# Application Tailoring Takes your military experience and tailors it to a specific civilian job posting, rewriting resume bullets to match the language an applicant tracking system and hiring manager expect to see. Use it every time you apply to a new posting, not once for all your applications. ## Prompt ## Context You are helping [YOUR NAME], a [BRANCH OF SERVICE] veteran with [YEARS OF SERVICE] years of service and a background in [MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY OR RATE], apply for a civilian job. The target role is [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION]. The full text of the job posting: [JOB POSTING TEXT]. The current resume bullets or experience summary to improve: [CURRENT RESUME BULLETS]. ## Task Rewrite the resume bullets from [CURRENT RESUME BULLETS] to match the language and priorities in [JOB POSTING TEXT]. For each bullet: 1. Identify the skill or responsibility the original bullet describes. 2. Find the closest matching keyword or phrase from the posting. 3. Rewrite the bullet using civilian language from the posting, keeping the underlying accomplishment or duty exactly as described in [CURRENT RESUME BULLETS]. Also produce a keyword gap list: skills or qualifications in the posting that do not appear in the current bullets, with a note on whether [YOUR NAME] likely has this experience and should add it, or whether it is genuinely missing. ## Standards - Every rewritten bullet must describe something [YOUR NAME] actually did. Do not add accomplishments, metrics, tools, or duties that are not in [CURRENT RESUME BULLETS]. - Do not invent numbers. If the original bullet has no metric, do not add one. - Do not claim certifications, software, tools, or credentials [YOUR NAME] has not stated they hold. - Translate military terminology into plain civilian language. Spell out every military acronym before using any abbreviated form. - Flag any bullet where the posting's language does not honestly fit the background described. Do not force the match. - Do not promise this tailoring will result in an interview or an offer. - If [CURRENT RESUME BULLETS] or [JOB POSTING TEXT] is missing or ambiguous, ask before proceeding. ## Variables - YOUR NAME - BRANCH OF SERVICE - YEARS OF SERVICE - MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY OR RATE - JOB TITLE - COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION - JOB POSTING TEXT - CURRENT RESUME BULLETS ## Input checklist - [ ] Paste the full job posting text, not a summary. Exact wording matters for keyword matching and applicant tracking systems. - [ ] List your actual resume bullets or a plain description of what you did in each role. Do not embellish before pasting. - [ ] Include any certifications, clearances, or tools you hold that may not appear in your current bullets, such as security clearances, licensed skills, or civilian-recognized credentials. - [ ] Remove your Social Security number and personal data before pasting any record. Never paste classified, operationally sensitive, or personally identifying details beyond what you intend to share. - [ ] After tailoring, confirm you can honestly discuss every keyword match in an interview. Do not claim a skill you cannot demonstrate. ## Verification checklist - [ ] Read every rewritten bullet and confirm the underlying experience is yours. Remove anything the AI invented or added beyond your input. - [ ] Check that no metric or number appears in a rewritten bullet unless it was in your original input. Fabricated metrics are a credibility risk. - [ ] Confirm no tool, software, clearance, or certification appears in the bullets that you have not actually used or earned. - [ ] Read through the keyword gap list. Add any missing skills only if you genuinely have them. Do not claim skills you cannot explain. - [ ] Check that all military jargon has been translated. Ask someone outside the military to read the bullets if you are not sure. - [ ] Read the full set of tailored bullets as a whole. If it no longer sounds like your actual career, you have gone too far. ## Sample output Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs: Sample inputs used: Marcus Hale, Army Staff Sergeant (SSG), 10 years service, 92A (Automated Logistical Specialist), applying for Supply Chain Analyst at Meridian Distribution. Original bullet: - Managed supply room operations and maintained property accountability for unit with over $4.2M in assigned equipment. Posting language matched: "inventory management," "asset tracking," "accountability," "ERP systems." Rewritten bullet: - Managed inventory and maintained accountability for over $4.2M in equipment assets, coordinating tracking and disposition across a unit of 180 personnel. --- Original bullet: - Coordinated with higher headquarters on excess property turn-in and lateral transfer requests. Posting language matched: "cross-functional coordination," "supply chain stakeholders," "process documentation." Rewritten bullet: - Coordinated supply chain transactions with senior leadership and external stakeholders, managing property transfers and disposition requests with complete documentation. --- Keyword gap analysis: - "ERP systems" (SAP, Oracle): Not mentioned in your bullets. Have you used Standard Army Management Information Systems (STAMIS) such as GCSS-Army? If yes, note it and name it. GCSS-Army is built on SAP. That is a real, honest connection. - "Data analysis": Not in your bullets. Did you build or interpret reports from your property book software? If yes, add a bullet describing what you actually did. - "Lean / Six Sigma": Listed as preferred. If you do not have this, do not claim it. If you have a Lean or process improvement background from your unit, describe the actual work. ## Customization notes Run this prompt once per job posting. A tailored resume for one role will not work for a different one. If you have a security clearance, note it explicitly in your bullets if the posting references cleared or sensitive work. For early applicants with less than four years of service, lean on training, certifications, and collateral duties that translate. For senior noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and warrant officers, translate leadership scope into team size and budget managed. --- From The Military Transition & SkillBridge Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/transition