Military to Civilian Resume: Part 3,
Training and Achievements

by Peter Marx

A good resume is not simply a history of your work experience. It must also show employers what you bring to them in terms of education, training and job-specific accomplishments or recognitions. Let's start making these lists.

Education
This is pretty straight forward. List all degrees that you have earned from accredited colleges or universities, including all levels. Name the degree, the school, the location of the granting institution and the year the degree was completed. If you are just beginning a degree program, add a line that explains "Currently Enrolled". If you are half-way through, add "Completed X# of semester hours". If you are almost finished a degree, add "Expected Graduation in Month/Year".

Training
Remember in Part 1, we consulted the DD2586 that all veterans have? It includes the personal history of training you received while on active duty. Consult it as a master training list each time you create a resume targeted to a specific job. Transfer to your new resume only the training that supports your new resume's goal. Here's a place where you probably will have to rename some of the training you received. For instance, "NCOIC Academy"should become "Senior Leadership and Management". Simply verbalize what you learned in any particular training event and potential employers will understand what you learned. Remember that you have also gained training through correspondence, attendance at professional conferences and even through online or teleconference/webinar sessions. List those too.

Accomplishments and Achievements
If you just copy the skills advertised for a job and call it a resume, saying "Yes, I know how to do all of those things", you certainly won't stand out in a crowd. Employers expect that all of the resumes they receive come from qualified candidates. You can lift yourself above the competition by including any special recognition, awards and accomplishments you have earned. These can include examples like, "Salesman of the Year", "Increased annual profits by $2M", "Reduced delivery time by 60%". Think efficiency, money and time, as they represent savings to any employer.

Now you have lists of your transferable skills for employment, the education and training you have taken and a list of what makes you better than the average applicant. These are the tools to consult as you create any new resume. You can simply cut and paste from this extensive info to target any job opening you find.