It’s almost Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor both active and retired military. In addition to expressing our gratitude to soldiers, Penmac Staffing wanted to share a few tips on resumé writing with veterans. For some who leave the service, writing a resumé to enter a civilian workforce can feel intimidating. At Penmac, we hope to ease the transition with these tips. 

1. Market Your Work Ethic. 

The first thing to keep in mind is your service already equipped you with traits that are highly valued in the workplace. The military requires individuals to have an exceptional work ethic and focus. Service members must be disciplined, know how to work as part of a team, and prioritize tasks. They must strategize, plan, and work toward a specific goal. Many supervisors value these qualities enough to provide training to relatively inexperienced job seekers with outstanding character, rather than just hire someone on their experience alone. 

2. Translate Your Skill Set. 

Similarly, even if you haven’t been in the civilian workforce for a while, your service has provided you with a skillset. You just need to figure out how those skills translate. Consider those tasks you’ve excelled at. Then brainstorm jobs that would require those particular skills. Customize your resumé with a goal stating how you plan to apply your experience. Set yourself up for success and only apply to those positions where your experience is applicable. If you’re interested in doing something new, be willing to accept an entry-level position. Or consider training through your local community college. 

3. Remember Your Audience when Writing a Resumé. 

As you create your resumé, remember who will be reading it. While you don’t want to downplay your military accomplishments, you do want to communicate them in a way that civilian hiring managers will understand. If possible, rephrase your titles, past job duties, and accolades so that employers will be able to appreciate your experience and skills.  

If you’re looking for work, be sure to stop by your local Penmac office to see how one of our staffing specialists can help in your job search. Thank you, veterans, for your service!