Military Service on your Resume
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Hi I am looking for any sites that would be helpful in writing a Military resume for a competition for a B class position. Thanks in Advance
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The only topic on this I could find was locked, so I will start a new one. I am currently filling out an application for the Ottawa Police Service, and on it they ask for a "Brief Description of Duties".. I honestly can't think of a brief way to describe what my duties as an infantryman were. Anyone more articulate than me have some advice?
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First, what is brief?
From the CF Recruiting site:
Infantry Soldiers have the following primary duties:
•Expertly operate and maintain a wide range of personal and section-level weapons, including rifle (with and without bayonet), hand-grenades, light, medium and heavy machine-guns; and anti-tank weapons;
•Use sophisticated equipment for field communications, navigation and night-vision surveillance;
•Inspect and maintain weapon systems, vehicles and equipment (including clothing, survival gear and personal defensive equipment);
•Participate in airborne operations;
•Operate with support elements such as fighter aircraft, tactical helicopters (troop-carrying and reconnaissance) and artillery;
•Engage in unarmed combat; and
•Employ fieldcraft and battle procedures including camouflage and concealment, patrol, assault, defence, and escape-and-evasion tactics.
ME
From the CF Recruiting site:
Infantry Soldiers have the following primary duties:
•Expertly operate and maintain a wide range of personal and section-level weapons, including rifle (with and without bayonet), hand-grenades, light, medium and heavy machine-guns; and anti-tank weapons;
•Use sophisticated equipment for field communications, navigation and night-vision surveillance;
•Inspect and maintain weapon systems, vehicles and equipment (including clothing, survival gear and personal defensive equipment);
•Participate in airborne operations;
•Operate with support elements such as fighter aircraft, tactical helicopters (troop-carrying and reconnaissance) and artillery;
•Engage in unarmed combat; and
•Employ fieldcraft and battle procedures including camouflage and concealment, patrol, assault, defence, and escape-and-evasion tactics.
ME
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Explain it in simple terms and mention the applicable stuff. When you get to the interview if they want you to explain and expand you can. The odds are someone in the unit will have an idea what you are referring to.
I went through this too- something like (having not been in the Infantry- just as an idea)
Worked and lived in a team environment, responsible for the safety and development of X amount of soldiers. Duties included the employment and care of personal weapons in defensive and offensive operations. Safe handling and security of detainees, operation of armoured vehicles etc. Responsible for care and maintenance of expensive Government property. Position required high degree of personal fitness and discipline under stress.
They don't care about the real specifics only the stuff that would seem to be applicable. They have an idea of what the Infantry does and we'll read into it as they see fit.
I went through this too- something like (having not been in the Infantry- just as an idea)
Worked and lived in a team environment, responsible for the safety and development of X amount of soldiers. Duties included the employment and care of personal weapons in defensive and offensive operations. Safe handling and security of detainees, operation of armoured vehicles etc. Responsible for care and maintenance of expensive Government property. Position required high degree of personal fitness and discipline under stress.
They don't care about the real specifics only the stuff that would seem to be applicable. They have an idea of what the Infantry does and we'll read into it as they see fit.
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To take Container's approach a step further:
http://www.cflc.forces.gc.ca/ees-pae/rr/esr-rr/rwg-ger-eng.asp
Here's a Gov't of Canada tool that translates military MOS's to HRSDC work descriptions:
http://www.cflc.forces.gc.ca/ees-pae/mor-gpm/index-eng.asp
here's what HRSDC includes in "Occupations Unique to the Armed Forces":
http://www.cflc.forces.gc.ca/ees-pae/rr/esr-rr/rwg-ger-eng.asp
Here's a Gov't of Canada tool that translates military MOS's to HRSDC work descriptions:
http://www.cflc.forces.gc.ca/ees-pae/mor-gpm/index-eng.asp
here's what HRSDC includes in "Occupations Unique to the Armed Forces":
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Ah yes- I forgot the disaster relief stuff. Thats golden.
I think there is a tendency to (and I just did it myself) to overlook the "soft side" of your job. But thats the stuff that can really help your application.
You aren't applying to doorkicker commando school- the humanitarian stuff serves you better on your application I think. Right or otherwise. I often think that police work could use an injection of warrior- but I'll never work in recruiting if you catch my drift. *opinion*
I think there is a tendency to (and I just did it myself) to overlook the "soft side" of your job. But thats the stuff that can really help your application.
