Military Service to Civilian Career

4 Essential Tips to Transition from the Military to Civilian Workforce

Attention to Orders! 

Your military life is being closed out and civilian life begins.

It can be a rough transition from full time, active military service to a civilian career.  This has definitely been felt for those combat personnel whose job has been a warrior, which role isn't really required in a civilized society.  However, the skills of every military personnel are valuable.

Whether you are just starting a career in the military or about to finish with  many years of service under your belt, use these tips and remember them.  The tips will help make the transition from military to civilian life much easier.

Action #1:  Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is essential!  Don't be a knucklehead and wait to the last minute to start thinking about your future. This is top priority.  The military to civilian transition is a process and should not start a month of two before you exit out of the military.

Use backwards planning.  The logic of backwards planning is planning the sequence of events base off your main objective.   Your main objective is your civilian career.  Plan accordingly all the necessary events that need to take place before you exit out of the military.  This will ensure your main objective - your civilian career objective - is obtainable in the future.  You may need to take a course or have time and experience in a certain role.  Whatever civilian career you select, see what the job requirements are months or years in advance and check those requirements off before you retire from the military.

Action #2:  Have more than one Skill

Jim Rohn is an American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker.  He has been very successful from a young age.  In one of his speeches, Living an Exceptional Life, he advises that to have economic safety for the future you have to have more than one skill.  An additional skill could be to learn a different language, develop sales skills, network and find good people, know how to get people to work together, or accounting skills.  These are some examples, but the list can go on.

The point of learning more than one skill is to make yourself marketable and competitive.  Jim mentioned that with each added skill you have, your worth in money goes up.  You will be able to influence others effectively and when important occasions or problems arise you will have multiple skills to accomplish much and solve multiple problems.  If you know you will be looking at civilian jobs in the future, plan ahead and learn a few different skills.

For example, if you want to become a finance advisor, you may need a series 7 license, which requires passing an exam.  You may be required to have a bachelor's degree, have certain finance or accounting courses taken, and have expert knowledge about stocks and investments.  Having the requirements checked off for the civilian job before you get out of the military will set yourself up for success.


Action #3:  Use Resources

The military does have resources available for those that are making the transition to civilian careers.  Go to Careeronestop at http://www.careerinfonet.org/moc/.  This web site will help you, a military personnel, transform into a civilian professional.

Get resume and interviewing tips and professional help.  The website mentioned above will connect you with other websites and professionals that will help you with resumes and interviewing prep.  Most of the assistance is free too.  Using the resource and getting professional help is a MUST.  When you get out of a military the professional language, slang, meanings, approaches and...wait for it...customs and courtesies are different.

It will be very wise for you to invest your time and effort in visiting with a professional that can help you prepare for the military to civilian transition.  Do this BEFORE you get out of the military.  Why?  You've heard of rehearsals before a mission, right?  Bingo!  Take what you have learned and rehearse, rehearse and rehearse.  I will speak more about resumes in Action #4, but you will be taught important lessons about interviewing, writing and speaking skills, and interpersonal skills.  You will need to develop these "soft" skills and rehearsing will help you do that.  Rehearsing is a MUST!

Action #4:  Dumb Down / Civilize your resume

As I mention under action #3, military language, slang, and meanings are different in a civilian work environment.  The military has thousands of  acronyms and statements that a civilian professional has no idea what they mean.  If you wrote your resume using many of the military acronyms to describe what your military professional job was, don't even bother submitting your resume for a civilian job opening.  If you don't civilize your resume you and the civilian hiring manager will be on two different pages.  Only about 1% of the nation's population is in the military.  Therefore, if you write you were the MI BDE CSM, there is only a small number of civilians that may know what MI BDE CSM means.

I have one suggestion to dumb down your resume - have a professional resume writer de-militarize your resume.  Again, use the resources I mentioned in Action #3.  Once you have a civilize resume, read it over and over.  You need to become familiar with the new words, phrases, and statements that are used to describe your past military career.  When in a interview or being screened by a recruiter you will need to regurgitate what you have learned from reading your resume over and over.

