Top military sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to include in your military resume experience section
Military resume experience section checklist:
- Use at least 3 and no more than 7 bullet points per position;
- Make your experience sound relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Combine responsibilities, results, and critical situations that you’ve handled well;
- Show that you’re willing to take up on challenges;
- Include numbers in any form you like.
Looking for some real experience section examples? We’ve gathered the best Military resume samples to help you. Check them out before building your own resume!
- Partner with the Department of Defense for Repair & Overhaul or to develop Intellectual Property to repair ailing defense platforms.
- Improved Gross Margin contribution in support of Aircraft Group financial expectations.
- Developed a targeted strategy with the leadership team and reduced it to an executable plan for successful achievement.
- Supervised the International Military Education and Training (IMET) section and ensured funds and slots were fully filled to meet Host Nation requirements
- Responsible for establishing the Office of Military Cooperation’s (OMC) team houses to include locating/leasing, establishing a budget and obtaining funds for the leases and procuring furniture, equipment, and security
- Coordinated on issues with the regional affairs office, force protection office, Department of State Political-Military and Political-Economic sections and USAID to meet demand and events
- Developed and wrote pre-deployment and deployment guidelines for military members to enter the country based on DoD and DoS requirements
- Performed as primary alarm monitor for the largest weapons storage area (WSA) in the Department of Defense, supporting the largest bomb wing in the Air Force.
- Operated over $2M in sensor equipment, monitoring over 70 cameras and more than 150 alarms.
- Provided pivotal technical expertise to element leadership on compensatory measures relating to sensor subsystems security requirements.
- Weather observer to measure, monitor and report current weather conditions to air-traffic controllers, pilots and global network
- Worked in extreme weather conditions to provide real time data to assist in airport management for military aircraft and assets
- Communicated with weather stations around the world for accurate weather forecasts and mapping
- Strategic planning, identification of major priorities and release of strategic planning guidance, development of implementation and sustainability plans
- Planning and execution of organizations' mid and long term activities
- MoD resource and budget management
- Annual spend control
- Representation of Lithuanian MoD in different International organizations (governmental level)
- Political and commercial negotiations on behalf of the government
- Liaised with US and international journalists and Japanese military
- Re-engineered process for US-JAPAN bilateral approval chain
- Served as chief of media relations for USAID/DoD Afghan Army training
- TV spokesperson for Boston-area Air Force base; wrote for base paper
- Developed reconnaissance tactics, techniques and procedures to identify illegal black market border crossings in Eastern Europe
- Contributed to the design of a multi-million dollar access control point
- Trained the Afghan Ministry of Police in Physical Security and Asset Security Operations
- Managed 50+ man hours responsible for the physical security of a Secret Coalition Facility
- Improved soldier retention by 12% for the unit
- Provided security details for VIP’s and State Officials
- Successfully led teams of soldiers in combat scenarios
- Processed over 5,000 logistics requests, moving more than 500 individual personnel and over 1,000 TEUs of equipment and supplies
- Tracked and traced loads through delivery- maintaining constant communication with requestor and my superiors
- Established work relationships exclusively on phone calls
- Coordinated air logistics for 4 joint operations in theater
- Responded to many emergency situations, resulting in 0 loss of life and minimal asset loss
- Serving on a think tank to advise the chiefs of staff in war and peacetime environments.
- Collaborating with subject matter experts to prepare briefs and doctrinal evaluations of the battlefield and the operational picture.
- Only successful Minnesota graduate of an accelerated Officer Candidate assessment school in 2016.
- 2 months of officer formation
- Managed the communication of a regiment for 4 months
- Led a 30-member team
- Managed a recruiting staff of over 30 individuals to included corporate employees and contractors. Oversaw full life-cycle staffing functions initiatives within the Intelligence Community
- Developed and implemented effective recruiting strategies and techniques to improve and streamline corporate recruiting processes
- Reviewed, prioritized, and managed OCONUS deployment and intelligence job requirements to aligning best qualified candidates within the Intelligence Community (DIA, CIA, NGA, NSA, NGIC, DHS, ONI)
- Gained a total flying experience of 2585 hours involving VIP communication flights, casualty evacuation, logistic support, disaster management, emergency and flood relief operations, and training flights.
- Coordinated and supervised flying schedules and technical activities of the unit/squadron.
- Carried out flight planning and crew detailing of the unit/squadron to achieve 100% efficiency.
- Carried out flight safety initiatives of the unit/squadron involving monitoring and assessing the level of compliance and non-compliance of standards and procedures.
