Employment
Translate your service record into a civilian resume
8 min read · Written for: Veterans writing a first civilian resume or getting no callbacks.
Hiring managers do not read duty codes. Convert each duty into scope, tools, and a measurable outcome and your callback rate changes fast.
Step 1
List duties, then strip the acronyms
Write every duty in plain words a neighbor would understand. 'Managed a 12-person team maintaining $4M of equipment' beats any code or rank abbreviation.
Step 2
Add a number to every line
People supervised, dollars of equipment, uptime percentage, hours of training delivered. Numbers are the fastest proof of scope that a civilian reader recognizes.
Step 3
Mirror the job posting's language
Pull the nouns from the posting — logistics, scheduling, compliance, safety — and use those exact words where they are honestly true of your work.
Step 4
Keep it to one page and two versions
One version aimed at operations and trades, one at coordination and administration. Send the closer match rather than a single general resume.
What to bring
- One-page resume, reverse chronological
- Plain-language duty lines with numbers
- Certifications and licenses with expiry dates
- Two references with current phone numbers
- A professional email address that is just your name
Common mistakes
- Leaving unexplained acronyms in the document.
- A three-page resume for an entry-level role.
- Explaining gaps in the resume rather than in the interview.
Need a person, not a page?
Start an intake and someone from the team will walk this with you.