Hello; first off, what a great site and thank you to the Advisers for taking time to help us veterans. I am a 45 year old male who has recently returned to the U.S. after living in Europe since 1998. I served 21 years in the USAF and retired in June of 2008 as a Master Sergeant (E-7). I wrote my resume about 5 years ago and never needed it because I had a part time job overseas. Well, now that I have returned to America, I need to begin the process of seeking employment. I am 2 classes away from completing my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, I am willing to relocate, and I hope to find employment where I am not sitting behind a desk all day (hope that isn't too demanding...) Thank you again for your time and for your willingness to help the veterans.
Answers
Barry, thanks for your service! I agree with the other good advice you are getting. Short and powerful is good. Also be prepared to revise your resume for each job you apply for. Pick out the important skill areas that the employer is seeking then review your career experience and try to find the connection between your experience and what the employer is seeking. Making that pointed connection in a brief way helps the employer sort through volumes of resumes. The canidates that make the best connections usually get the calls. I will be happy to review your resume or discuss this with you. Contact me at robert.spicer@alcoa.com. Good luck Barry.
Barry, thank you for your service. I will be happy to review your resume and offer suggestions if you will email a copy to billnobles@optonline.net.
Regards, Bill
Mr. Mueller,
First of all, thank you for your service and I wish you the best of luck as you transition out of your degree program. My main suggestion for anyone writing or editing a resume is to keep it short and powerful. Use action verbs when describing your previous experiences and but also tailor it to the audience you are trying to impress; unless you are 100% sure that your resume reviewer is familiar with military terminology, I would keep it high level to avoid any confusion on their side.
If you need a place to start, Harvard's Office of Career Services published an online document that gives you a great template and also some suggestions on phrasing for power and brevity. The address is: http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/materials/resumes_and_cover_letters.pdf.
I hope this helps!
We provide free resume critiques to all military service members. You can submit your resume to us via email or by using our secure online submission form:
Email: Info@ExpertResumeSolutions.com
Form: http://www.tinyurl.com/ERS-Critique
Feel free to also connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kellywilliamsmaresca/
Thank you for your service. We are here to help!
Warmest Regards,
Kelly Williams
Resume Strategist & President
Expert Resume Solutions
Business: (732) 686-6455
www.ExpertResumeSolutions.com
Thank you for your service. I would be happy to offer advice on your resume. Best regards- Doug
Wow! Thanks so much Mr. Frost, Mr. Nobles, and Mr. Spicer for the quick and useful replies!! I will be sending my resume shortly. If I may, I would like to speak for veterans everywhere in thanking you for your time and "service." You offer us a very valuable and knowledgeable perspective as we transition back into the civilian world; and you've done it altruistically! Thanks again for your help!!
Barry C. Mueller, USAF, MSgt. (retired)
Your Answer
Please log in to answer this question.