have so many employment gaps? Will being a military spouse help me gain employment? How do I translate my military experience for the civilian sector?

Spending the right amount of time writing your resume, and ensuring it is clear and reflecting dedication in past roles can help you secure that job.

Keep it plain and simple: Recruiters who are looking at your resume do not want to read a short story, and many have little to no experience with the military. Use words that keep it short and to the point, remove acronyms, and explain clearly what past work experience you bring. When it comes to length, this topic is always up for debate. The rule of thumb is to not be longer than one page long. I will explain below how to get your resume one page long, but if you need to, staying at two pages max is fine.
Target your resume: With a targeted resume, this will only focus on the job you are applying to. This resume will focus on the skills and experiences of that job. Once you send your resume, it is as if you are bidding for this job hundreds are applying for, and you are proving that you are the best out of all the candidates. By writing a targeted resume, you are highlighting why you are qualified for the position. This will also give you the ability to delete unnecessary roles from your resume and keep it simple and short.

Overall, writing a targeted resume is where you are going to have to use the “copy, paste & delete” mechanism. Some recruiters appreciate the experience but try to keep your resume and employment history relevant to the position and no older than 10 years old.

Quick Resume Tip: Do not know what to include in your targeted resume? Look at the job description and skills listed of the job you are applying to. Make sure to utilize the target keywords they are looking for. For instance, if you are applying for a marketing assistant job, look back at other positions you have had where some of the experience may match. And remember to use those specific keywords. Most companies use “Applicant Tracking Systems” that pull keywords from resumes, so the more keywords that match, the better chance you have of landing that interview.

Job Gaps: As a military spouse or service member you may have job gaps. There is nothing wrong with explaining those gaps; one great way to do this is by using dates. When listing employment dates on your resume you do not need to list the month/year if you were in a position for over a year. For example, use this format: 2014 – 2016 (rather than June, 2014 – October, 2016) which would also serve as a way to give you some room to cover the gaps: Project Manager, ABC Company 2014 – 2016 Marketing Assistant, XYZ Company 2012 – 2014 As you can see, the resume doesn’t specifically say when you started or ended a position, which can easily cover the gap on the resume. Do not use this to lie about dates; many recruiters still verify employment, so always be honest when explaining gaps.

Quick Resume Tip: When you have any employment gaps, you can use the cover letter to explain the gap. Briefly explain why, you do not need to go into excessive detail or bring it to the recruiter’s attention unless asked for details about it.

Do not skip over volunteer work – According to the 2023 Blue Star Families Lifestyle Survey, military families volunteer at rates three times higher than the general U.S. population. Volunteer work is just as valuable as working for an employer and a LinkedIn research study found that one in five hiring managers consider volunteer work experience a valuable asset when considering candidates. As a volunteer, you are providing services to an individual or organization. If you have not volunteered yet, find an organization in your field of interest, and find out if you can volunteer your time for work experience.

Working on your resume should take some effort, and by making the time to do so, you are showing that you are indeed the best person for the job.

