Should I include my military rank on my resume?

No. Rank does not translate to civilian job titles and can confuse employers. Instead, describe the scope of your responsibility: how many people you led, what assets you managed, what outcomes you achieved.

How do I explain employment gaps from deployments?

List your military service as continuous employment. You were not 'unemployed' during deployments. You were actively serving. Use your separation date as the end of your military employment period.

The Complete Guide to Translating Your Military Resume for Civilian Jobs

By GetVetsHired · July 2026 · 6 min read

You spent years leading teams, managing operations, and handling equipment worth millions. But when you write 'NCOIC' and 'MTOE' on your resume, civilian employers have no idea what you are talking about. This guide shows you exactly how to translate every piece of your military experience into language that gets you hired.

Why military language gets you rejected

Civilian employers and their ATS software do not speak military. They do not know what an MOS is, what NCOIC means, or what a property book entails. When they see these terms on your resume, they either skip over them or, worse, the ATS gives you zero credit for the experience. You are not unqualified. You are untranslated.

How to translate your military job title

Your MOS or rating is not a job title civilians understand. '11B Infantryman' should become 'Team Leader' or 'Operations Specialist.' '92A Automated Logistical Specialist' should become 'Logistics Coordinator' or 'Supply Chain Specialist.' Look at the function you performed, not the code you held. Use the Department of Labor's O*NET crosswalk if you need a starting point.

How to translate your bullets

Every bullet on your resume should answer one question: what did you accomplish and how? 'Led a 12-person squad through multiple deployments' becomes 'Directed a 12-person team across multiple operational rotations, maintaining 100% mission readiness.' Same facts. Different words. Civilian result.

How to translate your skills section

Your skills section is where the most translation happens. 'Weapons maintenance' becomes 'Equipment maintenance and repair.' 'Radio operations' becomes 'Communications systems management.' 'Combat lifesaver' becomes 'Emergency medical response.' List both the military term and the civilian equivalent if you are unsure.

The fastest way to translate your entire resume

Instead of spending hours manually translating every line, use a tailoring tool. Upload your resume, paste the job description, and it translates your military experience into civilian language AND matches it to the job's keywords. You get a resume that reads like a civilian professional wrote it, in under five minutes.

Tailor My Resume

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