How do I transfer my military job into my resume?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 11:19:50 -0400

Looking to update my resume!

I have been convoy commander multiple times, help train new CC, I am currently HQ PSG & Assistant truck master. I also complete height and weight for the females, went to BLC,ALC, deployed as a 42A/88M

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Mar 28 at 2018 11:38 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 11:38:08 -0400

Show your training and amount of time you have driving, plus depends on what sort of job your looking into.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Mar 28 at 2018 12:52 PM

SGT Dave Tracy — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:52:18 -0400

It really does come down to translating your experience into something a civilian employer can wrap their head around, because most employers have no exposure to the military beyond watching movies. As a Staff Sergeant, you have some leadership training and experience. You mindset will likely also reflect the "mission first" military attitude towards goal accomplishment.

If you are looking for something within the realm of transportation, your MOS experience will come in handy, but even if not, what aspect of your roll can you bring to the civilian world? Might safety inspection experience; convoy and/or logistics experience; providing instruction, training, monitoring and control; being accustomed to teamwork but with the ability to take initiative; be applicable--if only in a general sense--to what a civilian employer in employment areas you are looking for may value? Because when all is said and done, employers are looking for what you bring to the table, so approach your resume with that idea in mind.

Good luck.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2018 1:03 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:03:18 -0400

Don't just say that you were an 88M, "Motor Transport Operator"- a civilian won't have any idea what that means. You're a leader, a trainer and a manager. Delve into what your tasks, duties and responsibilities were. Even if you were a squad leader, it might fit better to say that you were "team leader- managed 8 individuals, with two supervisors under me". Remember to word it in a way a civilian would understand. Leave out acronyms and military jargon. Don't say that you scored expert on your rifle or was level 2 Combatives, becsuse they don't care about that- write the resume to fit the job you're applying for.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Mar 28 at 2018 1:33 PM

SSG Carlos Madden — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:33:06 -0400

There's a lot of great suggestions on RP. I'd check out the content within some of the group pages like "Resumé." Here are three:

https://www.rallypoint.com/topics/resume/answers/any-tips-in-building-a-resume-without-military-jargon-lingo

https://www.rallypoint.com/topics/resume/answers/what-is-the-best-way-to-document-military-experience-on-a-resume-for-a-civilian-job

https://www.rallypoint.com/shared-links/how-do-you-repackage-military-skills-on-a-resume-to-attract-civilian-employers

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

Just trying to get some different perspective on Résumé building.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2018 1:38 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:38:03 -0400

SSG Rivas- A few other ideas for you: Get on LinkedIn and join the Veteran Mentor Network. Join Michael Quinn on LI and read his posts. He was a S1 type in the Army and he is now a SME with LI helping Veterans out with transitions. Then look up Hire Heroes and join their site on LI and contact Erin Kuhlman for any resume question, [login to see]
Indeed will have resumes you can research as well depending on the field you are looking to join.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Mar 28 at 2018 1:42 PM

SSG Carlos Madden — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:42:33 -0400

I'd take a look at your NCOER's and use some of the bullet points as a reference. You can then translate these into simple civilian terms to help potential employers understand your responsibilities. It all depends on what kind of job you're applying for. Are you leveraging your leadership skills as an NCO, or looking to apply for a job that requires a your 88M experience?

Also sit down and just brainstorm what you actually did or do in the military, then use these as starting points. For example, "I made sure my squad did proper PMCS on their Hemmet's before every mission" could be something like "Supervised the daily maintenance of $X million of equipment," or "Trained a team of ten to properly perform maintenance."

Give us some examples, maybe we can help!

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2018 2:03 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 14:03:32 -0400

SSG Rivas-Get into the "heads" of those you're writing to. Civilians don't understand our terminology, but it goes beyond that-in many ways, they don't understand our hierarchy, promotion process, or compensation scale. I'd take a look at the "model" profile of someone holding the job you're seeking, and try to match your skill sets and experience to theirs. As a general rule of thumb, if you can explain an aspect of your military experience in "plain English", it should be relatively easy to connect that with a civilian equivalent. Bear in mind that as an NCO, you have a host of management and leadership traits highly marketable to many industries outside of the MOS "equivalent" you may naturally seek.