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COMMENTS

How to List Military Experience on a Resume
1. List your military experience in your resume summary. A resume summary is a paragraph placed at the top of your resume that briefly summarizes your professional background. It's your first chance to show employers why your military experience makes you an ideal candidate for the job. Your resume summary should highlight the following ...
Resumes: How To Effectively Market Your Military Experience
Here are some key strategies to translating your military experience: 1. Translate your military job titles. The initial read-through of the resume is usually a quick scan. One of the areas that are often looked at first are your job titles to determine if your experience is relevant.
How to Add Military Experience on a Resume + Examples
Just select your service (for example Air Force) and enter your MOS code (for example 11A4 - Airlift Pilot). Search for equivalent job titles and read a job description to match your experience. Pick up a few keywords from the job description, and include into your ex-military resume.
How To Write a Military to Civilian Resume (With Example)
2. Make a list of your military duties to determine if they're relevant. Once you know what type of civilian job you want, think about all your duties as a veteran and make a comprehensive list of your accomplishments. At this step, you can use military terminology if it helps you make the list.
How To Add Military Experience To A Resume (With Examples)
Include it in your work experience section. You had a job in the military and, just like any other job, it should be included in your professional history. Name your position, the dates you were in that position, and add a few bullet points of your most impressive responsibilities and accomplishments.
Military to Civilian Resume Example for Veterans [Updated 2024]
Top ↑ Military to Civilian Resume Example (for Veterans) How to Write a Military Veteran Resume (8 Easy Steps) #1. Pick a Functional Resume Format #2. Include Contact Information #3. Capture the Hiring Manager's Attention with a Military Veteran Resume Summary #4.
Military Resume: Examples and Writing Tips for 2024
Keywords are the specific skills and qualifications listed in the job posting, while action verbs are strong, active words that show what you accomplished in your previous roles. Some examples of effective action verbs for a military resume include: Led. Managed. Trained.
How To Craft a Veteran Resume (With Template and Example)
When writing your veteran resume, make sure you choose skills that are related to the job you're applying for according to the job description. 7. Add any training or education you earned. Regardless of the job you're pursuing, include the degrees or certificates you earned before joining the military and after.
Military Resume Samples, Template & Writing Guide for 2024
Resume writing/. Military Resume Samples, Template & Writing Guide for 2024. 13 March 2024. The US military provides life and work experience training far superior to most casual jobs. However, returning to civilian life after a successful military career can be daunting and overwhelming for many Veterans. Whether you've served in the Marine ...
How to Write a Military-to-Civilian Resume
For example, if you're interested in customer service positions and most of your military experience was in the infantry, it might be challenging to find areas of overlap. But, if you take a step back, you'll note that both require patience, following instructions, interacting with teammates, communication, and problem solving.
How To Include Military Experience on a Resume
Translating education, training, and awards. DO: Include relevant military education and training on your resume. Like your work experience, it's okay to translate this into a more generic, civilian-friendly version. DON'T: Include details of specific military honors and awards. If you truly believe they're relevant to the job you're applying for, translate them in a way that demonstrates ...
5 Military Resume Examples Made for Success in 2024
3 Tips for Writing an Experienced Military Resume. Highlight specializations. If you have specialized military skills like leadership, logistics, or intelligence analysis, show them off. Next, tailor your accomplishments and metrics to align with the specific role you're pursuing, highlighting your expertise and achievements in those areas.
How to List Military Experience on Your Resume
Leadership and team building. Strong work ethic. Respect for authority and chain-of-command. Self-initiative and resourcefulness. Integrity and reliability. Discipline and attention to detail. Communication. Your time in the military will have also taught you valuable hard skills that employers need.
Military-to-Civilian Resume: How to Translate Your Service ...
Consult your VMET and fitness evaluations for ideas and resume content. Translate your military titles and skills for civilian readers. Focus on experience that is relevant to the job for which you're applying. Top-load your resume with targeted keywords and accomplishments. Don't separate your military experience from your other work ...
Writing a Civilian Resume for the First Time
Use numbers to highlight, if possible. For example, "Managed budget of $100K" or "Reduced training time from 26 weeks to 24 weeks.". Be concise. Limit your resume to one or two pages. Include volunteer experience if it's relevant to the job. Volunteer experience can add to credibility and character.
How to highlight military experience on your resume
The summary sample above mentions responsibility, teamwork, dedication, flexible thinking, and presentation skills. These are all soft skills that are valuable to employers and that you learned and demonstrated in the military. Other highly valued soft skills are leadership, time management, organization, and attention to detail.
How to Present Military Experience on your Resume
4. Write an engaging resume summary. With your work experience section completed, it's time to summarize your military experience in a way that is attractive to hiring managers and potential clients. A resume summary is a short statement that usually appears at the top of your resume.
Military to Civilian Resume Examples & Template for Veterans
Here's another military resume example: Security Specialist - U.S. Marine Corps 2008 to 2011. Led and mentored a diverse team of 25 people, attaining a 5% increase in promotions and 20% decrease in turnovers. Received recognition for reporting and documentation accuracy.
How To Write a Military-to-Civilian Resume: Highlighting Your Military
Image description. 3. Include a skills section. As previously mentioned, you want to list your skills in civilian terms. You can also list the skills you had previous to your military service if they apply to the position. For example, you might have managed a team of recruits, including their training and schedules.
5 Military Resume Examples & Guide for 2024
When crafting your military resume, it's crucial to highlight your leadership experience. Demonstrate the scale and impact of the teams or projects you have led. Showcase your ability to adapt and overcome challenging situations. Your resume should reflect your problem-solving skills and resilience. Use This Example.
4 Ways to Add Military Experience to a Resume
5. Discuss the character attributes and skills you gained from your experience. Focus on the character-building skills you learned while in the military, as they can applied to a wide range of positions. Try to describe the skills you used in each position so your employer understands the value of your experience.
Military Resume Examples & Templates (2024) · Resume.io
How to write a military resume. Writing your military resume should follow the same basic format as all other resumes. It should consist of the following sections: The resume header. The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement) The employment history section. The resume skills section. The education section.
Tips for writing the perfect post-military resume
Target your resume: With a targeted resume, this will only focus on the job you are applying to. This resume will focus on the skills and experiences of that job. Once you send your resume, it is as if you are bidding for this job hundreds are applying for, and you are proving that you are the best out of all the candidates.
Building Your Federal Military Resume
Use the federal agency's online resume builder. Copy and paste sections from your master resume into the online resume builder website of the federal agency that you are applying to. You can also create a hard copy of your resume if a federal agency requires one. Choose your words carefully. Human resources staff, or a computer program, will ...

