Listing Military Education On A Resume

Many military members may find themselves lacking ''formal'' higher education when they leave the service and enter the civilian workforce. Often, this is the result of entering military service immediately after completing high school and in lieu of pursuing higher education.

This lack of higher education may be detrimental to a person's acceptance into a desired career position as employers looking for skilled labor often desire applicants with higher education and degrees. One way this detriment may be overcome is by listing formal military training, such as MOS (military occupational specialty) and special skills training, in the education section of a resume.

When it comes to listing military education, too many service members undersell their military education. They do this by either not listing their military education, or by delegating it to a lower education area on the resume - such as: Certifications, Other Education, or Professional Development. Though these areas are "ok" for listing military training, especially if one does have a degree to rely upon, there is a better way to highlight the knowledge and skills these schools give a service member.

In my search for ways to list formal military education on a resume, there seemed to be no consensus on how this is done. Many suggested either placing it under one’s military job history or in the areas I mentioned above. I find these suggestions to be demeaning to the true value of military education. Military schools are legitimate government education institutions, geared towards the development of particular skills needed by service members to do important tasks. Think of them as technical colleges, but for the development of warriors and leaders!

With that in mind, veterans and military members should treat these schools as the legitimate institutions they are. As a fact, just like any college or university, military schools offer many valuable stand-alone skills that may transfer to the civilian sector. Some of these skills can even be transferred to college credit or certifications in the civilian sectors.

If one does list their military school on a resume, how would one format it? Simply list it like one would any other college or university. A few examples are provided below.

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Sometimes listing skills obtained, or courses covered, during the school will help civilians understand the valuable knowledge obtained through that school. When doing this, try to only list skills that may be pertinent or adaptable to the position and organization that is being applied for.

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A service member may also opt to include awards and honors earned during a school. This is the equivalent of students in the civilian sector listing their student honors. Doing this highlights a military member's high achievement in that school.

A military member must realize that not all military education is the same. Often battalion or lower level training, though providing valuable skills, should not be listed with higher education and be delegated to the lesser education or skill sections of a resume.

These courses may be listed in formats such as:

• Certificate in Combat Life Saver, 529th Military Police Company, 2008

or

• Certificate in basic first aid

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• Military Police Certifications, 91st Military Police Battalion, 2012

or

• Police Patrol Certification, 2012

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• Combatives Level I (hand-to-hand defensive tactics), 759th Military Police Battalion, 2010

• Intelligence in Combatting Terrorism Certificate, U.S. Army Intelligence School, 2009

Remember to only list education that is pertinent for the position you are applying for.

It is important to remember to also avoid using military terms and abbreviations. One may even change some terms to make military education understandable to civilian employers, for example: ''Warrior Leadership Course'' can be listed as ''Basic Leadership Course'' (as it is now called in the Army). Another example is, Combat Lifesaver, this may be referred to as ''basic first aid''. If doing this, remember to do so without being misleading or overselling the education.

The knowledge and experience gained through military schools is extremely valuable. Sometime it takes the military member's personal reflection to understand what skills they truly obtained in their military education and training.

However, generally speaking, these schools often do provide generic skills that are desired in all organizations. These skills can be defined as: planning, time management, leadership, problem solving, communication, etc.

In the end, it is up to the service member to convince the prospective employer how these personal assets translate to civilian skills that will benefit the employer. In each case, it may take some serious consideration and ''verbal judo'' to translate military education into terms understood by a civilian, but the time invested may be well worth it.