Sarah Bates ⋅ Fallbrook, CA Palomar Community College ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi, Daniel. I am not former military, but I do know that getting the right job depends on qualifications and patience. Your question does not state whether you are seeking a position as a "wheeled mechanic" (whatever that means) or a career in law enforcement. Whichever it is, translate what you did in the Air Force into a civilian job description then look for positions offering that career in companies seeking someone of your skills. If you have more than one career objective, prepare more than one resume and make it fit! For example, I searched: Wheeled Mechanic on usajobs.gov and one position with the Puerto Rico National Guard was open–probably not what you want. Then I searched: Heavy Equipment Mechanic, and many openings were offered throughout the US. Figure out what you want to do, then re-state it several different ways and see what shows up. If you can do most of the tasks described, then you're probably a good fit for the job opening. Finding the right position with the right company may not happen the first job you take, but once you have it, you're in a better position to find the one that satisfies you the most. I hope this helps you. By the way, their are business people on this site who will review your resumes. Take advantage of the free offer.

Kelly Ross Blake ⋅ Naperville, IL VA ⋅ 1 years experience

Despite the horror stories, it's really not that much different from applying for a civilian job: your resume should reflect your ability to perform the duties required of the position you are applying for. These are identified for you in the job announcement under the Duties, Qualifications, and Competencies / Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) sections. There is also a supplementary list of questions that you will be asked to complete during the application process (look for where it says, "To preview questions please click here.") Your experience doesn't have to come from a corrections / law enforcement setting, but you do have to identify how you acquired the skills and experience that they require. For example, the KSAs listed for Correctional Officer are:
Oral Communication.
Interpersonal Skills.
Writing.
Organizational Awareness.
Managing Human Resources.
Stress Tolerance.
No matter what you did in the military, you have experience with ALL of those! Giving orders, taking orders, following instructions, working with others, keeping records... The thing to remember with the Federal application though, is that the more experience you have = the more points you get, so don't be afraid to be repetitive (answer all the who-what-when-where-why-how questions, then add the quantitative to-what-degree, at-what-level, and for-what-result info). And also don't forget to include dates of employment / service: they won't count any experience that doesn't have a designated time period.
Feel free to email with questions.
Thank you for your service, and best regards.

William (Liam) Hickey ⋅ Chicago, IL Willpower Careers ⋅ 14 years experience

Yes, repeating the keywords is what gets interviews. The way I understand it, only the top few point totals get interviews, even if there are 500 applicants. One of my past clients beat out a lot of people with preference points for a federal project manager position by starting every relevant bullet on his résumé with "As a project manager . . . ." Simply by repeating the words "project manager" wherever he legitimately could, he was one of only a few who scored interviews.

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

My company specializes in federal resume development for military transition applicants. I myself work full time for the DoD and my parter works for DOH. 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

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

Timothy Strickland ⋅ Frederick, MD Defense Health Agency ⋅ 10 years experience

Daniel,

What you are referring to is 'key words.’ The federal employment process can be daunting; I know from first hand, as I just became a federal employee myself. This is paraphrasing a bit, I'm sure, but the first look that all fed applications receive is by computer. The computer is looking for key words that relate to the job you are applying for. For example, it may pick up on words like "security," "tactical", "supervised," and so on. You have to read the application very carefully to figure out which words the computer may be looking for. Only after this step does a human actually review your resume. If you seem to match the criteria then your application is sent to the hiring manager who will then decide if you rate an interview. With all this being said, things like veteran’s status, disability, etc also play a role in you getting the job.

I'm not in the corrections field, but you need to make your resume sound as much as possible that you performed security type jobs. So, concentrate on things like anything related to combat service, weapons quals, communication equipment used, leadership, personnel tracking, mentoring of junior soldiers, etc. These are all skills that a corrections officer must have. You also mention in your profile that you are working towards a degree in criminal justice. Talk to this such as classes taken, internships performed, etc.

Good luck. If you would like me to take a look at your resume just let me know.

Daniel Swift ⋅ Hesperia, CA U.S. Army, Specialist ⋅ 14 years served

Sorry i am trying to get into the Federal Prison as a Correctional Officer and i cant seem to aim my resume towards the Federal Prison. I heard usajobs.gov has certain words they look for to be able to get a job there. The job i am interested is in Victorville, Ca. Please if you can help me that would be awesome. Thank you