Navigating Transition: Crafting an Accomplishment-Focused Resume for Military Leaders Entering the Corporate Sector

If you are a military leader, you will surely face retirement. It is at this point you may choose to seek a senior-level executive position in the private sector. Post-military career transition and job hunting is a tedious task. It requires hard work, mastery of proper task sequencing, and knowing how to execute properly on those tasks. If you work hard and master the proper techniques that can present your value, you will do well. However, assuming you can slide through on minimal effort will inevitably leads to an unsatisfactory future career. I would like to share a few thoughts to help get you headed in the right direction.

After you decide on a career direction, and have engaged in multiple discussions with a wide variety of your colleagues and others, you will be in a better position to understand the variety of possible industries you “fit.” Next, when you clearly delineate your functional, behavioral, technical, and leadership skills, it is time to put those into a winning resume, one that clearly demonstrates value. Your goal is to have anyone reading your resume excited about interviewing you. Moreover, you want to inspire them to the point that they not only feel good about offering you the position, but about offering flexibility when you make your counter-offer during negotiations.

When communicated properly, your military experience allows you to gain a definitive edge in the employment market. Throughout your career you learned that you admire those who get results and do so through excellent leadership skills.

Outstanding accomplishments are the result of well-executed plans and applied leadership skills. When you design and put together a great resume it will open doors for you and support your value; both during interviews and negotiation sessions.

Senior military leaders harbor a unique and highly valuable skills set. In fact, a recent survey with the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) indicated that 68% of employers reported that ex-service personnel outperformed many of their civilian coworkers. This statistic works in your favor but doesn’t override your need to demonstrate your value.

There are important components to a great resume that cannot be left out or ignored. It is my belief that your resume should be accomplishment-focused.

What is an Accomplishment-Focused Resume?

A resume that places emphasis on specific achievements and the results of those achievements – rather than simply listing job responsibilities or duties – can be described as an accomplishment-focused resume. This format type promotes the impact of your work and highlights how your contributions led to quantifiable success. Simply put, an accomplishment-focused resume indicates how your past successes can indicate future value for prospective employers.

The following are tips for creating the type of resume that showcases your results-driven mindset, strategic thinking skills, and strong leadership capabilities:

1. Lead With Your Summary

Your resume’s summary statement should introduce you in a compelling way that spotlights your military background, leadership experiences, and career aspirations. It should also be designed to depict the specific industry or type of role you are targeting while also mentioning your track record for success. An ideal summary line will feature industry specific keywords, such as “results-driven,” “strategic planning,” “senior management,” “organizational success,” or any other words that fit the narrative of your goals and background.

2. Use the S.H.A.R.E. Method for Accomplishments

When explaining your accomplishments, the S.H.A.R.E© method can help you articulate the details of exactly what it is that you achieved. The S.H.A.R.E© method is used in your resume, interviewing, and negotiation phases of the job search process.

The following is an example of how this method can be used in a military context.

Situation: Assumed a new command and identified decreasing morale.

Hindrance(s): Multiple command goals were competing with the resources required to boost morale.

Action: Spoke key issue players, designed, and implemented a comprehensive leadership development program, and made sure that this plan supported the other challenge priorities I was asked to address.

Result(s): Quantify your accomplishments on your resume by using specific numbers, data, or metrics to delineate the impact of your work efforts. Using this approach offers job seekers concrete evidence of your achievements and relevant skills, thus making your contributions more compelling and tangible to prospective employers Why? The results were a because you made it happen under your leadership,

The following are examples of quantified achievements:

Boosted unit cohesion by 35% within a year.
Created a cross-functional team that achieved a 20% reduction in operational costs while ensuring mission effectiveness.
Effectively oversaw a $65 million budget, ensuring that resource allocation was aligned with strategic goals.

3. Incorporate Evaluation (EQ Behaviors) Leadership Style

Leadership style is heavily evaluated both during interviews and negotiations, and can also be reflected on your resume. (Your behaviors (EQ) offer a glimpse into your leadership style and is used in both the interview and negotiation segments of the search).

EQ Statement Example: “I encouraged full participation by establishing a strong, supportive feedback mechanism.

4. Tailor Your Awards and Honors to the Job Description

Be mindful of awards and recognitions you list, as well as the descriptors used for each. Focus on honors and awards that could be viewed as applicable to the position and tie the parallels in your description of each. A helpful approach is to start with the most significant and relatable ones earlier in the list and move on from there. Use your descriptions to not only explain the circumstances surrounding the award, but also to relate it to the new role by incorporating keywords from the job description while avoiding military jargon that private sector employers may not understand.

Tailoring your achievements and accomplishments on your resume also shows that you understand the specific needs of the organization and how your unique experiences line up with their goals. Another bonus is that your resume will have a greater chance of being viewed by the right employers in the presence of ATS (Applicant Tracking Software) settings. Put the most noteworthy ones in your two-page document and it is OK to add a third page and share your entire career and awards during that time, depending upon the company you are interviewing with and their policies on this.

5. Include Professional Development Courses and Certifications

Incorporating relevant professional development courses, certifications, or training programs that you completed may also increase your chances as a job candidate. As a senior military leader, these might include leadership training, project management certifications, or other industry-specific courses.

Remember that certifications from recognized institutions will add extra credibility to your expertise level by validating your knowledge and skills. Additionally, you are potentially closing any knowledge gaps that may exist between your military and civilian roles. Since different practices and/or technologies exist for each, professional development courses can be beneficial toward your overall adaptation into a corporate leadership position. The most impressive should be included in the first two pages and others can be included on the third page, along with your awards.

In Conclusion

By crafting an accomplishment-focused resume as a senior military leader, you are showing prospective employers that your learning curve will be shorter than other candidates. You also show yourself as a proven leader (your results document that).

Highlighting your military achievements, using the S.H.A.R.E. method to describe specific accomplishments, quantifying results, and tailoring your most notable honors to coincide with job descriptions will help you build a compelling description that showcases your specific strengths. Additionally, your relevant professional development certifications will enhance your credibility while also demonstrating your dedication to continuous learning.

The strategies in this article will help position you for success as a civilian corporate business leader. When you leave the military, the results you achieve are your responsibility and your outcome will reflect that.

Fred Coon, President & Managing Member

Leadership Transition LLC provides executive job and career transition strategies and services to senior level leaders who wish to make their next successful and financially rewarding career move.

©2024 Leadership Transition, LLC. All rights reserved. Limited to personal use and allowable only if this copyright message is left intact. Any duplication, alteration, or publishing of this content without expressed company permission is prohibited. Contact fred@leadershiptransitionllc.com