Take these four tips, accomplish the mission each one suggests, and go forth and do good things as a civilian.  Another tip, do Internet searches to see what other tips you can gather.  One Common Suggestion ResumeCareerMentors.com mentions all the time is to always search online to find many ideas and ways to improve yourself.  We live in the age of information and through the Internet, its free and obtainable just by a mouse click.  Good Luck!

Web Job Applications and Tailored Resumes

Why is filling out web job applications with tailored resumes important?

Being in the field of reviewing resumes and applications and selecting the top three, I find it very easy to bypass many resumes.

You may think filling out online applications via online job boards (e.g. Careerbuilder.com, Monster.com, etc.) should be an easy and fast task because all you have to do is upload your resume, answer a few questions, and then hit the submit button.  However, that should be far from what you ought to do.  

"Luck is always the last refuge of laziness and incompetence" (James Cash Penney).  

A good interpretation of this quote could be the definition of incompetence:

Inability to do something successfully

Another quote - from the book of Proverbs 10:4 (King James Bible):

"He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand:  but the hand of the diligent maketh rich."

If you have not caught on, I'm trying to gradually but firmly establish a mind set to submit a application that will give you the best opportunity to be called for a job interview.  The best practice in applying for a job via online application is to Submit a Tailored Resume!

If you are not carefully reading the job description in the online job posting, you are wrong.  If you submit a resume that has not been updated for that particular job, you are wrong.  The difference between someone getting a call for a interview and someone NOT getting a call is directly related to what is on the resume.  There have been many times I have reviewed resumes of applicants and say to myself, "Did this person even read the job description?  Did they even look at the requirements?  They don't even have one requirement!" These type of applications I quickly skip over and move onto the next application.

If a resume has many similar key words or key phrases to that of the job description, a staffing agent or hiring manager will not hesitate to pick up the phone and try to set up a interview.  Often times (if not all the time) a staffing agent or hiring manager will use staffing software tools that will highlight key words or phrases that come from the job description.  For example, if I am looking for an administration assistant who has experience in QuickBooks and accounting I could use a staffing tool that will highlight the words:  "Administration, Admin, QuickBooks, Accounting, Account, Bookkeeping, and Book Keeping."  

For example, search results would highlight a resume like this: 

Jon Doe Resume

888-888-8888

Resume Parkway, Seattle, WA 84321

Objective

Seeking administration assistant position requiring accounting / finance skill set.

Professional Experience
Administration Assistant
Seattle, WA

• Performed month-end account payable / account receivable
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Expert level in QuickBooks.  Certified in QuickBooks User and provided training to Jr co-workers.
• Answer phones and directed visitors as a front desk Administration Assistant. 

If the resume is plastered with highlights, a staffing agent or hiring manager will not hesitate to call the candidate.  If a resume does not have many highlights, the staffing agent will most likely skip over the resume.  The lesson is to make sure your resume has many key words and phrases so you can be identified as a qualified candidate.

**Extra gold nugget - if you are not actively seeking new employment, but want to entertain new opportunities, put your resume online (e.g. Careerbuilder.com, Monster.com, etc.).  Before you post your resume online, customize your resume with key words, skill sets and expertise you have.  When staffing agents and hiring managers do custom searches for your particular skills, your resume will pop up in their searches.

Actions to take to submit a tailored resume:
1) Carefully read the Job Description.  Identify the key skills that are required for the job.  Identify key words, phrases, responsibilities, and attributes.
2) Review the company's website that has the job opening.  Learn what kind of product or service the company provides, learn the mission statement, and then try to understand or visualize how the position you are applying for will aid in what the company is accomplish.  Spending 15 to 20 minutes on this task, could pay off.
3)  Have your resume and the job description side by side and begin tailoring your resume.  Pull key words and phrases off the job description and add them to your resume.  **This does not mean to fabricate your resume with words and phrases that do not match your expertise.  This means to customize your resume so it represents you and fits the needs of the job opening.  If you do not a have skill listed in the description, do not add it to your resume.

