Jacqueline Berg ⋅ Gilford, NH self-owned business ⋅ 8 years experience

You must also be aware of some of the quirks of Applicant Management software or Applicant Tracking Systems (ie. software which combs through your resume to see if you are a good "fit"). These systems can struggle with fonts, position/date formats, etc. (For example, putting the date before the position will cause your resume to be overlooked, or using a little used font can do this I understand.) I wish I knew all the rules.

Here is a pointer to some of the "gotchas" around this.
http://www.cio.com/article/2398753/careers-staffing-insider-secrets-for-beating-appli/careers-staffing/5-insider-secrets-for-beating-applicant-tracking-systems.html

Diane Riemer ⋅ Andover, MA Brandeis International School of Business ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Desmond,
I would like to add a bit to the previous comments:
Keep in mind that your resume is only one part of the process. I think of it like this - a cover letter should create just enough interest to get the recruiter to read the resume and the resume should provide just enough additional "evidence" of what you are describing in the cover letter, to get the recruiter to the next step -- which is to call you in for an interview. The point is that the cover letter and resume should work together to build interest in your candidacy. For me, the goal of the resume is to, again, provide the right amount of information (but not everything) that will motivate the recruiter to want to know more. I hope you will find crafting the cover letter and resume with this in mind helpful.

Also think about what you want to highlight in your resume - this should come through almost as a "theme" for your resume. Think about the top 2, 3, areas where you excel and be sure to build your bullets in the various sections around this "theme". Be sure that the skills you want to emphasize are transferrable - skills that any employer could use. Consider also that what you are good at, may not be what you want to do going forward, so don't emphasize skill sets you don't want to use.

Bullet text should be Accomplishments statements, not a task list of what you have done in the past. As you start to write the text for your bullets, think about what difference it made if this was done? What problem did it solve or avoid? What was the result? What did it accomplish for your organization? If you get stuck, write out the bullet and then ask yourself "So What". If you can easily articulate the answer to "So What", it will help you to write Accomplishment statements.

All the best
Diane

Fouad Malik ⋅ Los Angeles, CA ⋅ 7 years experience

Resume should not be mere summary of job functions or your accomplishments in military (otherwise it may appear to be better fit for your past or current roles than a future role). Resume should be able to project what you can do for a future employer. Accordingly, you will have to research civilian occupation you are targeting and then state your military experience and accomplishment in a manner which shows employer that you have Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) as well as experience in targeted occupation.

Jennifer Mackin ⋅ Cleveland, OH Ferro Corporation ⋅ 24 years experience

A few items to keep in mind as you construct your resume.
- Begin sentences/bullets with an action verb.
- Provide dimension to your responsibilities, i.e., # people supervised, $s accountable for, etc.
- Keep it to one page, if at all possible
- Start with a professional summary or objective
- Place education and certifications at the end and, yes, provide dates, as what you list will be verified
As Eryn states above, if you provide more detail we could provide more suggestions. Thank you for your service.