Matt Johnson ⋅ Chicago, IL EY-Parthenon ⋅ 10 years experience

Lots of great advice on here. On the tactical level, many of the big mistakes I see on veterans resumes are too much jargon and a simple listing of job responsibilities, which tells me nothing about whether you did the job well or not. Test out your resume to see if the bullets follow this formula:

Action Verb > Situation or Task > Quantitative Result or Qualitative Impact

You may need to include a benchmark for the quantitative if the likely reader is from outside your industry. (e.g. is 90% combat readiness good or bad for an element of your size)
Each bullet should convey a different skill (leadership, creativity, problem solving, communication, etc) and provide a pathway into a longer-form story that you can use in an interview.

Brock Renshaw ⋅ Tampa, FL Citi ⋅ 7 years experience

Military.com has an app that you can use to find jobs in a field that aligns with the skills developed in the military. You can search for jobs in an geographic area too.

Others have mentioned networking. I wholeheartedly agree. Don’t forget to use social media networks too as you may find a childhood friend who’s in the field you’re interested in.

Lastly, I am a fan of headhunters. Find one in the area you want to work; geographically and industry.

Please feel free to reach out to me at: brock.renshaw@citi.com if you’d like.

All the best
Brock

Jerry Welsh ⋅ Middleville, MI Master Military Transition Advisor/HPS GPO ⋅ 30 years experience

P.S. Heather nails it on the network. My saying is network or notwork!

Jerry Welsh ⋅ Middleville, MI Master Military Transition Advisor/HPS GPO ⋅ 30 years experience

Rob,
You need chose a career, do some research on that career and focus your LinkedIn profile to that direction. If I have the correct profile, it indicates you are a MBA candidate, but you were accepted to a great University and your plan is to study business. Most folks who have been in ten years have great operational experience, project management(Syracuse University) offers free PMP for veterans. Not all junior officers are the same, 1) you are using ACP, indicates a willingness to learn and not too proud to seek assistance. One thing about transitioning, there are a ton of great resources(free). 2) Study up on Informational Interviews and build some information about civilian careers. Just be honest, you need some assistance/help in the operations management field and ask the right questions. Keep in mind, the military decentralizes many things, so unless HR is where you want to, that is not something to list. Go to your OCers and look at the quantifiable results sections and build some solid numbers based accomplishments in the field you are seeking. Connect with Michael Quinn, he is posting about networking. If you are still in, now is the best time to "personal" network. 90% of jobs are awarded this was. It saves companies tons of money and you come with a recommendation some else thinks you are a good candidate. Build a couple of elevator pitches, one for someone in the industry and one for a more social contact who will ask "I heard you are getting out, what are you planning on doing"-it is amazing how many people you know, know about jobs that are open, and really like to help veterans. I am attaching a couple of articles and a couple of profiles of senior military who took 20+ years and narrowed them down to a career field. Thanks for your service and God Bless.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/come-prepared-transition-process-gap-between-civilian-jerry-welsh/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-more-right-jerry-welsh/

Good examples of “to the point” profiles are Mark Broc, PMP, SSGB, CSM and Jack Eisenhauer, Global Supply Chain. All have had long careers, but emphasized experiences and accomplishments that offer examples of the career they are searching for.

Heather Darnell ⋅ Pinehurst, NC U.S. Army, Master Sergeant ⋅ 16 years served

In my experience your network is the best way to stand out. Anytime someone can meet you before you submit a resume, you will stand out. ACP, Amazon, Deloitte, Accenture, and tons of other large companies hold webinars and informational calls where you can virtually meet recruiters and help them out a face to your application. Some will even pull your application out of a big stack of other candidates which gets you to the interview stage. You can also connect with recruiters on LinkedIn and ask when they might hold their next informational call so you can participate