This is a question I have been asked many times and recently by a US veteran.
My advice applies to both UK and US ex service personnel who are looking for a new career outside of the military:“I’m speaking from a UK recruiting perspective, but am sure that it applies on both sides of the pond.
Most definitely include your military service on your CV.
Although some people find “blowing their own trumpet” a bit embarrassing, the fact is that writing a CV is like writing an advert to sell yourself.
This is your one chance to get over the first hurdle and get an interview for that job.
So, like any other part of your experience think of how that military experience fits with the job that you are applying for.
Always tailor your CV to the job description or advert, if you don’t have any specific job details, do your research, ring people up and ask for advice and information.
Don’t hold back on making the effort at this stage, it may well pay off later.
Once you have the shopping list of the hirer for their perfect candidate for the role, you can set about writing your CV, providing all the evidence to say why you are the right person for the job.
Back to the military career.. think about the elements of your military service that particularly fit this role, and then describe this experience in the same or similar terms that the hirer is using.
If you have particularly strong evidence which matches the job, get this in an opening sentence on your CV.
Don’t be afraid to get your sales pitch for yourself in early!
You might be cringing at the thought of selling yourself, but you have to make your CV better than your competition.
I expect during your military career you were encouraged to think of yourself as the best and to always have a competitive edge, well now is the time to bring out that training! Think of the job or person description as the hirers shopping list and then try to tick all their boxes with your experience, military or otherwise. Make your CV clear and easy to read, avoid generalisations and get in specifics.
Lots of great experience gained by people in miltary service. It would be an oversight to leave it off a CV.
Excellent suggestions!
It would be a good idea is we can provide a link from our Job Board to this blog.
Please let me know.
winsome answers i like it
Thanks for your positive comments and contribution. Call back again regularly or set up an RSS feed. If you know of others who might be interested please feel free to pass on the link.
Rowena
The information here is great. I will invite my friends here.
Thanks
Just a comment: I have previously added and removed my military background from my CV; I have had a varied response including comments that ‘we don’t employ ex-Army’ from international organisations. I think the image of the UK soldier by UKplc is one of low education and rigid management style, neither of which is necessarily true.
Basically I’m not answering whether to or not, just imparting my experience. I have had completely negative and positive experiences, so I have a CV for both.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your comment, you make some valid points here. I’ve found new careers for some excellent ex forces people in the past, and found some good employers who value the experience, training and work ethic that often comes with forces experience. You may also come across hiring managers who are themselves ex forces and actually favour those with a similar background. One thing I have noticed about the CVs of people who have successfully made the transition into “civvy street” is that they have been very good at describing their services skills and experience in a transferable way. I’ve seen one or two where you would have to look quite hard to see that the experience was forces, as they have described their job roles using purely civilian terminology. I’m not suggesting that you should hide the fact that you have military service on your CV, and I believe that there are many employers who would value your experience. However as with any job you apply for, the closer you can assimilate your CV to the requirements of the role, the more likely you are to reach interview stage.
As a final thought, I have come across agencies that specialise in ex forces personnel, and they will have contacts with companies that specifically positively favour CVs of anyone with forces experience. A quick google of ex military / ex army / ex military and jobs / careers / agency might reveal some.
Good Luck.
Rowena
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