Posted on Jul 27, 2015
How to Repackage Military Skills on a Resume to Attract Civilian Employers - Every Veteran Hired
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Heres a nifty little tool for anyone who is wondering how to translate their military skills over to civilian ones.
http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/skills-translator/
http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/skills-translator/
Military Skills Translator | Military.com
Military Skills Translator - Apply for jobs that match your skills, identify civilian terminology for your resume, hot career options for your specialty.
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PO2 Christopher Foss
If you are not trying to translate directly into your civilian equivalent position, it is often not a bad idea to build a Skills Resume. Instead of emphasizing your work history, you emphasize the talents and abilities that you can bring to the table.
Perdue University offers this example: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/ [login to see] 8878_927.pdf
This sort of resume is excellent for presenting your leadership skills, making your military specialty into something that is not military-centric, etc.
Perdue University offers this example: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/ [login to see] 8878_927.pdf
This sort of resume is excellent for presenting your leadership skills, making your military specialty into something that is not military-centric, etc.
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You have to find the key words on the job announcement and ensure that your military skills, training and achievements are captured and worded in a manner that translates to the civilian side.
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2LT Darren Bradshaw
The job announcement is key. There is no "one way" to translate the skills, it depends entirely on the job you're applying to. The key at that point is to use the language they use to describe your skills, where it's applicable.
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SPC (Join to see)
I have also found using the language for the job they are advertising is quite helpful. I have gotten advice to use the actual wording in the job posting to win the job. It works but you have to follow up with the interview and prove your worth.
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
I was fortunate to come across a good Officer who was in our Squadron and he helped me translate my skill into civilian
Wording. I thought I had it pretty good.. it was mixed .. what I had..
I had also worked the NCO Club &
The Officer Club kitchens as a extra curricular job.. Our O Club also had kitchen at it's sattelite on the base golf course.. So that would be advantageous working at a country club should I had gone for that type of employment..
One advantage I had was when I was out on a convalescence (TDRL- Temp Dis Ret List). I was able to go to a Comm College and be in their culinary program. Comm College of the AF translated my OJT time into apprenticeship language. That helped at Comm College and Zi did not have to apprentice myself to a Chef as part of my training in the Culinary program. So when I went out into the civilian market I was able to fit in fairly easy. I had one
Assist. Restaurant mgr. Who questioned my OJT time translated to apprenticeship language.. he had never served and only a year of Culinary at a western culinary school before switching to a business school and hospitality mgt... a senior Mgr. took over and explained (translated) my OJT into apprenticeship so he understood it better. I found later that Mgr. had spent time in the Navy as a WO and ran a Food service program at a Western Base.. He told that jr. mgr.
he wanted Me on that Restaurant's kitchen staff.. make a slot if he had to.. He did better.. I got the 1st of 2 slots. There were 3 other applicants that applied before I did.
I was a walk on.. I got hired the day I applied. The other young guy, the third one who had applied a couple weeks before got the other posting.
The Sr. Mgr. told me later that He understood what I did In the Military
And what was expected of me in
Doing the production and preparation.. There were things he could see the other mgr. couldn't reading copies of my performance
Reports .. making myself available
Without being asked, he liked that..
He said it p.o.'d him when guys would look at their watch and then rush to finish their project and it looked sloppy just before they went on break.. because they wanted to hurry to clean up before lunch break or going off shift. I knew what he was hinting at.. The Jr.
mgr. seemed to pal with the younger staff.. taking their side when he knew they were wrong...
Pal around when off but not at work.. need to have that line ____
In the sand. The crew I had and I have gotten a pizza and had a good time and I told them What we do off the job is not the same as on it.. the comaradery is good .. we got
Work to do, we do it ! It didn't take long and Mr. K. Called me in early to have a convolt with him and the Sr. Chef... it didn't take long.. I was moving to 2d Chef; Sauces and gravies.. don't confuse with Sous
Chef.. that's same as 1st Cook in the Military.. they are right after the
Shiftleader(Sr. Chef).. who oversees that e'thing goes as planned, the paperwork. Ordering. Sous Chef (1st Cook) is quite involved mainly getting production carried out.
3D Che(3d Cook ) would handle veg's and fryers.. and some incidentals. I had several sitreps where I stepped in as Sous Chef and a Couple as Sr. Chef. I had hood habit of showing up early and often rewarded with being able to go on early.. when on a regular time Clock that's good, Salary.. you'll get paid the same either way.
