While it is preferable to have a veteran list their conventional civilian jobs while they were serving in the military, there is nothing to prevent them from listing a period of time where they did not have a "conventional" job. Such a period in a veteran's work history can be very weak, however, if the space is left blank and no explanation is provided for the time in their work history. Such space can easily be filled with information about very useful activities the veteran engaged in during that time.
Start with the timeline, not the apology
Most employers are primarily interested in two things when it comes to your service and transition: 1) when did you transition out of service and 2) what relevant work, training or experience have you had since then?
Here's how you might organize the end of your service to the military and the subsequent work history in a chronological work history. Even if there were significant periods of time where you weren't working, if you were doing useful things, you can list those activities in the order in which they occurred.
A useful sequence might look like this:
– Military service, with accomplishments translated into civilian terms
– Relevant training or education completed after separation
– Volunteer or community work during the transition
– Paid employment, contract work, or the current job target
Be consistent with whether you use month and year for your dates in the rest of your document. If several activities occurred at roughly the same time, reflect the fact that they occurred contemporaneously.
Decide whether the gap needs its own entry
Do not create a separate section for short job searches between relevant employment. A strong summary can highlight a short period of time between jobs listed on the resume in the date column.
A longer time frame, and related structured activity, is better documented in a separate entry to the rest of the resume, e.g. "Professional Development and Volunteer Service". Even here, however, it is necessary to articulate out the core of what was done, what was produced, and most importantly how the experience has contributed to the abilities needed for the target job in 2-3 bullets.
Use separate entries for substantial, verifiable and relevant activities within the gap period. However, list the gap period in the date line for periods of time spent conducting normal, verbal job searches for suitable employment or for other private reasons that you need not reveal. It is easy to fall into the trap of giving your informal help to friends and relatives a 'consulting title' and listing unpaid 'volunteer work' as if it were paid employment – do not fall into this trap, be clear.
Translate military training into useful evidence
While listing out the military training courses that a service member completed during their time in the service can fill out a part of the timeline, bear in mind that a course name does not translate to evidence of value to a civilian employer. Translate out the name of the course and state out the capability that the service member learned while in the military and how that will apply to the job at hand. Leadership, safety procedures, coordination of supplies and personnel, instruction, equipment accountability, planning, record keeping and coordination with team members are but a few of the examples of capabilities that will translate.
A Military Course or Schools should be translated into relevant capabilities and explained how these can be applied to the required job. Using a Military Course or School as evidence of professional abilities without proper explanation can give a wrong impression. Such a course may only have been introductory in nature or did not qualify for a profession in its own right.
Be careful to differentiate between your formal credentials (i.e. the formal recognition you have been awarded for completing a course) and any internal training you completed whilst in the military (i.e. the formal recognition you were awarded for completing a training course conducted by the military within the internal training environment). Confirm the current guidance regarding any renewal of, or conversion between, formal civilian credentials that you have completed whilst in the military.
Use volunteer experience when it shows real responsibility
Identify evidence of responsibility within your volunteer work. Give the organization or setting where you did your volunteer work and list the dates of time that you were involved with that organization. Describe the nature of your work within the organization and relate it to responsibilities that you would have in the target job. For example, a description of activities that demonstrate your ability to plan, to teach, to manage, to coordinate, to motivate, and to evaluate would be good to include in your resume.
While your volunteer work should highlight your dependability, relevant skills, and recent activity, remember to translate your activities into work that would prove relevant to the job for which you are applying for. Accordingly, if you participated in event planning, maintaining organized records, managing donations, or helping to coordinate and support other volunteers who distributed food and/or services to people in need, then highlight these aspects of your volunteer experience.
Choose volunteer work for the main timeline if it was sustained and/or closely related to the Target Job. If the volunteer work was of an occasional nature, place it in a smaller section of Community Involvement rather than creating a separate section for each occurrence of one-time volunteer work.
Choose the right resume format for the gap
The most common form of resume for people transitioning from military service is the chronological resume. They list out their past employers in chronological order, and then list out the jobs that they had at each of those employers also in chronological order. This type of resume is best for people that have a clear work history and are able to show steady progression in their careers.
As mentioned previously, if there is enough relevant skill, but little experience then a combination resume may be appropriate. List out the skills first, followed by a detailed chronological work history in the bottom portion of the resume.
A fully functional resume would organize your resume by skill rather than by date and employer. These types of resumes are best for situations where you have had several short-term jobs that are all somewhat similar. A fully functional resume would obscure dates in your work history, which is the main thing that you would be trying to avoid when explaining a gap in your work history.
Write a brief explanation for interviews
Try to explain your resume in a few short sentences to the interviewer. Describe what happened, what you were doing during your transition, and what you are looking to do now. Be clear and honest when discussing private matters such as medical issues or family.
"After leaving military service I re locate and completed my logistics training in distribution. In the meantime I filled my time volunteering with a local charity helping distribute goods within their distribution program. They had an enormous inventory and also a full schedule of delivery times and I was happy to help organize both for them. Now I am looking for work in an operations function where I can put the skills that I acquired to good use."
While you may feel the need to explain a period of time spent looking for a job or time out of the workforce, remember that the most important thing to include is that you are returning to work after a period of time out. Describe your experiences in as positive a light as possible and try not to apologetically explain any mistakes or reasons for leaving a previous job.
Make sure every date is written the same way, that you have provided a sufficient explanation for each period of time, and that you have described the greatest amount of relevant evidence to support your employment transition and current job search goals.