Decode From Military Terms Into Civilian Skills- After spending years in the military, you might find it hard to return to being a civilian. The world in the military is worlds apart from the one that civilians see.
A civilian way of life can be confusing and complex to a person from the military. It is essential to write your skills in a language that your civilian employers can understand. To put it simply, a civilian will not recognize terms like “Section Commander,” but they will understand phrases like “Commanded a 10-person team.”
Steps to Decode Your Skills
The very first step would be to find out what field or sector you wish to work for in the future. On a piece of paper, write down at least 3-5 jobs or sectors. You have set your goal. Now let’s work towards it.
On another piece of paper, write down all the skills you have acquired from your years in the military. Include all your posts, missions, and job positions as well. We will now try to change them into something that the civilian world wants. With the help of the given link https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/skills-translator, you can find jobs in the civilian world that match your position in the military. The site includes the army, marine corps, air force, navy, and coast guards. The skills (equivalent to the civilian terms) you acquired in your job positions are also here.
For example,
Military post: 05D Electronic Warfare/Signal Intelligence Emitter Identifier/Locator (Army – Enlisted)
Civilian Skills: Classified Information and Materials Security, Electronic Data Security, Message Processing Procedures, Message Traffic Analysis, Process Analysis, and Improvement, Surveillance Techniques.
Military post: 0100 Basic Personnel and Administration Marine (Marine Corps – Enlisted)
Civilian Skills: Accounts Payable Processes, Claims Processing/Adjudication, Customer Support/Service, Data Entry, Documenting/Record-Keeping, Electronic Spreadsheet Formatting, File System Development/Maintenance, Human Resources Processes, Keyboard Typing, Letter Writing, Office Equipment Operation/ Maintenance, Payroll Services, Process Analysis and Improvement, Proofreading/Editing, Transcription Services, Word Processing Formatting
NOTE: Keep in mind that it is essential to decoding your skills before applying for a job. The reason is that if you say that you were a Mobility Officer in the Marine Corps, a civilian will not understand your skills or the gravity of your responsibilities.
Next, we review the job goals that you have set up and cross-reference them with your skills. With this, we can verify which jobs match your skills. That way, you can eliminate some options or see if you still have more skills to add.
| Military Terminology | Civilian Terminology |
| Combat | Hazardous situation |
| Battalion, Unit, Platoon | organization, agency, department |
| Military Personnel Office | Human Resources |
| Action Officer (AO) | Analyst |
| Subordinates | Co-workers |
| Reconnaissance | data collection, survey, analysis |
| Mission | responsibility, task, objective, job |
| PCS | Relocation |
| Commanded | supervised, directed |
| Barracks/base | Facilities |
If you wish to add some specific or personal experiences, you can use the following table as a frame of reference to interchange the words.
Going the Extra Mile
There is still a little more to do if you want to increase your chances for your goal. To do this, you will first have to start speaking like a civilian. It helps them feel like they can relate to you. You can always keep your military language as a secret weapon to use when you need your team to concentrate on the task at hand.
According to David Madden, Veterans Representative at Worksource King County, if a person enlists soon after school, without any civilian experience, they end up speaking only in the military language. During an interview, they might have a tough time explaining their position without demilitarizing their language.
You can start by demilitarizing the military terms used in your resume. First, ready your resume filled with your military experiences using military style. In a blank template, start converting your military experience into civilian terms.
Many civilians do not understand the hierarchy or military titles so try converting them to civilian terms. You can use links like https://www.careeronestop.org/Veterans/JobSearch/ResumesAndApplications/translating-military-terms.aspx to search for equivalent civilian terms to military titles.
Another significant addition is networking with civilians. It helps you interact with civilians at ease and creating connections that can help you in various aspects of your new life. You can use the help of https://militaryfamilies.com/military-life/do-you-speak-civilian-military-to-civilian-translation-tips/ for tips on talking to civilians.
Networking Tools You Should Use
It is a struggle to move from military life to a civilian lifestyle. To smooth out this transition, you can use the following Apps. They not only help you find jobs but also give you guidance and support.
HireHerosUSA
It is a no-cost registered service network that offers you career transition assistance. It allows veterans, service members, and their spouses to get personal aid when you are in the midst of transferring to the civilian way of life. HireHerosUSA also helps in developing resumes and strategies for job search.
Recruitmilitary
Its goal is to help make the transition from military to civil easier for the men and women in the military. It uses the experience of military veterans who have experienced civilian life. Recruitmilitary uses their website, magazines, and sometimes even job fairs for personals who wish to enter the civilian way of life. The website offers a platform for both job seekers and employers who want to recruit veterans.
