How to Translate Your Military Experience for a Civilian Resume

How to Translate Your Military Experience for a Civilian ResumeHow to Translate Your Military Experience for a Civilian ResumeTranslating Your Military Experience for a Civilian CareerThe transition from military to civilian life doesnt have be rocky. Heres how to take your transferable skill sets and translate them to fit your next career goal. Kudos to you You recently served in the armed forces and are ready to take that next step in transitioning your military career over to the civilian sector. Often, this requires some careful preparation. Below are some steps to help ease the process.Focus less on jargon and more on transferable skills.Much of the military terminology commonly used between you and your fellow colleagues on a daily basis will appear foreign to most recruiters, depending on the field you are choosing to transition into. Take a look at your current resume that youve used to apply for military and government positions, and work to clean up the content in terms of jargon, abbreviations, etc. Find out how to translate your skills and experience in a way that makes sense to your target audience a prospective employer in the civilian sector.Take inventory of your abilities.Its easy to get caught up in the terminology, facts, and figures that, while serving in a military role, meant a great deal to your commanding officers. Those skills and achievements still mean a lot, but can be translated into core competencies that are strongly desired in almost any civilian career sector. Critical thinking, time management, interpersonal skills, communication, teamwork, project management, strategic planning, and many other qualities are found in job postings across almost all career sectors. Find ways to explain your expertise and showcase your notlageable accomplishments in civilian-friendly language that speaks to a non-military audience.Create a LinkedIn profile.This social media tool is optimal for networking and sharing ideas. Having a well-crafted p rofile not only showcases your skills in a more comprehensive manner than on a standard two-page resume, but it also demonstrates your tech savvy and social media skills, which are strongly desired across various career fields. Plus, you can create a custom URL that can be listed as a form of contact on your resume. Not sure where to start? Check out LinkedIn for Veterans.Simplify all of the training.While it is wonderful to have a litany of education and training that you acquired during your years of military service, the entire list will likely not fit within the confines of a standard, modern two-page civilian resume format. Sift through it all and list only the transferable skill sets and remarkable awards. If possible, also create a resume appendix of sorts that, if an employer asks for detailed information, you can provide in an aesthetic format that matches your resume. The PDFs and print transcripts provided by military branches are often unreadable by those not familiar wi th the military, so a more concise list of all completed trainings will highlight your talents without bogging readers down with unnecessary details.Related Changing Careers? 7 Details to Include on Your Resume Consider a professional resume rewrite.There are resume services out there to help you and guide you in developing a brand-new civilian resume and cover letter that youll feel confident using when applying to post-military positions. The benefit of a professional resume writers expertise is invaluable to the many clients they serve, so take some time and research the many products and services offered by a professional resume-writing firm some like TopResume even offer content development services for your LinkedIn profile.Take advantage of the organizations that exist to help you.Its likely that your particular military branch offers transition services for enlisted personnel that are soon to be discharged. These services are free and useful, so take advantage of them if you are still in. There are also other organizations and resources, such as the Wounded Warrior Project, The Real Warriors Campaign, and many more that offer assistance. Many of those professional resume-writing services I previously mentioned hire writers who have specific experience in working with veterans and government personnel, so if you plan to opt for that service, be sure to strongly indicate that you are a military veteran looking to switch into a new and exciting careerWhile the prospect of transitioning to a new chapter can be scary and overwhelming, with the right resources and information at your disposal, it is my hope that your transition to a civilian career will be a smooth process and exciting change. Best of luck and cheersClick on the following link for more resume advice.Need help with your resume? Take advantage of our free resume critique todayRecommended Reading5 Signs You Need a Professional Resume ReviewResume and LinkedIn Profile Writing How Different Shoul d They Be?6 Essential Job-Search Tools for Veterans Looking for Civilian Jobs

Marking the One Year Anniversary of Federal Hiring Reform, Kathryn Troutman, Federal Resume Guru and President of The Resume Place, Addresses the Great KSA Debate

