Psychological Operations Specialist Resume Guide

Psychological Operations Specialists develop and execute communication strategies to influence emotions, motives, objective reasoning and behavior of foreign governments, organizations and individuals. They use psychological tactics such as leaflet distribution campaigns or radio broadcasts to convey messages that support U. S. Policy objectives in order to gain the cooperation of target audiences.

Your knowledge and expertise in psychological operations is unparalleled. To make sure hiring managers are aware of your skills, you must write a resume that’s both informative and persuasive.

This guide will walk you through the entire process of creating a top-notch resume. We first show you a complete example and then break down what each resume section should look like.

Psychological Operations Specialist Resume

The guide is divided into sections for your convenience. You can read it from beginning to end or use the table of contents below to jump to a specific part.

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Psychological Operations Specialist Resume Sample

Piper Mueller
Psychological Operations Specialist

[email protected]
470-022-5899
linkedin.com/in/piper-mueller

Summary

Skilled psychological operations specialist with seven years of experience in the military. Expertise includes leading and managing psychological warfare campaigns, developing target audience profiles, conducting research and analysis of public opinion data, and creating effective strategies to influence attitudes and behaviors. Demonstrated success increasing brand loyalty by 20% through targeted information-based messaging campaigns at XYZ Corporation.

Experience

Psychological Operations Specialist, Employer A
Long Beach, Jan 2018 – Present

Disseminated timely and accurate information to foreign audiences using a range of communication tools such as leaflets, radio broadcasts, loudspeakers and internet-based social media; increased positive sentiment by 27% within the region.
Tracked developments in target areas and assessed their potential impact on US interests; conducted 35+ interviews with locals for an improved understanding of cultural backgrounds & local customs.
Reduced anti-US propaganda campaigns by 69%, through effective dissemination of key messages designed to counter hostile narratives circulating online or in other public forums.
Confidently led psychological operations teams into challenging environments, providing expertise on psyops tactics while developing creative strategies to engage target audiences more effectively over time.
Executed strategic plans that integrated all aspects of psychological operations including research & analysis, planning & execution, assessment/evaluation and feedback mechanisms; achieved success rate 75%.

Psychological Operations Specialist, Employer B
Denton, Mar 2012 – Dec 2017

Monitored psychological operations campaigns, assessing their effectiveness and making adjustments as needed to produce desired outcomes (+20% in target audience receptiveness).
Evaluated communication strategies of competing organizations and formed counter-strategies to mitigate their impact on the public (-15% in competitor brand recognition).
Structured comprehensive messaging plans for multiple psychological operations projects, emphasizing key concepts through various media outlets (published 5+ articles/week across print & digital channels).
Participated in strategic planning sessions with other team members to brainstorm new tactics and approaches; collaborated on initiatives that increased mission success rate by 10%.
Effectively analyzed information from social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to better understand public opinion towards topics relevant to Psychological Operations (+15% increase in engagement rates over 6 months period).

Skills

Strategic Communication
Cultural Awareness
Psychological Warfare
Target Audience Analysis
Persuasion Techniques
Crisis Management
Negotiation Tactics
Psychological Profiling
Social Media Management

Education

Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011

Certifications

Psychological Operations Specialist Certification
National Psychological Operations Association
May 2017

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1. Summary / Objective

Your resume summary/objective should be a powerful statement that captures the attention of potential employers. As a psychological operations specialist, you can highlight your expertise in communication and persuasion tactics as well as your ability to analyze data quickly and accurately. You could also mention any awards or recognition you have received for your work, such as being named Psychological Operations Specialist of the Year by an industry association. Additionally, emphasize how many successful campaigns you have led and how they helped increase customer engagement or sales revenue.

Below are some resume summary examples:

Determined Psychological Operations (PsyOps) specialist with 8+ years of experience leveraging cultural awareness, foreign language proficiency and strategic communication to influence target populations. Seeking to join ABC team as a PsyOps Specialist utilizing expertise in tactical planning, intelligence analysis and message development. During prior postings achieved 98% mission success rate through effective information operations techniques.

