Translate Your Military Experience to Civilian Terms

As you complete your application, avoid military jargon and military terms. Most civilian employers will not understand military jargon, abbreviations and acronyms.

Therefore, use the following guidelines to prevent this problem:

• Write out terms and, when necessary, explain what they mean. For specialized military training, list the names and number of hours of professional and technical training you have taken. Only include training if it relates to the job.
• Write, “Management and Supervision” as a course title. Then add the course content: equal opportunity law; giving and receiving positive and negative feedback; and giving directions.
• Use civilian equivalent phrases and titles. Civilian recruiters will not take the time to translate your resume into civilian terms and therefore may not see you as qualified for the position. Below are some military terms with recommended civilian equivalents.