First Person: Rewriting My Resume from Military to Civilian

I spent almost 14 years on active duty in the military. The first four years was spent in the Army as a Mail Clerk and Administrative Specialist. After that enlistment, I joined the Air Force, where I served on active-duty as a Paralegal and Public Affairs Specialist. After my last active-duty tour ended in 2010, I joined the Air Force Reserve, where I still serve. During my time in the military, I've deployed numerous times and seen a lot of great things. While I was on active-duty, I obtained three Associate's Degrees, one Bachelor's Degree, and began work on a Master's Degree. During my military time, I crafted the perfect resume that helped me obtain several great positions in the military (yes, you do need a resume in the military to apply for special duties and positions). When I returned to the civilian sector, I had to re-craft my resume and tailor it to civilian jobs and employers.

Education

The first thing I had to do was differentiate between my military and civilian education, so I put a section for each on my resume. In the military, you list just about every course and special class you have attended. For a civilian job, list only the educational achievements that will apply specifically for that job. For instance, if I am going up for a job in sales, I don't need to list the Combat Lifesaver class I attended back in 1999.

Job Experience

Next, I had to separate my civilian and military job experience. Again, on a military resume, I list just about every special duty assignment, but that's not how it is for a civilian resume. I only list the jobs that are similar to the one that I am applying or interviewing for. If I am trying to obtain a job as a paralegal, my prospective employer probably doesn't care that I worked in the military mail system for over a decade.

These are just a few of the tips that I learned from attending a transition assistance class. The counselors there helped me craft a civilian-oriented resume, and gave me valuable tips and information. I learned so much from the class, and even gained skills to help me start my own freelance business. If you have recently separated from the military, or are going to separate soon, take advantage of the services offered to you by the military and other agencies. These services include resume help, interview skills and job leads and referrals, as well as others. Good luck!