I hope this has been helpful.  There is much more that can be done to improve your resume, but tailoring your resume is one of the most important practices to do.  After all, it is your resume that is seen first and gives you the first and most of the time the only chance to be offered a job.

How long Do I stay in a job?

According to an Economic News Release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of years a worker has stayed with a current employer is 4.6 years.  However, by age, experience and level it is a bit different.  Employees age 25 to 34 have the median tenure at 3.2 years and for those 65 and older was 10.3 years.  For those in management, professional, and related occupations had a median tenure of 5.5 years.  Service occupations had a median tenure of 3.2 years.

Strategically planning you career

The numbers above, I say, could be fitting for anybody that is looking for good solid advice to answer the question of how long you should stay in a job.  The overall median number (4.6 years) is a good number to follow, but I would advise you to pay particular attention to the age, experience, and the experience level, as it relates to you. 

The question, “How long do I stay in a job” should be answered by 1) Avoiding being a job hopper, 2) Having a steady employment history, 3) Knowing when you are becoming stagnate, and 4) Paying attention to the trends of the times.

Avoid being a job hopper

A job hopper is someone who finds a new job every year or less.  Now I mentioned to avoid job hopping, and I meant it on a general bases.  This will not be the case for everybody, but probably applies to most people.  Most workers should avoid starting in a job and shortly thereafter leaving it, especially as you get older.

Employers will find those with a number of jobs in a short time unreliable, undedicated, and at a higher risk to hire.  From an employer’s stand point, money is spent on advertising the job, paying finder fees, spending time interviewing and training new employees.  Hiring new employees often takes away from productivity time, which could mean money isn’t' being earned.

Now, contract workers or consultants are okay job hopping.  There are professionals that do contract work, which they work for a new employer almost every three months.  IT contracts are perfect examples.  They are called in to work for companies on short term projects.  Once a project is finish then the contractor moves onto another job / company.  If you are not a contract worker or a consultant, avoid jumping from one job to another.

Have a steady employment history

It would be wise to have a work history that reflects steadiness and loyalty.  When employers see a steady employment history they see someone they can invest time and money into without it going to waste in the short future.  Having a steady employment history means being with one employer for a few years followed by another employer for a few years and so forth.  For this purpose, it doesn't mean always being employed, but more or less having a steady employment history - showing that you have had one job at least every three years (give or take a year). 

Knowing when you are becoming stagnate

If you are completely bored, not being challenged, or not learning new skills or abilities at a job you have been at for a while, then you are becoming stagnate – I like to say you are deteriorating and losing your “A game.”  Get out of that position sooner than later and develop skills and talent, learn new tools, network with new people, and make yourself more valuable and worth more. 

If you are caught in job for too long and you have not been developing professional skills and talents that are useful outside of the company you are with, don’t expect to get paid more once you make a move.  You may expect to be paid less.  Also, don’t expect other companies to view your value when you can only offer skills that will only work for a past job / employer. 

After about 2-3 years at a position, you might start feeling pretty comfortable and confident in your ability for that particular role.  This might be a time to evaluate your professional growth and challenge yourself so you won’t be deteriorating.

Paying Attention to the Trends of the Times

10+ years ago it was common for a professional to switch jobs or employers.  Today the trend is about 3 to 4 years.  Today is a faster pace and upbeat professional world than was experienced years ago. 

Employers have different needs than yester-years and they are not afraid to obtain that outside of their company – they have to, to keep up with the fast pace market demands.  Employees look to stay on top of the high demands of the so many technologies and tools that are out there.  Competition to remain marketable is so high that employees have to constantly look outside their current employer to remain employed and receive a good pay.

It is very much know among employers and employees that the competition today is in at a much faster pace than it was 10+ years ago.  Hiring managers can expect and are familiar with seeing resumes that list people being in jobs for 2-3 years.  Keep up with the trends and when noticing trends, ask why things are trending like they are.  You need to keep up with the changes and keep competitive too.

