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Resume Strategies That Have Doubled Interview Rates and Landed 10% to 50% Higher Salaries!
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How Resumes Can Increase Salaries!

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Resume Writing Tips for Military Positions


Eliminate Military Language for Civilian Jobs

I recently met with Fred, the Department Head of a technical college who is a retired military officer. Talking about military resumes, Fred shared a story about his human resources staff skipping over military personnel as qualified job applicants. His college had a budget and fiscal control position come open and a Desert Storm Logistics Commander had applied for the position.

After this applicant had been turned down for the position, Fred took a look at his resume. Since Fred was familiar with what the applicant's duties had been in the military, Fred knew the applicant was qualified. But, the HR Manager had rejected the resume because it was written with military language that she didn't understand.

As a Logistics Commander the applicant had been responsible for tracking expenses and determining when and where to allocate funds for multi-million dollar projects.

Exactly the skills required for the college position. However, the HR Manager never got past her image of someone in the desert, wearing fatigues and army boots. As a result this person's resume shot him in the foot - so to speak. When you read the first description below, it's easy to see why the HR Manager didn't see this person fitting into the budgeting position. In contrast, the second example sounds like someone with skills needed for the college position.

Using Military Language

Desert Storm Logistics Commander
- Oversaw Desert Storm projects with responsibility for field equipment, logistics, tracking of budgets and
allocation of project funds.

Using Civilian Language

Project Budgeting and Funds Allocation
- Managed multi-million dollar projects tracking expenses, allocating funds and overseeing up to $20 million in
equipment and supplies.

A Great Testimonial From Someone Who Left the Military
If you are leaving the military and will be seeking a civilian job, it's very important that you learn how to analyze civilian job opening descriptions and ads in order to identify keywords and terms to label your military experience--so that recruiters, employers and HR staff can see that your skills match their needs. Then it's important that you paint a broad and in-depth picture of your abilities.

Here's a great testimonial from Doug Ottinger, who contacted me to critique his resume. Using the strategies outlined in my newest booklets--Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries and Changed Lives and Cover Letter Strategies That Have Increased Salaries--I helped Doug revamp his resume. Here's what he had to say:

Hi Regina,

Remember me? Well, I'm about the leave the Air Force and to go just the job I wanted...thanks to your help. If you remember, I sent you a job ad for a position I wanted and you used it as the basis for building my resume. Well, I put my new resume on the internet (OCC.COM) and within days, that exact company called me and wanted to interview me. Needless to say, I went through the interviews and was hired! Thanks. You really helped. I recommending you and your site to all my friends who are considering a civilian career! Keep up the good work. Sincerely,
Doug Ottinger, Management Consultant
 Please keep in mind that your results will vary depending on your skills and the prevailing job market and wage conditions in which you are seeking employment.

Click here to read more successes!

$9,000 Salary Increase
The first resume workshop in this site shows how Fran's after resume resulted in a $9,000 salary increase.  Fran wanted a $33,000 Corporate Customer Representative job but her resume created an image of her being at a $20,000 to 24,000 salary level -- that's $9,000 to $13,000 beneath her goal.

What Level Does Your Resume Market You At?
If you are curious to see what level your resume is marketing you at … then be sure to read and use the graphing techniques in my first workshop.  By graphing the job titles used in Fran's resume it's easy to see why her resume failed … and once you understand this … you will understand why the majority of resumes fail.  You'll then understand how to analyze your job titles and see if you are better off using them or replacing them with skill headings that market you more effectively. 

Most People Have Job Titles that Weaken Their Image
I estimate that at least 85% of all job seekers have job titles unrelated to their current career goals … and that they are much better off using skill headings rather than job titles to land higher salaries and double and triple their interview rates.

For example, Fran had been a Directory Operator but in most people's minds that doesn't sound like she's at the level of a Corporate Customer Representative making $33,000 … that's because most people don't view directory operators as providing true customer service.  Most people say that Directory Operator sounds like someone making only $20,000.  However, by using the 12 Questions in my Proven Resumes Series, Fran wrote a new description of her duties as a Directory Operator that described her being selected out of 100 Directory Operators to provide specialized Customer Service to the Governor's Office and Political Dignitaries in the Washington State Capitol … now that information begins to change our image of Fran doesn't it?  That makes her sound much more like someone being able to command $33,000. 

Which sounds like a better match for the $33,000 Corporate Customer Service Representative goal… her old job title of Directory Operator  … or a skill heading like Customer Service Representative to State of Washington Account.  In Fran's actual resume we used the heading of Customer Service Representative but you can see how you can play with skill headings to control and elevate your image … this is one strategy I explain in detail with examples throughout my book, Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries, and one of the strongest things I can offer you as a resume writer … just in case you don't have the time or patience to write your own.

Going from 0% to 100% Interview Rate
By using skill headings that matched her goal, Fran went from a 0% interview rate to a 100% interview rate -- meaning none of her prior resumes had landed an interview but her new resume landed an interview for each position she applied for.

Click here to learn other ways we improved Fran's resume and landed her a job paying $9,000 more click here to read my first set of resume workshops!  If you've entered my site via this page, be sure to go to my home page for an overview of more than 60 Free Resume & Job Search Workshops that include tons of Resume Tips for 45 Career Fields, Job Search, Electronic Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing, Networking and Confidence Building strategies. 

The testimonials at the top of this page and throughout my site describe salary increases ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 and more.  Here's one of my most recent ones: 

Regina, the resume you wrote caught the attention of the world's leading software manufacturer.  Thanks for helping inspire me through your thoughtful questions and objective interpretation of my work history.

I'm sure it made a big difference in my ability to be recognized in a competitive environment and cross the $100,000 threshold.  By the way, the offer I accepted was an increase of $25K annually (21% increase).

Rachel Pizarro, Senior Sales Account Executive / Operations Manager

My Top Recommendation For Those Moving From the Military
By following the 6-Step process outlined in my Increase Salaries booklets we achieved a dramatic transformation in Doug's resume.

Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries includes over 2,000 skills, skill headings and sample sentences from 40 career fields that are extremely helpful in describing military responsibilities so that they match civilian job requirements. This booklet will show you how to replace military job titles with skill headings that match the jobs you want. It will also teach you how to market the best of your civilian experience and combine it with your military background so that you look qualified for the civilian jobs you want. Click the title below for a complete description.

My cover letter booklet, Cover Letter Strategies That Have Increased Salaries is equally important, and in some ways, even more beneficial to those leaving the military as it starts and focuses entirely only how to analyze ads in order to pull out keywords and create powerful keyword headings for your letters. These powerful keyword headings can also be used as important headings in your resume. So, there's a difference in the structure of the two booklets - the resume booklet focuses on getting all your skills down on paper, deciding if job titles or skill headings sell you the best, and writing powerful resume statements. In contrast, the thrust of the cover letter starts with and focuses on how to create powerful keyword headings and them write paragraph's that market and combine your best set of skills for each particular job. The strategies in these two booklets will result in your being able to create resumes and cover letters that put you in the top percentage of applicants applying for civilian jobs.

Based on successes such as Doug's testimonial and e-mails I've received from job seekers transitioning from the military throughout the US and those stationed in foreign countries, the 6-Step process works extremely well. Therefore, my top recommendation for someone leaving the military and seeking a position in the $20,000 to $100,000+ salary range is to purchase all three of the Increase Salaries booklets--to get a complete description of each one click the titles below.


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