How can you do it? If you approach it the right way, it’s easy to see how military skills can translate into a civilian’s everyday, on-the-job duties.

There are a basic set of skills that every employer wants every employee to have, such as: self confidence, responsibility, leadership skills, initiative, creative thinking, flexibility, a positive attitude and a sense of humor.

Keeping that in mind, you can turn a skill you gained or an experience you had in the military into a skill wanted by a civilian employer. For instance, if you served as an Admiral in the Navy, you can use the steps you took to gain that high-ranking position to demonstrate your leadership skills.

The type of job you’re applying for also can have a great impact on how your military skills are viewed. In example, a soldier who has been trained as an X-ray technician or nurse can use their knowledge to work in a hospital or healthcare facility, while a soldier who served in the military police would be well-equipped for a position in law enforcement.

If most civilian jobs don’t sound appealing, keep in mind that positions with the federal government are a great choice for veterans. Federal agencies often set aside jobs for ex military members, and you could find yourself in a high-paying, important position that you love.

How do you put those skills on your resume? Once you’ve figured out how to translate your military skills and experience into civilian skills and experience, there are some other points to keep in mind when writing your resume.

First and foremost, you should clearly define your civilian objective on your resume to prove that you are driven and have a set goal in mind. Next, make sure to emphasize the information that will speak to an employer’s needs.

While writing your resume, it’s important to always assume that the hiring manager you’re applying for a job with knows nothing about the military. Just as that may be the case, you should avoid using complex or uncommon military terms that the average civilian may not understand.

That being said, by no means should you try to downplay your military experience, as it’s a valuable asset that often places you above and beyond the average candidate. You should show off your military background and your track record of accomplishments. Even highlighting active combat experience can work to your advantage, just be sure to leave out the details.

It’s also no secret that a resume needs to be worded quite carefully if it is to accomplish the job applicant’s hoped-for results. While you’re drafting the wording for your career highlights, job duties, and other essential information for your resume, you should give some serious attention to keywords.

How the High-Tech Revolution Changed Resume Reading

However, with the advent of sophisticated technology, the resume-reading process has changed dramatically. A number of human resource executives note that such changes were inevitable, given the large volume of resumes that are routinely delivered to a manager’s inbox. If hundreds of resumes are submitted for a given job, a corporate headhunter must find some way to scale that paper mountain in order to find the right candidate. As a result, an increasing number of employers are digitizing the resumes that pour into their offices. The documents can then be placed into keyword-searchable databases in order to isolate those resumes that contain “the magic words.”

Getting Noticed

One resume-writing expert now estimates that more than 80 percent of all resumes are searched for job-related keywords. Given the fact that both Fortune 500 companies and smaller firms are now routinely engaging in keyword searches, it only makes sense to make your resume as keyword-attractive as possible.

You will need to craft your resume so that it contains the keywords that a manager is searching for with regard to a particular position. While job titles often serve as keywords, you cannot change the titles you’ve held, so you should consider focusing instead on job skills. If you’re applying for an IT job, for instance, you’ll want to list specific technological skills in your resume. You’ll also want to be sure to include the names of software and hardware that you’ve worked with (This is probably true, even if you are not applying for a job that does not require a BA in computer science).

Key Things to Consider About Keyword Placement

It’s highly important to recognize the fact that including critical keywords in your resume copy is not enough to secure an interview for the job you desire. You’ll also need to place keywords appropriately within the text. At one time, resume-writing experts recommended placing a simple list of keywords at the beginning of your resume—but that conventional thinking doesn’t seem to hold true anymore. While you should try to place keywords near the beginning of your resume rather than at the tail end, it’s best if you incorporate keywords throughout the body of your document.

By crafting your resume in this way, you will achieve two important goals: 1.) keyword-searching software will pick up all relevant keywords within your text and 2.) you’ll be able to attract and hold the attention of a company manager who might be bored by a long list of keywords headlining your resume.

Also, don’t forget about the often-overlooked synonym. While you can make an educated guess about the types of keywords an employer is looking for, you’re not a mind reader. Therefore, in addition to a generous use of one of your keyword favorites, be sure to include synonyms for the word as well. By following this advice, it’s more likely that your resume will have the keywords the employer is actually searching for.

How Many Keywords Are Enough?

Once you begin the process of selecting keywords, it’s imperative that you make sure that you include a sufficient number of keywords in your resume. One Internet resume expert recommends aiming for 25 to 35 keywords, and also suggests that you include as many variations as possible. In this way, you can work to make your resume as keyword-rich as possible—without making it a dull read.

Should You Avoid Certain Keywords?

While you may think that you’ve developed a comprehensive list of resume keywords, you might be wondering if there are certain keywords that should never see the light of day in your resume. The quick answer to this is an emphatic “yes!” When posting your resume on the Internet, you’ll want to steer clear of those keywords that might be associated with the type of job you don’t want. For instance, if you don’t want a position selling insurance, it might be wise for you to avoid the word “sales” in your resume if at all possible. Avoiding keywords is not deceptive—it’s simply a good marketing concept.

An Eye-Catching Resume

By selecting the proper keywords, you should be able to create a resume that truly sets you apart from your competitors, garnering the types of job interviews you’re looking for. A resume that has its fair share of winning keywords can usually pass the keyword-searching test, getting you one step closer to the position you deserve.