Military veterans report that they have a difficult time figuring out if they’re qualified for the job, and then translating their skills into civilian skills. Here’s a process that will help you to determine if your specific skills will match the job you’re applying for.
Write down all your military assignments.
It may help to think in chronological order, or in order of importance in your mind. Either way, make sure to include all of the accomplishments that you’re especially proud of.
Describe the duties required for each assignment.
It’s okay if you’re using military terms right now, but when applying for a job – or in an interview – you’ll want to make sure to take out any of that jargon that civilians aren’t familiar with.
List out all the skills you needed to use for each duty.
You’ll want to include all the soft skills you utilized, such as discipline and teamwork, as well as hard skills and knowledge you applied while performing your duties. Also list any training or education you attained while doing the job.
Compare all the military skills to the specific job you’re applying for.
You may need to do some additional research on the position you want, and look beyond the listed job description. For example, view people who have this (or a similar) role on LinkedIn, and see what skills and duties they’ve used on the job.
If the skills match, write out full sentences that describe how you acquired and utilized these same skills during your military experience.
This will help you articulate how you’re qualified in a job application and interview. Take out any military jargon, and replace it with terms that civilian Hiring Managers will understand. Note that if your skills don’t match, you may want to reconsider whether it make sense for you to apply for that specific job.
Once you’ve done this process, a big chunk of the work is done for other possible job openings! You can use the skills you outlined from your military experience, and compare it to any other jobs that you might want to apply for. It’s well worth your time to go through this process, so that you can more clearly show how you’re the candidate that they’re looking for. Talk to your Madden recruiter, if you need any assistance in this process.
