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If you are an ex-military person who has decided to seek work in the general workplace, you know that you will have some problems convincing the world you know anything except how to wage war. You can convince them, but it will take work. The major problem is that you speak a different language from people in the “real” world. You were living in a sub-culture within our general culture, and this sub-culture has its own unique vocabulary.

It is not uncommon for human resources personnel to skip over military personnel as qualified job applicants. Resume reviewers in human resources departments reject these resumes because they are written with military language that they don’t understand. Fixed in their minds is the image of someone in the desert or the forest, wearing fatigues and army boots. It is essential that you sit down and inventory the skills you were using in the military. Take your skills and fields of knowledge out of military jargon and translate them into language that is understood by civilians.

For example, a retired military officer cited the following: Desert Storm Logistics Commander: Oversaw Desert Storm projects with responsibility for logistics, field equipment, allocation of project funds, and tracking of budgets. Using civilian language as an applicant for a budget and fiscal control position, this qualification should have read as follows: Project Budgeting and Funds Allocation Experience: Managed multi-million dollar projects. Tracked expenses, allocated funds, and oversaw up to $20 million in equipment and supplies.

Replace military job titles with skill headings that match the jobs you want. Market the best of your civilian experience and combine it with your military background so that you appear qualified for the civilian positions you desire. There are aids to assist you with this process:

(1) Each service’s personnel manual has a section in which military jobs and tasks are cross-coded to the civilian Dictionary of Occupational Titles.

(2) There is also a two-volume Military Occupation Training Data series available from Defense Manpower Data Center which does the same thing.

(3) The Retired Officers Association (TROA) provides resume critiques for their members. It is, however, open only to officers who become members of TROA.

Delicate Situations and Common Challenges

Write your resume in a reasonably straightforward way, without calling attention to aspects of your background that might not impress an employer. Some aspects of a civilian background which could put you in a negative light are longs gaps of unemployment or no college degree. The following lists some common problems and gives a suggestion or two for approaching them:

You have held the same job for years. It is the only job of significance that you have ever held. Divide the job into several areas of responsibility. Treat each areas as if it were a separate job. For each major aspect of your responsibility, write a general statement of responsibilities or duties followed by several points that indicate your accomplishments.

Not one of the specific jobs described on your resume are directly related to the position for which you are applying. Use a functional or combination resume built around those skills and attributes that you want to highlight. Perhaps you used those skills in an organization or in volunteer activities.

The most recent jobs in your work history bear little relation to one another. Again, use a combination resume focusing on the skills that you demonstrated and the experience that you gained from those jobs. Key those descriptions to the job for which you are applying.

Doris Appelbaum is Founder and President of Appelbaum's Resume Professionals, Inc. She is an international career consultant, resume writer, speaker, and trainer. Fax or email resume for FREE critique. Doris can be reached at (414) 352-5994 - 1-800-619-9777 - dorisa@execpc.com - (414) 352-7495 (fax). Visit the company’s website http://www.appelbaumresumes.com. Listen to Career Quest every Sunday at noon on AM 540 in Wisconsin and Illinois.