RÉSUMÉ
PACKET
FOR
VETERANS
Integrating Faith In Learning, Leading and Serving
9200 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD • POST OFFICE BOX 118087 • CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA 29423-8084
PHONE 843-863-8019 • FAX 843-863-8066 • www.charlestonsouthern.edu/careers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Résumé Writing Tips for Veterans................................................................. 3-4
Functional Résumé Template ............................................................................. 5
Functional Résumé Sample ............................................................................... 6
Should You Consider A Functional Résumé? .................................................. 7
Words Every Résumé Should Include ........................................................... 7-8
Résumé Do’s and Don’ts .................................................................................... 8
Accomplishment Statements .............................................................................. 9
Career Guide Résumé Action Verbs .......................................................... 10-11
Sample Cover Letter ......................................................................................... 12
Career Guide Writing ....................................................................................... 13
Submit Your Résumé Online for Professional Critique .................................. 14
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Résumé Writing Tips for Veterans
1. Create a résumé that speaks to employer needs
Write a résumé purpose. This should answer the employer's question, "What can you do for me?”
• To answer this question, research your target job—what types of skills and experiences are the
employers seeking? What aspects of your background are most relevant or closely match?
• Eliminate or de-emphasize any information that does not relate to your goal
• This includes any military awards, trainings, or distinctions—there will be a different section for this.
2. Assume the hiring manager does not know anything about military life
• Demilitarize your job titles, duties, accomplishments, training, and awards to appeal to the civilian
hiring manager
• Employers that do not have any exposure to the military do not understand military terminology and
acronyms so translate these to ‘civilianese’
• Show your résumé to several non-military contacts and ask them to point our terms the do not
understand
• Use the job posting as a tool to substitute civilian keywords for military terms
3. Define civilian job objective
• Understand that you cannot effectively market yourself or your military background if you have not
clearly defined your goals.
• Many service people have diverse backgrounds; the first mistake is making your résumé too general
4. Showcase your track record of accomplishments
• Your military career has offered you excellent opportunities for trainings, practical experience, and
achievement—here is your time to boast about yourself.
• Communicate your accomplishments so the average civilian understands the importance of your
achievements and the measureable outcomes.
Example of a demilitarized statement:
“Increased retention rate by 16% by focusing on training, team building, and recognition program”
“Earned reputation as one of the most progressive and innovative IT organizers in the US Army
communications and IT community.”
Example of incorporating a military award translated into civilianese:
“Received Army Achievement Medal for completing 400+ medical evaluations and developing patient
database using MS Access—this database improved reporting functions and tracked patient
demographics, records, medication, appointments, and status.”
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5. Show off your military background
Your military experience is an asset and should be marketed in this way:
• The past suggests that you need to develop a functional résumé format to mask or downplay your
military experience—but the opposite is true
• Many employers realize the value of bringing veterans on board—attributes honed in the military
include dedication, leadership, teamwork, positive work ethic, cross- functional skills, and ability to
work with many different kinds of people
• In order to make sure your potential employer understands the significance of your military experience
in a positive manner—make sure you clearly communicate your values that you bring to the table.
6. Did you experience active combat?
• Defending our country and its interests is very admirable, but the sad truth is the actual references to
the horrors of combat can easily leave many civilian employers uneasy.
• This is a delicate topic and this experience may not relate to your future goal.
• While you might have worked in an engagement zone, it is recommended that toning down or
removing combat references will benefit your chances of receiving an offer.
• On a résumé or in an interview do not discuss topics where there may be difference of opinion.
7. The "Never Ending Draft"
• Developing a résumé that works in the civilian world is an ongoing process
• After you have polished your résumé, start distribution, and keep track of your résumé's response rate
• Ask for feedback and listen vigilantly to suggestions for improving your résumé
