James Watson ⋅ San Diego, CA General Atomics ⋅ 30 years experience

Hi Lawrence-

I am retired after a 40 year career in industry where I hired over 100 people. Now I am helping veterans like yourself by helping with their resumes. If you would e-mail me your resume (drjamesfwatson@gmail.com) I would be happy to comment on it. I also recommend the book "Tired of Eating Peanut and Butter Sandwiches? - Tips to Get a Job Fast" available on Amazon. It contains practical advice. Good luck in your search!!

Jim Watson

David Jackson ⋅ Midland, MI U.S. Army, Specialist ⋅ 3 years served

Lawrence,
In todays employment market, employers are looking for job seekers that have some experience but not so much that they will be expensive to hire. A big form of discrimination today is working age, which means the more you show as far as experience the more expensive you will be to hire. Employers want good but they also want cheap because payroll is their biggest expense. So try not to show anything later than ten years. If you have some good experience past ten years that you want to highlight, add a category to your resume of "Additional Skill and Experience" this is where you can add all those things from your past (without dates) that are critical but won't say that "I'm an older person with a lot of experience and therefore will be expensive to hire". Also I would not include any dates on education. In addition if you are using a resume format that has an "Objective" keep that short. The average length of an objective is 2 sentences. What do you want, what is your objective? I've seen too many people make the mistake of trying to get information in the objective that would do better in the body of the resume. When an employer looks through resumes, usually the first time is a sorting process at which point you get about 15 - 20 seconds. So make your Objective direct and to the point. "Military veteran seeking a position in (or) as a ,,,,,." Also start out identifying yourself as a "Military veteran". Whom ever you select to help you with your resume, be sure that they are prior service, because they/we will have a better feel for your service, and be able to relate that in your resume. If I can be of any further help feel free to contact me.

Kelly Williams ⋅ Newark, DE Stars to Stripes Military Transition Assistance ⋅ 10 years experience

Lawrence,

My company provides 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

Please allow 3-5 business days for completion.

We use two different formats for corporate and federal applications. I can send you examples of each to get you started.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kellywilliamsmaresca/

Thank you for your service.

Warmest Regards,

Kelly Williams
Career Strategist & President
Security Cleared Careers
Expert Resume Solutions
Business: (732) 686-6455
Email: info@expertresumesolutions.com
www.ExpertResumeSolutions.com

Job Board: wwww.SecurityClearedCareers.com

Tom Ordonez ⋅ Miami, FL ⋅ 14 years experience

Lawrence!!!

GIS professionals are on demand! You just need to improve your personal branding.

GIS is used for developing mobile applications. This is the future of tech. Everybody in this market knows it.

Keep in mind that writing a resume is about creating value for their mission. Just like in the military. There is a mission and somehow you need to fit in to create value.

Once you figure what is the value that you can provide for a position (mission), writing the resume and cover letter should be easy. Keep in mind that you also need a strong Linkedin and a personal website.

If you need more help please let me know.

Sandra McKee ⋅ Buford, GA Keller Graduate School of Management ⋅ 30 years experience

A resume is a detailed substantiation of what you say you know how to do. I have two pieces of advice for you: (1) develop a 50-word professional definition of what you bring to a company. Think of these areas: good guy (what makes you a positive and great person to work with?), good help (what is your work ethic; how can we know you will be effectual?), savvy (how have you applied your skills in specific ways that we might need?) From that professional definition you can support the statements with proof from your experience and skills, education, certs., etc. (2) Remember to translate the wording from your experience into the terminology of the field or specific job you are going after. If you want to send me your resume, I'll be glad to help. Sandra

Al Hope, Sr. ⋅ Water Valley, MS City of Oxford, MS ⋅ 20 years experience

Hi Lawrence,

Check out www.careeronestop.org. This site has excellent transition information for military personnel. It has a step by step process of writing a resume. Also has some good salary data to see what you want to ask for during or after the interview.

Al

Stephanie Arnold ⋅ Lake Odessa, MI Cargill ⋅ 10 years experience

Hi Lawrence,

Thank you for your service! Your post caught my eye! You mentioned that you are pursuing a BS in Environmental Science as well as working towards obtaining a Certificate in GIS. My husband (served 13 years in Army) has a BS in Geographical Information Science and is currently pursuing his MS in Geography, so I may be able to help you with your resume since my background is in HR, but I have some exposure to the world of Geography and GIS. Please feel free to email me directly at Stephanie_Arnold@cargill.com, or send me a message here on ACP. It seems you are looking for a civilian career in GIS or Environmental Sciences, but it would be helpful to know more specifically what type of position interests you. It would also be helpful to see an example of a resume that you currently have so we have something to work from.

Respectfully,

Stephanie Arnold