The Military Post - #8

We are back with another big week of news, scholarship opportunities, and actively hiring jobs! Plus, as always, we’ll share some advice to help career seekers.

This newsletter is unique in that we don’t only search for relevant news to share with you each week, but we speak with recruiters who help us craft job-seeker tips and the employment opportunities we share. That makes this newsletter your secret sauce to get all you need to know condensed and delivered weekly!

This week’s quote is…

As always, we have open roles, events, and scholarships at the bottom of this newsletter. Without further ado, let’s get into this week!

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Weekly Job-Seeker Advice

Your civilian resume should be one page unless you have a decade-plus of civilian experience, we will die on this hill. For federal roles, it is different, but for civilian resumes, you should be thinking about how you can show your best bullets in the context of this job and depict yourself as the most qualified candidate on just one page.

A few tips for saving space:

1. Skills section are too often full of 20 skills like “Communicator” or “Detail oriented”, these mean nothing. They won’t help you land a job and they just take space. Skills should be job-specific skills, anything from Agile Project Management to software proficiencies to coding abilities, but not high-level general skills.

2. Professional summaries should be 3-4 sentences, not two paragraphs. Start with a big, quantified sentence about your years of relevant experience, budget, teams, or projects managed, something to catch the recruiter’s eye that demonstrates your experience beyond buzzwords.

3. You do not need to include every role you have ever had, only the last 10 years or so, and within that, only the relevant bullet points! Additionally, you can condense different job titles at the same company under one title, keeping only the best bullets from the two.

While it is tempting to write several pages for a resume and to want to include everything you’ve done, companies want focused candidates, not generalists. Focus on your target role and use one page.

U.S. and Russia Begin Talks to Mend Ties and End Ukraine War

The U.S. and Russia agreed to work on ending the Ukraine war and improving ties, with talks covering embassy staffing, peace negotiations, and economic cooperation. No Ukrainian officials were present, raising concerns from Kyiv and European allies. A potential Trump-Putin summit is in discussion, but no date has been set. The U.S. signaled that Ukraine may need to make concessions, and NATO membership seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Russia continues drone strikes on Ukraine. Saudi Arabia hosted the talks, strengthening its diplomatic role, while Ukraine's President Zelenskyy postponed his visit, distancing himself from the discussions.

VA Cuts Over 1,000 Probationary Employees in Workforce Reduction

The VA fired over 1,000 probationary employees as part of a White House effort to cut government jobs, aiming to save $98 million for veteran care. Officials insist services won’t be affected, but critics argue it undermines staffing and fairness. The move follows a failed federal buyout plan and protests over job cuts. Unions and lawmakers see it as a political move rather than an efficiency measure, raising concerns about its long-term impact.

Tricare Dental Costs are Decreasing for Military Families

Tricare dental premiums are dropping as a new contract takes effect, with the biggest savings for active-duty families in lower ranks. Families of E-4 and below with multiple insured members will see a 29% reduction, from $31.46 to $22.48. The new rates take effect on March 1, but since payments are made in advance, the changes will appear in February’s billing cycle. Savings range from $0.57 to $8.98 per month, depending on rank and enrollment type.

The Tricare Dental Program remains a voluntary plan for active-duty families, National Guard, and Reserve members. While premiums are decreasing, co-payments remain the same, with no charge for preventive care and no annual deductible. The program now offers access to more dentists, including specialists, and introduces online dental consultations. United Concordia will continue administering the plan, with the new rates locked in until February 2026.

Pentagon Offers Reinstatement to Troops Discharged Over COVID Vaccine Refusal

The military is allowing discharged troops to return, giving them 60 days to decide after receiving their back pay estimate. The offer, valid for a year from Feb. 7, requires screening through military records boards, prioritizing COVID-related cases. Those who left voluntarily to avoid the vaccine can reapply but must serve two more years without back pay. Since 2023, only a small number of discharged troops have reenlisted. The COVID-19 vaccine mandate, introduced in 2021 to maintain readiness, led to thousands of discharges, but reinstatement interest remains low.

Air Force Postpones Tech Sergeant Exams to Eliminate DEI Content

The Air Force is delaying technical sergeant promotion testing by two weeks to remove content related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The testing cycle, originally set for Feb. 15 to April 15, will now run from March 3 to May 1. This change follows President Trump’s executive order requiring federal agencies to eliminate DEI programs. To comply, the Air Force is reviewing its study materials, including the Air Force handbook and Career Development Course guides. Updated versions are expected to be released by Feb. 18. While DEI-related questions will still appear on the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) test, they will not be scored. Removing them entirely would have caused a four-month delay, impacting 6,300 airmen’s promotions. The Air Force assures that the promotion schedule remains on track despite this adjustment.