Translate Your Experience

Leadership & Team Management

• Squad Leader → Team Supervisor / Team Lead

• Platoon Sergeant → Operations Supervisor / Senior Team Lead

• Company Commander → Operations Manager / Program Manager

• Section Chief → Department Lead / Functional Supervisor

• Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) → Frontline Supervisor / Team Leader

• Senior NCO → Senior Operations Leader / Workforce Supervisor

• Fire Team Leader → Shift Lead / Small Team Supervisor

Operations & Logistics

• Logistics Specialist → Operations Coordinator / Supply Chain Specialist

• Supply Sergeant → Inventory Manager / Warehouse Supervisor

• Motor Pool → Fleet Operations / Vehicle Management

• Equipment Custodian → Asset Manager / Inventory Control Specialist

• Movement of personnel/equipment → Logistics Coordination / Distribution

• Supply Chain Management → Procurement / Inventory Systems Management

• Deployment coordination → Large-scale operations planning

Training & Development

• Training NCO → Trainer / Learning & Development Specialist

• Conducted drills → Delivered structured training programs

• Instructed personnel → Facilitated group instruction / technical training

• Mentored junior soldiers → Coaching/employee development

• Developed training plans → Curriculum development/program design

• Evaluated performance → Performance assessment/coaching feedback

• Onboarding new personnel → Employee onboarding/training coordination

Planning & Execution

• Mission Planning → Project Planning / Operations Coordination

• Operational Briefings → Stakeholder communication/project updates

• Executed missions → Managed projects / led initiatives

• Tactical planning → Strategic planning / operational design

• Coordinated multi-unit operations → Cross-functional project coordination

• Managed timelines and objectives → Project timeline management

• Adjusted plans under pressure → Agile problem-solving / adaptability

Technical & Mechanical Skills

• Maintained equipment → Preventative maintenance/troubleshooting

• Weapons systems experience → Technical systems operation

• Communications systems → IT support/network operations

• Aircraft maintenance → Aviation maintenance technician

• Vehicle repair → Automotive technician / mechanical repair

• Radar/IT systems → Systems monitoring / technical support

• Electronics troubleshooting → Diagnostic testing/repair

Safety & Compliance

• Ensured mission safety → Enforced safety standards and protocols

• Risk assessment in operations → Risk management / hazard analysis

• Accountability for personnel → Safety oversight / team accountability

• Inspections → Quality control / compliance audits

• Adhered to regulations → Regulatory compliance/policy adherence

• Managed safety procedures → Workplace safety coordination

Translating your military experience is about helping employers quickly understand your value. These tips will help you make your experience clear, relevant, and impactful.

1. Replace Acronyms with Plain Language

Military acronyms and terms may not be understood outside of service.

Instead of:

“Managed comms equipment and oversaw SOP implementation”

Try:

“Managed communications equipment and implemented standard operating procedures to improve team efficiency”

Simple Instructions:

• Spell out acronyms

• Replace military-specific terms with common workplace language

Ask: Would someone outside the military understand this immediately?

2. Focus on Leadership, Responsibility, and Results

Employers want to know:

• What you were responsible for

• Who or what you led

• What impact you made

Instead of:

“Responsible for daily operations.”

Try:

“Led daily operations for a team of 8, ensuring tasks were completed on time and performance standards were met”

Simple Instructions:

• Start with an action verb (led, managed, coordinated, trained)

• Include what you were responsible for

• Add what changed or improved because of your work

3. Quantify When Possible

Numbers help employers understand the scale and impact of your work.

Examples:

• Size of team (e.g., “led a team of 10”)

• Volume (e.g., “managed inventory of 500+ items”)

• Time (e.g., “completed project 2 weeks ahead of schedule”)

Simple Instructions:

• Add numbers where you can

• If exact numbers aren’t available, estimate reasonably

• Think: How big? How many? How often?

4. Think in Terms of Skills, Not Just Roles

Your job title matters less than the skills you used.

Instead of:

“Infantryman”

Think:

• Leadership

• Team coordination

• Risk assessment

• Decision-making under pressure

Simple Instructions:

• Ask: What skills did I use every day?

• Identify 2–3 core skills per role

• Use those skills in your descriptions

AI can be a powerful tool to help you rephrase and refine your experience, especially if you’re not sure how to start.

The goal is not to replace your voice, but to help you express your experience clearly.

Step 1: Start with Your Own Words

Write a simple description of what you did.

Example:

“I was a squad leader responsible for training soldiers and making sure missions were completed.”

Step 2: Use AI to Translate It

You can copy and paste your description into an AI tool and use prompts like these:

Prompt Option 1: Basic Translation

“Rewrite this military experience in civilian language for a resume. Focus on leadership, skills, and results:

[Paste your experience here].”

Prompt Option 2: Add Detail and Impact

“Turn this into a strong resume bullet point. Include leadership, responsibilities, and measurable impact:

[Paste your experience here]”

Prompt Option 3: Identify Skills

“What skills are demonstrated in this experience? Rewrite it to highlight those skills for an employer:

[Paste your experience here]”

Prompt Option 4: Interview Preparation

“Turn this experience into a clear interview answer using simple, professional language:

[Paste your experience here]”

Step 3: Review and Make It Your Own

AI can help you get started, but your final version should reflect your voice and your experience. Do not get caught in an interview trying to explain a skill or experience that AI made up!

Check for:

• Accuracy (Is this true to what you did?)

• Clarity (Is it easy to understand?)

• Relevance (Does it connect to the job you want?)

Quick Practice Exercise

• Write 1–2 sentences describing something you did in the military

• Paste it into an AI tool using one of the prompts above

• Edit the result so it sounds like you

• Add a number or outcome if possible

Final Thought

You already have strong experience. Translation is simply the process of making that experience visible and understood.