Sunday, February 10, 2008

After a 22-year career in the Army, Garth Hahn is seeking a management position in telecommunications, possibly at a defense-related company.

Overall, Hahn's résumé is attractive, said Malcolm O. Munro, a career coach in Germantown who teaches workshops for people transitioning out of the military. But it may need some adjustments, depending on the particular job for which Hahn is applying.

"If [Hahn] is targeting a defense contractor, he may not have to civilianize this résumé that much," Munro said. Indeed, in that case, the military terminology could be an advantage.

"It's possible the hiring managers at these companies may in fact have held similar jobs while on active duty. If the contractor's customer is a branch of the military, his résumé has the right jargon and acronyms to land him an interview."

Another plus: a security clearance. Hahn "does himself a big favor by listing his top-secret clearance at the top of his résumé, right above his objective -- this is one of his best selling points," Munro said.

But for employers outside of defense industry, he will need to make some "minor adjustments," Munro said. Even though the technical aspects of the jobs will likely be similar, the language used to describe them -- and to catch the eye of a hiring manager -- will be different. "Soldiers" would become "staff" or "employees." "MOS" -- for Military Occupational Specialty -- would become "specialties."

Beyond that, Hahn just needs to pick out some specific employers and jobs that interest him, Munro said, and "make sure his résumé speaks to those requirements."

-- Mary Ellen Slayter