How to use the résumé builder
Career Compass is a free résumé builder for Indian ex-servicemen — Army, Navy and Air Force, from Other Ranks and JCOs to officers — and the family members who help them. It produces one clean, ATS-friendly format, so your effort goes into the words, not the design.
How it works
Your entries are saved in this browser as you type, so you can close the page and come back later. On wider screens, a live preview beside the form shows the résumé taking shape.
- Personal information. Add your name, email, phone number, the role you are aiming for and any professional links such as LinkedIn.
- Education. Add at least one entry, including degrees or diplomas earned during service.
- Experience. Add each appointment with dates and a short description. Optional helpers, Enhance with AI and Translate Jargon, can rewrite it in plainer civilian language.
- Skills, projects, certifications and achievements. Fill in what applies to you and skip what does not.
- Generate. On the last step, sign in and select Generate Resume. You get a PDF to view and download, and a copy is kept in your résumé history.
What to have ready
Collect these first, especially if you are filling in the form for someone else:
- Service record details: the dates of each posting and appointment, the type of unit and your role in it.
- Your discharge book or service and experience certificate, so that dates and ranks match your official papers.
- Course certificates: trade, career and promotion courses, plus any resettlement or civilian courses you have done.
- Civilian education certificates such as Class 10, Class 12, a diploma or a degree.
- Awards, commendations or appreciation letters that you are able to describe in an unclassified way.
- One or two job advertisements for the kind of role you want, so that your wording matches what employers ask for.
Describing rank, trade and appointments in civilian language
A civilian recruiter reads your résumé for job function, scope and results. Lead with what you did and how much you were responsible for, and keep your rank in brackets. Spell out abbreviations and never include classified or operational details. Replace the bracketed placeholders below with your own figures.
The examples are illustrative, not real people:
- In-service wording
- Hav, Veh Mech. I/c MT repair bay, unit wksp. Ran pers and spares.
- Civilian wording
- Workshop Supervisor, Vehicle Maintenance (Havildar, Indian Army). Supervised a team of [number] mechanics servicing a fleet of [number] vehicles, planned preventive maintenance and kept spare-parts records accurate.
- In-service wording
- SM of the unit. Adviser to the CO on JCO and OR matters, discipline, welfare and ceremonial.
- Civilian wording
- Senior Personnel and Administration Manager (Subedar Major, Indian Army). Advised the head of an organisation of [number] people on staff welfare, discipline and training schedules, and resolved grievances before they escalated.
- In-service wording
- CO of an engineer unit. Responsible for ops, trg, admin and works across multiple locations.
- Civilian wording
- Head of Operations (Lieutenant Colonel, Indian Army). Led [number] people across [number] sites, owned an annual budget of ₹[amount], and delivered infrastructure projects on schedule while meeting safety standards.
More examples in the guide to translating military experience
Your privacy
Until you generate, your entries stay in this browser. When you generate, the content and PDF are stored with your account to reopen later. We do not sell personal information. Leave out your service number, Aadhaar or PAN and sensitive unit details; employers do not need them.
Frequently asked questions
Is the résumé builder free?
Yes. There is no charge to fill in the form, generate the PDF or download it.
Do I need to sign in?
You can fill in every step without an account. Signing in is needed for the AI writing helpers and to generate your PDF, so that the résumé can be saved to your history. You can sign in with Google, with email, or with a passkey.
Does it work for officers as well as JCOs and Other Ranks?
Yes. The steps are the same for every rank. Officers usually stress command scope and budgets; JCOs and Other Ranks usually lead with trade skills and supervision.
Can I make the résumé in Hindi or download it as a Word file?
Not at present. The builder works in English and produces a PDF.
How do I check the résumé once it is ready?
Upload the PDF to the ATS résumé checker for a general score, or add a job description to see how well it matches that role.