8. How has your persistence paid off in your military career?
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Give examples of when you:
Participated fully in life--take part in organizations, families, and communities
Were energetic-- the willingness to jump in and take on new tasks — and have the mental energy
necessary to get the job done
Were humble--not afraid to admit you do not know everything, seek assistance and feedback, eager to
keep growing
Were committed to life-long learning-- you know your job but are always in the process of learning more
Possessed an attitude of success--act as if it were impossible for you to fail, as if your success is a done
deal
Were relentless, with options-- never give up until you succeed, but you are willing to try a variety of
options obtain your goal
Strive for health in all aspects of your life--work hard to take care of yourself physically, emotionally,
spiritually, intellectually and socially
Rise above adversity--rise above the small stuff to achieve greatness in your life
Have had extraordinary purpose--set high goals and always reached for the top
Were willing to take risks--have confidence to step out of your comfort zone to try new ideas or strategies
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Functional Résumé Template
Address | City, State Zip Code
e-mail | Phone number
NAME
OBJECTIVE (Optional)
This is where you define or identify the position you are seeking. Make this statement as precise as possible.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Several brief phrases about your most relevant qualifications for the position, for example:
•
•
•
Solid managerial and administrative experience
Superlative communication and team-building skills
Ability to manage multiple tasks in a pressured environment
RELEVANT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Present your work experience by listing your most important skills and experience which pertain to the job for
which you are applying. Do not list dates of employment here. Then describe several activities and
accomplishments from all your jobs and life experiences, to document each of these skills. For example:
Interpersonal and Teamwork Skills
• Entrusted to process confidential employee records such as salary changes, vacation/absenteeism reports, and
performance appraisals
• Interacted with a wide variety of personalities while scheduling meetings/appointments and making travel
arrangements for executives.
Customer Service and Sales Skills
• Something I did using this skill
•
Managerial and Supervisory Skills
• Something else I did using this skill
•
Computer Skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Visio, WordPerfect, and Microsoft Publisher
•
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
List the employers from which you gained or used the skills and special knowledge areas mentioned above. Be
sure to include the dates, job title, and employer, without any descriptions, for example:
• Administrative Assistant, AAA Technologies, Inc., Pasadena, CA, 2006 to Present
• Job Title, Employer, City 2005-2006
• Job Title, Employer, City 2004-2005
EDUCATION
List schools/institutions from which you obtained a degree, certificate or specialized training. Start with most
recent first and then go back in time, for example:
• Woodbury University, Burbank, CA—B.A. in Accounting Expected 2012 Dean’s List Spring 2011, GPA 3.65
Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles, CA—A.S. Accounting
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Functional Résumé Sample
NAME
Phone – Email
Accomplished, results-oriented leader with over 20 years military experience, implementing management, human resources, training,
and operations abilities. Proven track record demonstrated through multiple promotions and increased responsibility. Proficient in
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. Active Top Secret Clearance. Possess earned Masters degree in Human Resource
Management.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
MANAGEMENT
• Directed and managed a staff of 42 soldiers and civilians performing recruiting operations.
• Supervised a team of 100 data collectors at 13 sites in Africa to support battle assessment efforts.
• Led team in charge of testing the Future Combat System vehicles before mass-producing and sending to Iraq.
TRAINING
• Instructed, advised, and counseled 122 military science cadets.
• Provided initiated remedial training in critical areas, such as land navigation and swimming, resulting in students improving and
passing the skills test.
• Trained more than 2,500 soldiers without a training accident or loss of life, with mission of producing basically trained,
disciplined, motivated and physically fit soldiers.
• Developed a physical training program addressing lower extremity injuries still in existence today.
HUMAN RESOURCES
• Earned Recruiter’s Badge within first six months in command due to enlisting six soldiers in the Army.
• Supervised and managed all aspects of recruiting operations and marketing strategies supporting 270 recruiters.
• Recruited 12 new cadets into the Military Science Department at the college.
• Selected and trained to assist with resolving diversity issues and ensure Equal Opportunity for all soldiers.
• Oversaw and ensured a smooth transition to a unit restructure within the Joint Test and Evaluation Program.
• As a part of HRM Masters, studied the successful working environment as it relates to customer service of Southwest Airlines,
benefit packages of Nordstrom’s employees, and social responsibility of Ben & Jerry’s.
OPERATIONS
• Saved the organization $119,000 resulting in the battalion operating smoothly during a budget crisis.
• Managed a $798,000 annual operating budget, a vehicle maintenance program, and $2 million in equipment.
• Oversaw Saint Augustine’s College operations with a $150,000 budget, responsible for contracting, payroll, administration, and
logistics, as well as recruiting and retaining quality leaders and cadets.
• Directed all the logistics and administrative actions related to the Joint Test and Evaluation program, providing day-to-day
guidance to office staff and coordinating workload activity.
• Planned and directed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in a multinational environment.
