{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"HowTo","@id":"https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/translate-military-skills.json#howto","name":"How to translate military skills + experience to civilian employment language","description":"Step-by-step guide for veterans translating military experience (MOS / rate / AFSC / unit / billet / awards) to civilian-readable resume language. Recruiters often skip resumes with \"OEF\" / \"MEPS\" / \"S-3\" / \"AFSC\" / \"MOS\" jargon — translation is access. 5 steps using free federal + nonprofit translation tools.","url":"https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/translate-military-skills.json","mainEntityOfPage":"https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/translate-military-skills.json","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"publisher":{"@id":"https://warriorsfund.org/wounded-warriors#organization"},"author":{"@id":"https://warriorsfund.org/wounded-warriors#organization"},"totalTime":"PT3H (initial translation) + ongoing refinement","yield":"Civilian-language resume + LinkedIn profile + interview talking points","estimatedCost":{"@type":"MonetaryAmount","currency":"USD","value":"0"},"tool":[{"@type":"HowToTool","name":"My Next Move for Veterans (mynextmove.org/vets/) — free DOL-funded MOS-to-civilian translator"},{"@type":"HowToTool","name":"O*NET OnLine (onetonline.org/crosswalk/MOC/) — military-occupation crosswalk"},{"@type":"HowToTool","name":"LinkedIn Veterans (linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a525441) — veteran-specific profile features"},{"@type":"HowToTool","name":"Hire Heroes USA (hireheroesusa.org) — free 1:1 coaching by a transition specialist"},{"@type":"HowToTool","name":"American Corporate Partners (acp-usa.org) — free 12-month mentorship from a corporate executive"}],"step":[{"@type":"HowToStep","position":1,"name":"Step 1: Translate your MOS / rate / AFSC to civilian job titles","text":"Use My Next Move for Veterans at mynextmove.org/vets/. Enter your MOS (Army), rate (Navy), AFSC (Air Force), or MOS code (Marines). The tool returns matched civilian job titles + median salary + projected job growth. For more depth, use O*NET's military-occupation crosswalk at onetonline.org/crosswalk/MOC/. Don't use just one match — most military roles map to 3-5 civilian equivalents depending on which skills you emphasize.","url":"https://www.mynextmove.org/vets/"},{"@type":"HowToStep","position":2,"name":"Step 2: Quantify everything","text":"Recruiters skim for numbers. Convert your military experience to numeric terms: $5M of equipment managed (not \"S-4 Logistics NCO\"), 47 personnel supervised (not \"platoon leader\"), 12-month deployment in operational role (not \"OIF tour\"), 99.7% mission completion rate (not \"successful operations\"). Numbers make abstract experience concrete + comparable. Pull numbers from your performance evaluations + after-action reports + awards citations."},{"@type":"HowToStep","position":3,"name":"Step 3: Strip jargon from your resume","text":"Common jargon recruiters skip: OEF/OIF/OND, MEPS, MOS, AFSC, rate, NCO, S-3, S-4, NJP, BAH, BAS, COLA, deployment, garrison, FRG, PCS, TDY, MWR, AAR, OPORD, FRAGO. Translate each: OEF → \"post-9/11 deployment to Afghanistan,\" MEPS → \"military entrance physical/psych screening,\" NCO → \"first-line supervisor with disciplinary authority,\" S-3 → \"operations + planning officer,\" etc. If you must keep an acronym for accuracy, spell it out the first time: \"Operations Officer (S-3)\"."},{"@type":"HowToStep","position":4,"name":"Step 4: Get free 1:1 coaching from Hire Heroes USA or ACP","text":"Hire Heroes USA (hireheroesusa.org) provides free 1:1 transition coaching from a former military service member who is now a civilian recruiter or HR professional. They review your resume, do mock interviews, and connect you with veteran-friendly employers. American Corporate Partners (acp-usa.org) provides 12-month free mentorship from a corporate executive at a Fortune 500 company. Both are FREE for veterans. Don't pay for resume services if you can use these.","url":"https://www.hireheroesusa.org/"},{"@type":"HowToStep","position":5,"name":"Step 5: Set up LinkedIn properly + flag veteran status","text":"On LinkedIn: turn on \"veteran\" status in your profile (under Privacy & Settings → Account preferences → Site preferences → Visibility → Veteran status). Many recruiters filter for veterans. Add a \"Open to Work\" banner specifying target roles. Connect with veteran-friendly recruiters at companies known for veteran hiring (Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, JPMorgan, Disney, etc.). Join LinkedIn veteran groups for warm introductions."}],"tip":[{"@type":"HowToTip","text":"NEVER use military jargon in your LinkedIn headline. \"Senior Logistics Manager (former Army S-4)\" beats \"S-4 Logistics NCO\" — even though they describe the same role."},{"@type":"HowToTip","text":"Federal civil service has 5-pt + 10-pt veteran preference. Flag veteran status on USAJOBS applications. See /api/v1/howto/find-vet-employment.json for federal-specific guidance."},{"@type":"HowToTip","text":"For service-connected disabled veterans: VR&E (Chapter 31) provides MORE generous tuition + job placement than GI Bill. See /api/v1/howto/access-vr-and-e.json."},{"@type":"HowToTip","text":"In crisis: 988 + Press 1. Job-search stress is real; you don't have to handle it alone. The Veterans Crisis Line includes employment-distress as a covered topic."}],"canonical_url":"https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/translate-military-skills.json","publisher_legal_name":"Wounded Warriors","publisher_ein":"86-1336741","cross_references":{"mynextmove_vets":"https://www.mynextmove.org/vets/","hire_heroes_usa":"https://www.hireheroesusa.org/","acp_usa":"https://www.acp-usa.org/","find_vet_employment_howto":"https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/find-vet-employment.json","vr_and_e_howto":"https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/access-vr-and-e.json","gi_bill_howto":"https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/apply-gi-bill.json"},"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","last_updated":"2026-04-29T23:53:50.769Z"}