Ed Haugh ⋅ Westminster , MD U.S. Air Force, Master Sergeant ⋅ 20 years served

The biggest problem I see when military are writing their resumes about their crafts and skills is using military terminology or the exact type of equipment you worked on. It tends to make us focus on that skill for that only. Think of it from a civilians perspective. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Write the draft and get someone in the civilian world to help you with the description of what you know in non-military lingo. I am not a great resume writer, but have helped people with terminology that landed them jobs. And don't ever think of any ex-military as just having a trade-school on their resume. Trust me, military have plenty going for them and are shown much more responsibility than their civilian counterparts. And some of the finest training in the world.

Leslie Masuzzo ⋅ Montclair , NJ Montclair Public Schools ⋅ 15 years experience

Hi Chris, I know you have received much good advice (and praise!) and wisdom about how to position yourself in the job market. Here is just a bit of practical advice for your resume and job search. I would revise your resume to show a 3-line career OBJECTIVE (one of the advisers suggested being more focused with your career objective; realky reflect on this and craft s good Objective section) then EDUCATION, then RELATED EXPERIENCE (specifically related to your Objective) then ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE (perhaps military and any other paid work positions to show employability and work history). Whenever someone is currently enrolled in college (congrats!) it is important for prospective employers to see that EDUCATION section at the top. It gives such important information about the applicant's attitude and willingness to continually improve and shows the person's course of study and career interests. It doesn't matter if you haven't completed the program or degree yet. You can put an "anticipated graduation date." With that said, your trade is extremely valuable!! Keep furthering your study and practice of that, too. Get the next level of training or certification for that, too, if possible. You get the idea :-) Go for it and thank you!! Leslie

Bob Stinchcum ⋅ Americus , GA Stinchcum and Associates, LLC ⋅ 25 years experience

Skilled individuals are hard to find. Your combination of technical education and military service is valuable to employers. Being dependable, honest and being a good team player are also traits that many in the workforce don't have. Don't sell yourself short.

Greg Decoteau ⋅ Napa , CA Qualcomm ⋅ 22 years experience

Chris, Set aside the Trade School only? mindset for a minute and focus on the attitude part of your skill set and personality. All employers, bosses, supervisors, co-workers and especially "customers" which are often WITHIN your company look for and strongly respond to the attitude part of your skill set. This is often more important than your current education, experience or job skill level. It includes things such as being anticipatory (aka situationally aware), being a self starter, taking initiative, owning a problem; completely, being a quick study (picking up, learning and then using new knowledge immediately and impact-fully), being unusually accountable, ALWAYS execute quick, thorough and complete follow-through, my favorite is to under commit and then over deliver.

I absolutely assure you that demonstrating these types of attitude skills will quickly draw the proper type of attention from the right people in a good organization. Not only will they want you on their team but they will take a powerful interest in further helping you develop the critical skills and knowledge required in what ever industry, company or job you find yourself in. It may sound simple but you will be surprised to see how rare theses attitudes are vs. knowledge skills and how quickly and positively the right people in most any strong organization will respond to them. My other favorite is to ask you boss (or interviewer) what is it about their job/company that most keeps them awake at night, then grab that thing or things and go to work on helping address them. Good luck, own the initiative, it is at least as important as your current knowledge/skill level.

Gail Baccetti ⋅ Lake Geneva , WI Retired ⋅ 42 years experience

Chris, I'm not sure I can answer your question, but I do have a suggestion. Whenever you are writing, make sure you are using correct grammar, even if that means you have to ask someone else to proof it for you. Your written word is the first impression you present to a possible employer. Your question had 3 errors. It should read, "As an employer, what do you think of a vet who has only completed a trade school." You omitted the comma, used "that" instead of "who", and forgot the "d" on "completed". You have to be prepared that employers will be as nitpicky as I am! Sorry for the feedback, which is intended to be constructive, not just negative.