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2018 2:08 PM

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 14:08:23 -0400

O*Net is a really great place to start when you're looking for how to translate military skills into a format understandable to the civilian world. I see over and over again where veterans have a very military resume that is not translatable to the civilian world. I've been there and done that myself.

You should have seen my first resume back in 2001. It was ugly!! I was a young Sailor straight out of the Navy with no clue how to transition so my first resume was on the Yahoo Job Board with a black background and neon green techie font and military jargon only a Navy person would understand. It was terrible, but I lived and learned, lol.

Also, there are so many resources that are available to you today that make adjusting and transitioning even easier, more so than when I got out for the second time in 2005. I fumbled around and learned through trial and error as an unprepared transitioning veteran and I'd like to save you the heartache so -

Try the following websites for assistance:
Hire Heroes USA - a 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers U.S. military members, veterans and military spouses to succeed in the workforce.
https://www.hireheroesusa.org/get-registered/
Hire Our Heroes - connects transitioning Veterans to their next careers, with job resources, job training, interview process assistance, networking, and veteran mentors, etc.
https://hireourheroes.org/
O*Net - the nation's primary source of occupational information.
http://online.onetcenter.org/crosswalk
Employment - The Essentials.
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/web/mos/-/employment-the-essentials?inheritRedirect=true&redirect=%2Fweb%2Fmos%2Femployment

These are just a few of so many reosurces available today. I hope you find these links useful. If you need someone to help polish up your resume, I would be glad to help you out. No charge. I've been helping fellow veterans with their resumes and job hunting for many years now. I understand it can be difficult when you don't know what to do, where to start or what direction to take.

Please let me know if I can be of any more assistance!

Our Services - Hire Heroes USA

For more than 10 years, our team has excelled at one thing above all others – driving the success of veterans and military families in civilian careers. Our technique is simple: provide employment workshops, personalized career coaching and job sourcing, then watch clients find great jobs. There really isn’t any mystery to what we do Read More

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Mar 28 at 2018 2:13 PM

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 14:13:46 -0400

Gotta figure out what the actual soft skills and hard skills that can be pulled out of your MOS and various positions that you served in. It is important to translate everything into civilian terms and stay away from military terms, slang, and acronyms.

Response by CPL Crystal Pettway, MBA made Mar 28 at 2018 3:16 PM

CPL Crystal Pettway, MBA — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 15:16:32 -0400

https://www.onetonline.org/

This is a great place to start SFC Private RallyPoint Member .

O*NET OnLine

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2018 3:21 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 15:21:28 -0400

Thank you! I have been convoy commander multiple times, help train new CC, I am currently HQ PSG & Assistant truck master. I also complete height and weight for the females, went to BLC,ALC, deployed as a 42A/88M

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2018 4:11 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 16:11:30 -0400

Transision point at your installation should help. If you are reserve or guard, the army has contracted resume career experts like Fred love at Jefferson barachs to help reserve and national guard. Hope this helps

Response by SSG Alan Pelletier made Mar 28 at 2018 6:12 PM

SSG Alan Pelletier — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 18:12:39 -0400

What a great question!
It's tough... Stabbing people in the eye is a great skill set for professional soldiers. How does THAT translate is the age old question...
Soldiers, regardless of MOS have great logistics skills. Moving people from point A to B is nothing more than simple logistics. Add weapons and equipment and you're a logistical supervisor/manager. HOWEVER... the true key is understanding the difference between military and civilian is the terminology. This is the toughest piece. Couple this distinction with the lack of MILITARY motivation and urgency and civilians appear very lazy but they are not. I've read the responses here and they are all good.

Few things to add...
- Hire a professional resume writer.

- Find a professional soldier who is now a professional civilian (me, anyone who has responded in this article...) for active mentorship

- Do not say, "Fort Lewis, WA" nobody knows where that is. Instead your job was located in Tacoma, Wa or Seattle, Wa.

- You were not a "truck driver" or heaven forbid an 88M, you were a logistics supervisor or team leader.

- FIND CREATIVE (and honest ways) TO ADD QUALITY CONTROL SUPERVISOR as part of job descriptions.

You get the idea, the sooner you work these sorts of tasks out the better chance of success. Also, NOBODY knows what military people really do and what our skill sets truly are. Especially in the recruiting world. Be prepared to be lumped into the pile of, "have" or "does not have" a college degree. I'll get boorish if I continue, best wishes and reach out if you wish.