WORK HISTORY
U.S. ARMY, Various Bases in U.S. and Africa
Executive Officer / Senior Intelligence Officer / Chief of Intelligence Training / Company Commander
SAINT AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE (part of U.S. ARMY), Raleigh, NC
Assistant Professor / Executive Officer
EDUCATION
SCHOOL NAME, Master of Divinity, City, State expected
SCHOOL NAME, Master of Science, Human Resources Management, City, State
U.S. ARMY, Command and General Staff School (10-month course for Officers), City, State
SCHOOL NAME, Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, City, State
Month 20xx-Month 20xx
Month 20xx-Month 20xx
Month 20xx
Month 20xx
Month 20xx
Month 20xx
VOLUNTEER
• Mentored several at-risk youth, including tutoring, hiking in the wilderness, and providing general support, through programs
such as Big Brothers, Horse Calvary Association, and various schools.
• Provided customer service and other duties upon request at blood bank, in addition to becoming CPR Certified in case of
emergency disaster relief, for American Red Cross.
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Should You Consider A Functional Format?
Today's résumés generally fall into one of two broad categories. They are either chronological actually reverse
chronological, listing all your experience from most to least recent) and functional, which lists experience in
skills clusters. If you're planning to create your résumé for the first time or update your old résumé, you might
wonder whether a functional format is right for you.
Among job seekers, who should consider a functional résumé format?
• Those with very diverse experiences that don't add up to a clear cut career path.
• College students with minimal experience and/or experience unrelated to their chosen career field.
• Career-changers who wish to enter a field very different from what all their previous experience points to.
• Those with gaps in their work history, such as homemakers who took time to raise a family and now wish
to return to the workplace. For them, a chronological format can draw undue attention to those gaps, while
a functional résumé enables them to portray transferable skills attained through such activities as domestic
management and volunteer work.
• Job-seekers whose predominate or most relevant experience has been unpaid, such as volunteer work or
college activities (coursework, class projects, extracurricular organizations, and sports).
• Those who performed very similar activities throughout their past jobs who want to avoid repeating those
activities in a chronological job listing.
• Job-seekers looking for a position for which a chronological listing would make them look "overqualified."
• Older workers seeking to deemphasize a lengthy job history.
Words Every Résumé Should Include
Every word on your résumé counts in today's competitive job market. But some words count more than
others — especially those that refer to soft skills. Soft skills are increasingly important in the workplace. In
fact, most employers considered soft skills to be among their most important hiring criteria.
Teamwork
• Teamwork is more important than ever in the workplace. The ability to work well with others to
accomplish a common goal is vital for a harmonious workplace.
• Employees are often organized into teams to manage projects. In addition, many employers believe
collaboration increases the quality of work and improves productivity.
• A team player is an attentive listener, a cooperative colleague and is willing to help others.
• How does your military experience show one of your strengths to be teamwork?
Flexibility
• Employers value workers who are flexible and able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. In other
words, it is sometimes just as important to be a jack-of-all-trades as a master of one.
• You can show that you are flexible by demonstrating a willingness to take on new and varied
• projects and an ability to handle changing priorities and deadlines. Ultimately, being flexible does not only
increase the odds that you will receive a job offer, it also improves your chances of keeping a job should
layoffs occur.
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• How does your military career show you have the ability to be flexible?
Detail-Oriented
• Employers want to know that they can trust workers to handle a project down to the last detail. Being
detail-oriented means being organized and meticulous about your work. It also implies that you can work
without constant supervision and act independently.
• Give examples of when you had to be detail-oriented in the military and explain in measurable outcomes
why it was significant to the mission or task.
Persistence
• Employers value employees who are persistent when achieving goals—AKA self-starters.
• These workers can generate their own ideas and follow them through to fruition. A self-motivated worker
goes the extra mile by regularly taking on tasks that may not be part of the job description; and is inspired
to work hard not just to reap rewards but also for personal satisfaction.
Résumé Do's and Don'ts
DO:
• Tailor the résumé to your background, career interests, and specific jobs to which you apply
• Make your name large, so it stands it out
• Use a clear, easy to read font such as: Anal, Times New Roman, Helvetica, and Verdana
• Use a font size that is readable, typically 10-12 pt.
• Follow the guideline "Who is my audience?"
• Follow the "most important to least important" rule
• Proofread
• Keep to one page (unless strong exception to the rule, i.e. above an entry-level position)
• Use action verbs
• Use correct tense for current and past experiences
• Be clear and concise
• Be aware of "scannable formatted" résumés
• Know it is a living document and needs to be updated regularly
• Have several people review it: Career Services, friends, professor, etc.
