What Is Hiring Our Heroes?

Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) is a program run by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation that connects veterans and military spouses with civilian employment. Since launching in 2011, HOH has served over 617,000 veterans and military spouses through hiring events, fellowship programs, and digital tools. In 2022 alone, the program connected 53,000 people to employment opportunities.

The organization is legitimate and well-resourced. Their Corporate Fellowship Program has an 89% job offer rate. They run 65+ hiring events per year. They partner with major employers across every industry. HOH is one of the strongest veteran employment ecosystems in the country.

But this review focuses specifically on their resume builder — the Resume Engine — because that is what most people are searching for when they Google "Hiring Our Heroes resume builder." And the resume tool tells a different story than the broader organization.

What Does the HOH Resume Engine Actually Do?

Resume Engine is a free tool that takes your military experience and converts it into civilian language. You enter your service details — branch, rank, MOS/rating/AFSC, duty stations, accomplishments — and it generates a downloadable resume with civilian job titles and translated skill descriptions. The tool also makes your resume searchable to thousands of employers in HOH's network.

Here is what it does well:

Military-to-civilian translation. Resume Engine understands military job codes and converts them into civilian equivalents. If you enter "11B Infantryman," it knows to translate that into leadership, team management, and operational planning language. This is the core function, and it works for getting a first draft on paper.

Employer visibility. When you build a resume through Resume Engine, it becomes searchable by employers in the HOH network. This is a feature that most other resume builders — including paid ones — do not offer. If a defense contractor or veteran-friendly company is searching the HOH database for candidates with your background, your resume can surface.

It is completely free. No trial period, no premium tier, no credit card required. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation funds it, which means you get access to the full tool at no cost. For a veteran who needs a basic civilian resume and has zero budget, this matters.

Dominic Landed a Six-Figure Role
With a Top Defense Firm.

"The most effective resource I used in my transition."
— Dominic, E-7, Marines

Read their story →

Federal (USAJOBS) & private sector formats Translates military jargon into civilian language Tailored to each job — not a generic template

Get My Free Resume

2 free tailored resumes, cover letters & LinkedIn optimization

Where Does Resume Engine Fall Short?

Resume Engine solves the translation problem. It does not solve the tailoring problem. And in a job market where ATS systems rank your resume against specific job descriptions, translation alone is not enough.

No job-specific tailoring. Resume Engine creates one generic civilian resume from your military background. It does not analyze a specific job posting and adjust your resume to match that employer's language, keywords, or requirements. Every job application ideally needs a resume tailored to that posting — the same military experience should be framed differently for a project management role than for a logistics coordinator position. Resume Engine gives you one version for all applications.

No ATS keyword optimization. The tool does not compare your resume against a job description to identify missing keywords. When a hiring manager searches their ATS for "supply chain management" and your resume says "logistics operations," you rank lower — even though you have the exact experience they want. Resume Engine translates your military terms but does not align them with what specific employers are actually searching for.

No federal resume format. If you are applying to federal jobs through USAJOBS, you need a resume that meets OPM formatting requirements — including hours worked per week, supervisor contact information, and detailed duty descriptions within a two-page limit. Resume Engine does not produce federal-format resumes. See our free federal resume builder comparison for tools that do.

→ Joshua got referred at GS-12 and GS-13. Build yours free

No cover letters or LinkedIn optimization. A resume is one piece of your application package. Many job postings ask for a cover letter. LinkedIn is where recruiters actively search for candidates. Resume Engine handles none of this — it is a resume-only tool.

No AI-powered content generation. Resume Engine appears to use template-based translation rather than AI that can generate unique, context-aware bullet points. The difference: a template maps "11B" to a preset list of civilian equivalents. An AI tool reads your specific accomplishments and rewrites them with the job posting's language while preserving your metrics and impact.

HOH Resume Engine vs. BMR: Feature Comparison

The honest summary: HOH Resume Engine gives you a translated starting point. BMR gives you a tailored, ATS-optimized, job-specific weapon. Both are free to start. The question is what you need right now.

When Should You Use Resume Engine?

You just started your transition and need something on paper. If you are 12 months from separation and have never written a civilian resume, Resume Engine gets you from zero to a working draft in minutes. That draft will not be perfect, but it gives you something to work with, show to mentors, and iterate on.

You want employer visibility. The searchable resume feature is unique. If you want defense contractors, veteran-friendly companies, and HOH partner organizations to find you proactively, uploading your resume to Resume Engine puts you in that database. This is passive job searching — you are not applying to specific jobs, but employers can discover you.