Marking the One Year Anniversary of Federal Hiring Reform, Kathryn Troutman, Federal Resume Guru and President of The Resume Place, Addresses the Great KSA DebateMarking the One Year Anniversary of Federal Hiring Reform, Kathryn Troutman, Federal Resume Guru and President of The Resume Place, Addresses the Great KSA DebateMarking the One Year Anniversary of Federal Hiring Reform, Kathryn Troutman, Federal Resume Guru and President of The Resume Place, Addresses the Great KSA DebateREGISTER FOR KATHRYN TROUTMANS HIRING REFORM WEBINAR ON JUNE 3, 2011One year ago, John Berry, Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and President Obama made bold moves to improve the application process for federal jobseekers by eliminating the dreaded Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) narratives from federal applications. Kathryn Troutman and The Resume Place, the leading experts in Federal Resume Writing and Career Consulting, witness firsthand the effects and confusion that governmen t job applicants face regarding Federal Hiring Reform and the supposed elimination of KSAs in federal applications. Receive advice and tips from Ms. Troutman and The Resume Place on how to handle KSAs in the federal resume with the newly published fifth edition of the Federal Resume Guidebook.Federal Resume Guidebook, 5th Edition by Kathryn TroutmanIts no secret that the federal application process is a daunting task for most jobseekers, especially considering that applying for federal jobs is a totally different beast than applying to positions in the private industry. The separate KSA narratives required to apply for government jobs have kept many highly qualified applicants from applying for these positions. The Resume Place provides expert advice regarding federal resume writing and how to deal with KSAs in the applications for federal positions.One year ago, President Obama published an Executive Order mandating human resources specialists eliminate the dreaded Knowledge, Skill s and Abilities (KSA) narratives from the first-time federal application by November, 2011.On Thursday May 19, 2011, Kathryn Troutman addressed the National Press Club to discuss how the lingering effects of the recession combined with the Obama administrations reorganisation of the federal hiring process, has resulted in more Americans than ever applying for federal positions.In his recent speech at a panel discussion in Washington, DC, John Berry declared, We have gotten off of KSA island. Its an amazing leap forward.The OPM Press Release published on Tuesday, May 18, 2011 listed the following hiring improvement statistics Since the launch of the Hiring Reform initiative in May 2010, OPM has supported federal agencies with 351 training sessions in 66 cities for 17,300 people involved in the hiring process. Successful outcomes from this effort have includedHiring based on resumes and cover letters 91 percent of the time96 percent of job opportunity announcements no longer require K SA essaysHiring managers now have more choicesApplicants are now seeing shorter, easy-to-read job announcements86 percent of announcements in plain language66 percent of announcements are five pages or fewer.However, today, a USAJOBS Vacancy Announcement listed KSAs as a requirement to apply for a position. This Department of Health and Human Services advertisement for a GS-343-11/12/13 position, salary $62,467.00 $115,742.00 per year, for a Program Analyst included this information for applicants Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) 1. Ability to design and conduct studies 2. Ability to monitor grantee wertmiger zuwachs 3. Ability to communicate orally.The KSA listing in this HHS job announcement statement can be puzzling for federal jobseekers, who have heard that the KSAs are eliminated from requirements. Federal job applicants are trying to follow the directions, but there are no directions in some of the USAJOBS announcements regarding the submission of KSAs.KSAs are obviously still important to the human resources specialists when determining the Best Qualified candidates. For savvy federal jobseekers, the KSA listings in the announcement are important clues to writing a Best Qualified application.Since the KSAs are not required as separate written narratives, recommendations for including knowledge, skills and abilities competencies in the federal application are given by Kathryn Troutman, the leading federal career consultant and author of several federal job search publications including the recently released fifth edition of the Federal Resume Guidebook.Kathryn Troutman recommends that the federal jobseeker include KSA accomplishments in the work experience section of their federal resume. The KSAs can also be briefly covered in the cover letter. The job applicant can prove their KSA skill level in the questionnaire multiple-choice selections. Finally, the KSAs c ould become interview questions in the government job interview.Dont ignore those KSAs, even though they are eliminated, said Kathryn Troutman, whose company, The Resume Place, helps federal job applicants. wrote Joe Davidson in his Washington Post article on May 19th, 2011.2011 Hiring Reform eliminated KSAs maybe. They are 96% eliminated as separate written narratives but KSAs are still listed in most federal job announcements. Kathryn Troutman recommends that the government job applicant include KSA accomplishments in the USAJOBS federal resume, cover letter, best selections in the multiple choice questionnaire, and as preparation for the federal job interview.For tips on how to include KSAs in the federal resume, please read The Resume Places article on how to properly include KSAs in the Federal Resume.

