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

I worked in the civilian world before I enlisted, so it was easier for me to transition. I spent many years in employee development and management after I transitioned out. My advice is to break down job duties simply into bullet points using civilian language. (example: Mid Level Manager or Training Supervisor over 40 employees, facilitate training sessions, gather and distribute training materials, monitor progress, recruit expert demonstrators,mentor employees, etc). This would be acceptable for the Training NCO. Remember all of our skills can transition, it's just using the correct verbiage. Good Luck!

MAJ Weiss detailed a very comprehensive list. I will add, from a private sector point of view...that what is most attractive to hiring entities evaluating a military hire is certifications, and proven examples of accomplishment that mirror (as closely as possible) the position you are applying for. Sad, but true...people are skeptical today; Too many people can justly claim that they have been trained to carry the water, but what we're looking for is how many buckets you carried from point A to point B. Keep in mind that some qualities, such as leadership, initiative and consistency are universal, whether in a combat zone, or on a production line. Finally, unless you are applying for a job requiring combat skills, i.e. tactical LE, contract security, etc...leave the "scary stuff" off the list. The quality assessment out here is inverse of military life...it's all one, big, giant FOB.

I have used a "scale down to scale up" approach in addressing what I did/do in the Army on my resume. By that, I mean I do NOT begin by concerning myself with keywords, buzzwords and phrases that I think company HR or recruiters are looking for. Catchy buzzwords don't mean much if one can't actually convey to others what they did, and if one can't convey what they did, then those catchy buzzwords probably aren't being used correctly anyway.

So instead I begin by figuring out how I would explain my military experience to a child; break it down Barney Style so to speak. Kids need an image in their minds; jargon, acronyms, buzzwords mean even less to them than someone looking at your resume, so that is Square 1.

If you can EFFECTIVELY explain yourself to a child, you should be able to repackage those explanations on your resume, in a way a more sophisticated person would: i.e. the hiring manager. But then again, perhaps the one reviewing your resume is no brighter than a child anyway! ;-)

Log onto http://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs and there you will find a "Resume Builder" and more importantly a "Skills Translator" LINK where you enter your MOSC and it'll "convert your military skills to civilian" and from there you can build a strong Civilian Resume that truly states what your skills sets are. Email me at [login to see] and I'll also send you a SAMPLE 30-second commercial that you can customize and prepare for that special interview! Good luck! - Top
- Larry Josephs, Army Career Employment Specialist, Fort Snelling, MN

You need to have two resumes, one with jargon and one without . I'm now a contractor and have to fill open jobs. The contract PWS is written in jargon and when we're screening resumes we search for those "jargon" terms. If you don't intend to continue to work in DoD then by all means "civilianize" your resume, but if you do, you'll want a version with the jargon

Focus on your quantifiable and quantifiable attributes. Responsible for X number of people or $XXX of equipment.

May I suggest having other transitioned military peers review your work and offer suggestions - a second eye/review can always be helpful. I'd be willing to take a lokk if you'd like.

I used heroes to hired and they took my awards and evaluations for the last ten years and drafted up a pretty good resume. I still had to tweek it and if course adjust for each job I am applying for to get key word matches. SFL-TAP gives you some basics but Heroes to Hired is free.

Ssg John McCammon, create a Linkedin profile. Once you have a profile, connect/find marylandveternsneedjobs. Yes its all one word. They are a recruiting/resume company based out of the D.C. area and will assist SM's and Veterans with job search and resume writing free of charge. A gentleman by the name of Art is the founder and was a huge help during my transition nearly 2 years ago. You'll need a rough resume built already, however they will have 1 or multiple people critique it and give suggestions for you to fix it. Hope this helps and good luck.

Your resume, if geared for the civilian job marker, not GS or Government Contractor, needs to be in language (civilian lingo) all will understand... SL, PSG, really mean nothing to someone who had never walked in your shoes.

Take me for example... Battalion Commander, Provost Marshal, Director of Emergency Services... or Police Chief or Director of Public Safety...