GIJOBs

OCT 2017

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16 G.I. JOBS | OCTOBER 2017 | GIJOBS.COM TRANSITION GI RÉSUMÉ 10 1. THE "EIGHT SECOND TEST" How long should your résumé be? As a general rule, target one page for every 10 years of service, with a two-page maximum. Regardless of the length, here is the most important question: will it pass the "Eight Second Test?" A civilian employer goes through hundreds of résumés to find a manageable number of qualified candidates. Your résumé must survive the culling process. Assume each résumé will get eight seconds of the reader's attention. During those eight seconds the reader has to find the key information. If you must have more than one page, make sure all of the good stuff is on the first page! 2. THINK ACCOMPLISHMENTS Companies hire people for their experience, their potential or a combination of both. If your military specialty has a direct civilian equivalent and you want to continue in that occupation, then highlight that information on your résumé: Operating or maintaining gas turbines does not need much translation. If you are not continuing in your current specialty you are then selling your "potential" more than your experience. In either case, how well you do a job is more important than your job description. Why? Because your accomplishments sell your potential; your experience sells your past. 3. TRANSLATE Much of what you do in the military will make perfect sense to civilians, but there are some functions that have little or no civilian equivalent (e.g. ammunition handler). The significance of being assigned as your detachment's Classified Material Systems (CMS) custodian will probably be lost on a potential civilian employer. You don't need to eliminate these duties from your résumé. They are important positions with a significant amount of responsibility. You should translate the position into a language a civilian reader can understand. Therefore, CMS might read "selected by the Commanding Officer to be the controller of the detachment's classified material." 4. PUNT THE ACRONYMS AND THE ALPHABET SOUP Where would the military be without acronyms and abbreviations? Every OP ORDER, MOVEREP, SITREP, and MUC would double in length without them. Unless you are certain the acronym has common civilian usage, forget it! Spell it out or paraphrase it in civilian terms. However, one acronym you should not punt when writing a résumé is "K.I.S.S." Loved by civilians and the military alike, "Keep It Simple, Stupid" is an excellent rule- of-thumb. Too much information will make your résumé overly long, time consuming and probably boring. 5. SAVE YOUR AMMUNITION Although most of you will no longer have any use for that ammunition belt, you are not quite through with bullets yet. Think of the information on your résumé as ammunition. Concise phrasing of your duties and responsibilities in terms of specific accomplishments and itemizing them as bullets on your résumé will enhance the chances of the desired impact. Your military service is coming to a close and you want to find a great civilian job. You know one of the most important tools in your job search is your résumé. Creating a résumé that will be well received and understood by civilians can be tricky. Here are 10 ways to "civilianize" your résumé. EASY WAYS TO CIVILIANIZE YOUR RÉSUMÉ No matter how many times you proof your résumé, the objective eye of someone who cares and is dependable for serious feedback is always a good idea. RÉSUMÉ TIP Is your résumé wearing too much camouflage? Here's how to translate your military skills and education. BY SHANE CHRISTOPHER Jan Kick the G.I. Jargon to the Curb! Feb Separate From the Chaff March Résumé Length Matters April Don't "Manage" Too Much May How to Organize Your Résumé by Major Jobs June Don't Sabotage Yourself July Education and Experience Aug Does your Résumé Pass the 8 Second Test? Sept Are You a Whiz Kid or Steady Eddie? Oct 10 Easy Ways to Civilianize Your Résumé Nov Why a Personal Blurb on Your Résumé is So Important Dec Don't Skip the Cover Letter UPCOMING G.I. RÉSUMÉ ARTICLES

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