Veterans Résumés Cover Letters & Reference Lists - Guide to Creating Résumés, Cover Letters, and Reference Pages

Sep 13, 2026

Guide for veterans on creating professional résumés, cover letters, and reference pages. Explains what a résumé is, why cover letters matter, and how references should be selected and presented to potential employers. Provides a step-by-step approach to begin, including defining résumé purpose and civilian job objectives, demilitarizing titles and duties for hiring managers, using job postings to align keywords, and showcasing measurable accomplishments and achievements from military experience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

RÉSUMÉ WRITING TIPS FOR VETERANS

WORDS EVERY RÉSUMÉ SHOULD INCLUDE

RÉSUMÉ DO’S AND DON’TS

ACTION VERBS FOR RÉSUMÉS

SAMPLE RÉSUMÉS

COVER LETTERS

REFERENCE PAGE

DOCUMENT CRITIQUES: BUCCAREER NETWORK

CAREER CENTER RESOURCES

THE CAREER CENTER STAFF AND OFFICE HOURS

Veterans PortfolioGuide RésumésCover Letters& Reference Lists GUIDE TO CREATING RÉSUMÉS, COVER LETTERS,AND REFERENCE PAGES WHAT IS A RÉSUMÉ? A résumé is a concise written summary of your individual qualifications. Think of your résuméas a personal advertisement….typically a one-page representation of your education, workexperience, accomplishments and skills. You will present your achievements and abilities insuch a way to generate enough interest for a potential employer to grant you an interview. WHY DO I NEED A COVER LETTER? Cover letters introduce your résumé and entice the reader toreadit. They are not typically requested by aprospective employer, but should accompany any mailed résumé . The contents will change with eachposition to which you apply, as you will use the cover letter to show the employer how your skills andexperience meet the needs of their position. You will need to show specifics and make that connectioneach time you apply. WHAT ARE REFERENCES AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? References will be requested by potential employers who are serious about your candidacy. Listprofessionals, like clergy, faculty, or managers who will tell the recruiting professional about yourcharacter and professional habits, but not managers or supervisors for whom you worked. Itisunderstood that you will have a reference page when applying to jobs, but itis not part oftherésumé . HOW DO I BEGIN? Remember, the goal of your résumé is to gainan interview. The interviewer’s goal is to match yourqualifications with the company’s needs. To do this, you need to have a clear understanding of who youare and what you want. What do you have to offer an employer? What makes you stand out from otherapplicants? Self-evaluation isthe first step. 􀁸 Determine your objective. This is an opportunity to see if your aspirations are compatible with theneeds of the employer’s organization. 􀁸 Learn as much as possible about the prospective job opportunity. What are the company’s missionand core values? What qualifications are desired? Begin by visiting their website, but try to schedulea site visit or informational interview with current employees as well. 􀁸 Know your skills, strengths, qualificationsand accomplishments and how they relate to the job | you are seeking. | | | --- | --- | | Dr. Hester Young, CPRW | hyoung@csuniv.edu | | Ms. Nicole Copland, CPRW | ncopland@csuniv.edu | | 843-863-8019
Integrating Faith in Learning, Leading and Serving | | TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages RÉSUMÉ WRITING TIPS FOR VETERANS ................................ ....................... 4-6 WORDS EVERY RÉSUMÉ SHOULD INCLUDE ................................ ......................7 RÉSUMÉ DO’S AND DON’TS................................ ................................ .............8 ACTION VERBS FOR RÉSUMÉS ................................ ................................ .. 9-10 SAMPLE RÉSUMÉS ................................ ................................ ..................11-15 COVER LETTERS................................ ................................ .....................16-18 REFERENCE PAGE ................................ ................................ ..................19-20 DOCUMENT CRITIQUES: BUCCAREER NETWORK ................................ ............21 CAREER CENTER RESOURCES ................................ ................................ .....22 THE CAREER CENTER STAFF AND OFFICE HOURS ................................ ..........23 VETERANS Résumé 1. Create a résumé that speaks to employer needs Write a résumé purpose. This should answer the employer's questions of "What can you do for me?'To answer this question, research your target job—what types of skills and experiences are the employers seeking? What aspects of your background aremost relevant or closely match? Eliminate or de-emphasize any information that does not relate to your goal This includes any milita

FAQs

What is the purpose of a résumé for veterans?

The résumé purpose is to communicate qualifications in a way that answers what the employer needs, helping generate enough interest to secure an interview.

Why should veterans include cover letters with their résumés?

Cover letters introduce the résumé and encourage the reader by showing how skills and experiences match the specific position being applied for.

How should military experience be presented to civilian hiring managers?

Demilitarize job titles, duties, accomplishments, trainings, and awards, translate military terminology into civilian equivalents, and use the job posting to substitute civilian keywords.

Sep 13, 2026

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