How to list military experience on your resume

Military experience is a valuable skill set to have when you enter the workforce. However, you must frame your military experience on your resume in such a way that it relates to civilian needs within a work setting.

Many veterans are doubtful whether they should or should not include their military experience in their resumes. Does military experience go in a resume? Absolutely yes! The US government estimates that roughly 200,000 American military personnel leave their duty roles per year. Most of these individuals enter civilian employment afterward.

You might feel as if you are starting anew in the corporate world when you leave your military duty for a civilian job. Your military experience can be a valuable asset for your resume once you have read this article and tried out our tips.

Get a start by making a list of all your skills

The military teaches you thousands of skills. Most of those can be transferrable to any job for which you are applying. You might even have an advantage over other candidates because your skills are honed through experience in the forces. You will have a blend of hard skills and soft skills on your list. Some soft skills that you can gain from military experience are:

• 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

You will have several hard skills that you gained from the military on your list. They can be things like:

• Technical writing
• Computer programming
• Quality assurance
• Network security
• Information technology support
• Mechanical maintenance and repair

Review the job description to select relevant skills

Not every skill you have will be relevant to the job for which you are applying. Once you have completed your list of skills, it is time to compare that with the skills that employers expect of you to fulfill the duties of the job. If you notice any differences between the terminology of your skills and that of the job description, use the terms employed by the recruiter when mentioning your skills on your resume. Select your skills that align with the job description and prioritize them in the order they were prioritized in the job description.

The resume summary section is a great place to mention your military experience

Hiring managers will read the resume summary first. Make a good impression by mentioning your experience in the military and what you’ve achieved there. Backing up your achievements with real data such as numbers and percentages will further impress an interested recruiter.

The work experience section should elaborate on your service and achievements

The resume summary is not the only place where you should mention military experience. The career summary should list your military experience in the same way as all your other previous jobs. It is a wise idea to create a separate section for your military experience. Then you can make separate listings for each role you have performed in the military. Add 4 – 6 bullet points per each entry to describe your achievements at work.

When listing military experience, you should be careful to not use military terms and jargon. Most of these would fly over the head of a civilian recruiter and they wouldn’t even comprehend the scale of achievements that you are describing. Avoid using occupational specialty codes and simply list your experience in civilian terms. Combat experience would be redundant on your resume unless you are applying for a job in the security sector. Choose the experiences relevant to the job you are applying for and elaborate on them for better results.