According to a study by Pew Research, roughly one in four veterans say it was at least “somewhat difficult” to transition to civilian life. And with approximately 200,000 military people making the move every year, it’s an issue many veterans need to address. By taking it on proactively, you’re more likely to experience a smooth — and successful — transition.
The military is known for turning its members into leaders. From the first day of boot camp and throughout their reporting duty, soldiers are taught about treating others with dignity, earning and building trust, setting high standards, communicating diligently and reflecting on objectives.
But transitioning from military to civilian leadership is about more than gaining and possessing these skills. You must first understand how they apply to civilian life. Then, next, how to clearly communicate your military skills to civilians.
Here’s a guide to help get you thinking.
What Skills Are Transferrable?
In an often-cited article from Harvard Business Review, Why the Military Produces Great Leaders, the author calls out servant leadership as the key to success for military leaders and one of the transferrable skills in the civilian workforce. Leaders in the military are expected to make decisions based on the well-being of their troops, removing themselves and any other external motivator from the equation. Being adaptive, innovative and agile round out the top of the list.
Additionally, qualities like integrity and working inclusively (with a diverse group of individuals) come to mind as attributes former military personnel can bring to the civilian workforce. They’ve gained skills like problem-solving and teamwork (including maximizing productivity in teams), which are characteristics every civilian employer expects of their candidates.
Communicating Your Leadership Skills on Your Resume
The most important thing is to let the civilian world know you have the right skills. Remember, a civilian employer might not understand the specific responsibilities you had in your military service. Translating these terms into something a hiring manager can understand will ensure your achievements aren’t overshadowed by jargon.
It’s a good idea for veterans to focus on their achievements, rather than describing their job duties. This is because civilians may not understand what you were tasked with, but they will understand if you got a promotion or recognized for a certain reward, implemented a new initiative, reinvented a stale process or stretched on projects (say, training or mentorship).
Determine which achievements (and skills, for that matter) you spotlight based on what the prospective employer is seeking. Pro tip: Looking at the job description is a good start, but digging deeper into the company culture by researching careers pages and social media posts to understand better corporate values will make sure you’re aligning your traits appropriately.
In some places on your resume, you may not be able to avoid describing your responsibilities. Case in point: tasks in combat. Use the approach that you’re at your high school reunion and have to explain to your old buddies what you’ve been doing for the last decade. For more technical job titles, consider putting an alternative, more commonly understood title in parenthesis. Don’t use military acronyms, even if they seem commonplace to you, and use layman’s terms to describe activities wherever possible.
According to an article by Business Insider, several current and former Fortune 500 CEOs got their start in the military, such as Johnson & Johnson CEO Lex Gorsky and former Procter & Gamble CEO Robert A. McDonald. You can be next!