Posted on Apr 15, 2016
If you are "X" without your rank, how would you describe your experience/value proposition to a civilian employer without discussing rank?
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Responses: 24
My profile on LinkedIn is much different than my profile on RallyPoint. I have translated all of my military experience to management positions which would make sense. An example is from my time as a Brigade Executive Officer for a Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan:
"Executive Officer, 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Chief of Staff for a 5000 person corporation with a primary mission of large scale demolitions, civil construction projects and humanitarian assistance. A portion of this time was spent in Afghanistan, responsible for an area roughly the size of Virginia. Responsible for the planning of annual and 5 year strategy resulting in the accomplishment of local and national strategic goals. Primary representative in charge of civil affairs and construction projects in order to restore the agriculture and small business ventures in a high risk area of the economy. Responsible for the maintenance, logistics and sustainment of over $500 million in property, real property, and inventory, including vehicle stocks, ammunition, explosives, food, construction material and cash on hand."
Everything can relate. You just have to understand what it is that your unit does and how you play a part in it. Then it's a simple matter of translating what you have done to someone in a way they can understand.
"Executive Officer, 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Chief of Staff for a 5000 person corporation with a primary mission of large scale demolitions, civil construction projects and humanitarian assistance. A portion of this time was spent in Afghanistan, responsible for an area roughly the size of Virginia. Responsible for the planning of annual and 5 year strategy resulting in the accomplishment of local and national strategic goals. Primary representative in charge of civil affairs and construction projects in order to restore the agriculture and small business ventures in a high risk area of the economy. Responsible for the maintenance, logistics and sustainment of over $500 million in property, real property, and inventory, including vehicle stocks, ammunition, explosives, food, construction material and cash on hand."
Everything can relate. You just have to understand what it is that your unit does and how you play a part in it. Then it's a simple matter of translating what you have done to someone in a way they can understand.
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My strength lies in my humility and experience. I know the value of team effort and the importance of individual attempts to achieve goals. I understand that I may never know how many trees constitute a forest but I also know how to take care of my responsibilities to the forest as a tree in it.
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My military experience has never applied to any job to which I applied, so other than to mention that I was a veteran, the subject never came up.
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SFC (Join to see)
I've had the exact same experience. Aside from having thick skin, my military experience has never applied to any civilian employment.
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MCPO Roger Collins
With regard to rank, I agree. But my first and second job when I retired were related to the job that I was accepted for. First was electronics and the second was in the field of technical education. Subsequent to that, peripherally related to my experience as a leader in conjunction with my telecom background.
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Capt Seid Waddell
MCPO Roger Collins, I was a Weapons Controller. Unless Delta gets into a shooting war with Southwest, my skills do not apply to anything in the civilian world.
Dedication to mission over everything else is the only thing that carried over, but that would be the same with any veteran.
Dedication to mission over everything else is the only thing that carried over, but that would be the same with any veteran.
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