Passionate psychological operations specialist with 8+ years of experience in developing, planning and implementing psychological strategies for military forces. Skilled at leveraging expertise in media production, foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding to create effective messaging that conveys desired messages to target audiences. Seeking a role at ABC where I can use my skillset to help achieve their mission objectives.

Proficient psychological operations specialist with 8+ years of experience in planning and executing psychological operations. Experienced in the fields of strategic communication, target audience analysis, cultural understanding, and propaganda campaigns. Skilled at developing plans for information collection activities to support military objectives. Proven success in leading teams on various missions throughout Europe and Africa.

Well-rounded psychological operations specialist with five years of experience in the United States Army. Proficient at crafting targeted messages to influence hostile foreign populations and providing psychological support for soldiers on dangerous missions. Awarded two medals for operational excellence, including a Bronze Star Medal. Seeking to leverage my tactical expertise to help your team succeed in challenging environments.

Committed Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Specialist with 10+ years of experience in the US Army. Skilled at assessing target audiences and developing messages to influence thought, feelings, emotions, decisions, or behaviors using media campaigns and other tactics. Seeking to use skillset to become a Public Affairs Officer for ABC Corp where I can help shape public opinion through strategic communication plans.

Detail-oriented Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Specialist with 8+ years of experience conducting strategic communications and psychological operations in support of military objectives. Seeking to use my expertise in creating effective messaging strategies for ABC Corp’s global mission. At XYZ, developed a PSYOP campaign that increased public awareness by 25% and improved the perception of US forces by 13%.

Professional Psychological Operations (PSYOP) specialist with an extensive background in psychological warfare and intelligence operations. 5+ years of experience crafting targeted campaigns to influence foreign populations using a variety of tactics such as propaganda, media manipulation, and more. Seeking to join ABC Inc’s team and use my expertise to help achieve the organization’s strategic goals.

Diligent Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Specialist with five years of experience in the US Army, specializing in using communication methods to influence and persuade target audiences. Developed numerous PSYOP campaigns that successfully achieved mission objectives for units at home and abroad. Received commendations from senior officers for superior work performance throughout career.

2. Experience / Employment

The work history/experience section is where you talk about your past roles. It should be written in reverse chronological order, which means the most recent job is listed first.

Stick to bullet points primarily when writing this section; it makes it easier for the reader to take in what you have to say quickly. When stating what you did, provide detail and explain quantifiable results obtained if possible.

For example, instead of saying “Developed psychological operations plans,” you could say, “Created four comprehensive psychological operations plans that were implemented across multiple countries resulting in a 15% increase in public support.”

To write effective bullet points, begin with a strong verb or adverb. Industry specific verbs to use are:

Coordinated
Analyzed
Developed
Executed
Monitored
Assessed
Disseminated
Facilitated
Influenced
Leveraged
Planned
Researched
Targeted
Tracked
Evaluated

Other general verbs you can use are:

Achieved
Advised
Compiled
Demonstrated
Expedited
Formulated
Improved
Introduced
Mentored
Optimized
Participated
Prepared
Presented
Reduced
Reorganized
Represented
Revised
Spearheaded
Streamlined
Structured
Utilized

Below are some example bullet points:

Spearheaded the development and implementation of psychological operations strategies to influence target audiences; achieved a 20% increase in positive sentiment towards the organization within 6 months.
Revised existing policies for cultural awareness training programs, resulting in enhanced compliance with international regulations by 25%.
Researched and identified new methods of influencing foreign populations through public messaging campaigns; successfully increased engagement rates across social media platforms by 8%.
Leveraged multilingual capabilities to execute innovative communication tactics that resonated effectively with local stakeholders; generated $50,000 worth of additional revenue from related partnerships over a 3-month period.
Substantially improved organizational visibility among overseas markets through the design & execution of information warfare plans involving 10+ countries globally.

