Military Resume Templates and Examples for 2024

Military Resume Template Example

PDF

DOCX

Google Docs

Military members serve the country in various ways, across a wide range of occupations both overseas and on the homefront. While the content of your resume will vary depending on your field, every military resume must demonstrate you can meet the demands of the job. In this guide, we’ll help you create a resume that shows hiring managers how your past experiences and service have laid a strong foundation for new job opportunities.

How To Write a Military Resume

Your resume should be well-organized and present a clear outline of your professional military history. Consider using a modern resume template to start with a solid foundation. Your military resume should include these sections:

• Contact information
• Profile
• Key skills
• Professional experience
• Education and certifications

Contact information

The best place for your contact information is at the top of your resume. Include your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your online professional profile or portfolio, if applicable. Providing accurate, up-to-date information will establish an open line of communication with hiring managers and make it easy for them to contact you for an interview.

Profile

The profile section of your resume should offer a brief snapshot of who you are as a military member. Grab their attention with your most compelling strengths, starting with your job title and years of experience or service. Follow this up with a few sentences covering any specializations, clearances, or areas of expertise that may be relevant to the job.

Key skills

Although there are many combat-oriented military occupations, civilian-equivalent jobs are just as prevalent. There’s a place for mechanics, doctors, and cooks within the military, too. To show you meet the requirements of the job, create a list that includes both hard and soft skills. This helps hiring managers quickly identify if you possess the necessary abilities for the role.

Common hard and soft skills for military professionals

Resume writer’s tip: Use strong action verbs

Using action verbs to describe your work history is the best way to communicate your past duties and accomplishments. Instead of starting each bullet point with, “I was responsible for,” use an action verb instead. This helps you convey your thoughts precisely, showing you were an active participant in the workplace. Utilize words like the ones we’ve provided below as you write your military resume:

Professional experience

Create a list of your latest jobs, starting with the most recent first. Describe your duties and responsibilities, and include a few key achievements too, using numbers when you can. Even if you’re applying for a military position, non-military human resources personnel or recruiters may need to read your resume. So, be sure to write in a way even a civilian could understand.

Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience

To quantify your past experiences, use numbers like percentages, dollar amounts, and other relevant metrics. This will help hiring managers understand the scope of your past work or military service and make you stand out from other applicants. If applicable, review your after-action reports to extract numbers related to the missions or projects you’ve contributed to.

Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume for each application

For each application you submit, edit your resume in a way that proves you meet the requirements of the job. This isn’t about exaggerating or changing your resume to match the job description word-for-word but presenting your qualifications using the same language as the employer. Your resume must show you have what hiring managers are looking for.

Study the keywords and phrases used to describe job duties and incorporate those into your resume as they apply to your own abilities. Utilize examples from your service that demonstrate how you’ve used these skills in the past. This strategy will increase your chances of making it through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and onto the hiring manager’s desk.

What if you don’t have experience?

Whether you’re a current military member looking for a new assignment or a civilian hoping to find a military job, writing a resume with little to no experience can be challenging. The key is to emphasize the transferable qualifications you do have and spin them in a way that shows you’re ready for the job. You can pull from your time in the service, past civilian positions, and any academic or extracurricular experiences.

Consider the types of skills required for the job you’re applying for and how your own abilities match up. Beyond technical, hands-on knowledge, what kind of interpersonal skills is the employer looking for? Highlight things like leadership, teamwork, discipline, and adaptability, and provide examples of these skills in action when describing your past experiences.

Education and certifications

Academic requirements for military members will vary depending on the occupation and job grade. Every military branch will require at least a high school diploma for entry, while officer positions will usually require a bachelor’s degree. Start with your highest level of education first, providing the degree name, institution name, and dates of attendance. If you hold any special certifications, licenses, or affiliations, include those as well.

Check Out Related Examples

Federal Resume Templates and Examples

By: Andrew Stoner

Lawyer Resume Templates and Examples

By: Andrew Stoner

Social Work Resume Templates and Examples

By: Andrew Stoner

Military Resume Template Text Example

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

A resume should be a forward-looking value proposition that showcases your most relevant accomplishments for a target role — not a rear view summary of your previous roles and responsibilities.