The Three Biggest Problems with Veteran Resumes

Excellent advice. The only thing I would add is to keep in mind the goal of the resume. It's not to get the job, it's to get the interview. Don't try to tell the prospective employer everything about yourself. Pique their interest. Inspire them to want to learn more. Closing the "sale" is the function of the job interview...

I find that veterans tend to think page 1 from their appraisals is their resume...its page 2. As an employer I want to know how you did the job and why you were a rock star at doing it. I want to see that I will be making a huge mistake if I pass you up. sounding like everyone else in your MOS won't do it.

HUGE advice! you have to tailor your resume to the job. I applied for my last job with, what I thought, was a solid resume. It sat ignored by the company for nearly a year. On a whim I had a friend who was a manager in my field edit my resume. All she did was rearrange the words already on the page. I uploaded it and *BOOM* had a phone call within a week! Kept that job for almost 9 years.

For those who don't know, LinkedIn is a great way to handle your resume. Take the time to configure your experience properly and then go to http://resume.linkedinlabs.com/, it will format your resume and offer you hundreds of options. It also puts your completed CV out there for the hiring managers that use LinkedIn to recruit. It worked for me.