Response by CPT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2018 9:01 PM

CPT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 21:01:53 -0400

What types of jobs are you going to apply for?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2018 8:20 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 08:20:43 -0400

As a civilian you would be called a Logistic Supervisor and as an 88M you should have already gained a CDL License. The Transportation field is very diverse. Find the position that you want and go to the Unemployment Office and see your VA Rep. That are better acquainted in helping you to write that RESUME you need even though you have already done it at Transition. The VA Representative at the Unemployment office is a big help. I made contact before I was discharged and it is so easy.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2018 8:57 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 08:57:56 -0400

Best route for close reaching resources is to ask a successful colleague in your unit or network. They can give you an in-depth mentorship

Response by SPC David Willis made Apr 13 at 2018 9:02 AM

SPC David Willis — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 09:02:48 -0400

Being convoy commander can translate to "supervised 20-30 personal while not centrally located" being PSG you are supervising 40-50 (all these numbers are off the top of my head) which is essentially a shift supervisor. Completing height and weight translates to "Completed and ensured accuracy as well as delivery on critical documents". BLC and ALC are professional develop courses and on your resume look great as "took continuing education to further my professional growth"

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2018 9:17 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 09:17:01 -0400

I used Hireheroes.org and they really helped me out

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2018 10:35 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 10:35:20 -0400

SFC Private RallyPoint Member I put down military experience and listed my leadership positions. Also, if any of your schools gave you a certificate (actual certificate similar to licensing not just a piece of paper) or an unique skill that can assist you in the civilian world you can put that on there as well. Also, you can look at your schooling and see if you can convert that to college credit to help get a degree to also put on your resume.

Response by SSG Hunter Davis made Apr 15 at 2018 3:10 PM

SSG Hunter Davis — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 15:10:01 -0400

It’s not as hard as people make it out to be, pending on what job you are going for

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2018 10:00 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 10:00:41 -0400

As a 88M you could go to the DMV and get your CDL with just you CMDR signature.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 1 at 2018 10:39 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 May 2018 10:39:22 -0400

So i have been pushing my leadership about my desire to go to the board and i was told im not ready,meanwhile they did not give me a tangible reason,just that they don't think i have enought time to study, but at the same time they are sending other soldiers to the board .Do is the appropriate step to take because i think they are nit been fair to me? Thanks.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2018 1:05 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 May 2018 13:05:34 -0400

You need to get on the Army COOL website. It will tell you what your national and state certifications are as well as what fields you could potentially do.

Response by SPC Russ Bolton made Jun 1 at 2018 8:55 PM

SPC Russ Bolton — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:55:17 -0400

Most trucking companies know how to read your dd214. If you are in doubts write out a breif description of your responsibilitys. It worked for me in 92. Good luck and welcome home sister

Response by SPC Russ Bolton made Jun 1 at 2018 8:57 PM

SPC Russ Bolton — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:57:23 -0400

I forgot to say take your 348 in

Response by SFC Nelson L. Friday-González made Jun 19 at 2018 1:23 AM

SFC Nelson L. Friday-González — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 01:23:28 -0400

If you are out and unemployed Try your Local Veteran Representative at the V.A. They will walk you through Schools, Medical clams and Job search and proper Resume writing. With them you have a better changes of getting a Government Position, once you've gotten you Resume, see the Post Office They have Armed postal Drivers Delivering from Stamps to Money orders and it pay good. Now you will have to take a test to get in. My Brother did it for 25 years. its only a suggestion.

Response by MAJ Mark McGruder made Jun 21 at 2018 11:27 AM

MAJ Mark McGruder — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 11:27:11 -0400

Good advice already provided, but I have a few additional points:

Do not over-civilianize your resume to the point that military folks can't understand what you did. Many companies have former military involved in the hiring process.

Don't just tell me what you did, tell me how well you did it. "Ensured 16 heavy trucks were maintained." vs. "Recognized as having best truck maintenance program out of 9 supervisors." Ensure you are telling the truth.

Leadership is a value companies desire. Tell the prospective employer that you can get the job done, and show them where you have done it.

Perseverance is a virtue when searching for a job.

Best of luck.

Response by SGT Bleddyn Wilson made Apr 20 at 2020 7:33 PM

SGT Bleddyn Wilson — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 19:33:03 -0400

No idea