- Carried out general administration, performance assessment of personnel, welfare activities and recruitment of personnel.
- Carried out meetings with state and national stakeholders to facilitate flight safety initiatives as well as emergency and relief operations.
- Carried out safety information sessions and safety audits.
- Conducted investigations of administrative and flying related accidents and incidents.
- Conducted preparation of reports ans briefings as part of involvement in various military exercises involving national boundaries.
- Facilitated humanitarian civil-military coordination during various flood relief operations.
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as Military, talk about the measurable impact you made to their business. Did you boost their revenue? Increase customer retention? Mention your proudest points on your resume.
Action verbs for your military resume
Recommended reads:
Top military skills for your resume
Military resume skills section checklist:
- Match your hard skills to the job description;
- Add keywords to pass applicant tracking systems;
- Don’t list soft skills such as ’teamwork’ – rather, mention how they’ve helped you gain success in some other sections of your Military resume;
- List only skills you actually have, keep lying out of the picture.
Top skills for your military resume
Military Operations
Troop Instruction
Recruiting
Quality Assurance
Combat
Finance
Strategic Planning
Military Law and Policies
Firearm Handling
Communication
Confidentiality
Decisiveness
Organisation
Empathy and compassion
Negotiation and debate
Diplomacy
Trust and integrity
Conflict resolution
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
Recommended reads:
Military Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
Checklist for your military resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Military resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
Craft a strong military resume summary
Military resume summary checklist:":
- Your total years of experience
- The industry you’re coming from
- One or two most remarkable accomplishments that have helped you - turn into a great professional
- Short sentences that add value – avoid filler words and phrases
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
You’re not going to get hired simply because of a good summary or objective. However, your recruiter can bump you up in front of similarly experienced candidates who didn’t demonstrate such passion and drive.
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Highlight your education, certifications, and courses
What to include in your education and courses sections:
- Your highest education degree – this includes institution, course, and duration
- Certifications and courses that have helped you gain additional expertise
- Awards you’ve received as part of your education
- Entry-level positions only: relevant classes and projects
Top Certifications for Your Military Resume
Learn Military Close Combat Training | Captain Chris Pizzo
Military Hand-To-Hand Self Defense System Lets You Humiliate Younger, Tougher, BIGGER and More Experienced Attackers.
Learn Military Knife Combat Skills
The most COMPLETE and EFFICIENT self defense course for close combat using the KNIFE, designed for solo training.
VA Disability Prep: Active Military & Veteran MASTERCLASS
Veterans Affairs, VA Disability, VA Compensation, VA Eligibility, VA ebenefits, VA Health Benefits, Compensation Pension
Military Diet: Get Results After a Week Without Exercise
Learn What to Eat After the 7-Day Military Diet Plan for Long-Term Results
6 Steps to Becoming a Military Pilot
Becoming a Pilot in the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve
Recommended Reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Military. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Drafting a Job-winning Military Resume
When drafting your resume, you can choose between three well-known formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which format you decide to go for depends on two things: your personal preference and how experienced you are.
The reverse-chronological format is ideal for both really experienced people and those who joined the workforce just a couple of years ago. It’s also great if your experience combines different industries and jobs. Here, your most recent position comes at the top of your resume.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is ideal for recent graduates or people who have no work experience whatsoever. It’s built around your skills, interests, and expertise. Ultimately, its goal is to show recruiters your biggest strengths and practical skills.
Combination resumes (also known as hybrid resumes) are great for all types of candidates – be they graduates, experienced professionals, or brave career changers. They usually follow a double-column format – one side focuses on your experience, while the other emphasizes your education, skills, interests, and accomplishments.
Here’s our resume format and style checklist:
- Choose a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Go for standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Match the length of your Military resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates;
- Send your resume in PDF – in this way, you’ll avoid formatting issues and potential editing from third parties.
And in case you want to go the extra mile, check out our guide for crafting a resume that stands out.
Recommended Reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Military resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections worth including in your military resume
Including other sections in your resume depends on the company, the position, and, ultimately, the industry. Here are some sections that will help you spice things up:
A military resume that stands out
Recruiters look at tens of resumes every day. That’s why helping them remember yours is crucial for landing an interview.
A creative resume can help you show off both your personality and your expertise at the same time.
Creative sections about passions, favorite books, quotes, and even your daily routine are a great way to make your resume feel like a breath of fresh air.
What’s more, it will also point recruiters to the fact that you’re attentive to detail and can think outside the box of Word-generated black and white resumes.
What makes a great military resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
