By Katelyn Nixon, Blog Brigade
Resumes can be a point of contention for a lot of people. It’s not a skill we learn in school or college. Hiring managers can be oddly specific regarding what type of resume they like to see, which makes it harder to know how to hit it out of the park. If you add in a lot of military spouse-related issues, it gets complicated fast.
Gaps in employment, short stints at jobs and a broader set of skills instead of a narrow focus in a career are just a few hurdles we may face when putting together a resume. I recently went to work to find a career, and the resume was something I knew I had to tackle. Here are three things I learned along the way:
Get help!
There are a lot of free resources out there for military families, and those free resources contain a wealth of knowledge that you should tap into. The Spouse Education & Career Opportunities (SECO) resume writing module on Military OneSource is a great resource to help you get started. I highly recommend reaching out to them. I learned a lot of tips, like not using the word “I” in the resume summary and a lot of other random bits of knowledge that I would have never gotten by researching on my own.
Write a directed resume.
Hiring managers these days are looking for directed resumes. They want your resume to be tailored for them and customized for the position you are seeking. This means a lot more work on your part. But it’s worth your time to make your resume shine. You can even pull keywords from the job description and use the same vocabulary when articulating your experience and skills.
Address work gaps.
It’s incredibly frustrating that some companies are blind to the talent our community brings to the table. I know people who don’t disclose being a military spouse even after being hired by colleagues because they fear it will negatively affect them. But a big push is going on right now to highlight all the value that service members and their families bring to the job market. When we can be honest in our resume about why it seems sporadic, the employment gaps make more sense to hiring managers. Use the gaps to highlight how adaptable you are.
Writing a resume is truly a grueling process. Or maybe that’s just me. But it’s one of those things that gets you through the gate to an opportunity. I knew that if I could get someone in HR to get me through the first review of my resume and into an interview, I could show companies the value I bring that is not always apparent on paper. When people see us as capable, adaptable and resilient individuals, they start to see the potential of military spouses. I know you bring a lot to the table. So don’t give up; keep pushing. Reach out for help, do the work and just be honest.
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