Posted on Jul 8, 2015
Do you put your reserve military service on your LinkedIn profile?
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So how many of you in the National Guard and Reserves have a LinkedIn profile? Do you have any reference to your current or past military service on LinkedIn? Have you considered removing it or already removed it if you are in job search mode? Do you think our service helps or hurts, especially in seeking professional positions? If you have kept your service in the background, at what point do you divulge it to your employer or do you just take vacation when annual training comes around? I know, lots of questions but I'm curious what experiences others have found especially when seeking professional positions.
Army National Guard
Army Reserve
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 27
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Mine is on my LinkedIn profile, resumes, and such. For me, it has not been an issue but I have worked for the Army or Army contractors since 2007. I do think that military service will help you, especially if you can articulate what you bring to the company because of that. I would say you want to be upfront with your service instead of hiding it until you need to get time off for duty. Yes, employers cannot discriminate against in hiring because of that but if you hid it and then all of a sudden told them you had to be off for the next two weeks for AT, I think it would raise questions about your honesty and integrity. Even if you try to hide it by taking vacation, you may not be able to take vacation time when you have the AT so it will come out and on top of that, if you are mobilized, you would not be able to hide that very well. Be up front and let me know but also tell them what that means in terms of benefits to them.
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SSG (Join to see)
COL Jon Thompson, I agree with everything you said. I think the reality can be a little harder to communicate. Trying to translate NCO duties and a combat arms MOS into benefits to a white collar CPA firm presents some challenges. I presume this might get a little easier as I rise through the NCO ranks. As my duties transition more to administrative in nature as compared to the heavy level of hands on a SGT still has as the gunner on an M1A1 so should my managerial skills continue to develop. While I do direct the actions and tasks of two other troops I am usually right there in the grease with them doing the job, teaching them the job, or showing them how to do the job they did better. I'll soon be a tank commander as I'm just waiting on a position to open up. So I'll have 3 troops at that point and a SGT under me to do part of that task. But even as a tank commander with 4 soldiers on a crew, everyone is hands on unless your day job is company commander, battalion commander or along those lines.
I have always been up front in the past about my military service. I'm still in the NG and have no plans to leave in the near future. But a lot of the current climate I'm seeing is employers weary of the commitments and deployments. I realize we should be a nation at war together and as a whole. But lets face it, this isn't WWII. The military has been at war for the last decade and the nation has cheered a little from the sidelines and then went to the mall. NCO leadership skills in the civilian world are highly under valued and an E-6 and an O-6 with the same education are valued and perceived as being highly different corporate assets. From a leadership experience standard, it is absolutely correct. Officers make plans and develop strategies. NCO's execute those plans, often with a lot of ingenuity and tactical know how that gets the mission accomplished.
It could be that I need to engage someone more skilled than I am at translating my service to civilian benefit. I don't rule that possibility out. I love my service and realize how much after coming back in after a 15 year break. I want the best of all three worlds, maybe that makes me selfish or a dreamer. An awesome family, a successful military service, and an excellent civilian career shouldn't be a dream though. I'm working my hardest to make it a reality.
I have always been up front in the past about my military service. I'm still in the NG and have no plans to leave in the near future. But a lot of the current climate I'm seeing is employers weary of the commitments and deployments. I realize we should be a nation at war together and as a whole. But lets face it, this isn't WWII. The military has been at war for the last decade and the nation has cheered a little from the sidelines and then went to the mall. NCO leadership skills in the civilian world are highly under valued and an E-6 and an O-6 with the same education are valued and perceived as being highly different corporate assets. From a leadership experience standard, it is absolutely correct. Officers make plans and develop strategies. NCO's execute those plans, often with a lot of ingenuity and tactical know how that gets the mission accomplished.
It could be that I need to engage someone more skilled than I am at translating my service to civilian benefit. I don't rule that possibility out. I love my service and realize how much after coming back in after a 15 year break. I want the best of all three worlds, maybe that makes me selfish or a dreamer. An awesome family, a successful military service, and an excellent civilian career shouldn't be a dream though. I'm working my hardest to make it a reality.
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I list it very prominently. I think it is very relevant experience for the sorts of positions that I am interested in pursuing.
Separately, I include it because I think it is integral to the total package that is me. It will continue if I take X position. If it's going to be an issue with the potential employer, I'd prefer it to be on the table from the word go, and not after I have been hired. If that means I don't get a position, so much the better for both of us. Yes, I know what the law says. However, I don't want to work for an employer who has issues with my service and I don't wish to "force" anyone to hire me - especially under false pretenses/lack of candor on my part.
Separately, I include it because I think it is integral to the total package that is me. It will continue if I take X position. If it's going to be an issue with the potential employer, I'd prefer it to be on the table from the word go, and not after I have been hired. If that means I don't get a position, so much the better for both of us. Yes, I know what the law says. However, I don't want to work for an employer who has issues with my service and I don't wish to "force" anyone to hire me - especially under false pretenses/lack of candor on my part.
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Yes, it's on my resume and LinkedIn and YES I think it hurt my job prospects. Civilian employers outside the DoD sector see Guard/Reserve and think you will get the job and then take off for a year or want every Friday off. They see divided allegiances – and that is very true. They assume you have a tighter bond (both legally and emotionally) to the military than you will have to the job they are hiring for…and that also might be true. Civilian employers see deployments as meaning you have PTSD or a TBI or both. I worked in higher education before I went on active duty and when I got out and tried to return I was given a completely cold shoulder. Higher education tends to be very left-slanted and they saw “Army” and assumed it meant I was a pro-gun, pro-war, conservative who would never “fit” in their culture…even though I served at high levels in higher education for 15 years and at that point had only been in the Army for 4.