Joining the US Military is Getting Harder

Joining the US Military is Getting HarderJoining the US Military is Getting HarderIf youve been planning on joining one of the branches of the US Military, but have been putting it off, you may have lost your chance. For the past several months, all of the active duty and reserve branches have exceeded their recruiting goals. Waivers are Getting Rare Up until three or so years ago, enlistment waivers were relatively common, especially for the Army. The services would routinely waive disqualification factors, such as criminal history, minimum ASVAB scores, and even age to meet their monthly recruiting goals. Three years ago, about 20 percent of new Army enlistees had a GED instead of a high school diploma, and the Army even operated a special course to help potential enlistees get a GED. Those days seem to be gone. Very few waivers are now being approved. Why should the military take a chance on a waiver, when there are hundreds of applicants, waiting in line to join, who dont nee d one? I had one active duty Army recruiting tell me that he needs to enlist only one of three applicants who walk in his door in order to meet his monthly recruiting goal. So, why should he go through the extra time and paperwork to process a waiver request? unterstellung days, if you dont meet the set enlistment standards, your chances of getting a waiver are slim. Recruiting Goals Congress funds the military, and as such sets the maximum size of each military branch each year when they approve the annual military budget. Four years ago, Congress increased the size of the active duty Army and Marine Corps. That caused a short-term spike in Army and Marine Corps recruiting and retention goals, but both services are currently up to their maximum authorized strength levels. The spike is over. Both branches easily met their new size requirements, years ahead of schedule.

A Conference Junkies Guide to Attending (and Enjoying) Conferences

A Conference Junkies Guide to Attending (and Enjoying) ConferencesA Conference Junkies Guide to Attending (and Enjoying) ConferencesI love conferences. I love the awesome speakers, the swag bags, the great connections, the food, the social media component- all of it. In fact, I went to four different conferences this past summer in just a six-week time period.However, most people I know are a lot more uneasy when it comes to conferences. How do you mingle with speakers? Whats the right etiquette when walking into a session? What should you wear? What, exactly, should you do during break time?Well, lucky for you, Im taking you through an entire conference day, all of the eignung hurdles you could endure, and how to make the most of your time there.Pre-ConferenceBefore you head into a conference, be sure you do your research on what the conference is about, where it is, what the dress code looks like, who will be speaking, and what sessions youd like to attend once youre there. This ca n save you some confusion or embarrassment later on. Scared you wont know what to wear? If the conference youre going to is an established one, check out the website and find pictures to see what people are wearing. If youre notlage able to stalk the website or the conference social media for photos, feel free to email the organizers and ask. Or, if youre just hoping to wing it, I suggest finding a go-to outfit that can easily be dressed up or dress down. Personally, if I have no idea what a conference environment is going to look like, I wear a professional dress and heels and bring a blazer just in case I need to dress the look up a little bit.In addition, pack a conference survival pack, which should contain a notebook and a couple of pens, at least 25 business cards, a small snack, a bottle of water, your conference registration information, and a phone charger (computer charger, too, if youre going to want to use that).If you want to get extra points for pre-conference awesomen ess, feel free to check the conference hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to see who will be attending beforehand. Feel free to interact with these people. Who knows? Maybe youll all meet up at the event once youre there.Morning LogisticsCheck-InConference check-ins can be extremely awkward. Many of them are somewhat disorganized, and theres usually some sort of chaos in the front of house.My one pro tip Be extremely kind to everyone when you walk in. You never know whos manning the check-in table, and you dont want to make a bad impression, especially since many conferences (especially smaller ones) have conference organizers or influential people running the check-in table and welcome area.For example, I was once in a really awkward situation where a girl in front of me at a conference check-in was gossiping about the founder of the company that was hosting the conference. Who was standing right in front of her? That founder. Whoops. Even loudly complaining about how the conference is platzdeckchen up can be a wrong move here.MealsYoull want to check and see if the event will be covering meals, but Id still recommend eating a little something beforehand and bringing food just in case you dont like whats being served or something went wrong with catering.In terms of individual meals, breakfast is an awesome time to get a sense of the energy of the conference when you first walk in. Are people sitting at tables with people they dont know? Is there any networking going on? These are things to keep track of when you first walk in. Important tip Stay off your phone, and come up with a goal for your meal. It can be intimidating