How to List Military Experience on a Resume

As you transition from the military to civilian work life, presenting service-related experience on a resume in a way that potential employers understand is essential. It may be initially unclear how to present your military experience in a way that applies to a new career path. Still, with some creativity and knowledge, your skills can be an asset to your future employers.  

This article explains how to list military experience on a resume and adapt the most valuable skills you learned in the military into a dynamic, professional resume that tells potential employers you are well-trained and qualified for the job.  

Keep reading to learn which military job skills are the most valuable to display, tips on organizing those skills, and more! 

Key Points 

• Knowing how to communicate the value of your military service experience is an essential part of writing an effective resume may help ease you into the transition into the civilian workforce after military discharge. 

• Tweaking terms — such as military acronyms — enables hiring managers to clearly understand how your military job skills transfer to the civilian workforce. 

• Familiarizing yourself with some basic resume formatting and content guidelines may boost your ability to land interviews and job offers after military discharge.  

• Online resources can help you create a professional resume, translated from your military service to language to use for civilian job applications. 

The Value of Your Military Experience 

Whether you served in the armed forces for a few years or were in the military for decades, you likely honed many valuable qualities and skills that will transfer to the private sector workplace. Some of the most desirable qualities in service members include: 

• Leadership skills 

• Integrity 

• Reliability 

• Adaptability 

• Self-discipline 

• Strong work ethic 

• The ability to work well with team members  

General Resume Components 

A resume summary is your first chance to demonstrate why you are a great candidate.  

Essential components of a resume include: 

• A resume header – the very top section of your resume that includes your full name (often in title case), email address, phone number and address. 

• A resume summary - a paragraph at the top of your resume that briefly overviews your professional background, skills, and certifications. 

• Resume objective - a one to two sentence summary about your goals and reasons for looking for a new position; tailor your resume to each job position you apply for to help you land more interviews at companies you really want to work for.  

• Experience – a chronological list (most recent job first) of companies you worked for, including specific military roles/jobs, locations (i.e., city), and dates of employment.  

Be sure to include previous job titles and a brief description that includes key job duties and responsibilities. This is the section to include quantifiable achievements from each role, highlighting your skills. 

• Educational skills – include your undergraduate degree and any relevant coursework, honors, or key academic projects. 

• Certifications – include applicable certificates such as language certifications, project management, government certifications, or others. 

It is essential to emphasize the following information in your resume summary: 

• Skill set and expertise 

• Certifications 

• Achievements and highlights of your career 

• Military experience relevant to the job you are applying for 

Using Military Skills to Translate to a Real-World Career

Even if you have gained many impressive military skills that can translate to the job you are pursuing, you must present your experience in a way the new employer can understand.  

A resume that incorporates your service-related experience and breaks down military jargon will go a long way toward landing you an interview.  

Include your military experience on your resume in the same format as other work experience, listing the most recent positions first. 

Job titles are one of the most essential parts of a resume. Hiring managers often skim through an application or resume to quickly identify your experience level. Translate all military terminology and acronyms (e.g., NCO, MOS, etc.) into simple, everyday terms such as “Team Leader” or “Job Title” instead of MOS). 

How to Communicate Military Experience on Resumes

General tips for adding military experience to resume include: 

• Avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information 

• Use only relevant details that pertain to the job you are applying for 

• Use concise bullet points, writing no more than one to three lines 

• Provide concise language on pertinent military training you received, avoiding military lingo (e.g., use terms such as “Six-week Leadership Course” instead of NCO Academy). 

• Show measurable accomplishments, such as the approximate number of people you supervised 

• Highlight specific accomplishment metrics (e.g., percentage of improvements)  

• Avoid listing titles from military honors or awards; instead of writing “NCOIC of the Year Award,” add verbiage such as, “Recognized as top manager out of 250 in the organization.”  

Presenting Your Military/Job Timeline

Incorporating your military experience timeline into a resume can be daunting. Service members change jobs and locations frequently, but showing multiple new jobs on a resume in a brief time span can be negatively perceived.  

You can overcome this obstacle by consolidating your military experience into larger time blocks, for example, instead of listing each job separately, such as: 

• Bradley Fighting Vehicle Mechanic, United States Army, June 2017 to Feb. 2018 

• Artillery Mechanic, United States Army, Feb. 2018 to Oct. 2018  

• Stryker Systems Maintainer, United States Army, Oct. 2018 to Sept. 2019  

• M1 Abrams Tank System Mechanic, United States Army, Sept. 2019 to Dec. 2019