The Air Force offers a range of career fields, including aircraft maintenance, aviation, logistics, medical support, science and technology, defense sector, and administration. Air Force jobs offer competitive pay and benefits, opportunities for education and personal development, and excellent job security.
To find out which department in the Air Force will perfectly fit your interests and preferences, take this short career assessment. The test analyzes your personality, skills, how well you work in a team, and in what conditions your performance will thrive. You'll get personalized career suggestions plus a short description of your profile.
It's time to learn more about yourself and explore Air Force careers, so let's get started!
How do you get started in the Air Force?
Despite high competition, getting started in the Air Force is quite easy:
- Take the Air Force career quiz. Our test can be the first step toward your dream career in the military. It will show how your strengths, skills, and interests match specific Air Force jobs to ease your choice. You can also use the test as inspiration to learn more about different careers.
- Make sure you meet the requirements. Most Air Force careers have strict requirements when it comes to age, education, and more. For example, enlisted airmen must be between 17 and 42 years old, be US citizens, and meet physical standards. You can learn more on the Air Force website.
- Talk to the Air Force recruiter. Work with a recruiter to learn what the recruiting process looks like, if the Air Force career is right for you, and what specialization to choose. Of course, they will also instruct you on what to expect at each stage of recruitment, giving you clarity and helping you make a final decision.
- Take the ASVAB test. The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test is a personality assessment showing areas of work in the Air Force that suit you. The test evaluates your skills and overall fit for a job. Based on the results, it matches you with one of the Air Force categories (general, mechanical, administrative, and electronics).
- Physical exam. If you got a qualifying ASVAB score, you need to take a physical exam including drug testing and an overall examination of your health.
- BMT training. Your career journey with the Air Force starts with basic military training taking eight and a half weeks. The course involves physical training as well as fundamentals of military life and basic defense.
How do you write an Air Force resume?
Federal resumes are different from those you use to apply to private sector companies. When writing a resume to apply for a new exciting opportunity in the military or Air Force, make sure to follow the requirements:
- Make it 1-3 pages. Your Air Force resume doesn't have to be one page. If you have decades of experience, you can extend it to three or even five pages if it helps list your qualifications effectively.
- Add full name, contact information, and physical address. In a federal resume, you should include a street address and zip code.
- Add your security clearance and citizenship. These details are key decisive factors for hiring you, so make them visible on a resume.
- Include your education. To prove that you meet educational requirements, list all degrees you hold in chronological order. If you have at least an associate's degree, keep your high school information out.
- List your experience in detail. Format the Experience section in your military resume differently. In addition to the job title and dates of employment, include the supervisor's name and hours worked. Give examples and context when describing your experience. You can use the CAR (Context-Actions-Result) framework. It will help you describe the situation and results you achieved. Where possible, add measurable results of your work.
- Add leadership experience. Volunteering work, taking part in community activities, or leading projects in college can add value to your Air Force resume. Add specific projects you contributed to, your role, and start-end dates.
- Use the right format. Use the standard font and formatting for better readability. Choose a popular font, such as Arial, and make it large enough for reading. Format your resume in bullet points. Use keywords from the job description to help your resume go through the ATS filters.