to be in a room where you dont know anyone, and a phone is an easy distraction, but try as hard as you can to engage with people instead. Even if your goal is as simple as having a five-minute conversation with one person over breakfast, thats better than nothing.Presentations and SessionsChoosing SessionsIf the conference youre at has multip le sessions to choose from in one time block, I recommend going to see a session on a topic that interests you but you dont know much about. Ive seen many people get scared and just attend a session with familiar speakers or content, but at the end of the day, youve invested time and money to be at this conference, so you should be trying to expand your horizons. And if you really cant choose? If youve come with a colleague, split up and agree to compare notes at the end of the day. If not? Use breakfast to find a conference friend, and see if he or she will do a similar arrangement.Talking to Speakers and PanelistsTalking to the people presenting at the conference is often extremely intimidating- especially when theyre surrounded by a gaggle of fans right after their talks. But making those connections is crucial Not only is I saw you speak at Conference X a great opening line for an intro email, but the fact that speakers are also interested in the same things as you can make them valuable allies later on. Plus, in my experience, Ive seen the same speakers pop up at several different events, and its great to build those relationships over a series of conferences. Of course, talking to a speaker can be a lot easier said than done, so here are a couple of tips. First, position yourself so that youre near the speaker. If he or she is on the right side of the stage, station yourself toward the front right part of seating. Look engaged during the presentation (not creepy Im your biggest fan engaged just happy to be there listening). During the session, write down some interesting points youd like to ask that person about. In terms of your approach, be aggressive but not rude (Ive seen conference attendees literally push each other out of the way to talk to a particular speaker). But get yourself in there Then, introduce yourself, ask your questions, make whatever connections you wanted to make, and try to get out of there within a couple of minutes if theres a lo ng line of people waiting behind you.Another important tip Dont just go after the really well-known speakers. If someone spoke eloquently and is lesser known, these people generally have more time to talk to you and can be fountains of knowledge. In other words, dozens of people go up to Arianna Huffington and ask her about her work on The Huffington Post. But one of HuffPosts editors? He or she is probably just as knowledgeable and definitely excited to talk to conference goers. Approach those people they can make excellent connections.NetworkingIn-PersonWhen you see Break on the agenda- well, its time to put those business cards to use Remember The vast majority of people at conferences are there to mingle with like-minded individuals, so dont be afraid to chat with others and make connections. Obviously, dont be over-eager (Heres my card Were now best friends Get me a job), but definitely dont be afraid to ask for business cards and hand out your card, too.Making conversation wit h strangers is always a little scary (and very awkward) at first. However, unlike a networking event where youre thrown together in a room with little or no context, a conference gives you one topic you all have in common the conference itself If you want to start chatting with someone, its as easy as starting off with a question about what sessions they attended or what speakers they liked the most. From there, it feels more natural asking that person what he or she does for a living and why he or she is at the conference in the first place.Social MediaNever underestimate the power of using social media (livetweeting, following the conference hashtag, liking and favoriting posts) during a conference. I cant tell you how many times Ive gotten to network on Twitter and Instagram with really awesome conference goers and highly sought-after speakers. If anything, being present on social media gives you the ability to be an influencer for an event. Never underestimate the power of socia l currency.Even cooler You can meet up with people youve met on the web and make some new friends and contacts. To this day, some of my closest friends and professional contacts were people I met through live tweeting events.Post-ConferenceFollowing UpIt goes without saying, but make sure you follow up immediately (within 24 hours) with any contacts you made at the conference. Large events can be really overwhelming, so if you wait any longer than a day to follow up, people might have already forgotten your face. Dont let themTalk About ItWhether youre on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or you just have a blog, show your love for a conference ansprechbar Personally, I love writing blog posts about conferences I go to and what I learned. Another fun thing is applying conference lessons after the fact using social media. For example, if I heard a speaker at a conference give a great talk on female leadership in the tech industry and then I read an article a couple of weeks later about women in tech, its easy to tweet that article, tag the speaker or conference organizer, and use the conference hashtag. Again, its great for making connections after the fact and establishing yourself as an influencer.Best of luck with all of your conference attendingPhoto courtesy of Brennan Moore.