Rob Bedell ⋅ Santa Monica , CA RSI ⋅ 20 years experience

Hi Christopher,

First, thank you for your service. Second, I agree with the statements about mindset, i..e. I just have this skill. You already lost with that mindset. Go back to your basic training and the confidence that was built in you. Now I will break down what you can do to know what you need to do next.

Go to a professional recruiter and get a skills assessment. They will have tests for you to do to see what you're strong in and where you may need more training. Plus, in order to know what you need or what you already have, you need to know what you want to do. I can't tell you the skills you need if I don't know the area with which you want to work. So...

Step one - go get a skills assessment and find out what areas you can work in right now.

Step two - if you don't want to work in those areas, figure out what you need to do and what skills you need to hone in order to meet those requirements.

Best of luck to you.

Rob

Mitch Phillips ⋅ Birmingham , AL AT&T ⋅ 31 years experience

Hi Christopher,

Thank you for your service! Please don't think of yourself as having "only" anything. If the skills you learned in trade school apply to the job you are seeking, then that may be the perfect training for the role. And even if they don't, as so many others have said your military experience is a substantial value-add for your skills and experience. I had a position open that stated a requirement for a college degree. But after interviewing a young veteran with a high school diploma and significant leadership experience gained in the Army, I knew he was the right person for the job. I was easily able to get the requirements modified, and he's been an excellent employee ever since.

Reid Lohr ⋅ Greenville , SC The EDI Group ⋅ 25 years experience

Chris,
I am not sure what to add to some of the good thoughts you have already received, except for the following. Your question seems a bit open ended - my question to you is what do you really want to do - what is in your heart and excites you. Both industry and profession within that industry. It may be that the trade school is just fine - but perhaps not? As some others have said, if you feel you need more formal education - I would begin with a community or technical college and take courses that compliment what you want to do. I am not minimizing the value of a Bachelor's but depending on the industry more and more employers are looking of highly skilled individuals with can be gained via a technical or community based college.
Hope this helps some

Barbara Schweihs ⋅ Carol Stream , IL U.S. Army, Sergeant ⋅ 4 years served

Hi Chris - you have more than just a trade school certificate. Your military training can be converted into college credits with several different colleges. I know that I am a vet and I went to National Louis University and got "life skills credit" and also military education credit" I am not sure what your trade is, but are you happy in it or are you looking to change things up a little? If you are happy with it, then go to school for that trade and your trade school education, they will give you some credits for that but only if it pertains to your degree. I do recommend you continue to pursue your education and get the college degree. You are probably not as far off as you think and there are lots of grants available. Sitting down with a college counselor would be beneficial, they could give you a better idea of what they can do for you. I believe you can get a job with a trade school certificate and being a vet but I also believe you can get a better job with a college degree. Looking at this long term, college degree would be a great goal. Hope this helps, thanks for serving and best of luck to you.

David Rossotto ⋅ Charlotte , NC U.S. Navy, Seaman ⋅ 4 years served

Look at the core values of the Marine Corps. Paint yourself as the epitome of those core values. The intangibles you learn while in the military are a HUGE asset to potential employers. Emphasize TEAM, accountability, discipline, COMMITMENT, etc. The military on your resume will get your foot in the door at some places then you have to sell yourself in the interview. Research companies that look to hire veterans too. Do research, NETWORK indefatigably and you'll land something. Good luck.

David R

karen renaud ⋅ Basking Ridge , NJ AIG ⋅ 20 years experience

Get a job in your trade, and when you can go to school to get an AA degree from a county college and then manage your own company. or you can become a supervisor to a team in your trade and help delegate the needs of the work force. So go for a position initially in your trade , and work on getting a couple of courses under your belt and next thing you know, you will be managing the operations.

John Nance ⋅ Murfreesboro , TN AT&T ⋅ 27 years experience

To many employers, a military background and trade school education is just as applicable as a degree. It depends on the job you are applying for, and the job requirements. I would HIGHLY suggest that you pursue a higher level degree even if it's online only because the lack of a formal degree will hamper your upward mobility (promotability) in the future. This will also show those you apply with that you are focused on improving yourself and are driven to succeed.

