Posted on Dec 16, 2019
Can you put a military rank on a Civilian Resume?
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I was recently asked by a reserve officer if they could put their Military Rank next to their civilian credentials on their resume. I didn't know how to answer this. Is there a policy or social norms? Example: First Last, Degree, RN, Certification.....
My initial impression is no, but they were told it could separate their resume from others, I didn't know what answer to give them.
My initial impression is no, but they were told it could separate their resume from others, I didn't know what answer to give them.
Edited 5 y ago
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 10
Interesting question Colonel. I am a corporate recruiter and have been for 17 years. Yea, that's the career Army Interrogator skills prepared me for. As someone who does this for a living, I can tell you, no, rank should not be included in the header or a resume. That should be reserved for professional designations only (MD, RN, PhD...). It absolutely should be included in a separate heading of "Military Experience" though. Where it gets sticky is a lot of civilians have no concept of rank structure so LTC and SSG mean nothing to them unless they are familiar with rank structure.
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I put my rank on my resume, but I don't put it next to my name or anywhere else prominently within the resume. I just include that as a detail under my military work experience. My rank is relevant to my civilian work, but it is not a major factor within my overall set of credentials (for my work in academia). It might be much more relevant if I was pursuing other lines of work though (and therefore might be worth displaying more prominently).
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That is what I do on my personal resume, I have a section that is just military, being a reservist, 75% of my experience is civilian.
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If I got a resume across my desk that included military rank, for a civilian job, I would put it at the bottom of my pile. It is admirable to continue to serve in the reserves while pursuing a military career - I myself do it - but it is also important to be able to distinguish and separate the two.
If the reserve rank has actual bearing on the civilian job, fine. Otherwise, they are two separate lanes and should remain as such.
If the reserve rank has actual bearing on the civilian job, fine. Otherwise, they are two separate lanes and should remain as such.
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