At the yearpoint I got put on Salary and also partook in profitshare. Seen a lot of 10 hr. Days.. a couple 12 hr. Days. I strived to turn that 110% into 125%... what I like about
Profitshare... I could convert hours money to profitshare before taxes..
It helped the Restaurant and me also..
The main thing I did was to make sure I carried out what I promised my employer.. and some more !
Wording. I thought I had it pretty good.. it was mixed .. what I had..
I had also worked the NCO Club &
The Officer Club kitchens as a extra curricular job.. Our O Club also had kitchen at it's sattelite on the base golf course.. So that would be advantageous working at a country club should I had gone for that type of employment..
One advantage I had was when I was out on a convalescence (TDRL- Temp Dis Ret List). I was able to go to a Comm College and be in their culinary program. Comm College of the AF translated my OJT time into apprenticeship language. That helped at Comm College and Zi did not have to apprentice myself to a Chef as part of my training in the Culinary program. So when I went out into the civilian market I was able to fit in fairly easy. I had one
Assist. Restaurant mgr. Who questioned my OJT time translated to apprenticeship language.. he had never served and only a year of Culinary at a western culinary school before switching to a business school and hospitality mgt... a senior Mgr. took over and explained (translated) my OJT into apprenticeship so he understood it better. I found later that Mgr. had spent time in the Navy as a WO and ran a Food service program at a Western Base.. He told that jr. mgr.
he wanted Me on that Restaurant's kitchen staff.. make a slot if he had to.. He did better.. I got the 1st of 2 slots. There were 3 other applicants that applied before I did.
I was a walk on.. I got hired the day I applied. The other young guy, the third one who had applied a couple weeks before got the other posting.
The Sr. Mgr. told me later that He understood what I did In the Military
And what was expected of me in
Doing the production and preparation.. There were things he could see the other mgr. couldn't reading copies of my performance
Reports .. making myself available
Without being asked, he liked that..
He said it p.o.'d him when guys would look at their watch and then rush to finish their project and it looked sloppy just before they went on break.. because they wanted to hurry to clean up before lunch break or going off shift. I knew what he was hinting at.. The Jr.
mgr. seemed to pal with the younger staff.. taking their side when he knew they were wrong...
Pal around when off but not at work.. need to have that line ____
In the sand. The crew I had and I have gotten a pizza and had a good time and I told them What we do off the job is not the same as on it.. the comaradery is good .. we got
Work to do, we do it ! It didn't take long and Mr. K. Called me in early to have a convolt with him and the Sr. Chef... it didn't take long.. I was moving to 2d Chef; Sauces and gravies.. don't confuse with Sous
Chef.. that's same as 1st Cook in the Military.. they are right after the
Shiftleader(Sr. Chef).. who oversees that e'thing goes as planned, the paperwork. Ordering. Sous Chef (1st Cook) is quite involved mainly getting production carried out.
3D Che(3d Cook ) would handle veg's and fryers.. and some incidentals. I had several sitreps where I stepped in as Sous Chef and a Couple as Sr. Chef. I had hood habit of showing up early and often rewarded with being able to go on early.. when on a regular time Clock that's good, Salary.. you'll get paid the same either way.
At the yearpoint I got put on Salary and also partook in profitshare. Seen a lot of 10 hr. Days.. a couple 12 hr. Days. I strived to turn that 110% into 125%... what I like about
Profitshare... I could convert hours money to profitshare before taxes..
It helped the Restaurant and me also..
The main thing I did was to make sure I carried out what I promised my employer.. and some more !
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Like CW4 (Join to see) said, you need to sell yourself to the specific job you're looking for. Start off each job hunt with a blank resume (apart from name/address and standard info), and never use the same exact resume twice. Print off the job announcement, and highlight how your specific experience fits exactly what the company advertised they're looking for. Don't fill up space on your package with things they don't care about. We all have skills that aren't in our official military job description. If you need planning skills and time management, I was the NCOIC of Scheduling for a squadron of 200+ people with requirements for 20+ events annually. If you need someone who responds under pressure, my crew duties included emergency procedures aboard a multi-million dollar aircraft at 30K feet with over 20 souls on board. Don't ever lie, but the beautiful thing is that many interviewers won't know your exact experience in the military. So, take your experiences, and convince the person who holds your future in their hands that you're exactly who they're looking for.
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