Translating your military training and experience into civilian language can be a challenge, but is an important step to take when applying for and interviewing with an employer in the civilian workforce. Remember, less than one percent (<1%) of the population is currently serving – or has served since 9/11/01 – so the more you can help an employer better understand your skills and qualifications, the more likely your resume will get seen by the right people.

Check out some of the military to civilian occupation translators (two are mentioned below). Don’t be discouraged if your military position doesn’t have a direct match as there are additional strategies to help you with that.

There are many ways to use O*NET to help with resume development. Try the following strategies: 

• Enter your MOC or military job title into the Military Crosswalk Search bar (middle right hand side of the page) to find potential comparative civilian job titles. Use these descriptions to help you “civilianize” your resume by using some of the language and terms more familiar with the civilian human resource community. This strategy will be helpful if you are creating a resume for a position that is equivalent to the work you performed while in the armed services.
• Use the Occupation Quick Search (found at the top right of every O*NET page) to find descriptions for the type of civilian position you are seeking.  O*NET offers a very good overview of the tasks, knowledge, skills and abilities required for hundreds of different job descriptions. These descriptions can help you compare your current skills to the skills required for the position you are researching – and will offer some “civilian” language to consider using as you create your resume. 
• Compare the knowledge, skills and abilities listed in the civilian job descriptions with your experience and what you have to offer to help you create a resume that will interest a prospective civilian employer.
• Gone are the days of creating one generic resume and sending it to multiple employers. It is important to apply to a specific job and be certain the information in your resume reflects the duties and tasks of the job to which you are applying.

If you are exploring civilian occupations different from the occupational training you received in the military, try O*NET’s My Next Move, an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options.  

Find civilian jobs that are similar to your military occupation, their salaries, the civilian training required to perform them and their future outlook. Military.com also offers a Veteran Career Network where Veterans can connect with other Veterans willing to help (http://benefits.military.com/vcn/search.do).

Veterans.Jobs - http://veterans.jobs/ 

Veterans.jobs, a service of the DirectEmployers Association, takes the Military Occupational Crosswalk one step further to assist military personnel transitioning from active duty to employment opportunities in the civilian workforce.  Use the Veterans.jobs website or enter your MOC plus dot-jobs into your browser (for example, 11b.jobs) to locate civilian occupations requiring the same or similar skills as your previous job in the military.  Locations for these opportunities are also listed. 

Military spouses can also find positions available by base location at http://militaryfamily.jobs/. 

Military to Federal JobCrosswalk – http://www.mil2fedjobs.com/index.htm 

The Mil2FedJobs tool was developed by the State of Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR), with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, to support transitioning Service Members and Veterans in finding Federal job openings.  Although the tool has been developed for the State of Maryland, it can be used by anyone in any state. Use this tool to identify federal jobs related to your military occupation, and then see what job openings there are for those series on USAJOBS. Find out about the federal job characteristics, such as duties, pay grades and qualifications. Information about military occupations is also available for federal hiring managers.

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