Civilian Terms to Help in Your Search for a Military Separation Job
Making the Link between Military and Civilian Terminology
During a candidate’s search for a military separation job, we are often asked the question, “How does my background fit into the corporate sector?” As a military service member, your skill sets, no matter what your specialty, have many direct correlations to civilian positions.
Below are five very important terms that will help convey your military career in ways that a civilian interviewer will understand and will aid in your search for a military separation job. These terms can be used in both the job description and accolades section of the resume and will help you “civilianize” your background.
1. Technical Leadership
Generic definition - List any situations where you have direct or indirect oversight of personnel in a technical military environment (Naval Ship, Armor unit, Maintenance Squadron, Motor Pool environment, etc.)
Example of use within a resume - Led a team of ten personnel from five separate squadrons; ensured worldwide logistical readiness of personnel and equipment throughout the entire unit.
2. Quality Improvement / Process Improvement
Generic definition - List any situations where you implemented and maintained process and/or quality improvements which resulted in increased efficiencies.
Example of use within a resume - Improved overall quality of maintenance program by 20% through the implementation and improvement of various newly designed tracking systems.
3. Maintenance Management
Generic definition - List any situations where you managed a maintenance team, oversaw maintenance scheduling, or were responsible for maintenance upkeep on equipment or in a facility.
Example of use within a resume - Managed maintenance of twenty-one aircraft valued at $480M flying 10,000 hours annually. Inspected and evaluated all maintenance activities, improved procedures and solved problems. Coordinated with higher headquarters to solve logistics support issues.
4. Project Management / Project Lead / Program Manager
Generic definition - List any situations where you managed one or more missions from design to completion. Coordination of materials, effective tracking of projects, efficient use of personnel, and holding to a budget are all factors that tie into Project Management.
Example of use within a resume - Lead Project Manager for Warehouse upgrade; project completed two weeks ahead of schedule and 10% under budget.
5. Logistics or Supply Chain Management
Generic definition - List any situations where you managed the movement of equipment and/or personnel from one location to another. Every military leader has been in a situation where they can talk about Logistical Operations. Supply Chain Management is a more in depth exposure to logistical operations. If you are in one of the following specialties, you would most likely be able to claim experience in Supply Chain Management: Army Quartermaster/Transportation, Navy Supply, or Air Force Contracts/Acquisition to name a few.
Example of Logistics within a resume - Responsible for the logistical deployment and redeployment of over $500,000 worth of military equipment to Iraq
Example of Supply Chain Management within a resume - Supply Chain/Purchase Manager for 250 person unit; extensive experience managing the full contract life cycle for multi-million dollar procurements in the military/federal arena.
6. Maintenance Technician
Generic definition - List your specific hands-on experiences and very importantly, the specific military training you had by listing the broad subject titles and quantify that training by listing the hours of instruction or the duration of the training. For instance, a college student is considered full-time when they take 12 hours a semester. Much of the technical military training is forty hours per week with mandatory study periods beyond that.
Example of Maintenance Technician within a resume - Military Training: Electronics Technician Communications Strand, Class A School (280 hours). Experience: Adjusted controls and valves on equipment to provide power and to regulate and set operations of system and industrial processes. Lubricated, maintained, and repaired equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
7. Production Control / Shift Supervisor
Generic definition - List any experiences where you were a maintenance supervisor or leader. For Maintenance and Maintenance Material Control, the US Air Force specifies the position as "Production Control." In the other service branches, the duty description is essentially the same. Understand that the civilian terms "Production Control" and Shift Supervisor almost always refer to manufacturing opportunities.
Example of Production Control / Shift Supervisor within a resume - Production Supervisor, Jet Engine Intermediate Maintenance, 48 Component Maintenance Squadron Royal Air Force Alkanet, England - Planned and directed maintenance activities of 52 personnel accomplishing teardown, inspection, repair and build-up on jet engines. Analyzed requirements to ensure optimum use of recourses. Identified maintenance, supply, and personnel issues affecting production and mission capability. Monitored and assessed logistics and maintenance personnel shortfalls.