Tips for Preparing a Military Resume

(Part One)

Follow the guidelines below to help ensure your military resume is going to be read and understood by top employers.

Military Resume Preparation Instructions


A good military resume has four things that make it impactful. It is organized, concise, contains pertinent information and looks professional.

Sample Military Resume Examples

I. Organization


A military resume should be organized into the following categories:

Heading, Education, Training / Certifications and Experience / Accomplishments.

 

A. HEADING:

The heading should be at the top of the page. It must contain your name, mailing address, home phone number, cell phone number (if applicable), your personal email address and military email address (if applicable).

Bradley N. Morris
4225 Executive Square, La Jolla, CA 93324
H (858) 638-7185 // C (858) 638-1212
bmijmo@bradley-morris.com // bmijmo@militaryaddress.mil

Headline: Who you are should leap off of the page and grab the reader’s attention. Use a “headline” or “banner” to sell yourself. Think: “Why should a company hire me?” See below for some examples and be sure to consult your Candidate Recruiter on this topic.

Note: If you have a security clearance or are fluent in more than one language, mention these items at the top of the resume. Certifications that would otherwise require a substantial investment on an employer’s behalf should be listed near the top of your military resume.

Example 1:

PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL
Naval Academy graduate with over 6 years of management experience in a fast-paced, high-level PR organization.

“An adroit communicator, strong leader, and superb manager of both resources and time… an indispensable member of my personal staff… one of the most talented PAOs with whom I have served.”--Admiral Mullen, CNO

 

Example 2:


ARMY AVIATOR / TECHNICAL INSTRUCTOR
A combat-tested leader, pilot, instructor, and Operations Officer.
Possesses an Active Secret Security Clearance. Fluent in Spanish and Russian.

  • Routinely chosen for, and excelled at, positions typically reserved for more senior leaders.
  • Known for orchestrating multi-faceted projects ahead of schedule and innovative training techniques.

 

Example 3:

NUCLEAR-TRAINED MECHANICAL AND ENGINEERING LABORATORY TECH
Top Secret Security Clearance • Fluent in Spanish • Six Sigma Green Belt
Offering six years of experience in operating and maintaining mechanical systems in support of nuclear power plants. Expert in the operation of all reactor, steam plant, electrical generation, and auxiliary equipment, as well as nuclear reactor chemistry / steam plant chemistry, and radiological controls used in nuclear applications.

 

Example 4:

EXPERIENCED PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
A combat-experienced U.S. Marine Corps leader specializing in maintenance and project management, large-scale logistical operations, hazardous material program management, and employee development.
Also an award winning instructor.

 

Technical Expertise: Especially for engineering and technician careers, a rule of thumb is that the more technical aspects you can include on your resume the better; this applies to engineers and senior Non-Commissioned Officers as well as more junior technicians.

For enlisted service members, leadership and supervision are important, but one must not forget to emphasize hands-on experience. A technical expertise section makes it easy for hiring managers to identify the types of equipment and tools that you have managed, fixed and operated. Think big picture (i.e. hydraulics, pneumatics, ladder logic, boilers, generators, etc.) rather than military-specific systems and terminology. As demonstrated in some of the examples above, technical expertise can be rolled into the “showcase” portion of your resume in lieu of a separate section.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

• Mechanical Systems • AC & DC Circuits • Technical Manuals
• Frequency Counters • Electronic Cooling • Electrical Theory
• Solid State Devices • Electronic Theory • Multimeters
• Fluid Mechanics • Quality Assurance • Scheduled Maintenance
• Troubleshooting • Schematics and Diagrams • Electromechanical Systems

For IT resumes, technical expertise may be displayed in several sub-categories:

SKILLS
Operating Systems: Sun Solaris (6 yrs), HP-UX (5 yrs), Linux (4 yrs), Novell (5 yrs), Windows NT Server (2 yrs), Cisco IOS 9-12 (5 yrs)

Software: HP Openview (4 yrs), CiscoWorks (1 yr), Microsoft Exchange (2 yrs), Side Winder Firewalls (2 yrs), ISS (2 yrs)

Hardware: Pargain T1/E1 modems, Cabletron switches, Cisco 2500, 4000 and 7000 routers

Media: 10Base2 (BNC, COAX), 10BaseT (UTP)

 

Military resume guidance prepared by Bradley-Morris, Inc. and MilitaryResumes.com .