Over Thanksgiving dinner, Aunt Jane asked you to tell her about what you do in the military. You pause, then proceeded with the following dissertation: “I’m the staff NCO for the O-5 who commands VP-16 for Wing-11. I just got a NAM for preparing the squadron for our deployment work-up inspection.” Aunt Jane nearly chokes on her Stove Top® stuffing and replies with, “That’s great Richie. I’m glad to hear you enjoy it.” The conversation ends and Aunt Jane has no idea what you just said or what you do.

Aunt Jane has served on her local Rotary and now commands your 10 year-old cousin Mike’s PTA meetings, and to her a “NAM” is the name of her kid’s Tang Soo Do instructor. She doesn’t speak your language!

Perhaps a better way to say this would be to tell her that you work for the CEO of the aircraft squadron and that you received a personal commendation for your work in preparing the troops for a recent inspection from your boss’s boss.

When you prepare your résumé, it is vitally important to translate your military jobs and accomplishments into something that a civilian school admissions counselor can understand.

Civilianizing your résumé helps schools understand how your skills translate into a successful student. Admissions counselors see thousands of résumés cross their desk. They don’t have time to translate. Regardless of your skills, an uncivilized résumé will likely be passed over.

Knowing how to translate and articulate effectively provides a glimpse into your communication skills. This is especially important when admitted into a school, because you will be translating academic material into real world projects and assignments.

Start by translating job positions such as “Company Commander” into “Operations Manager.” Spell out all abbreviations and acronyms and translate their importance. Translate OJT and military schools into the real meaning behind the school. If you attended the NERS (Navy Enlisted Recruiter School), show it on your résumé as an in-depth, three-week sales training course. Your rank is important, but what’s more important is the relative rank. If you supervised five people as an E-5, say that! Most civilians don’t supervise five people until they have many years’ experience. Did you make E-5 on your first try? If so, say that and indicate that only 20 percent of those in your field make E-5 on their first try. This shows superior performance relative to your peers and is a good indication of future success.

When you have finished, ask Aunt Jane to take a look at your résumé and ask her if it makes sense. Get input from other civilians who can tell you if you’re résumé is still “wearing too much camouflage.”

The prospective student who articulates and translates best will ultimately land the coveted admissions spot!