Below, Brian explains exactly how he wrote a résumé full
of !@#$%, the Signs of a
Great Résumé. Using
the Signs of a Great Résumé is the best way to quantify and explain your
military experience so your civilian résumé speaks for itself:
! - Any part of your experience that was “amazing!”
@ - Defining points, places, dates and things in your
career
# - Numbers that quantify and prove your past successes
$ - The dollar value of your contributions
% - Figures that easily show growth and results
Veterans and reservists can use
!@#$% to describe the technical training, capabilities and experience they
bring to the civilian workplace. They should also tell civilian recruiters “I am a P.A.T.R.I.O.T.” I’m not just talking about the fact that it’s
patriotic for veterans and military families to have served our country. What I mean is there are core values that are
universal to all service members in any branch. These core values are important for ALL
veterans to include on a résumé because they’re important to civilian
recruiters. P.A.T.R.I.O.T. is an acronym
I developed to showcase those values:
In any military
occupation, veterans who have worn the uniform and carried our nation’s
flag have developed these very desirable (and highly employable!)
qualities.
Signs of a GreatRésumé: Veterans Edition provides in-depth insight about how to showcase these values on your
résumé. Let’s see how Brian told his
recruiter “
I am a P.A.T.R.I.O.T.”
and landed a fantastic job as a manager at a Fortune 500 company.
Insight from a
P.A.T.R.I.O.T.
Written By Lieutenant Brian Amos, U.S. Army Reserve
The challenge for any soldier when pursuing an
occupation in the civilian workplace is communicating to recruiters what
exactly your military job entailed and why that makes you a great candidate for
a civilian job. I recently went through this experience and was fortunate
enough to secure a job with a major Fortune 500 employer in the hospitality
industry. The key for me was conveying how
my leadership skills, values and the strong moral compass I learned as a
soldier uniquely equipped me to be a successful leader in the civilian
workplace.
How did I convey this message? What is the best model
for communicating the value that I bring to the table? Scott Vedder’s
book, Signs of a GreatRésumé: Veterans Edition,
teaches veterans and reservists how to tell recruiters ‘I am a P.A.T.R.I.O.T.’ and he’s
right - I am! And I believe that all
members of our armed forces are as well.
Consider the following examples:
“I am Trainable”
All
members of the military go through rigorous training throughout their career. Basic training, technical and tactical
training, advanced leadership courses, etc. When I was pursuing civilian employment, I
discovered quickly that it was not enough to list the different training
schools that I have attended as a soldier. I needed to add !@#$% to reflect the specific
value that my training could bring to the organization.
“I am a Team Player”
As a prior Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine you
realize the value of true teamwork. You
understand that rarely anything is accomplished by a group of individuals
protecting their own interests. Your commitment
to the team and adaptability as a team player is a tremendous asset that you
must leverage as you transition into the civilian workforce. How do you leverage this asset? How did I leverage
this asset? I used !@#$%, the Signs of a Great Résumé, to highlight my
experiences with different units and the various roles I held. Examples include
serving as a Recruiting Coordinator, Special Events Officer, Safety Officer and
Platoon Leader. On my résumé I indicated the
following specific examples using !@#$%:
Recruiting Coordinator:
·
Planned and coordinated 6
recruiting events bringing in 8 new soldiers
Safety Officer:
·
Assessed risk and implemented
safety plans for 5 major training exercises
·
Decreased injuries from previous
year by 20%
“I am Accountable”
Your level of accountability increased as soon as you
joined our nation’s armed forces. You
were accountable to your leaders, your peers, your subordinates but most of
all, your country. Beyond personnel, you
were accountable for equipment and information. In many cases, the equipment you were
accountable for was very expensive and sensitive. Remember all of those
painstaking sensitive items checks you conducted? Of course you do. Now put that information to use as you pursue
a job in the civilian workforce! Use !@#$%
to highlight the personnel and equipment you were accountable for. On my résumé I indicated
the following specific example using !@#$%:
Platoon Leader:
·
Maintained accountability for over $1 million in
equipment
·
Planned and coordinated annual training for 30
soldiers
·
Successfully implemented new training program
resulting in 30% increase in personnel readiness
Brian’s résumé clearly speaks for itself and he’s got plenty
of !@#$% to explain why it’s absolutely true for him to proclaim “I am a
P.A.T.R.I.O.T.” I’m proud to know Brian,
grateful for his service and thankful to him for sharing his insight about what
makes
Signs of
a Great Résumé: Veterans Edition the best resource for military veterans,
reservists, transitioning service members and their families.
I’ll be sending some free copies of
Signs of a Great Résumé:Veterans Edition to Brian’s unit in the Florida Army National Guard at the
conclusion of our
Indiegogo Campaign.
You can help support the brave men and women of Brian’s platoon and up
to 2,000 veterans, transitioning service members and their families by joining
and contributing to our Indiegogo campaign at
http://igg.me/at/veteranjobs. Our veterans need and deserve our help
finding great civilian jobs. You can
send a personal copy of Signs of a Great Résumé: Veterans Edition to a veteran
for as little as $5. There’s less than
two weeks left on the campaign. Join us
today!
For more great insight and free résumé tips for civilians and veterans, visit
www.ScottVedder.com.
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