You are attending HOH events. If you are participating in a Hiring Our Heroes career summit or hiring expo, having your resume in their system makes sense. The tool integrates with their event ecosystem, and employers at HOH events are already looking in the Resume Engine database.

When Should You Use Something More?

You are actively applying to specific jobs. Once you have a target position, a generic translated resume is not enough. You need the resume tailored to that job posting's language, keywords, and requirements. BMR does this automatically — paste the job description and your military background, and the AI builds a resume aligned to that specific role. For more on why tailoring matters, see our guide to AI resume builders for veterans.

You are applying to federal jobs. Federal resumes have specific formatting requirements that Resume Engine does not address. You need hours per week, supervisor information, detailed duty descriptions, and compliance with OPM's two-page standard. BMR's federal resume builder handles this format. The free federal resume builder comparison covers all your options.

You need the full application package. Most job applications involve more than a resume. You need a cover letter, a polished LinkedIn profile, and often an elevator pitch. Resume Engine handles one of these. BMR handles all of them in the free tier.

How to Get the Most Out of Both Tools

Here is the approach I recommend to veterans who ask me about Resume Engine vs. other tools: use both. They solve different problems, and combining them costs you nothing but time.

Step 1: Build your baseline with Resume Engine. Enter your military service details and let the tool generate your initial civilian translation. Download the result. This gives you a starting point that already has your military jargon converted to civilian language.

Step 2: Upload to Resume Engine for employer visibility. Make your resume searchable. This is passive job searching that runs in the background while you actively apply to positions. There is no downside to being discoverable by veteran-friendly employers.

Step 3: Tailor with BMR for each application. When you find a specific job you want to apply to, paste the job description into BMR's resume builder. The AI takes your military experience and aligns it with that specific posting — matching keywords, restructuring bullet points, and formatting for ATS compatibility. The free tier gives you two fully tailored resumes to test the process.

Step 4: Generate your cover letter and optimize LinkedIn. BMR handles both of these in the free tier. A tailored cover letter for each application increases your response rate. An optimized LinkedIn profile means recruiters find you when they search for candidates with your skills. See our guide to getting free LinkedIn Premium as a veteran for additional visibility.

Step 5: Apply to HOH fellowship programs. If you are still serving and within 6 months of separation, the Corporate Fellowship Program is one of the highest-value transition resources available. An 89% job offer rate is not something to overlook. Use your tailored resume from Step 3 when you apply.

This workflow costs nothing in the free tiers and gives you three layers of job search coverage: passive employer discovery through Resume Engine, active tailored applications through BMR, and direct employer access through HOH events and fellowships.

The Bigger Picture: HOH Beyond the Resume Tool

Resume Engine is one small piece of what Hiring Our Heroes offers. Before you write off the organization based on a single tool, consider what else is available:

Corporate Fellowship Program: A 12-week fellowship where you work full-time at a host company during your last months of service. Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, with professional development sessions on Fridays. The 89% job offer rate is not a marketing claim — it reflects real placement data across hundreds of participating companies. Host companies span industries from tech and finance to manufacturing and healthcare. You continue receiving your military pay and benefits during the fellowship, so there is no financial risk. If you are within 6 months of separation, this is one of the strongest transition programs available.

Salesforce Fellowship: A specialized 12-week track focused on Salesforce platform certification. Given that Salesforce skills are in demand across nearly every industry, this fellowship gives you a marketable credential and hands-on experience before you even separate. Combined with military leadership experience, a Salesforce certification opens doors in sales operations, business analysis, and CRM administration.

Skilled Trades Academy: A six-week intensive in Jacksonville, NC that covers carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and masonry fundamentals. For veterans interested in construction trades, this provides hands-on training and industry connections in a field facing critical labor shortages.

Military Spouse Career Spark: A skills-based resume builder designed specifically for military spouses with non-linear career paths. Built with input from over 1,500 military spouses, it handles employment gaps, PCS moves, and varied experience in a way that generic tools do not.

Hiring Events: HOH runs 65+ career events per year — both in-person and virtual. Eighty percent of virtual hiring fair attendees advance to the next step in the hiring process. These events connect you directly with employers, which is often more effective than submitting resumes into an ATS.

IBM SkillsBuild Partnership: Free access to 1,000+ courses in data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and other in-demand fields. Courses come with digital credentials that you can add to your LinkedIn profile and resume.

For a broader comparison of all veteran resume tools, see our complete best resume builders for veterans in 2026 roundup.