Translating Your Military Value in the Civilian World - Part 2

The Proactive Job Seeker Newsletter | Week 2

Jun 13, 2025

This Week's Focus: Leadership Translation That Gets Results

Last week, we covered the foundation of translating military skills. This week, we're breaking down the leadership component, the area where veterans have the strongest competitive advantage and the biggest translation challenge.

The Leadership Translation Reality Check

Your military leadership experience is powerful. But if you're describing it the same way you would to another service member, you're losing civilian employers before they understand your value.

The problem isn't your leadership ability; it's the translation. Civilian employers don't think in terms of rank structure or chain of command. They think in terms of business outcomes and measurable results.

The Four Leadership Languages Civilian Employers Recognize

1. Accountability Leadership

What it means: Taking ownership of outcomes, both positive and negative. How to express it: "Took full ownership of team performance, addressing problems directly and implementing solutions that prevented recurring issues"

2. Development Leadership

What it means: Growing people and building capabilities. How to express it: "Mentored team members to advance their skills, resulting in 80% internal promotion rate and improved retention"

3. Decision-Making Leadership

What it means: Making strategic choices under pressure. How to express it: "Made strategic decisions under tight deadlines with limited data, achieving mission success 95% of the time"

4. Cross-Functional Leadership

What it means: Working across organizational boundaries. How to express it: "Collaborated across departments to align objectives and resources, improving project efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction"

Your Translation Toolkit

Replace these military terms:

Mission → Project or Objective
Chain of command → Reporting structure
Unit cohesion → Team collaboration
Force readiness → Team preparedness
After action review → Performance analysis
Standard operating procedures → Process improvement

**The O*NET Connection**

Here's a resource that many veterans may not be aware of: O*NET (onetonline.org). The Department of Labor's database breaks down civilian job requirements in detail, including the specific leadership competencies that employers value most.

How to use O*NET for leadership translation:

Search for civilian roles that interest you
Review the "Skills" and "Abilities" sections
Note the leadership-related keywords they use
Incorporate this language into your resume and interviews

For example, O*NET lists "Coordination" as managing actions, events, or the work of others. That's your cross-functional leadership experience in civilian terms.

This Week's Action Plan

Monday: Audit your current resume for military leadership terminology.

Tuesday: Rewrite three leadership examples using civilian business language.

Wednesday: Research five target job descriptions and note their leadership keywords. Thursday: Use O*NET to identify leadership competencies for your target roles.

Friday: Practice your elevator pitch using one transformed leadership story

Real Example Transformation

Before: "Squad leader responsible for 12 soldiers and equipment maintenance"

After: "Led 12-person team managing $500K in specialized equipment, achieving 98% operational readiness while reducing maintenance costs by 15% through process improvements"

Notice the transformation:

Military rank removed
Team size quantified
Budget responsibility added
Performance metrics included
Business outcome emphasized

Your Competitive Edge

Remember: civilian employers aren't looking for former military members; they're looking for proven leaders who can deliver results. Your military experience provided that proof. The translation makes it visible to them.

What's Coming Next Week

Next week, we'll tackle the hidden value of military soft skills, the capabilities you developed in service that civilian employers desperately need but struggle to identify. We'll cover resilience, adaptability, and attention to detail in ways that make civilian hiring managers take notice.

Take Action This Week

Which leadership principle from your military service do you find yourself using most in civilian work? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response and often feature the best insights in future newsletters.