The 5-Minute Resume Fix Every Veteran Needs

Your military resume might be getting rejected before a human even sees it. Here is a 5-minute fix that could double your callback rate.

Resume optimization
Small resume changes make a big difference

The problem? Acronyms. Military resumes are packed with them, and applicant tracking systems often reject resumes they cannot parse.

The Quick Fix

Open your resume right now and spell out every acronym the first time you use it. MOS becomes Military Occupational Specialty. PCS becomes Permanent Change of Station. NCO becomes Non-Commissioned Officer.

This simple change helps both software and human recruiters understand your experience immediately.

Bonus Tip

Replace military jargon with civilian equivalents. Instead of saying you led a platoon, say you managed a team of 40 employees. Instead of conducted reconnaissance, say performed market research or gathered competitive intelligence.

These quick changes take five minutes but can dramatically improve your response rate from civilian employers.

Sarah Mitchell

Sarah Mitchell

Author & Expert

Sarah Mitchell is a former U.S. Army Career Counselor with over a decade of active duty service. During her military career, she helped thousands of service members with career planning, retention decisions, and civilian transition at installations across the country. Sarah holds a Master's degree in Human Resources Management and is a certified career coach specializing in federal employment. After retiring from the Army, Sarah has focused on helping military families navigate federal job searches, veterans preference, and military spouse career challenges. As a military spouse herself who experienced the difficulties of PCS-related career disruptions, she's passionate about helping others achieve career stability. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children.

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