The key to securing favorable positions in today’s world often comes through the ability to present yourself in an appealing way. Part of your ‘self-advertisement’ happens in the office before the interviewer, the other part way before then – in your resume. And this applies to all categories of people, basically anyone that would need to apply for a job.
Veterans too.
Emphasis has always been laid on job-seekers in general, but not very much has been said about war veterans, who spend a good part of their lives defending their countries. Then, when they come back home, they are disillusioned because a lot has changed when they were away – and they have no idea where to start in order to catch up. Coupled with that, they would definitely need one or more activities to keep them from constantly focusing on the memories of the horrors of war. Because many of them don’t know how to best present themselves, they end up sliding into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), become alcoholic, homeless or end up being destitute.
One of the ways you can offer to help veteran have a fresh start is by helping them craft the experience they had to strengthen their resumes and cover letters. It’s quite helpful to understand that not all soldiers who were drafted actually participated in handling guns and heavy artillery. There were those who worked in the kitchen sections, in the infirmaries, emergency services, and others. There are a lot of ways a veteran can have their cover letter polished up to meet job requirements. Here are some of them:
1. Thorough investigation
Anyone who wants to look for a job in a particular company must first find out what they are seeking. Most organizations always have very specific requirements they want in their teams. Not having one or more of these criteria erases your chances of ever having the job, even if you are the best person for the job experience-wise. It is essential to reach out to the companies and find out what they want, otherwise, as a veteran, you will find yourself constantly submitting cover letters with little or no feedback. You can also seek the support of a veteran resume service, if available in your area, or online.
2. Matching skills with requirements
The next question you would want to ask yourself is – how do my skills relate to this particular job posting? If I did A and B for instance, how does it relate to me performing task C? is it relevant? If it’s not relevant, then it’s best not mentioned in the cover letter. An employer is more likely to pay attention to the skills that match the position they are trying to fill at the moment.
3. Proper English
This is the wrong time to use any military terminologies you may have learned during your service in the force. As a matter of fact, to relate with potential employers, you would need to ditch military lingo and look for words that make it easy for them to understand your ideas and what you can offer while working with them. Using words like time efficiency, profit, and other such words make your cover letter readable.
4. Proofreading and editing
This is a classic requirement for any employment-related document. Mistakes make it difficult for your employer to focus on the information being passed across. Irrespective of the role you are assigned to a company, you reflect their principles and values. No company would ever want to be misrepresented. You need to prove to them that you can be a worthy ambassador while doing your tasks within the organization.
Visit our job board regularly to find companies that have positions available offering veterans jobs and follow our blog and social media profiles to get news of job fairs in your area.
By Mary Colbert