DON'T:
• Use a template, including those from Microsoft Word
• Use graphics
• Include an "unprofessional" email address
• Include high school under "Education" unless you are a first-year student
• Include reference contact information
• Use abbreviations whenever possible
• Use first person pronouns.(i.e. I, me, my)
• Use narrative descriptions
• Use hard to read font
• Write "Résumé" across the top
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Writing Accomplishment Statements
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Résumé Action Verbs
Spend a few minutes to identify those words that best match your background. You will get better results by checking
job descriptions and job announcements.
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Résumé Action Verbs, continued
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Cover Letters
A cover letter is a marketing piece that introduces you to an employer. It highlights your specific accomplishments that
most benefit the employer. In that sense, a good cover letter “sells” you and your résumé.
Before you start writing, ask yourself….
Who is my audience?
What skills does the employer want and what do I have to offer?
• Introduction/Purpose: State the job you are applying for, where you found the posting, why you are a strong
candidate for the position, and why you want to wo
work for that company.
• Why You: Write about your experience and qualifications using examples that relate directly to the job posting and
how these benefit the employer. You can use education, class projects, work experience or volunteering.
• Contact: Request an interview and state the best phone number and email to reach you.
• Closing: Thank the employer for reviewing your application.
Sample Cover Letter
Date
Ms. Stephanie
tephanie P. Tatoe Manager of
College Relations Frito-Lay
P.O. Box 741 Dallas, TX
73235
Dear Ms. Tatoe:
Please consider me for the position of Sales Representative with Frito-Lay I saw on Sun Devil
CareerLink at Arizona State University. Based on my sales experience, I believe I am a strong
candidate and hope to begin a career in sales and marketing with your company.
I have direct sales experience soliciting potential customers for We Three Caterers and have been
successful in managing employees in various capacities. I also had the challenging and rewarding
experience of serving on the organization committee for the United Way Literary Festival where I
learned to successfully promote events. I am confident these skills would allow me to be a
contributing member of the Frito-Lay organization.
I would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you to discuss my qualifications and to learn more
about this job opportunity. I may be reached at (480) 616-9876 or [email protected] to set up
a convenient time. I will follow up in a week to verify you have received my application.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to meeting with you.
Sincerely,
(Sign here)
Your Name
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Sample Cover Letter
Your Name
Street Address
City, State Zip code
Date
Mr. Bob Smith
Transportation Resources Corporation
1234 North 1st Street
Tempe, AZ 85016
Dear Mr. Smith:
This letter is to express my sincere interest in the Logistics Manager position with the Transportation Resources Corporation
(position #12345). I reviewed the posting for this job on ASU’s Sun Devil CareerLink. I am very excited about the prospects of
this position and feel that my education and experience make me a well qualified candidate.
I am currently a full-time student at Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina. I am scheduled to graduate
in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management. In addition to maintaining a 3.75 cumulative GPA in a
challenging academic program, I have been fortunate to participate in several supply chain and logistics research projects.
Most recently, in my capstone business course, I worked on a student team to evaluate the supply chain flows of corporations
in the airline industry. As a team, we presented comprehensive results and recommendations to our peers and a group of
Supply Chain Faculty.
I am currently participating as a Logistics Intern with bigbox.com. This experience has helped me in terms of applying my
education in practical business environments. In this position I have been given responsibility for scheduling front line staff in
the Tempe office. While challenging, I really enjoy the process of determining what types of resources are needed to fulfill
daily shipping and receiving requirement. In the spring semester I am scheduled to present about my experience at
bigbox.com to the Supply Chain Management Association student organization at ASU.
Thank you for taking the time to review my application. I look forward to hopefully meeting with you in the future to discuss
your position and my qualifications. If you have any questions please feel free to call or email me at any time.
Sincerely,
(sign here)
Your Name
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Submit Your Résumé for Online Critique
Register for an account
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Go to The Career Center Website, www.csuniv.edu/careers
Select “BucCareer Network” on the quick links menu on the right hand side
Click Students/Alumni, then Register Now
Complete the registration with your personal e-mail or BucMail address
Verify your e-mail address — your verified registration will be approved within 2 business days
Upload your résumé
1. Open the Professional Portfolio Documents tab
2. “Add New,” name your document, browse to upload from your computer or flash drive, and then click
“Submit”
3. A professional Career Counselor will either approve it for use in its original form, or send you
recommendations for improvement.
Note: Be sure to open the Word version of the document, a PDF is automatically generated that is uneditable.
Adapted from
Arizona Board of Regents for Arizona State University and Career Services (2011)
Expert Résumés for Military-To-Civilian Transitions by Wendy S. Enelow & Louise M. Kursmark (2010)
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