Start with the job you want
Don’t try to write one résumé that covers your whole career. Pick a type of job first, then read three or four real postings for it. Note the words they repeat, because those are the words a recruiter is looking for.
From there, keep what supports that job and cut what doesn’t. An impressive award or duty may still not belong on this résumé if it doesn’t help the reader picture you in the role.
Find the skills behind your code
Your MOS/AFSC/Rating is a starting point, and it doesn’t tell the whole story. Write down what you actually did, including the extra duties, the training you ran, and the equipment you were responsible for.
These tools can give you the civilian words for your work:
- CivLaunch’s job finder shows the transferable skills tied to your MOS/AFSC/Rating and the civilian jobs that use them.
- My Next Move for Veterans (opens in a new tab) suggests civilian careers with similar work when you enter your military job.
- O*NET’s Military Crosswalk (opens in a new tab) lets you look up civilian occupations by military code or title.
- COOL (opens in a new tab) links to each branch’s site on credentials related to military occupations.
Replace military language
Have someone with no military background read your résumé. Anything they stop to ask about should be rewritten. Here are the kinds of changes to look for:
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| NCOIC | Team supervisor, shift lead, or section manager, whichever fits what you did |
| Soldiers, Marines, sailors, or airmen | Team members, staff, or technicians |
| Mission-critical assets | The specific equipment, and what it was worth if you know |
| PCS or TDY | Relocated, or traveled for a temporary assignment |
| Command inspection | Formal compliance inspection or audit |
Keep a code or title where it helps. Writing it once, next to a plain description, lets people who know the code recognize it, and other readers still understand you. Keep civilian terms that are the same in both worlds, such as technical manuals, preventive maintenance, or a certification by name.
Write bullets that show results
A strong bullet says what you did, at what scale, and what happened because of it. Use numbers you can honestly back up in an interview. These examples are made up to show the pattern:
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Responsible for squadron supply. | Managed inventory and ordering for a 200-person organization, keeping accurate records through two annual audits. |
| Served as crew chief on assigned aircraft. | Led maintenance on an assigned aircraft: scheduled inspections, supervised two technicians, and signed off completed work. |
| Conducted training for junior personnel. | Trained 15 new technicians on safety and repair procedures, and tracked their progress to full qualification. |
Show your level of responsibility
Paygrade and rank titles don’t translate reliably, so show the level directly: how many people you led, what budget or equipment you answered for, and who relied on your work.
Don’t undersell yourself. Leading a team, running training, or keeping records that hold up to inspection all count as real experience for civilian jobs, even if nobody called it management at the time.
A final check before you apply
- Can someone with no military background understand every line?
- Do your words match the ones used in the posting, where they’re true for you?
- Does each bullet show a result or a scale, rather than a duty alone?
- Have you left out anything classified or sensitive?
- Could you explain every number and claim in an interview?
- Is the document easy to scan, usually one or two pages?
Ready to see where your skills fit? Find jobs that match your MOS/AFSC/Rating.