But still, I don’t amend my information because I don’t want an employer who will give me a hard time about my military service (which as an officer is a LOT more than 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year). I don’t want to be in an environment where I don’t fit in or where I constantly have to represent for the entire Armed Services. I would probably be completely unhappy. Right now, I design the systems that my Soldiers actually use. LOVE IT! Love that my two worlds are completely integrated. I wouldn’t be in this position if I tried to hide my service.
But still, I don’t amend my information because I don’t want an employer who will give me a hard time about my military service (which as an officer is a LOT more than 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year). I don’t want to be in an environment where I don’t fit in or where I constantly have to represent for the entire Armed Services. I would probably be completely unhappy. Right now, I design the systems that my Soldiers actually use. LOVE IT! Love that my two worlds are completely integrated. I wouldn’t be in this position if I tried to hide my service.
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I have a linked in account and my prior service is listed on it. Im not ashamed of my service and anybody that chooses to not be a part of my life because i'm a veteran can ....... well you know. I don't associate with them. I wont be part of any organization that has an issue with my being a veteran. As to job hunting I've found the only thing these sites hurt or help is how well you articulate your experiences.
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SSG (Join to see) I have a LinkedIn account and it does have my prior service on it, as well as recommendations. It has helped me in finding job opportunities, some that I've turned down and one that I've currently holding now. I use LinkedIn in my professional business and most of my leads and potential opportunities have come from LinkedIn. It is a very important site for me and post articles on it related to my civilian career. I believe that a snapshot of your prior service and experience are important in today's civilian market and should be included. With that said I believe it is a personal preference. In my previous positions during my Guard and Reserve careers it was important for that information to be there. I was fortunate because my employers supported my military duty during deployments and other duty requirements. I used that to involve them in employer programs and educate them on what the military was about and the type of future employees that could get coming off active duty or with reserve or National Guard affiliation. Again, this is my opinion and you are more than welcome to review my LinkedIn page as an example:
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mikel-burroughs/9/358/334
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mikel-burroughs/9/358/334
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SSG (Join to see)
You've got a good profile, mine isn't quite that impressive. https://www.linkedin.com/in/clifadams
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
SSG (Join to see) I think your profile is great - super picture and family oriented. I don't know why you wouldn't add your service to country and military background. It speaks volumes about your past accomplishments and your ability to handle mutiple projects and duties while being a great husband and father
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You will need to curtail your resume in order to ascend the pertinent experience regarding the job you are seeking, for example if you are looking for law enforcement job, and you were a grunt, then all the search/pow treatment and operations/ECP security/ riot control training and actual operations are valid. Not all jobs are the same, and what is most important is that you put the relevant and pertaining experience for the job you are applying. I'll give you this from my experience, I am a combat medic with 4 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and few mobilizations in CONUS, due to catastrophes, riots, etc, but my money making career is in Accounting, as I have a BS degree. I could literally run a hospital, I understand how the operations work, I could be a body guard, etc. It all depends what you apply for, so if you go in LinkedIn, is a little different, you will need to put ALL of it there, as best as you can, and get your friends, soldiers, etc to vouch your abilities, as much. It goes both ways, the more endorsements, and testaments of your character it shows, the better of people to get the whole picture, as a reference. Be honest about it, don't exaggerate or lie in it.
So bottom line all that experience is very valid, in resume, curtailed to the job, in LinkedIn more like a network, where all of it goes in. Hope this helps.
So bottom line all that experience is very valid, in resume, curtailed to the job, in LinkedIn more like a network, where all of it goes in. Hope this helps.
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Mine is on my LinkedIn Profile as well as my resume.
I don't want to be the employee that hid something, and I don't want to work for a company that would look down on my status as a Reservist.
I don't want to be the employee that hid something, and I don't want to work for a company that would look down on my status as a Reservist.
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I have. I actually received a job offer as a Center Manager based of my military background. The hiring manager, stated that he was looking for someone who has great interpersonal, and leadership skills, and could effectively and efficiently run a face pace organization. Don't think your military background is a hinder to having a successful career. In the end it can help you more than you know.
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I have interviewed for several jobs that I suspected I did not get because of being in the reserve. I have also heard managers say they didn't want to deal with reservists. I would rather know up front what the employer's stance was than to find out later. After getting my first job a police segerant told me that he would have me out of the reserves within 6 months. it didn't happen, but I left in 18 months. I got tired of supervisors calling my CO and telling them I couldn't drill because I had to work (without telling me first.)
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I have to respond. So far out of 5 responses two have referenced being proud of my service. For the record, I have in over 12 years with 5 being active. I served 4 active from 88-92 and then in the NG from 92-96. I chose to join the NG again and after a two-year battle I reenlisted December of 2010. I plan to retire out and they will probably pray to get rid of me before I turn 60 and they kick my tail to the retirement curb. I'm a tanker and believe me it is true, best job I ever had! That said, it doesn't put food on my families table nor does it pay the mortgage or car payment. I truly do it for fun and the pay is of little consequence each month. The access to tri-care is payment enough and if they only knew that they would probably stop paying me, and I'd be OK with it. I have nearly ten years in the IT industry and then I transitioned to sales for nearly another decade. After I deployed I just couldn't come back to a sales job any longer and I took a position at a nuclear plant as a guard which affords me a lot of time to study while I pursue a Master of Accountancy from Auburn. I hope to enter professional accounting preferably with a regional or national level accounting firm and I want to ensure there are no hindrances to reaching that goal. I know for a fact I haven't been given a promotion in the past or a position I applied for because I was in the service. I can't prove it, there is always another excuse they come up with. I love my service and hope to serve well for many years to come, but supporting my family is and will come first and foremost, so if I have to keep my service out of the foreground to reach that goal, then I will sleep soundly knowing that my family is well cared for and I am still ready and able when the "wolf knocks at the door."
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