Military Resume Benchmarking Report
The 2009 Military Resume Benchmarking Results provides transitioning and former military personnel with hard data on resume best practices. The report identified common resume writing mistakes and recommendations to avoid these pitfalls.
The study examined thirty-six separate elements of each resume. All of the resumes were from former or current military personnel, representing all branches of the military. Both enlisted and officer ranks were included.
Highlights of the Results:
Resume Length: The study tracked the length of each resume. Resumes should be one to two pages, with 250 to 350 words per page. Many resumes vastly exceeded this guideline. The average length of each resume was 684 words, with resumes as short as 143 words and as long as 2532 words.
Resume Structure - A chronological format is the most common resume format used. This format emphasizes work experience of the job seeker and lists each job in reverse chronological order. 74% of the resumes in the study used a Chronological structure.
Introduction - In the study, 90% of the resumes had an introductory section, typically including an objective statement or summary of the candidate's background.
Employer Name - 30% of the resumes failed to include the name of each employer in their work history. Listing the employer name for each job is essential component of a resume.
Job Titles - One in six resumes failed to include job titles for every position in their work history. Job titles are critical to understanding the experience and career progression of a job seeker.
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