Independently assessed psychological effects of military operations in hostile environments, identifying and addressing underlying issues to reduce negative impacts; reduced PTSD rates by 10% among participating troops.
Utilized a variety of communication tools such as leaflets, flyers and loudspeakers to convey targeted messages across multiple channels effectively; successfully reached over 500 enemy personnel with persuasive messaging.
Presented detailed analyses on the political landscape and socio-economic climate in foreign countries during weekly briefings for senior officers; improved strategic decisions by 30%.
Optimized existing intelligence gathering techniques through the development of innovative algorithms that efficiently analyzed behavioral patterns from large datasets; increased overall accuracy by 25%.
Developed comprehensive training programs covering various topics related to psychological warfare tactics which were then used to educate over 200 new recruits within 6 months time frame.

Reorganized strategic psychological operations in six countries, leading to a 20% increase in the effectiveness of messaging campaigns.
Influenced target audiences through various channels including print and broadcast media; successfully persuaded over 1,000 people to change their political views within two months.
Achieved cost savings of $15K by streamlining processes related to information gathering from local sources and ensuring that only relevant data was collected for analysis purposes.
Efficiently managed a team of 10 subordinate personnel assigned to different projects; provided critical guidance on best practices which resulted in an average increase of 25 minutes per project completion time frame across all members.
Mentored three junior officers regarding effective communication strategies when dealing with hostile targets; saw measurable improvements among trainees who were able to reduce tension levels by 50%.

Reliably developed and implemented psychological operations strategies to influence target audiences, resulting in a 20% increase of favorable public opinion.
Streamlined data gathering efforts from multiple sources to develop effective communication plans for each target audience; increased accuracy rate by 40%.
Improved the effectiveness of propaganda campaigns through extensive research into cultural values and behaviors, generating an additional $30K in revenue over 6 months period.
Coordinated with other departments such as marketing and advertising teams to ensure that all messages were aligned with overall organizational objectives; achieved 98% compliance rate across 12 projects within 1 year.
Formulated creative approaches to engage different types of audiences using various media outlets including radio broadcasts, newspaper articles, websites etc.; reduced cost per project by 45%.

Analyzed complex political, military and economic situations in target countries to develop psychological operations plans that addressed local conditions.
Represented the Psychological Operations Command at high-level conferences and meetings, providing valuable insights into foreign government objectives & strategies for successful mission execution.
Advised two brigades of U. S Army personnel on best practices related to cultural awareness training and provided key recommendations for foreign language instruction programs leading to improved communication with host nation forces by 25%.
Prepared weekly intelligence reports summarizing current tactical events & changes in socio-political trends; assisted fellow soldiers in understanding local customs/culture through detailed briefings based off collected data + analysis from multiple sources.
Successfully implemented a variety of public affairs projects within assigned region resulting in increased support from locals towards the US armed forces by 35%.

Introduced and implemented psychological operations strategies in support of military campaigns, resulting in a 33% increase in target population participation and compliance.
Thoroughly analyzed current events and local political climates to create tailored information programs for deployed forces; developed media materials such as pamphlets, radio broadcasts and video presentations that disseminated relevant messages.
Demonstrated expertise with persuasive communication techniques by designing direct-to-audience messaging focused on influencing the attitudes/behaviors of enemy groups within hostile environments; successfully identified key points of influence within each campaign area.
Targeted populations across multiple cultures using data collected from interviews, surveys and other research sources to understand their needs & motivations; created customized plans which significantly increased effectiveness based upon regional preferences (+40%).
Compiled detailed reports analyzing individual psychological operations missions including impact assessments related to engagement outcomes achieved over a set period ($400K cost savings).

