Any tips in building a Résumé without military jargon/lingo?

This is a long subject, but here are my top 5 tips:

1) Do not use ANY acronyms, no matter how obvious they are to. For example, you may think "USAREC" is clear enough, but nobody will know what that means. Most people even in the military don't know what that means. Absolutely zero acronyms or jargon. I see you're a mortarman, so avoid even that term. If a random person on the street can't understand it, don't use it on a resume.

2) Convert military positions to civilian position names. For example, "Squad Leader" is really "Team Leader", (there are no squads in civilian life). Or if that sounds like too much of a demotion, try "Department Leader". Do this for all positions which don't have a direct civilian equivalent.

3) Your bullet points should be results, not responsibilities. This is the #1 mistake I see on every single military resume. People will write "Responsible for XYZ dollars/equipment." That was just your job responsibility, but resume bullet points should talk about what you accomplished, not what you were given. It's fine to have 1-2 lines describing your job, but when writing the actual bullet points, don't list things that you had just by the nature of you holding the position, and that anybody else holding the position can say the same thing. Employers care less about your job description (which 100% of people in that role can claim), and more about what you actually excelled at and how you performed.

4) When writing results, focus on the outcomes, not the inputs. For example, I've seen intel people write "Produced over 500 intelligence reports"... well, sorry, producing paperwork is not an accomplishment in the private sector. What did that person accomplish? For example, how about "Generated intelligence analysis that directly contributed to the capture of seven high priority targets." Use quantitative RESULTS as much as possible. If your bullet point doesn't have a "...resulting in..." (or equivalent) and an outcome, it may not be worth listing.

5) Highlight success by listing awards, but don't include an "Awards Section". It is true that hiring managers don't really understand or care about awards, but awards do help highlight when something you did was exceptional. For example, "Awarded Army Commendation Medal for achieving a 25% increase in the unit's recruiting goals." So in short, use awards to highlight your accomplishments, don't just list them as a separate throw-away section, and also, don't neglect them.

Ok, I know I said top 5, but I had to add one more...

6) Avoid language about combat/killing/blowing things up. You're looking for a civilian job, not a security contract job. So avoid "combat patrols" or "engaged in 4 enemy firefights" or "fired mortar missions faster than any other section" type highlights. Focus on the OUTCOMES, and quantify whenever possible. For example, somebody could say "Conducted operations in an area of 300 square miles which resulted in a 25% reduction in violence and a 30% increase in new businesses emerging due to the improved security posture."

One of the things I tell transitioning Veterans is that employers really do not care about WHAT you got, but WHY you got it. This is true for a lot of the resume writing process. The other bit of advice I can tell you from my own experience is do exactly what you are doing now; ask questions! Also, do not forget about the soft skills the military taught you. Look at the job postings that interest you and ensure you craft your resume towards those positions. Make it work FOR you rather than you work for it.

The best tip I can give you is to speak with a former military member who's working in HR if at all possible. They see resumes all the time and can probably help translate.

Keep in mind that translating things is mostly about focusing on the numbers and active words that are non-jargon, but there is also a lot of jargon in the civilian world as well. Google where you want to work to find key words of use.

Do do do, utilize the ACAP on the closest installation. Best thing I've done.

Connect on Linked-In with your fellow Vets here. See what they have posted as far as translating their Military Skills into Civilian and see if that will help you.

Join LinkedIn and build a profile. Then join the LinkedIn group, "Veteran Mentor Network." Post your resume to your LinkedIn profile. Then start a discussion in the Veteran Mentor Network, asking the group to review and comment on your resume. This group has a number of HR types that will be glad to make sure your resume is ready to attract attention.

Here is one tip: Station Commander = Recruiting Office Manager

Most civilian resume screeners will have no idea what a Station Commander is.

Also if you want to have a good shot at an interview, tailor the resume to the job posting. As an example, Here we list our required qualifications for a position, and then perhaps desired qualifications as well. I would recommend printing off the job posting and under each qualification, write in where you had that experience, skill etc. Then on your resume in your work history, when you enter your position that has that experience, ensure you highlight what the job posting is asking for. Same with your cover letter, make sure it highlights how you are qualified to do the job, and why you are great at doing what you do.

If you have had a lot of different jobs while in the military then listing the basic info on all of them can use up a lot of the space on a resume. If that is the case then you might want to look at creating a functional resume rather than a chronological one. With a functional one it is more of listing the skills you have (such as managing people) and then listing some of the things you have done in your military career that support that skill. You can then provide a military biography if they need to see your sequence of jobs.

Start by having a good dictionary and thesaurus next to you so that you can check word use and word alternatives. I am also willing to help you, just send me a private message, I have over 20 years as an instructor and teacher; including English writing.

"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

1. Write it how you THINK. Just do it. Don't overthink it. Don't try to translate it. Don't try to convert it. Just make a historical record of what you did in your own words. (Rough Draft Phase)
2. Go through, find any acronyms and spell them out. (Alpha Phase)
3. Go through and look for Jargon & Tradespeak. If a "normal" person, as in the HR person wouldn't understand it, convert it to "Plain English." After you have done this, give it to someone else, preferably non-military and have them do the same.
4. Use terms like Supervisor and Manager. Yes we are Leaders, however we hold Supervisory & Management "Roles" or "Billets." Many of the terms we use mean different things when read by a Civilian. It's like the difference between American English & British English. The "nuances" are what will get you.
5. Define things. If you managed a warehouse, how big was it. What was its value. If you supervised/managed/led people, how many? Provide context (i.e. accomplishments or tasks).