You’ve probably heard that talent acquisition managers and recruiters spend just 10-15 seconds glancing through your resume before determining whether you go into the YES or NO pile. That’s pretty anxiety-provoking and raises the question, “How do I ensure that my resume lands in the ‘move forward’ pile?”
Many military job seekers are continuing to make avoidable mistakes on their resumes. So, before you start applying for positions, make sure you don’t have these things on your resume.
1. Your full address
Not only is this a bad idea because your resume is so public and accessible, but it puts you at risk for identity fraud. In addition, there are more remote and hybrid opportunities than ever before, so your location isn’t as important as it used to be. The “City, State” you live in is all you need to include on your resume. But what if you are applying for a job outside of where you currently live? I recommend using the location of the position you are targeting and you can say, “Targeting City, State,” on the top of your resume. Your location may be relevant if you are applying to a brick-and-mortar office, but your entire mailing address isn’t necessary.
2. Irrelevant information
Hobbies and interests that aren’t related to your career are things that should be left off your resume. Instead, I recommend adding this information to the About/Summary section of your LinkedIn profile. It’s like a special treat for someone reading your profile to feel like they get to know you better. Your unusual hobby might even be a way to connect with your future boss or employee!. Here is an example from my profile:
3. A resume objective
Generic resume objectives are a thing of the past. Prospective employers don’t need you to tell them that you’re looking for a “Director-level role in [industry] and are eager to use [skills].” If you are applying for the job, they assume that your objective is to secure the role. Instead, consider adding a Career Summary: a paragraph or sometimes bulleted statement that describes your most significant and relevant professional qualifications that make you a great fit for the role. Here is an example of a solid Career Summary:
(Descriptive Adjective) (Aspiring Job Title) offering ____years of specialized experience (What have you been doing? Examples: “directing, educating, and leading 50 personnel under demanding and hazardous conditions” or “leading network operations/project management/logistics/supply chain management/distribution/ business development”) for domestic and global operations. Managed $___ dollar budget/program,/project for United States Department of Defense. Led up to__ cross-functional team members/personnel, supervised security checkpoints, and directed day-to-day operations across ___ sq miles. Successfully directed _#_ infrastructure projects valued at $__. Entrusted to secure $__ in assets while supporting ___ personnel. Career supported by _____degree(s).
4. Personal details
Beyond your contact information (email address, LinkedIn URL, and phone number, but remember: no mailing address) and your career/professional details, employers shouldn’t have access to any personal data. Your age, gender, sex, religion, birthday, country of birth and other personal factors should never weigh into hiring decisions — it’s illegal — and they shouldn’t appear on your resume. Don’t put your Social Security number on your resume, either. Your employer may need this later, such as if they conduct a background check, but not during the initial application cycle.
5. References
Including names and contact information of references will really date you; we also no longer say, “References available upon request.” Most employers expect to see your references providing a recommendation directly as an endorsement on your LinkedIn profile. This social proof is incredibly powerful but is surprisingly where most job seekers fall short. Especially as a military servicemember, it should be easy to have recommendations on LinkedIn. Every evaluation you’ve ever received has had a rater and senior rater who have made comments regarding your performance. So, take that information that has already been written, and send a formal request on LinkedIn. Here’s how to do it…
6. Your Security Clearance
Let me start by saying, there is a huge caveat to this. If you are targeting a government contractor role or a role that requests a Security Clearance (many IT positions do), then include your Clearance details. But if you are applying for a strictly private sector position, then this goes into the “irrelevant” category.
7. Military-Specific Training
I truly believe that the military provides some incredible training, but not all of it is applicable to the civilian workforce. For example, if you have HAZMAT training and aren’t targeting roles that request HAZMAT, then you are distracting the reader from your more relevant experience. I work with a lot of service members targeting leadership roles, (i.e. Director of Operations, Project Manager, and so on), so your leadership training should absolutely be included, but it might need to be tweaked so that it is impactful to civilian employers. For example, instead of saying, “NCO Academy Training,” say “Senior Leadership Training.”
8. Experience Over 10 Years old
Private sector resumes generally only focus on the last 10 years. They want to know what your most recent experience is. There are a few exceptions; for example, those targeting roles in academia usually demand more in-depth career histories. Same for Federal Resumes. Moreover, if the experience past 10 years old is highly relevant and/or necessary to your current role, you should include it, but keep the description a brief 4-5 sentences.
If you’re changing careers, you might want to include information that isn’t directly related to your prospective role, too — just try to find ways to highlight transferable skills and qualifications.
9. Pictures
Your LinkedIn profile is the only place that your picture should be, and in fact, including it on your resume can actually disqualify you for a position. Posting your picture on your resume is highly unprofessional as it puts both the job seeker and prospective employer in an inadvisable situation. Really the only exception to this if you’re applying for an acting or modeling gig. Otherwise, leave the headshots off your application.
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 designed specifically 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.