Expedited psychological operations of a team of 15+ personnel, executing strategies that increased mission efficacy by 20% in two months.
Actively developed and implemented psychological operations plans to attain targeted objectives; achieved desired outcomes within allocated budget and timeline on 8 separate occasions.
Developed innovative approaches to monitor adversary reactions and counter hostile propaganda campaigns, leading to the successful resolution of 17 sensitive issues across multiple countries.
Facilitated extensive training programs for new recruits regarding operational best practices, significantly reducing operational risks by 40%.
Planned promotional activities including press conferences, media interviews & public events with foreign governments in support of 14 diplomatic initiatives worldwide; raised international visibility by 35%.

3. Skills

The skillset employers require in an employee will likely vary, either slightly or significantly; skimming through their job adverts is the best way to determine what each is looking for. One organization might be seeking an individual with knowledge of psychological warfare tactics, while another might want someone who is familiar with public relations.

It’s important to tailor the skills section of your resume for each job you are applying for because many employers use applicant tracking systems nowadays. These computer programs scan resumes and look out for certain keywords before passing them on to a human recruiter or hiring manager.

You should also elaborate on some key skills in other sections such as the summary or experience section – this will help demonstrate that you have what it takes to do the job well!

Below is a list of common skills & terms:

Crisis Management
Cultural Awareness
Negotiation Tactics
Persuasion Techniques
Psychological Profiling
Psychological Warfare
Social Media Management
Strategic Communication
Target Audience Analysis

4. Education

Mentioning your education on your resume is dependent upon how far along you are in your career. If you just graduated and have no prior experience, include an education section below your resume objective. On the other hand, if you have been working as a psychological operations specialist for multiple companies with plenty of different responsibilities to showcase, omitting the education section is perfectly acceptable.

If including an education section, try to mention courses and subjects that are relevant to the position you’re applying for such as psychology or military strategy.

Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011

5. Certifications

Certifications are a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in a particular field. Employers are always looking for candidates who have taken the initiative to stay up-to-date on industry trends, so having certifications that show you’ve completed professional development courses can be very beneficial when applying for jobs.

If you have any relevant certifications that align with the job requirements, make sure to include them in this section of your resume as it will help set you apart from other applicants.

Psychological Operations Specialist Certification
National Psychological Operations Association
May 2017

6. Contact Info

Your name should be the first thing a reader sees when viewing your resume, so ensure its positioning is prominent. Your phone number should be written in the most commonly used format in your country/city/state, and your email address should be professional.

You can also choose to include a link to your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or other online platforms relevant to your industry.

Finally, name your resume file appropriately to help hiring managers; for Piper Mueller, this would be Piper-Mueller-resume.pdf or Piper-Mueller-resume.docx.

7. Cover Letter

Providing a cover letter with your job application is a great way to showcase your interest in the role, highlight why you are an ideal candidate and demonstrate how you can add value to the company.

Cover letters should be made up of 2-4 paragraphs that provide more detail than what’s included in your resume. They allow recruiters to get a better understanding of who you are as a professional and give them insights into what makes you unique from other applicants.

Below is an example cover letter:

Dear Aimee,

I am writing in response to your job posting for a Psychological Operations Specialist. With extensive experience in military psychological operations, public relations, and marketing, I feel confident that I would be a valuable asset to your team.

As a Psychological Operations Specialist with the Army Reserve, I have gained extensive experience planning and executing psychological operations campaigns. My work has involved developing targeted messages and delivering them through various channels such as face-to-face interactions, printed materials, broadcast media, and social media. I have also been responsible for conducting research to identify target audiences and understand their needs and motivations.

In addition to my experience in military psychological operations, I also have experience in public relations and marketing from my previous work as an account executive at a PR firm. In this role, I was responsible for developing and executing communications strategies for clients in various industries such as healthcare, technology, retail, and nonprofits. My work involved crafting compelling messages that resonated with target audiences and achieving client objectives through creative thinking and strategic execution.

I am confident that my skills and experiences will contribute to the success of your organization. I am excited to learn more about your operation.

Sincerely,

Piper