What You Did in the Military Doesn’t Matter. Or Does It?

Does what you did in the military matter after you leave the service?

Recently, I was coaching a veteran on her job search. As we worked on tailoring her resume to fit her ideal job, I asked about one of her bullets.

It was vague, but I had a suspicion there was more to it than what was reflected on the page. It turns out it was a significant achievement, and I encouraged her to add it to her resume. She was so relieved.

“I’m so glad you said that! Everyone has been telling me that what I did in the military doesn’t matter!”

You may have heard similar statements as you work through your military transition, such as:

What you did in the military doesn’t matter. Or,

No one cares about your service. Or,

In the civilian world, your military achievements are irrelevant.

Anybody heard this?

How did that make you feel?

Not great, right?

For the most part, I think the individuals saying these things are trying to be helpful. Unfortunately, I think they choose the wrong words and leave many veterans feeling discouraged, offended, or upset.

Let’s talk about what I think they really mean when they say your military service doesn’t matter.

Your Military Service Doesn’t Matter Really Means:

People May Not Appreciate Or Understand Your Military Achievements

I am a Chicago Bears fan.

I wasn’t raised that way. Growing up, I was far more concerned with books than I was with football. I became a Bears fan by marriage (and kept it in the divorce!).

When I watched my first NFL game with my then-husband, I knew nothing about football. I didn’t know what a safety was or what special teams were all about.

I certainly didn’t know anything about the legendary 85 Bears, which many consider the greatest NFL defense ever, and which NFL.com ranked the second greatest team in NFL history behind the 1972 Dolphins.

If Buddy Ryan, the defensive coordinator who was vital in getting the 85 Bears to the Superbowl, would have walked up to me during that first game, I wouldn’t have recognized him, much less known what he had accomplished.

The same goes for William “Refrigerator” Perry, quirky quarterback Jim McMahon, or linebacker Mike Singletary.

Does that mean, though, that what they accomplished doesn’t matter just because I didn’t have the context to appreciate it?

Of course not!

What they accomplished was HUGE in their field—I just didn’t understand it.

The same thing applies to your military accomplishments.

What you achieved in the military matters. It took time, effort, skill, sacrifice, growth, and initiative.

That doesn’t go away when you get your DD-214.

You will always be able to claim those accomplishments.

But just like there was a time I couldn’t have told you a Bears jersey from a Vikings one, many people won’t have the context to understand and appreciate your military achievements.

Your Military Service Doesn’t Matter Really Means:

What Made You Successful in the Military May Not Apply

Walter Payton (aka “Sweetness”) was one of the best football players ever to grace the National Football League. The NFL Hall of Fame inductee, 9-time Pro-Bowler, and long-time rushing record holder is widely referred to as the best running back the Chicago Bears have ever had and possibly the best of all time.

Payton sadly passed away in 1999 from a rare liver disease at just 45 years old.

But imagine, just for a second, that he was at the height of his career at the same time that Olympian and All-Around World Champion gymnast Simone Biles had just won her first Olympic gold medal in 2016.

Now imagine Walter Payton walked into Biles’ gym.

What would Payton need to do to if he wanted to earn a place on the Final Five Olympic team?

Would the fact that he was then the all-time leader in rushing, combined net yards mean that he could compete against Biles in the gym?

Nope.

Why not?

Because doing this

Requires a very different skill set than doing this

Both Payton and Biles are leaders in their fields. They are both incredible, uncommon athletes who reached the top of their respective sports. But they are not interchangeable.

Payton’s records as a running back are amazing and impressive and the skills he needed to achieve those records are valuable, but they wouldn’t have helped him on a balance beam.

The same applies to your military skillset and your achievements.

Those skills and achievements are valuable, but they may not directly apply to what you want to do next.

Your Military Service Doesn’t Matter Really Means:

The Military is Where You’ve Been; Focus on Where You’re Going

We’re going to depart from my beloved Bears for a moment and wander over to the New York Giants to talk about Michael Strahan.

I recently listened to Strahan on Rob Lowe’s new podcast, Literally, where he talked about several issues that veterans may relate to, like adjusting from a team mentality to an individual one and not being afraid to screw up at something new.

Strahan is a perfect example for transitioning service members because he does an excellent job balancing his past as an NFL player and his present and future as a TV entertainer and entrepreneur.

He doesn’t hide his past as a football player, but he also doesn’t ride on that experience. Instead, he’s remade himself, leveraging the achievements and skills from his football days and turning them into success in a new field.

Let’s look at his biographies as an example.

First, let’s look at a couple of screenshots of Strahan’s NFL Hall of Fame biography.

Strahan’s Hall of Fame biography  

– Only focuses on what he has already achieved

– Is geared toward the audience who knew him as a football player

– Uses football-specific terminology (sack, rookie, left defensive end)

– Freezes him at the end of his football career

Although this version of his biography isn’t inaccurate, it certainly doesn’t tell you which skills he plans to use going forward or portray him as anything but a football player.

Now, let’s look at a couple of screenshots from the Michael Strahan website biography.

Can you see the differences?

Here are a few things this bio does differently

– Addresses his most outstanding football achievement but isn’t solely focused on football

– Mentions which skills apply to his new endeavors

– Doesn’t use industry jargon (except for terms, like Emmy and Superbowl, that the majority of readers would understand)

– Is designed to attract people who are interested in where he’s going, not just where he’s been

Strahan was a success in football. It was a big part of who he was. What he did then mattered.

But, Strahan knows that his career didn’t end when he left the NFL. He not only looks to the future; he uses his biography to telegraph to future business partners and employers that he isn’t “just” a football player and that he has more to offer them.

This is the same approach veterans should take when approaching their transition.

As Air Force veteran Graciela Tiscareño-Sato says in her B.R.A.N.D. Before Your Resume book: if you’re a transitioning veteran, your service matters, but your task now is to learn how to convey it in a way that shows your value to your future employer.

What You Did in the Military Does Matter

The military spent a lot of time and money training us to be leaders and subject matter experts. And we dedicated a lot of time to mastering those skills and racking up achievements and qualifications.

Unfortunately, it’s likely, as you go through the military transition process, that you’re going to come across people that tell you it doesn’t matter what you did in the military.

When that happens, remind yourself that what they likely really mean is

– People may not appreciate or understand your military achievements,

– What made you successful in the military may not apply, and

– The military is where you’ve been; focus on where you’re going

© 2020, Sarah Maples LLC. All rights reserved.