Top Resume Tips for Veterans
It may not be the most fun task, but your resume can stand in the way of securing a role, so it’s important to invest time in it.
Here are our top Resume tips:
Avoid Military Jargon
Including jargon will reduce your chances of success if an employer doesn’t understand it. With this in mind, it’s best to assume they know anything about the military and keep it as simple as possible while still relating your experience to the role.
Include Keywords
Employers often use recruitment technology to help screen and progress candidates. This can mean that the technology will review and reject your resume before a person has even had the chance to look at it. To avoid this, include certain keywords from the job description that are used to describe the desirable candidate, so your CV is more likely to be a match.
Include a Personal Statement
Again, something punchy is needed. This is where you sell yourself and explain in a nutshell why your previous experience makes you the best person for the job. Input here your strengths and explain why being a veteran makes you a valuable asset to that company while referencing the most impressive skills and experience that you gained.
Keep it Concise
Keep it short and concise. Employers spend just 8 seconds looking at any one resume on average. Would they have time to read your life story in this time? Certainly not. So, keep the most impressive information at the very top. Use the interview to discuss points further.
Tailor Your Resume to Every Role you Apply For
We know it takes time to do this, but it will be worth it, we promise. Research the company and use the job advert to work out what skills you should point out to them. You Resume needs to demonstrate exactly why you are the candidate they need.
Career History
Emphasize the most notable points of your career to date while keeping it brief. Include things that employers of ex-military personnel would be most interested in, such as dates of tor duties, changes of regiment and promotions.
Keep Your Resume Up to Date
Sounds obvious, but your resume needs to be kept up to date! Every time something significant occurs in your career, record it so you don't later forget something that could be important to your future career search.
Make Sure it’s Accurate
Employers will look for mistakes, and if there are any, it certainly won’t work in your favor. If an employer is experiencing high volumes of applicants, this could be the very reason you are rejected, based on this factor alone. Even if you do have an incredible employment history. Use a spelling and grammar checker, and also consider having someone review it for you.
Tell the truth
Blatant lies on your resume can land you in a whole heap of trouble later down the line. There’s a big difference between emphasizing and selling yourself and completely lying. You could get caught out at the interview stage when you suddenly can't answer questions you claim to know or have experienced.
Structure It
Make sure the structure makes sense, the important information should be at the top, and your education and employment history should be in reverse chronological order. There’s no need to go too fancy with layouts or graphics. Simple bullet points work best.
