Having an incredible resume is a must. After all, gainful employment, post-military, can be tough to come by. But, if you have served time in the military there are some skills that you need to show case. You have a niche and a particular set of skills within your working history. Boosting your resume is easy when you have spent many years in the military.

Here are some top tips for boosting your resume with your awesome set of military skills:

Using Your Experience to Full Capacity

Your experience may be far reaching. You may have had experience in different countries, undertaking difficult tasks with strange cultures. Let’s face it; civilian life is not like this. Highlighting your travel experience and how you reacted in various and hostile environments is important. This can show an employer that you are adaptable and flexible to change. When it comes to using your military experience, think about the key areas of your job roles. Management, risk analysis, and intelligence are all core skills that civilian companies need. Transfer this knowledge into federal jargon to make it more appealing to your prospects.

Think About Your Rank and How to Put This into Civilian Life

The military is known for having confusing jargon and terminology, but as a soldier you become used to this. Bear in mind that you are writing for an employer, not the military. The acronyms of your working life mean something to you, but they mean nothing to the average Joe. With this in mind, you need to consider your role and what you have done in the military and how these skills can be transferred into civilian life. Of course, firing a weapon is great in the military. But, in everyday, civilian life, you need to think about how this can be construed. Avoid using all of your military experience on your resume, but think about the competencies that you have gained during this time.

Make the Most of Specialist Experience

As you may know, many jobs will ask for a minimum of one year experience within a particular field. As a military professional, you may not have the appropriate title that they want. But, you do have specialized fields from your time of active duty. Think about what specialist knowledge you have and how long you performed those duties. In many cases, an employer wants a specialist skill set. Making the most of your year as a sergeant, for example, can be a good way of making sure that you are ticking all of the right boxes. Do make sure that you look at the job specification of the role that you are applying for and tailor your duties and tasks to the needs of that particular position. After all, you may not have the civilian experience, but you do have transferrable knowledge from the military to everyday life.

Using Your Accomplishments

The military is not one to shy away from giving praise where it is due. Use your accomplishments of the time spent in the military to create a database of your knowledge, skills and abilities. After all, the ability to give ‘real life’ examples of how your experience has stood you in good stead in a professional environment is an excellent way to boost your resume.