Now that you’ve complied your military experience into a resume, it is time to check to ensure you’ve included the correct information and proper wording.
Here are a few military resume mistakes to avoid.
8: Military jargon
Civilians don’t know military jargon. This will prevent Human Resources from determining where you would best fit with the company. Describe the skills that you gained in the military in a transferable manner. Mention how the skills you learned can apply to different careers.
7: Forgetting your e-mail address
Always include your email address – this can be a simple thing to forget. Many jobs will reach out to you via email before calling. Make sure HR has a way to get a hold of you.
6: Pictures
Never include a photo of yourself on a resume. Here is some information from a career professional as to why this is not recommended:
It’s illegal to consider factors like age, race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability status in hiring decisions. So hiring authorities prefer to not “officially” know whether you’re a member of one of these protected classes. If you put a photo on your resume, you reveal some of these details. If the employer later interviews you but doesn’t hire you, it opens the possibility of a discrimination claim. Some companies will even flat-out reject resumes with photos, just to avoid that potential accusation.
5: Adding personal information about yourself
Leave this off entirely. Hiring managers only care about your qualifications and not your family life. Certain information about yourself can lead to unfair assumptions about you based on personal information. For example, if you are married, hiring managers might assume you won’t travel if the job required it.
4: Long resume
Keep you resume less than 2 pages. Only list the important and relevant information. Don’t include jobs that you worked in college such as retail, jobs that are not relevant to your experience in how it relates to the job you are applying for, or any jobs where you didn’t stay more than a few months.
Only include relevant skills that will help you land the job you want.
3: Using the word “I” anywhere in the resume
A resume is written in third person. It is okay to use the first person “I” in a cover letter.
2: Using elaborate or non-standard fonts
Do not use any “fancy” or decorative fonts which come off as unprofessional. Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman.
1: Resume doesn’t match your experience
Your resume is what brings you into an interview. Make sure the information presented in your resume is what you actually can bring to the table. Companies feel misled when your resume misrepresents you. To fix this, make sure your resume content is focused on your updated and most recent skills.
Following these tips and avoiding these common mistakes will help you create a resume that will land you the career you want.