Translating Military Experience to a Civilian Resume
Your DD-214 won't get you hired. Here's how to translate military skills, leadership, and experience into language that civilian hiring managers actually understand.
You led a team of 30 in high-stress environments, managed million-dollar equipment inventories, and made critical decisions under pressure. None of that matters if a hiring manager can’t understand what you actually did.
The biggest mistake transitioning service members make on their resumes isn’t lack of experience — it’s translation. Military language is its own dialect, and civilian recruiters don’t speak it.
The Translation Problem
When you write “Supervised 12-person fire team during combat operations, maintaining 100% accountability of sensitive items and achieving mission objectives across multiple AOs,” a civilian hiring manager sees jargon. They don’t know what a fire team is, what sensitive items are, or what an AO means.
The same experience translated: “Led a 12-person team through high-pressure operations across multiple sites, maintaining full accountability of $2M+ in specialized equipment while consistently meeting all performance objectives.” Now a hiring manager sees leadership, asset management, multi-site operations, and results.
Frameworks That Work
Use the CAR method — Challenge, Action, Result. What was the problem? What did you do? What was the measurable outcome? Military experience is full of CARs, you just need to frame them.
Replace military ranks and unit designations with civilian equivalents. “Platoon Sergeant” becomes “Operations Team Lead.” “Company Commander” becomes “Department Director.” The goal isn’t to hide your service — it’s to make your capabilities immediately obvious.
Your Service Is an Asset
Don’t downplay your military experience. The discipline, leadership under pressure, and ability to execute in ambiguous environments are exactly what employers need. You just need to say it in their language.