How Veterans Can Translate Their Military Skills Into Civilian Language

Leslie Stevens-Huffman | Dice | May 1, 2014

Returning veterans possess many of the skills and qualities that private sector employers are looking for. But to transfer your technology experience to the civilian world, you’re going to have to do a bit of translation on your resume: If you pepper it with jargon, acronyms and references to tools and technologies specific to your service, you may not make it through the first pass. Garner the interest you deserve by highlighting your transferable skills and outcomes in a way that private sector employers can understand.

Understand Your Audience

An effective resume commands the reviewer’s attention and compels action by addressing their specific needs. Understand your audience by reading numerous job postings, taking note of the must-have requirements, desired soft skills and keywords. Once you’ve done that, craft task, responsibility and achievement bullets that address those needs, and resist the urge to mention specialized, purely military duties like weapons maintenance.

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By MIT Sloan CDO
MIT Sloan CDO