Rewrote my resume four times trying to translate 'motor pool NCO' into something an ATS wouldn't flag as irrelevant
Twelve years in the Army as a helicopter mechanic, and now four months into a job search, I've rewritten my resume so many times I've lost count. I keep trying to translate "maintained avionics systems under deployment conditions" into something that doesn't scream not-a-software-job. A recruiter told me straight up my resume "reads unusual for the pipeline" before anyone had even looked at the projects section. Ever since, I've been convinced every ATS is quietly trash-canning me for not having the right nouns near the top. I did a six-month bootcamp, built three real projects, and I still open every application wondering if I should just delete the whole military section and hope nobody asks what I did between 22 and 34.
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AnonymousAnon Some of that "unusual" language cuts both ways though. I've had hiring managers specifically ask for veteran candidates because they know we show up and finish things. Don't sand it all down before you even get a callback.
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AnonymousAnon I did four years in logistics before switching and had the exact same fear. What actually got me interviews was leading with the projects section and moving the job history down. A recruiter told me the resume finally "clicked" once I flipped the order.