You aren't applying to doorkicker commando school- the humanitarian stuff serves you better on your application I think. Right or otherwise. I often think that police work could use an injection of warrior- but I'll never work in recruiting if you catch my drift. *opinion*
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Since this has some applicability to folks getting out of the CF, I'll be moving this shortly to the Release, Retirement & SCAN forum.
Milnet.ca staff
Milnet.ca staff
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If anyone in the future looks this up for info, here is what I chose to put:
-Expertly operate and maintain a wide range of personal and section-level weapons;
-Use sophisticated equipment for field communications, navigation and night-vision surveillance;
-Inspect and maintain weapon systems, vehicles and equipment (including clothing, survival gear and personal defensive equipment);
-Safe handling and security of detainees;
-Work with many different types of people, overcoming language and cultural barriers to achieve a working and cohesive unit;
-Position required high degree of personal fitness and discipline under stress.
-Expertly operate and maintain a wide range of personal and section-level weapons;
-Use sophisticated equipment for field communications, navigation and night-vision surveillance;
-Inspect and maintain weapon systems, vehicles and equipment (including clothing, survival gear and personal defensive equipment);
-Safe handling and security of detainees;
-Work with many different types of people, overcoming language and cultural barriers to achieve a working and cohesive unit;
-Position required high degree of personal fitness and discipline under stress.
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milnews.ca said:
WOW! Did they ever get my job wrong. Take that link with a GIANT grain o' salt.
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My civilian occupation--Carpenter Foreman--doesn't quite fit in their descriptions either.
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milnews.ca said:
Swingline1984 said:
The Arty one is kind of comical also. Being part of a FOO party is quite arguably the most demanding and rewarding job within the Arty. Sadly, it gets about 3 secs of barely recognizable description and falls in between ammo truck driver and radio operator. Tee hee hee.
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I would also advise you restrict the CF skills and experience you mention to those that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
Also include training or skills you have gained that are applicable to the job you are appllying for, i.e. describe how proficient are you with a computer; almost every CF resume I've reviewed fails to mention this.
Also include training or skills you have gained that are applicable to the job you are appllying for, i.e. describe how proficient are you with a computer; almost every CF resume I've reviewed fails to mention this.
FYI, hiring for Ottawa is looking exceedingly bleak for the next while. I was in for my PBQ not long ago and they told us the last 12 hires had been pared down from 1300 applicants. Their next class (the spring) will all be laterals, and the next direct entry class isn't until September. Ottawa in particular is a highly desirable force because- well, you get to live in Ottawa. A separate contact of mine confirms that their budget is very tight for the forseeable future and that hiring will suffer. I applied in August 2010, and only got called finally for my PBQ 11 months later.
My advice is obviously to continue with the application - it would be stupid not to - but to cast a MUCH broader net and get many different irons in the fire. It's an ugly job market right now. That, incidentally, mirrors what the recruiting sergeant at OPS told us- "We completely understand and are not bothered if you have other applications in, and if you get an offer from another force, for the love of God take it." Extend that more broadly to other pursuits you might try both in and out of the CF.
My advice is obviously to continue with the application - it would be stupid not to - but to cast a MUCH broader net and get many different irons in the fire. It's an ugly job market right now. That, incidentally, mirrors what the recruiting sergeant at OPS told us- "We completely understand and are not bothered if you have other applications in, and if you get an offer from another force, for the love of God take it." Extend that more broadly to other pursuits you might try both in and out of the CF.
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This may seem out of left field, but, IMO, skip it completely...
I worked for a company that only supported me because they had to.
I have seen (with my eyes) people denied from the pool of applicants because of Military Service.
The last place I worked, we were shown a resume of a guy who drove trucks in Somalia.
REJECTED.
Oh...he's probabaly crazy..........we don't want that here...
I know that people understand it here.....but they may not in public.
(anyways...just a little ignorance I've ran in to....YMMV)
I worked for a company that only supported me because they had to.
I have seen (with my eyes) people denied from the pool of applicants because of Military Service.
The last place I worked, we were shown a resume of a guy who drove trucks in Somalia.
REJECTED.
Oh...he's probabaly crazy..........we don't want that here...
I know that people understand it here.....but they may not in public.
(anyways...just a little ignorance I've ran in to....YMMV)
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Hammer Sandwich said:
Many have experienced this, but fortunately there are are exceptions where military service was/is appreciated and desired.
From your example, my question would be 'why did he/she mention driving trucks in Somalia'? There's no job out there in Canada that an employer would need to know that level of detail in an application resume.
