Quick Answer
Yes, you should include your military experience on your LinkedIn profile. Highlighting your military service shows employers that you have valuable skills like leadership, teamwork, discipline and more. It also connects you with a network of other veterans.
Should I Include Military Experience on My LinkedIn Profile?
Putting your military service on your LinkedIn profile has many benefits:
Demonstrates Important Skills
Military experience provides you with leadership abilities, teamwork skills, discipline, problem-solving and other qualities that are attractive to civilian employers. Highlighting your service shows hiring managers the valuable experience you gained.
Some key skills to emphasize include:
– Leadership – Managing teams, overseeing projects and making decisions under pressure.
– Teamwork – Collaborating with others, building relationships and working toward shared goals.
– Time Management – Prioritizing tasks, multitasking and working efficiently under tight deadlines.
– Problem Solving – Analyzing complex situations, developing strategies and implementing solutions.
– Communication – Writing reports, giving presentations and conveying ideas clearly.
– Technical Skills – Operating specialized equipment, using surveillance technology and maintaining machinery.
Connects You With Other Veterans
There are over 3 million veterans and service members on LinkedIn. Including your military service makes it easier to connect with this network.
Fellow vets can provide career advice, job leads and other support. They understand your background well. Building these relationships can be invaluable.
Gets You Noticed
Many companies specifically seek out veteran candidates to hire. Your service makes you stand out.
Highlighting military experience also catches the eye of recruiters. They may proactively contact you about job opportunities.
Shows Work Ethic
Serving in the armed forces demonstrates important qualities like discipline, integrity and commitment. Employers respect the work ethic and values that military personnel possess.
Your service says a lot about you as a person beyond just job skills. It shows that you’re reliable, hardworking and dedicated.
Verifies Your Background
Including military service establishes your background and qualifications. It validates any security clearances you received.
This transparency builds trust and shows you have nothing to hide.
How to Add Military Experience on LinkedIn
Follow these tips to highlight your military service effectively:
Put it in Your Headline
Briefly mention your military experience in your professional headline. For example: “Logistics Manager | U.S. Marine Corps Veteran”
This makes it visible at first glance.
Include Details in Experience
Add each role, rank and duty station under the “Experience” section. List your responsibilities, accomplishments and skills gained.
Use keywords that civilian employers search for – like “leadership,” “operations” or “budget management.”
Note Education
Add military schools and training under the “Education” section. List the institution, credential earned and dates.
Highlight relevant coursework like engineering, computer science or foreign languages.
Join Groups
Search for and join LinkedIn groups related to the military like:
– Veterans Network
– Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
– U.S. Military Veterans in the Workforce
These groups increase your connections.
Get Recommendations
Request recommendations from officers and colleagues who can endorse your skills and achievements. Recommendations boost your credibility.
Certifications
Add licenses, certifications and clearances obtained during service. Be sure to include the issuing authority and dates.
Showcase Skills
Use LinkedIn’s skills section. Enter your strongest skills gained from the military like “troop leadership” or “military logistics.”
This helps you come up in relevant searches.
Good Examples
Here are two examples of effective LinkedIn profiles for veterans transitioning to civilian careers:
Logistics Manager
James Evans highlights his military supply chain experience at the top of his LinkedIn profile. He lists each role, duty station and rank in the experience section:
Headline: Logistics Manager | U.S. Army Veteran
Experience:
U.S. Army
– Logistics Officer, 2005 – 2011
– Directed supply chain operations for 8,000+ personnel
– Oversaw $5M+ in inventory and assets
– Improved warehousing efficiency by 15%
– Captain, U.S. Army, 2004 – 2011
– Led convoy operations with 65+ vehicles
– Managed air delivery of 450 tons of cargo
– Controlled $25M budget for logistics activities
Education:
U.S. Army Logistics University
– M.B.A. Global Supply Chain Management
He also includes relevant military training and recommendations from former commanders. This highlights logistics skills for civilian jobs.
IT Systems Administrator
Teresa Davis emphasizes her information technology skills gained in the Navy on LinkedIn. Her headline and profile summary position her as an IT expert:
Headline: IT Systems Administrator | U.S. Navy Veteran
Summary: Information systems expert with over 10 years’ experience gained in the U.S. Navy. Managed IT infrastructure and network operations for 5,000+ system users. Looking to leverage military technology background to support a growing company’s IT needs.
She lists Navy ranks, training and cybersecurity certifications. Teresa joins IT-focused groups and gets recommendations from former supervisors. This showcases qualifications for IT roles.
What to Avoid
Steer clear of these mistakes when adding military service on LinkedIn:
– Don’t exaggerate or misrepresent your experience. Be truthful.
– Don’t use obscure military jargon or excessive acronyms civilians may not understand. Explain briefly.
– Don’t focus only on combat roles. Emphasize transferable skills for business jobs.
– Don’t include sensitive details about missions or security clearances beyond verifying you had access.
– Don’t make political statements about military activities. Remain neutral.
Should You Leave Military Experience Off Your Resume?
It’s usually best to keep military experience on your resume as well. This further establishes your background for employers.
However, it can occasionally make sense to omit military service from a resume. This depends on the situation:
Applying to Jobs Requiring Little Experience
Veterans sometimes apply for entry-level jobs as they begin civilian careers. Lengthy military experience could make you appear overqualified for some basic roles.
New grads often apply for jobs with no prior experience needed. If your military service exceeds 5-10 years, consider leaving it off in these cases.
Transitioning Careers
If you are leaving the military after many years and pursuing a completely new career direction, you may want to focus your resume only on skills relevant to the civilian role.
For example, transitioning from combat roles to marketing means your military experience matters less. Tailor your resume to the marketing skills needed.
Concerned About Bias
Sadly, some hiring managers still hold outdated biases against veterans. They may pigeonhole you instead of focusing on your skills.
If applying to companies where you sense this bias could be an issue, consider omitting military experience from your resume. You can still mention it in interviews to establish your background.
Applying to Jobs Overseas
When applying for jobs outside your military’s home country, being upfront about this background may not help you.
Local employers often prefer candidates with local experience. Use discretion when applying abroad.
However, still be prepared to briefly discuss your experience if questioned. Never misrepresent your background.
Conclusion
Adding your military service to your LinkedIn profile and resume is encouraged in most cases. It verifies your skills and experience for employers. Highlight leadership, teamwork, discipline and other abilities gained from your time in uniform.
Carefully customize how you present military experience based on the civilian job. Emphasize transferable skills. And avoid mistakes like exaggerating or using obscure jargon.
Leveraging your military background properly on LinkedIn and your resume will open up more rewarding career opportunities. It shows the valuable experience you bring as a veteran.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Demonstrates important skills | Could make you appear overqualified for some entry level jobs |
Connects you with other veterans | May not be relevant if transitioning careers completely |
Gets you noticed by recruiters | Some employers still hold biases against veterans |
Shows strong work ethic | Overseas employers often prefer local candidates |
Verifies your background |