Lieutenant Julie Padgett
is a pilot in the United States Coast Guard.
She’s been serving for more than five years and was one of the first
female pilots of an HC-144A. At the helm
of her “Ocean Sentry” aircraft, Julie’s missions include search-and-rescue and
maritime patrol.
Julie and I have known
each other for a long time. I’m proud to
call her a friend and I’m in awe of all that she’s accomplished in her Coast
Guard career. I had a chance to catch up
with Julie recently at the
Women in Aviation Conference. I asked her
some questions about her work and how she might describe her military
experience on a civilian résumé using !@#$%, the
Signs of a Great Résumé.
Using the Signs of a Great Résumé is the best way to explain and quantify 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
Julie and her crew have
plenty of !@#$% to be proud of. They’re
regularly dispatched from their home in Mobile, AL to locate distressed or
stranded seafarers. When they find a disabled boat or someone floating adrift
in the vast Gulf of Mexico, they drop rescue supplies, rafts and other “care
packages” right from the back of the plane and into the hands of someone whose
life is in real danger. And that’s just an
“average day at the office.”
I asked Julie a few
questions about her experience. She’s
taking a new assignment at her next duty station in Texas which will help
prepare her for a seamless transition to a civilian career... someday. I’ve provided some tips about how a veteran
with a rich service history like Julie could describe her experience on a
civilian résumé. My insight is based on
the proven approach I teach in
Signs of a Great Résumé: Veterans Edition the newest edition of my best-selling book which is being
released in May 2014.
Scott: Julie, thank you so much for your service! How would you describe your role in the Coast
Guard using !@#$%, the Signs of a Great Résumé?
Julie: My current designation is “Aircraft
Commander.” I’m responsible for the
safe, effective operations of a $47 million aircraft and I lead a crew of six
on the aircraft. We fly between four and
eight different missions each month including demanding search-and-rescue, law
enforcement, PWCS (ports, waterways and coastal security) missions, missing and
endangered persons and other VIP missions around the Gulf of Mexico. Our crew is ready to go at a moment’s notice,
24 hours a day every day of the year.
Scott’s insight
that’s full of !@#$%: If Julie applies for a civilian job requiring previous
leadership experience, she might write “Led a crew of six on life-saving and
law enforcement missions as the pilot of a $47 million aircraft in the United
States Coast Guard.” When she writes this, she'll show that she meets the qualification of being a leader, the "#" of people she led, the "$" value of the aircraft for which she's responsible along with the "!" accomplishment of being a pilot, saving lives and performing law enforcement missions. When she writes a résumé using !@#$%, she provides more than just a job description. She's writing a résumé that speaks for itself in a way a civilian recruiter can understand.
Scott: What were some “Wow!” accomplishments that have made
your experience unique?
Julie: I was
the pilot of the first all-female aircrew of the Coast Guard’s newest
aircraft. We prosecuted a
high-visibility law enforcement case in partnership with eight external
agencies including a 2-week deployment to San Andreas, CO. Our crew played an integral role in locating
and tracking a super semi-submersible (“drug sub”) on the very first night we
were deployed in support of the Joint Interagency Task Force, South. I coordinated the efforts of my crew &
other ships and aircraft to intercept the vessel. The result was the apprehension of four
suspects and the confiscation of 6.2 tons of cocaine.
Scott’s insight
that’s full of !@#$%: If Julie seeks an opportunity in a civilian job where
‘building relationships and partnering’ are part of the responsibilities listed
in the job posting, she might write “Developed strong relationships across 8
government agencies and partnered with international colleagues to locate and
apprehend one of the largest drug-smuggling submarines ever found.” In writing her résumé this way, she shows that she can partner effectively, across a "#" of different agencies and with international colleagues. She also includes a "!" of locating and ensuring the capture of the largest drug sub ever found! That's pretty "!" isn't it?
Scott: What are
you doing over and above your day-to-day military job to prepare for a job in
the civilian sector someday?
Julie: At my
next duty station I plan to pursue a role as a Safety Division Chief and Flight
Safety Officer. I’ll help create and
ensure a safe, compliant operation and training environment for a unit of 604
members with 19 aircraft and the country’s busiest Coast Guard flight schedule
in Corpus Christi, TX. To prepare for
the role, I’ve enrolled in a 5-week Aviation Safety Officer Course. Once I arrive, I’ll be responsible for all
flight and ground safety including oversight of a $115 million building that’s 514,000
square feet and covers 221 acres. I’ll
also serve in a leadership capacity including the supervision of one officer
and one petty officer. I’ll manage a $40k
budget and be responsible for the oversight & management of eight platform
safety officers.
Scott’s insight
that’s full of !@#$%: When Julie someday seeks a civilian role in flight safety,
she can quantify and explain the credentials and training she learned in the
Coast Guard as part of the “Education” section of her résumé. She might write “Successfully completed a
5-week United States Coast Guard Aviation Safety Officer Course. Possess strong
knowledge of Emergency Response, Hazardous Materials handling and Fire Safety
training. Awarded Flight Safety Officer
credentials and currently pursuing a civilian Certified Safety Professional
(CSP) credential.” These are all qualifications that a civilian flight safety recruiter would look for on her résumé. She also indicates the "#" of weeks she trained and the "!" that "@" some point in the near future she'll have a civilian credential which she can use on the job. A résumé that's full of !@#$% makes it clear that she's a great candidate for this civilian career.
You can see how using !@#$%, Julie will be able to
quantify and explain her military experience in a way a civilian recruiter can
understand. In addition to the examples
I’ve given, Julie’s résumé will also include the term "military veteran" in the Summary of Qualifications near the top of the page. That way it's immediately clear to a recruiter that she's served our country. She'll also ensure she's considered for any veteran hiring programs. When Julie uses
the Signs of a Great Résumé, her résumé will speak for itself and she’ll “soar”
into a great civilian career. For now,
Julie continue to serve in the Coast Guard and keep us all safe on
the land, in the air and in the Gulf.
Thank you Julie!
You can help support veterans transitioning to a civilian
career. Join us and help 2,000 military
veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses get a great new
job in the civilian sector. Send them a
free copy of
Signs
of a Great Résumé: Veterans Edition through our Indiegogo campaign at
http://igg.me/at/veteranjobs. Support a veteran who needs and deserves our
help!
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