Unite Us
It provides users with interactive maps that can trace all the community resources in your surrounding. It provides users with information on housing, education, employment, and other such issues. The site consists of valuable data and resources for an easy transition from the military to the civilian world. It helps users find peers and work out buddies as well.
careeronestop
It is a networking tool that helps veterans find civilian jobs that match their military skills. On this site, you can find career information and also job postings in your locality. Here you will receive a description of the jobs that match your skill sets. The data includes the wage, education, aims of the jobs, and link to the job posting. Careeronestop is a training and job search website serving under the Department of Labour.
RALLY POINT
The rally point is a social networking site made for serving members and veterans. The services included are peer counseling, job placement, mentorship, and providing a social platform for them. It also provides you with opportunities to help others when they need you. It works on helping you with connecting potential employers and schools according to your skills and interests. You can also advertise for your businesses here.
Civilian Jobs for Military Veterans Without a Bachelors
There are plenty of job opportunities for military veterans who do not possess a degree. Here, we have a list of some of the most suitable jobs you,
Government Contractor
A government Contractor is someone who has an agreement with different government agencies for their goods and services. An estimate says that a government contractor earns up to $46,000 per annum. Commonly, a veteran can outsource their services to federal agencies.
Automative technicians
With the skills acquired in the military, you can become an Automotive or even an aircraft technician. (according to your skill and posts). The job is to diagnose and maintain automobiles. During military service, it is common to learn mechanical skills that will be very helpful here. An estimate says that an Automotive technician earns up to $46,000 –
$49,000 per annum.
Police officer
The most natural transition would be from the military to the police force. Both are jobs that enforce protection and security in the community. As a police officer, you investigate crime, interrogate suspects and witnesses. Most of the skills taught in the military, such as problem-solving skills, commitment, teamwork, and strategic thinking, are best suited to police work. An estimate says that a police officer earns up to $54,000 per annum.
Construction Manager
The skills of a construction manager include supervision, creating employee schedules, hiring contractors, coordinating materials, solving problems on sight, giving instructions, setting deadlines, and making sure to complete the work within the stipulated amount of time. Construction companies prefer military background and skills while hiring construction managers. An estimate says that a Construction Manager earns up to $60,000 per annum.
Security Specialist
Veterans are known for their security knowledge, and many veterans from military intelligence services become the top candidates as IT security specialists. They identify potential problems and vulnerabilities in the system, fast response to any breach. They analyze both internet-based security and physical threats. According to an estimate says that a Security Specialist earns up to $76,000 per annum.
Civilian Jobs for Military Veterans With a Bachelors
The job opportunities for military veterans who possess a degree are plenty. Here, we have a list of some of the most suitable jobs you,
Government Administrator
About one in every four veterans end up having successful careers as government administrators. Working as a government administrator, they have more opportunities. An estimate says that a government administrator earns up to $60,000 per annum. It allows the veterans to relax a little with a comfortable job with flexible hours.
Defence Contracting
It is one of the most common jobs taken up by young veterans. The job can range from contracts to building weaponry for the defense forces to becoming an intelligence specialist. Many of the Youngsters prefer this job as it still provides them with a chance to help with the national defense. An estimate says that a defense contractor earns up to $56,000 per annum.
Personal Trainer
This job description includes creating workout/ fitness plans for your client, monitoring their workout, preparing goals that are to be achieved, and making sure your client does the exercise properly so that they do not get injured. You can either be self-employed or work as a representative of a gym.
Technical writer
Technical writing is a job that requires you to have a good command of one or more languages. one prepares procedural documents, how-to manuals, and other information-based manuals. They also have to conduct thorough research and editing to clarify that all the facts are correct before the publishing begins.
Criminal Investigator
A criminal investigator works in a crime scene, gathers evidence, interrogates suspects and witnesses, obtains search warrants, collects forensic evidence, analyzes the findings, prepares the report, and testify in court. A criminal investigator can be a part of any federal or local law enforcement agency.
With a proper translation of your skills to civilian terms, now you are ready to finish your resume. If you have any doubts, you can always contact us at How I Got My Job.
FAQ
- How do I convert a Military resume to a civilian resume?
ANS: To convert your military resume to a civilian resume,
you can refer to your VMET. You can start by converting military terms and experiences in your resume into phrases that can be understood by civilians, as given in the article above. Make sure you highlight the skills and jobs that the employer might find important. Include keywords that are relevant to the job you wish to get. Don’t forget to include your accomplishments. If you have any experience outside the military, you can add that as well.
- Is the transition from military life to civilian life hard?
ANS: A military man is always on alert and is placed constantly in dangerous situations. So when there is a sudden change from danger to peace, it will not be an easy transition as their senses will still be alert. Another issue s the unique way of life and culture in the military, which is very different from the civilian culture.
- How do I find civilian jobs related to my service in the military?
ANS: If you wish to find civilian jobs that use the same skill sets as your job in the military or equivalent jobs, you can use these links https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/skills-translator or
https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Jobs/match-veteran-jobs.aspx. These links transfer you to pages where you can fill in your military job position and find civilian jobs that are hiring. You can also find the job description and its requirements.
