Your leadership and management experience are tremendously valued in the civilian workplace. The value and volume of the personnel and $ amount in assets you’ve managed can be astonishing to some civilians and should certainly get you a seat at the interview table. These steps will help you feel more prepared in your military to civilian transition…
1. Narrow down the job titles you want to target.
Some great tools will help you explore translatable military to civilian job titles. These systems aren’t perfect, but they can give you some ideas of translatable job titles.
Military.com online
Onet Military Crosswalk
CareerOneStop
While researching job titles, be sure that you do some salary research on those job titles and ensure those jobs meet your salary requirements. I recommend using Salary.com, LinkedIn Salary Insights, or Glassdoor.com.
2. Set up job alerts
Once you determine what job titles you want to target, set up your job alerts. Even if you are within a year from retirement, it’s smart to keep a pulse on the job market. The top sites I recommend setting up job alerts are…
You can also start researching military/veteran-friendly employers. Check out the Top 10 Employers Hiring Military/Veterans.
3. Get a LinkedIn Photo outside of uniform
Not having a “civilianized” photo is one of the most common holdups I see when conducting LinkedIn profile optimizations for military clients. Never start connecting with people without having a profile photo. You want your headshot to be friendly and engaging, so be sure to smile! You want employers to see your civilian side, and you also need to see you outside of uniform.
4. Start organizing your “brag book.”
This means gathering your performance reports (NCOERs, OERs, EPRs, OPR, or FitReps), your education transcripts, and your Award Recommendations/Summary of Action reports. As you organize these documents, start to highlight any actionable or quantifiable accomplishments that can later be used on your resume.
Second, look for quantifiable information. By thinking in quantifiable terms, you’ll start to develop a results-based resume and discover your quantifiable experience and accomplishments. Look deeply at your performance reports that are normally loaded with quantifiable information.
For more information on to take your performance evals and translate them into a “civilianized” resume, check out How to Write a Military to Civilian, Accomplished-Focused Resume (with Examples).
5. Get your Certifications
As you are receiving job leads from the alerts you set up in step #2, pay close attention to the job requirements, are there any certifications that are requested or required again and again? Often I see companies requesting Lean Six Sigma and Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.
You can also do a great deal of self-education through platforms like LinkedIn Learning, and they even have a specific course on becoming a Six Sigma Black Belt and Project Management Certifications CAPM, PMP. You can get free access to these courses when you activate your free year of LinkedIn premium (for military/veterans). Head over to the resources page on my website to get the 6 Steps to Get Your Free Year of LinkedIn Premium.
6. Build Your Network
Start reaching out to those who have already successfully transitioned into the civilian workforce. Start connecting with people you may know on LinkedIn, and start joining military groups on LinkedIn. There are some great LinkedIn groups out there, including:
- Military Veteran to Civilian Career Transitions
- US Veterans
- US Military Veterans Network
- Veteran Job Opportunities
- Veteran Mentor Network Coaching Program
- Premium Career Group
Post any questions you may have, and share your knowledge. 87% of job seekers find their next job because of someone in their network.
7. Start Building Your Resume
If you’re 6 months to 1 year out from retirement, you should absolutely have your resume ready otherwise, you will feel behind. I guarantee that when you drop your retirement papers, people will almost instantly start asking for your resume.
Written by Cassie Hatcher, CEO of Career Confidence LLC, a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Veteran Career Strategist (CVCS) who translates military leadership experience to ensure your resume is on-target for the civilian workforce.
For 8+ years, Career Confidence Resume Services has specialized in translating military experience into accomplishments-focused resumes. Our goal is to help military service members to find their next mission with a resume that captures employers’ attention and highlights their unique military experience.
If you are a military service member, click here to get in contact with us
If you are a civilian professional, manager, or executive click here to contact us
We have a couple of great resources including a free quiz specific for Military & Veterans to answer the question “What Type of Resume Do I Need?” This quiz takes 5 minutes on average to complete.
Also, grab your Free Military to Civilian Resume Template, where you can insert your experience, education, training, and certifications. Take the guesswork out of securing civilian employment and successfully transition from military-to-civilian employment.