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By. Nathan Ainspan, Ph.D. and Lynne Kelley, Ph.D.
During your time in uniform, you gained many skills that most civilian employers say are essential to their operations. In addition to the technical skills you learned in military training, you gained a number of non-technical skills (such as leadership and decision-making) that civilian employers desire, but have a difficult time finding.
You may not realize that you have these skills or you may have trouble explaining them to people unfamiliar with military culture (such as many civilian hiring managers).
Likewise, some civilians have difficulty understanding how military experiences or training are relevant to the skills they seek in their workforce. Those reviewing resumes or conducting interviews may not know how to translate veteran candidates’ skills and experiences into terms that the hiring manager will be familiar with. Thus, it will be up to you to help them understand what skills you possess and how they can benefit from them.
Valerie Davenport, the Director of Talent Planning and Acquisition at USAA, describes it from the employers’ perspective: “Military veterans are highly valued not just for their technical skills, but also for their proven leadership that is tested under stress and in complex situations, and for their other skills, such as troubleshooting, loyalty, and ability to adapt. However, even in companies with concerted military hiring efforts, it can be difficult to discern the correlation of their military skills. So it’s important for veterans to analyze corporate job postings; identify the ‘corporate speak’ for their skills, experience, and attributes; and then use that wording to translate their resumes and shine like the bright stars they are known to be.”
The RAND Corporation has categorized these essential non-technical skills into the following categories:
• Leadership
• Decision-making
• Persistence
• Handling work stress
• Dependability
• Attention to detail
• Interpersonal skills
• Teamwork
• Oral communication
• Training others
• Managing and supervising the work of others
• Critical thinking
• Written communication
• Project planning
This article will show you how to translate five of these skills to help you understand your background and then help employers understand the contributions you can bring to their organization (and increase your chances of getting hired!).
Step One: Review the skills list and identify your experiences
Before you write your resume, review your experiences in the military: Look at the list of the 14 skills listed and think about their definitions. Here are five examples from the list:
• Leadership: Influencing and inspiring others by providing purpose, direction, and motivation
• Decision-making: Choosing the best option quickly, even when the situation/question is unclear
• Persistence: Continuing to work through challenging obstacles until the goal or task is completed
• Managing/supervising the work of others: Overseeing and guiding others to accomplish tasks
• Project planning: Identifying and organizing steps to accomplish an objective by a deadline
Step Two: Think of examples
As you review your experiences, think of examples that explain how you demonstrated your skills. Recall the courses and training you took and what you gained from them. Reflect on the experiences you had and what you learned from them. Remember that the level or proficiency you achieved is not linked to your rank or billet; even the most junior service member can claim great proficiency in these skills. Here are some examples:
• Leadership: Leading your unit through a process change
• Decision-making: Making an unpopular decision that led to unit success
• Persistence: Seeing work through to completion, even when others stop trying
• Managing/supervising the work of others: Participating in small-unit leader exercises
• Project planning: Planning and executing operational combat missions
Step Three: Explain your example
Describe your example in a way that includes the Situation you were in, the Task required, the Action you took, and the Result (i.e. the STAR method). Each description can be included as an example on a resume or can be used as a response during a job interview. Here are examples for the leadership skill:
For an interview: If asked to explain a time when you led a team, use the STAR method to provide a detailed response: “During one of my first supervisor assignments, I was in charge of a 20-member team conducting quality control inspections. We were handed new inspection procedures that had tighter deadlines. This changed the way we did business. I developed monthly performance goals and new reporting procedures. I created training, assigned and prioritized duties, and set up a feedback loop to make sure we captured our lessons learned. We not only met all of our goals and deadlines that first year, but also increased our customer satisfaction by 25 percent.”
For a resume: Be brief and use action words in a resume: “Led a 20-member team to change inspection methods and procedures for quality control inspections. Developed monthly performance goals and new reporting procedures. Established training, prioritized duties, and captured lessons learned. Raised customer satisfaction by 25 percent.” You’ve done a lot in the military and likely have good examples of many of these skills. Reflect on your experiences, think of examples, and be prepared to explain them.
For more information, check out RAND’s research here: rand.org/pubs/tools/TL160z3-1.html
| Date Taken: | 07.05.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2018 11:25 |
| Story ID: | 283566 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 62 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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