Posted on May 8, 2024
For those Veterans who are still in the workforce, do you list your military experience on a resume?
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I get ghosted by employers directly or by their recruiters; and I just don't know if in today's political climate, if it is wise to list one's military service on a resume. Anyone else finding it incredibly hard to obtain a job other than fast food?
I have a B.S. in Agriculture Science, a minor in Horticulture. I try to emphasis my Business courses taken, my experiences in sales and management positions; as well as my military service. I can get interviews and Im either handed off to a recruiter or I'm setup for a 2nd Interview. I just can never obtain the jobs I want; but if it's a low-paying job I'm usually offered the position. I'm just wondering if military service on a resume is looked at negatively these days. Didn't want to go on a tangent, but I'm just needed some insight from others.
I have a B.S. in Agriculture Science, a minor in Horticulture. I try to emphasis my Business courses taken, my experiences in sales and management positions; as well as my military service. I can get interviews and Im either handed off to a recruiter or I'm setup for a 2nd Interview. I just can never obtain the jobs I want; but if it's a low-paying job I'm usually offered the position. I'm just wondering if military service on a resume is looked at negatively these days. Didn't want to go on a tangent, but I'm just needed some insight from others.
Resume
Civilian Career
Civilians
VHA
Edited 6 mo ago
Posted 6 mo ago
Responses: 30
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SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres I do. I'm proud of my service and if an employer had problems with the fact that I served in the Marines, I wouldn't want to work for them anyways.
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An old truism regarding resumes and interviews - Resumes get you the interview but the interview gets you the job. If you're getting plenty of interviews, then your resume isn't your issue.
I would focus on developing your interview skills. There are MANY different sites that will go into detail about how you should prepare, what you should know, etc. so I won't go into detail aside from two bits of advice.
If you're going after a specific job, you'll develop a targeted resume that highlights the important things you can bring to bear for that job. Same too with an interview - you need to target you preparation for that job. By all means, develop your general skills, but for that position specifically you need to research, research, research. Research the company, research the division within the company the position is with, research the supervisor that the position is under. You don't need to memorize everything, but you should be familiar with the information and potential commonality with your previous work as well as aspects about yourself that you may share with the interviewer (if you know who that is beforehand). You should absolutely know what's in the resume and application you submitted - I can't tell you the number of times I was interviewing someone who, when I asked about something they listed in their resume/application, gave an answer along the lines of "I said that?".
The other bit of advice is that you shouldn't stick with just one site and integrate information from a number of them. Some will give you tips on DOs and DON'Ts during the interview while others will focus on how to prepare. Many will overlap with each other. Look at them and if you get conflicting advice, go with what you're most comfortable with (there is no "perfect" way to prepare and interview).
I would focus on developing your interview skills. There are MANY different sites that will go into detail about how you should prepare, what you should know, etc. so I won't go into detail aside from two bits of advice.
If you're going after a specific job, you'll develop a targeted resume that highlights the important things you can bring to bear for that job. Same too with an interview - you need to target you preparation for that job. By all means, develop your general skills, but for that position specifically you need to research, research, research. Research the company, research the division within the company the position is with, research the supervisor that the position is under. You don't need to memorize everything, but you should be familiar with the information and potential commonality with your previous work as well as aspects about yourself that you may share with the interviewer (if you know who that is beforehand). You should absolutely know what's in the resume and application you submitted - I can't tell you the number of times I was interviewing someone who, when I asked about something they listed in their resume/application, gave an answer along the lines of "I said that?".
The other bit of advice is that you shouldn't stick with just one site and integrate information from a number of them. Some will give you tips on DOs and DON'Ts during the interview while others will focus on how to prepare. Many will overlap with each other. Look at them and if you get conflicting advice, go with what you're most comfortable with (there is no "perfect" way to prepare and interview).
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TSgt Joe Patrick
Jose Perdelia, you have a BS degree. I wonder if you had a good TAP class when you got out. With a BS degree there are many programs out there to latch on too. Not true, if you get the interview you get the job. I interviewed handed them a 1" binder of my reports/surveys and even recv'd a tour of the place. Thought I was a shoe-in but they chose someone else. Turned out they wanted to groom the 4 yr old AF guy with a degree and not me with 20+ yrs experience with no degree. How I know this is the hired guy told me and I use to supervise him, lol!!!
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TSgt Joe Patrick
Oh, by the way i'm now at 35 yrs experience, no degree and depending on the next contract I might be looking too.
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SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres
TSgt Joe Patrick - No, i got out in 2011, TAPS was rushed and it was a bad incoming at that time after the Housing Bubble economic crisis.
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SGM Leon Peck
Amen! After I retired from the military, I got a job in the IT field. I rose up in the agency, and was promoted into a position where I was part of the interview team. By the time we started interviewing, we had already gone through the resumes and knew whether or not the prospect had the requisite skills. At that point, when we interviewed, it was mostly to see in the prospect was a good fit for our team. One thing to emphasize in the interview is your people skills. They will do as much for you as your technical skills.
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I do include my military experience on my resume, but only to ensure no holes of employment time show on my resume. I give basic job descriptions and years served. That's about it.
More often than not, it's not that your military experience on a resume is bad, it's that recruiters, interviewers and potential bosses who've never experienced the military and/or never had an employee who was military usually do not know how to "handle" someone with military experience. It can scare them because you have a particular mindset that they are afraid of.
More often than not, it's not that your military experience on a resume is bad, it's that recruiters, interviewers and potential bosses who've never experienced the military and/or never had an employee who was military usually do not know how to "handle" someone with military experience. It can scare them because you have a particular mindset that they are afraid of.
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SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres
I might be just a poor interview taker, but I impress enough on paper or in person to obtain an interview. I just don't get called back afterwards or it stops at the 2nd interview and I'm ignored. A new thing these past few years is having recruiters tell me I'm amazing and then I get ghosted.
I would agree with your 2nd paragraph of statements. Thank you for weighing in, it's appreciated.
I would agree with your 2nd paragraph of statements. Thank you for weighing in, it's appreciated.
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MSG (Join to see)
If you are a weak interviewee.....think back to times you presented to a SOM or even Promotion Board. Those are interviews, per se. Use that experience on the next one. I would also say that if you have a friend that performs interviews, have them conduct mock interviews on you.
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