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It’s a common misunderstanding that soldiers are trained to have skills that are only useful on the battlefield. We have seen it many times before that people believe they don't have the skills to succeed in civvie life because they were a rifleman. This incorrect and one-dimensional depiction of veterans causes many people to underestimate their capabilities. What they don't know is that many of the skills recruiters are looking for ex-military already have. Here are the skills you should be putting on your resume.

6 Military skills that you can put on your resume

1. Leadership:

Leadership is not about handing out directives or sitting back with your feet up relaxing while you watch other people work. It’s a huge responsibility to be a leader and the role requires a diverse blend of skills to delegate a team efficiently. The one who can direct a group and respond to their concerns is someone who has great leadership skills. You need to be able to motivate people to work for the given objectives.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that a good leader never discriminates on the basis of personal prejudice, gender, race, religion etc. Military personnel spend most of their lives either as a commander or following under one. You can gain these leadership skills by working under a good leader or by being one yourself. A good leader can be the difference between success and failure in both military and real-world context. This ability to delegate a team and maintain discipline is why veterans make excellent leaders wherever they are situated.

2. Punctuality:

Military personnel have punctuality driven into them from their first day at basic training. Time in the military teaches you the importance of punctuality as a result of always being on a strict schedule. Ex-military are amazing when it comes to time management such as meeting deadlines and utilising their time during the day to the maximum efficiency.

3. Adaptability:

Life in the military is vastly different than life as a civilian. You live away from home, family, and friends to serve your nation. In doing so, you sacrifice many pleasures and conveniences of modern life to protect your country. Therefore, the military teaches you to be able to adapt according to a range of different circumstances. Moreover, you may have had many different posting requiring you to constantly be uprooting your life. These skills translate to an innate ability to adapt to a variety of situations both in and outside of the military.

4. Stress tolerance:

Military jobs are rated as the topmost stressful job as of 2019. It requires a lot of courage and bravery to go through and enlist in the military. Over time, you develop a high tolerance towards the stress and pressures of work, you learn to make calculated decisions even when you’re on the chopping block. This makes you apart of a highly credible group of people that you can comfortably rely on in high-stress situations.

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5. Patience:

Joining the military and surviving in the military requires years of training which usually starts from an early age. Training takes place every day, teaching you everything you need to know to succeed in the military. You go through years of rigorous training, teaching you one of the most important skills, patience. You need to have a high level of patience in order to reach certain goals. Having this level of patience when working for a company can result in innovative and long term planning, taking success to another level.

6. Teamwork:

You're probably used to spending many years away from home, working alongside groups of other military members. Without a high level of teamwork, the military would surely be in shambles. Anyone who serves understands the value of teamwork. Working away from your friends and family, the people you work with become friends and family. This further instils the importance of cooperating as part of a team. When brought back into a civilian setting, you can use your teamwork skills in the workplace, improving your productivity and the productivity of those around you.

Conclusion:

These military skills learnt after spending time in the military are only a handful of the skills you gain from the military. There are many other skills which you learn in the military, they are useful both in and out of the military. Having been in the military is a mark of pride that should be worn of the sleeve of all those who have served. The blend of skills you have, make you an amazing find for a recruiter. 

If you are looking to apply your skills in a new line of work, then it’s definitely a good idea to check out the WithYouWithMe Portal. Courses are given for FREE to all ex-military and their families.