Listing Military Service on LinkedIn Profiles

Leveraging LinkedIn effectively as you transition out of military service can be valuable. Here’s a step-by-step approach: 1. LinkedIn Profile ⭐️Professional Photo: Use a high-quality, professional-looking headshot. ⭐️Headline and Summary: Craft a headline that highlights your skills and career interests, such as “Transitioning Military Leader | Project Management | Logistics Specialist.” In your summary, share your military background, skills, and career goals. ⭐️Translate Military Experience: Avoid jargon and explain your experience in terms that civilians will understand. Use job titles and responsibilities that highlight skills like leadership, project management, or teamwork. ⭐️Skills and Endorsements: List skills that align with your desired civilian roles, and ask colleagues or superiors to endorse them. 2. Join Veteran and Industry Groups ⭐️Search for LinkedIn groups focused on veterans or specific industries of interest (e.g., technology, logistics, management). Joining these groups connects you with like-minded professionals and keeps you informed on job opportunities and industry trends. 3. Build a Network ⭐️Connect with Fellow Veterans: Many veterans are eager to help others transitioning to civilian careers. Start with individuals you know and expand by reaching out to veterans in similar industries or positions. ⭐️Target Professionals in Your Desired Field: Send personalized connection requests to people in your industry of interest, including a brief message explaining that you’re a veteran transitioning to a civilian career and are interested in learning about their field. 4. Engage with Your Network & Share Content ⭐️Comment on Posts: Engage thoughtfully with posts from veterans and industry leaders to increase your visibility and build connections. ⭐️Share Relevant Content: Post articles, insights, or experiences related to your field of interest. Sharing relevant content positions you as an active participant in your industry. 5. Coffee Chats ⭐️Reach out to professionals in roles or companies that interest you and ask if they’d be open to an informational interview. This shows initiative and can help you gather insights while expanding your network. Prepare questions about their career path, industry trends, and company culture. 6. LinkedIn’s Job Search & LinkedIn Learning ⭐️Use LinkedIn’s job search tools to identify roles that align with your skills. Additionally, LinkedIn Learning offers courses to help build civilian skills, which can also be added to your profile. 7. Follow Up & Maintain Relationships ⭐️Building a network isn’t just about adding connections; it’s about nurturing them. Periodically reach out to your network with updates or a quick message to maintain relationships and stay on their radar. By following these steps, you can use LinkedIn to create a strong network and find meaningful career opportunities as you transition from military service to civilian employment. #dodskillbridge #dod

95% of the Fortune 500 use #LinkedIn to source talent (and tons of other recruiters) They build queries based on things like: 1 - Job titles 2 - Locations 3 - Skills 4 - Companies 5 - Schools 6 - Industries 7 - Key words and more (like veteran status) Which means having a complete profile can make a HUGE difference when it comes to being found by a recruiter My advice? 1 - Complete your entire profile Every one of the categories above needs to be filled out completely and as relevant to your desired post-military career 2 - Include translations of your military job title If you have spoken with people in your desired field... (but keep the military title in there because it is horrible when a veteran has no idea what you actually did in the military and, therefore, can't make translations or recommendations for other roles) It shouldn't be "C-suite" anything 3 - Location should be where you want to be So you show up in recruiter searches there (if you have multiple locations, add those in the Open to Work banner) 4 - Skills on your profile should be relevant to the job(s) you want Add ones that occur often on related job descriptions The more endorsements you have on skills in the search, the higher you will rank in the results 5 - Make the experience section like your Master Resume Include your accomplishments in the description section of each job in the experience section This helps you appear in more search results for key words 6 - Make sure the logo shows up when you add schools or companies Otherwise it doesn't work for the filters 7 - It might not be a filter, but don't overlook the importance of a good profile picture and background image Because they are the first things we see on a profile #quinnsights HireMilitary #militarytransition I've added the LinkedIn article below for more info Questions? Thoughts? Anything you would add?

Fellow Veteran and transitioning Intelligence Analysts (a.k.a Secret Squirrels), today's resume tips are for you. No need to write your fancy military titles such Senior Watch Officer, Chief of Staff, SIO, G2, IS3, S2, just to name a few. Instead, keep it simple. You are an INTELLIGENCE ANALYST. If you've been doing it for 10+ years, then you are a SENIOR INTELLIGENCE ANALYST. Make sure to spell out all military/Intel acronyms (like JIOC, JIC, etc.) because it will confuse civilian recruiters especially since most of the Intel recruiters you deal with, will NOT have a military nor Intel background. Therefore, I recommend just using a civilian equivalent term whenever possible. Pay attention to the verbiage being used in the requirements section of job descriptions so you may mimic some of those terms on your resume IF you meet those requirements and then prove how you meet them. I also recommend updating your titles on your LinkedIn headline to say Intelligence Analyst/ Signals Intelligence Analyst because civilian recruiters are not conducting searches for Servant Leader, Dynamic Leader, Jack of All Trades, or any other title that does not tell the recruiter what job you are actually looking for. They are hunting for "Intelligence Analysts". Keep your LinkedIn headline simple so more recruiters can find you. Maloney out! ✌️ #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #secretsquirrels

🎖Some seniors transitioning out of the military need to learn their military rank does not hold the same weight / creditability in the civilian employment market when not translated. I observe senior ranking officials listing their rank / title in their LinkedIn headline frequently and as a Recruiter, I occasionally see military ranks published on resumes. While achieving a senior rank is a major milestone, your rank alone is not enough to compete in a competitive job market. Recruiters always suggest translating military language into civilian language. Your rank should also be translated to ensure Hiring Managers clearly understand your skills, abilities and experiences. 🎖Your military, rank carries a significant amount of credibility and represents a person's level of authority and responsibility. However, in the civilian corporate world, the emphasis shifts towards skills, qualifications, and experience rather than military rank. 🎖Employers in the corporate sector typically value specific abilities, such as leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, and communication skills. While military service can certainly develop and enhance these qualities, it's important to translate them into civilian terms on your resume and during job interviews. 🎖Instead of relying solely on your military rank, it's essential to highlight your accomplishments, relevant experience, and transferable skills that are applicable to the desired civilian position. Consider focusing on the responsibilities you held, projects you completed, and any quantifiable results you achieved during your military service. 🎖While your military rank may not directly carry over as credibility in corporate America, your skills, background, and experiences acquired during your military service are highly valuable and can help you stand out as a candidate. By effectively communicating and translating your military experience, you can increase your chances of success in the civilian job market. #militarytransition #militarylife #military #militaryjobs #transitioningmilitary #transitioningveterans #transitioningservicemembers #veterans #veteranemployment #veteranhiring #militaryveterans