Military Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Voice of Job Seekers

How Canadian Armed Forces Personnel can Write Resumes for Civilian Careers

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I thought that people would benefit if I had Audrey Prenzel back on the show to talk about her approach to resume writing for her Canadian Armed Forces to Civilian clients. This show complements next week’s annual Veteran’s day show. Be sure that you have subscribed so you can hear that special edition.

Are you in the military looking for civilian careers? If so, let me know in one of three ways:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822
Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
Send email feedback to [email protected]

If you are a career professional who advise job seekers and adds feedback whether it’s advice or a differing opinion, I will include a link in future show notes and read your comments on an upcoming show. Just let me know if it’s OK with you.

Audrey Prenzel of resumeresources.ca (@AudreyPrenzel) is a career transition strategist and an award-winning resume writer who specializes in writing and coaching for those in the Canadian Armed Forces. She has been published in multiple magazine, newspapers, and career publications.

Canada is unique for it has a melting pot population, so language is a major consideration. Many Canadian armed forces members speak French and English fluently
Military bases in Canada are primarily French-speaking. Audrey coaches her military clients to showcase their bilingual abilities (some speak more than two) to civilian employers
Audrey also coaches them to have a dedication language section as they would on a LinkedIn profile
Interestingly enough, most resumes are written in English unless the province is predominantly or solely French
The summary is a key spot on a Canadian armed forces to civilian resume, but provide a dedicated title for what you what to be known as e.g., “IT Bilingual Executive.” Your summary will support your description
Audrey says that infusing personality in your summary is a great way to stand out. Hard skills and soft skills are important to include
Audrey recommends side step cheesy-overused-clichés such as “results-oriented” or “team-player
Your resume should answer many questions so the reader will have a good sense of who the applicant is
A sense of entitlement will keep you from selling your accomplishments. No one will hire on reputation alone
Reverse chronological is the preferred style by employers highlighting what the applicant did and how well they did it
One of the challenges in helping Canadian armed forces to Civilian Transition is translating the acronyms. Audrey has a file with more than 10,000 acronyms
“Tell me what you want to do” is important to target opportunities. Too much information is good to start

Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction?I can help.

Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

I would still like to help self-published career professionals promote their books. If you’re interested, find more info here.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

Career Transition Strategies for Military Veterans

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This Veterans Day episode is dedicated to all of you who served our country. We thank you because you sacrificed your comfort, family, and yourselves to make sure that the rest of America can enjoy their freedom that we often take for granted.

The transition back to civilian life is not an easy task. For many veterans, transitioning back to the civilian job market is a nightmare. Are you a military veteran challenged by the competition or the lack of career resources? What is the toughest part of your career transition from serving to civilian?

There are three ways you can let me know:

Blog: TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com (Use the send voicemail feature)

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: 708.365.9822

My guest today is Patricia Frame (@2Patra). As an Air Force Veteran herself has extensive experience as a Human Resource expert. She has trained more than 1,800 hiring managers in effective hiring and talent management processes and actions. She was recommended as a guest from Susan P. Joyce, a guest back from late summer. Patricia is the founder of PatraFrame.com and Veterans’ job expert at job-hunt.org.

Here are a few of the highlights from our conversation:

One of the differences from past military transitions is now career training is provided for all Veterans’ before leaving the military. The bad side that too many Veterans wait for the training and not doing anything for their job search before instruction begins
Patricia noted that many Veterans’ miss the intense camaraderie they experienced through combat making it hard to transition back to civilian life. Very few civilian workplaces can replicate the teamwork a Veteran experienced before leaving
One of the common mistakes Veterans’ make on LinkedIn is posting their military pictures. She said that is an indication that they are not ready for a career transition back to the civilian world. Employers also pick that up all because a soldier wants people to see their “fruit salad (military ribbons and décor)” and rank
Patricia stated that people need to think of their LinkedIn profile as an advertisement. For example putting “Retired” sends the wrong message to recruiters and employers. We agreed that a common error among Veterans’ is not speaking the language of civilian employers
Don’t forget the importance of showcasing soft skills and achievements through writing and speaking, especially when the job you performed was classified

Resources mentioned:

Type “Troops to…” in the Google search engine filled by the profession you desire will populate with many choices (many of them free). Training is often sponsored by companies and trade associations

Microsoft (free training available)

SAP (Veterans to Work program)

General Electric Syracuse University for Veterans and Military Families

Veterans Tuition Credit Program

American Corporate Partners (mentoring and career advice)

BPW

Joining Forces

Next week I will have a PDF with additional resources to find listings, programs, and directories to help those veterans that need additional help! Email me at [email protected] to be put on the list.

Have a great week!