How to Handle Those Morning Job Interviews

Morning interviews can be a struggle for those who call themselves a “night owl.”  For morning interviews, you may be still waking up and you’re not as alert and sharp in the morning as opposed to an interview later in the day when you've had time to become alert and get your brain warmed up.  Often times those morning interviews give you anxiety because of less time you have to get up, get ready, make sure you have everything you need for the interview, and then get to the interview.

Below are some good steps for handling those morning job interviews.  The big key is to Plan Ahead!

1)  Get to bed early  You need to be alert and pay attention during the interview.  So go to bed early so you can get up early.

2)  Set out what you are going to wear and bring to the interview the night before (2-3 extra resumes, pen and notepad to take notes, ID cards, etc.)

3)  Rise early  Get that brain working, alert, and ready to answer questions and to have open discussions with those who will interview you.  You need to be upbeat and talkative while in the interview so start out early that morning getting your body, brain, and mouth moving.

4)  Read something  The best practice to be in the mindset to get your mind warmed up is to start the day with reading something.  Read the job description you’ll interview for, read the newspaper or online news and just read something to get your brain warmed up.  Take a good 10-15 minutes to read that morning before the interview.   Take time to concentrate on the job and why you want it – how you will convey that desire in the interview.  Go over the questions you have prepared to ask and go over you strengths.

5)  Have an early morning conversation  To be talkative and answer questions in an interview, get those muscles in your mouth moving.  You will be better to articulate words and won’t be groggy, but alert and attentive.

6)  Eat breakfast  It is the best way to start your day.  If you are hungry during the interview, you won’t be able to concentrate because your nutrient and energy levels will be low.  You mind and your functionality will not be at high enough levels to mentally and intellectually ace an interview.

7)  If you drink coffee in the morning, don’t overdo it before the interview.  Too much coffee will make you jittery and intensify your nervousness to an unappealing fashion.  Going cold turkey off coffee the day of the interview is a no, and I think we all know why.

8)  Get to the interview on time  Know in advance the route and what kind of traffic will be on your way.  Doing this will reduce your anxiety and make sure you show up on time.  Sometimes you have some traffic issue unexpectedly.  Do yourself a favor and just leave earlier than you think you would and if you get to the interview early, just sit in your car waiting to walk in.  Better safe than sorry, right?

TOP 3 Tricks to Getting YOUR Resume Noticed!

Does your resume go into the black hole once you submit it for a job opening?  Every day I sift through 10 different job openings and in each job I have hundreds of applicants.  Where does your resume fall? What increases your chances of being “REJECTED” and what gets you NOTICED?

1)      READ EVERY JOB DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY!  While sifting through multiple openings and hundreds of applicants I see one thing in common.  Over 50% of the applications aren’t even remotely qualified for the role.  The most impressive thing that gets noticed over hundreds of candidates is the candidate that has applied to 2-3 openings based on the best fit for their skills.  You can tell a candidate has taken the time to read the description and put’s thought into each application.  I know, I know! THIS TAKES TIME!  But believe me, it will pay off.  

2)      Make sure the skills listed under the requirements section are listed in your resume.  Most managers and recruiters will browse your resume for 3 SECONDS before deciding to move on to another resume.  The most impressive resumes will reflect the pertinent skills at the top of the resume, in each job descriptions you have used that skill at, or in BOLD.  For example, if you are a Software Developer with J2EE and Spring experience but only list a vague description such as "developed applications" on your resume, it will not be noticed.  However, if the job calls for J2EE and Spring and you know you have it but it’s not listed on your resume, find a way to integrate it into the top portion of your resume as well as in each job description you used that skill.  Preferably in the TOP bullet points of each job description.  

• Bad Example: Developed Applications in an Agile Environment. 

• Good Example: Developed Java applications using J2EE and Spring in an Agile Environment.

If you know the job is asking for J2EE, Spring and Agile then bold those skills or at the very least add them to your resume.  