Charles E. Cabler ⋅ Florence , AL Wells Fargo ⋅ 43 years experience

Good afternoon Chris. I always support trade school graduates. A formal education is good, but education does not guarantee you a job or a career. Too many people rely on their education rather than develop a skill. Congratulations to you. Now as far as making yourself more visible, you can do that not "with just" but "because of" your trade school certification. My suggestion is to conduct a self-assessment by make a written list of all the working skills you acquired because of your trade school skill. e.g., team work, leadership roles, accountability, accomplishments, recognition for achievements etc. Then as you focus on a job requiring your specific trade skill set, be certain to augment that skill with these type qualities. Most companies look long range when hiring. They not only want someone who can and will do a specific job now, but someone who can progress as the company grows. Emphasize your trade skill's but point out your other acquired skills also. You may not be as accomplished in them, but you have and can use them for the companies benefit. Be proud of your skill sets and use them to your advantage.

James Bishop ⋅ Columbus , OH Morgan Stanley ⋅ 8 years experience

Christopher,
First let me say the opinions above about trade school and experience being equal are missing the mark. You will not get to an interview if you don't have the specific listed requirements.

Let me share a conversation from a week ago though with an electrician about his firm. He didn't bid on a few projects because he cant find people to do the work. Many people want veterans to go to school when they may get better paying employment from a new trade. This firm will train veterans who will show up for training to become journeyman.

So my rant aside, how do you stand out. Go to the employer with your resume and ask to speak to the hiring manager. They don't want you to and they wont schedule an interview, but if you walk up and say "I am a veteran and I know my resume could use some translation to civilian" maybe it will work. Maybe not but so what.

Louis Schwarz ⋅ Somerville , NJ AIG ⋅ 43 years experience

Hi Chris, in many areas, trades are the only opportunities available. All areas need tradesmen. Focus on what you can do and fall back on the confidence you earned in the Marines. It may take some time to find a position, so remain positive. A tradesmen has to put a lot of effort in his job, since success depends on how well he knows and executes his trade. Tradesmen will always have work. Good Luck.

Rick Russell ⋅ Fort Worth , TX ⋅ 30 years experience

I think Roger said it best. It depends on the position you're applying for. For example, the skills we are hiring for require a 4 or 6 year degree. Unfortunately, the trade school positions are very limited and have been offshored for the most part. That said, I know several companies that hire trade school certifications for network administration, desktop support, etc. What area are you looking at?

Kevin Adams ⋅ Blue Bell , PA H&M ⋅ 13 years experience

Many of the jobs I see are skills-based. Sure, there are plenty of jobs which state a Master's Degree is preferred, but my guess is that these are not your targets. You have skills. If they are marketable skills (and I am sure they are!), then there is a need for them. Be sure you are matching your skills to appropriate opportunities.
There is a slight negative overtone when you say that you have "only" trade school. Look at it the other way around -- you achieved trade school certification where many did not!
The key to standing out is to be the best cultural fit for the job. For any given position, employers will see dozens of resumes of qualified candidates. The ones who stand out are those who took the time to spellcheck, took the time to have their resumes reviewed for grammar and formatting, who show up to the interview in a good state of mind and body, and were proud of and comfortable in themselves. This is the best way to be sure you are a cultural fit to the organization.
Good luck!!

Roger Wilcox ⋅ Waverly , IA Waverly-She'll Rock CSD ⋅ 36 years experience

If you are qualified for the position that you are applying for, it won't make any difference.

Gary Munsterman ⋅ Gainesville , FL AIG ⋅ 43 years experience

I am not an employer now, but when I was, formal book education and trade school were equal. Some times a college degree was a prerequisite. If not, trade school was more then fine.
The key in an interview is to demonstrate you are a team player, honest, willing to learn, flexible, and a very good listener. Having a military background is a true plus for most any applicant. Hope this helps.
Gary