Volunteering Cover Letter

Volunteering Cover LetterVolunteering Cover LetterIf you are applying for any volunteering position, including a cover letter with your resume gives you an upper hand. Your cover letter is a tool that helps you in creating a memorable and strong impression on the minds of the readers. A well written cover letter will definitely increase your chances of getting selected.What To IncludeWhile writing a cover letter for any volunteering position, use the usual or standard format. Start with your contact information and date at the top. Include the hiring mangers information followed by the body of the letter. Sign off using a professional closing.You should all the relevant experiences you have for the volunteer role you are applying to. If you do not have any relevant experience to share, mention academic or personal experiences relevant to the job. Also, discuss with them the reasons of this being the perfect role for you. And convince them that you are genuinely interested in the work .You should also provide some reasoning as to why you are applying for the volunteer role. Tell them your motivation behind your application. Since, volunteering work is all about working voluntarily, you need to show them your excitement to work with them.You can also see Cover Letter For Internship

A Deadly Mistake Uncovered on Summa Cum Laude Resume and How to Avoid It

A Deadly Mistake Uncovered on Summa Cum Laude Resume and How to Avoid It Summa Cum Laude Resume Ideas Seriously, all you have to do is take another look at the examples in the prior section, and pick the format you find to your liking. Bear in mind, your resume or CV should emphasize your individual strengths. We hope that you abide by the tips written out in this informative article and create your resume that flawless, next-level application document you will need to land your next job. I was not sure they would be in a position to help me but writing did. If you have a look in the samples career objective you will see that the candidate provides some very important information from the get-go. The proportional length of each work description is essential. Youre going to want to tailor your resume to the work description. But double-check the work description. Besides the four graduate school resume and CV samples above, there are a lot of resume samples youre able to acces s for free internet. Seerecruiters start looking for how specific details on a resume. Search results are sorted by means of a gemisch of factors to supply you with a set of alternatives in response to your search criteria. Go to our site pmattabs. Details of Summa Cum Laude Resume For additional information on how best to structure a graduate school resume, have a look at our guide on the best way to compose a graduate school resume. Seniors and graduate students are entitled to apply also. Nominations from professors and peers might also be required. TCU Scholars may audit a single course without fee any moment in a year of their designation. It is imperative to bring any certification you might have to the career objective section. There is a feeling of competition to obtain these distinctions alongside an undergraduate level. Alas, many job applicants dont provide that exact degree of care to their education section. Especially whenever there are countless different ap plicants with similar qualifications and abilities. When you have a great deal of work experience, its wise to incorporate any expert awards on your resume to underline the fact your work was recognized for its excellence in a particular field. It can be possible, for instance, to come across Latin honors in middle and high schools, in addition to in some graduate programs. The program gives exceptional undergraduate students a option to pursue individual excellence. Some programs might also need eligible students to compose an honors thesis or take part in an advanced seminar or set of honors courses as a way to prove their worthiness. Schools confer honors in a multitude of ways and there is not any standardized set of criteria. Doing well in school and graduating with distinction isnt worth as much as experience or superior recommendations a couple of years later on, but it might help you stick out in the crowded job market, especially when youre a new graduate. Regardless o f these differences, however, you should nonetheless be in a position to use a few of the samples below as inspiration for your very own graduate school resume or CV. By writing an ideal student resume. Heres What I Know About Summa Cum Laude Resume Also musiknote the way the applicant hints at how their skills can help the business. It is very important to note you should only add skills that are pertinent to the position youre applying for. No application is essential. Completing each phase may also be viewed as something like project administration. But that would also indicate they would have a specific amount of expectation. These will be able to help you create your very own visual merchandiser resume. If you arent a student and have more relevant work experience, you wont be fighting to fill space and it might be more beneficial to concentrate on other regions of your resume. You clearly have a present for expressing many ideas below a scarcity of words. To be able t o be an efficient HR staffer, you want to understand your way around computers. Its abundantly apparent he has more than a heavy lift so as to accomplish his stated aim. If its possible to add 2 or 3 to each experience, then youll demonstrate that youre a goal-oriented individual. Your experience for a cashier at Burger King isnt likely to help you receive work at an IT consulting firm.

Job market may not be so dire after all

Job market may bedrngnis be so dire after all Job market may not be so dire after allPosted October 13, 2011, by Josie Chun The news has just hit that Australias unemployment rate has reached 5.7 per cent. This figure is expected to climb further, to an expected peak of 9 per cent. But according to journalist Michael Pascoe, the figures are misleading and the situation is not nearly as dire as the public is being led to believe. The unemployment rate may be up, but this is due to growth in the workforce as well as immigration, and the actual number of employed has grown. There has, however, been an increase in the number of underemployed people who are working fewer hours than they would like but unemployment is still better than before the last recession, and were holding up remarkably well compared to our international counterparts. With such a different take on the usual doom-and-gloom stories, its hard to know what to think. Is the glass half empty or half full? Read the arti cles here Jobless rate hits 5.7% Great news - employment remains strong What do you think? Tell us below. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchesbest jobs for college grads with no experiencejob outlook 2016best jobs for 2020 graduates australiajobs that will be in demand in the next 10 yearshighest paying jobs in australia 2016 CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineJosie ChunRelated ArticlesBrowse moreWeekend job news Women and youth hit hardestMore than one quarter of young workers either cannot find work or cant work enough hours, according to newly rel eased Bureau of Statistics figures.Education trendsFuture trendsReport unveils a workforce for Australias futureA highly skilled and adaptable workforce will ensure that Australia remains globally competitive, according to a new report released by the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency.ProductivityStudy tips5 Tips to Help You Out of Your Study RutNeed to work on your study skills? Want help out of your study rut? Check out our article loaded with actionable ideas and tips for enjoying and mastering your studies.