How to Add Military Experience to a Resume

Military Experience on Resume Examples

Where Do You Put Military Experience on a Resume?

How to Write Military Experience on Resume

How to Translate Military Experience to Resume

Highlight Your Security Clearance

Get Feedback

Translate Enlisted Military Titles

Attract Recruiters with Your Military Experience Summary

Military Resume Summary Example:

Military Expirience Resume Summary Example:

Adjust Acronyms and Military Terms

Job Description Keywords

Enforce Your Military Experience on Resume with Cover Letter and Objective

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How To Add Military Experience To A Resume (With Examples)

Example of resume with military experience

What do employers like to see in applicants with military experience?

Tips for adding military experience to your resume

Military skills to include on your resume

How to use military experience to your advantage during your interview

Military experience on resume FAQ

Final thoughts

Military to Civilian Resume Example for Veterans [Updated 2024]

Military to Civilian Resume Example (for Veterans)

How to Write a Military Veteran Resume (8 Easy Steps)

#1. Pick a Functional Resume Format

#2. Include Contact Information

#3. Capture the Hiring Manager’s Attention with a Military Veteran Resume Summary

#4. Summarize Your Experiences with a Key Strengths Section

Applying for a Military or Private Security Role? Do This

#5. Mention Your Education (the Right Way)

#6. Include In-Demand Skills (For the Industry You’re Applying for)

#7. Take Advantage of the Optional Resume Sections

#8. Make Sure Your Military to Civilian Cover Letter is as Impressive as Your Resume.

Essential Job-Search Resources for Veterans

Key Takeaways

Military Resume: Examples and Writing Tips for 2024

Importance of a Military Resume

Differences Between Military and Civilian Resumes

Overview of the Article Sections

Understanding the Military Resume Format

Identifying Relevant Military Skills and Duties

Importance of Using Keywords and Action Verbs

Tips to Make Your Military Resume Stand Out

Tailoring a Resume to a Specific Position

Highlighting Transferable Skills

Including Accomplishments and Achievements

Avoiding Military Jargon

Military Resume Examples for Different Branches

Army Resume Example

Navy Resume Example

Air Force Resume Example

Civilian Transitions: Examples and Tips

Certifications

Volunteer Experience

Professional Affiliations

Military Spouses: Resume Tips and Examples

Challenges and Opportunities of Military Spouses

Military Spouse Resume Example

Writing Tips from Veteran Experts

Benefits and Challenges of Hiring Veterans

Insights and Recommendations from Veteran Experts

Do’s and Don’ts for Military Job Seekers

Don’t:

Military Resume Checklist and Common Mistakes

Cover Letters for Military Resumes

Importance of a Cover Letter

Tips for Writing a Compelling Cover Letter

Cover Letter Example

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