IMPORTANT - When reviewing a resume, recruiters and hiring managers use staffing technologies that allows them to do searches for key words on resumes.  The technology pulls resumes with key words off the internet the recruiter or hiring manager are looking for.  If a resume does not have those key words, it will not be seen by the recruiter or hiring manager.  In addition, if the key word, like J2EE, is not mentioned very often on the resume, that resume will be second or third to other resumes.  So, if you have a skill set that you have much experience with, make sure that skillset key word is used often.

3)      Think strategically!!  When visiting a website or multiple websites make sure to BE SELECTIVE when applying to roles.  It’s a common misconception that applying to any and every role that might fit your skill set will better your chances.

Whatever you do, don’t and I repeat DON’T apply to multiple jobs within a company with the idea that more applications increases your chances.  Take under careful consideration each opening for which you apply.  It will be noticed and your resume will QUICKLY stand out from the rest.

By Samantha McGary - Corporate Recruiter

Successfully Navigating the Recruiting Process

Deciding what you want to do for a living while still in college can be very difficult. I didn't decide on a major until my third year of college and didn't choose what industry I would work in until my forth year. As a result, my undergraduate education was a five-year experience and that is OK. However, those who decide on a general field early in their education are at an advantage because they can tailor their college experience towards a desired career path. 

Once you decide what general field you would like to begin your career in, you should learn what the terminal degree required for that field is. You should learn what the typical hiring process is for that industry. For example, to work as a geologist in the oil industry, a Master’s degree is required. Also, oil companies hire almost exclusively from their past intern pool. They find their interns by a very structured recruiting process on select campuses and at professional meetings. So when I am approached by someone who has finished their undergrad geology degree, has no plans for grad school, has not done an internship, and is now applying to internet job postings at oil companies; I know they have a very difficult path to getting their foot in the door. You can learn what entry level job requirements are required for your field by networking with established professionals as early in your education as possible.

Once you know how to tailor your education for your desired career path and what the recruiting process is for your industry, you work on secure interviews. But before the interview, a recruiter’s first impression of you is your resume. Take the time to have a few different people look over your resume looking for errors. An established professional can look over your resume and make sure that you have emphasized the correct things. I generally prefer simple, concise resumes without flowery language or unusual formatting. 

The primary purpose of the interview is for the interviewer to learn as much about the behaviors and skills of the candidate as possible. The best way to predict a candidate’s future behavior is to learn about their past behaviors and the consistency in which they demonstrated those behaviors. To obtain this information, interviewers will simply ask. If they ask you about your leadership skills, that really is what they are trying to learn about. They are not likely asking trick questions. A good response to an interview question includes an action you took that displays a behavior or skill and the positive effect it had on your organization. 

Want to really impress recruiters? Demonstrate understanding of a key principle of the industry you are applying to. You should understand the values and value drivers of the company you are interviewing with. You should understand what things they consider important, their strategy, where they operate, and how your skill set would add value to them. They are looking to hire someone who will be a good fit into the culture of their organization. They are probably looking for someone who works well in teams and is someone that they would enjoy working with. Coming across as a likable and genuine person goes a long way. It is a competitive job market, considering these small things can prove to be the difference of being hired or passed over.

By Tyson Perkes

Tyson Perkes is a geologist and corporate recruiter in the oil industry.

LinkedIn Profile Editing Tips

What really is the purpose of having a LinkedIn profile?  What are the benefits of having one?

LinkedIn is a social networking site tailored toward professional interactions.  A LinkedIn profile is customized by the owner by listing work experience, education, and other accomplishments on the profile page.  The profile is used as a visual resume presentation.  Because it is online, it is an easy access to recruiters and companies that are hiring.   The key is, the more connections you have the greater chance you have to be seen.

Basic membership is free and members can establish connections with someone he/she has worked with, someone he/she has gone to school with, and professional connections.  Basic membership also allows for connections to groups, companies, jobs, and articles.  In today’s tech savvy and online social networking mindset, it is professional smart to set up a LinkedIn profile.

The following are just a few keys to improve you LinkedIn profile and to use it as a marketing tool for career and professional purposes.

LinkedIn Key #1 – Good image, Title, & Summary

First impressions are everything.  LinkedIn is used my many recruiters and hiring companies and your image, title, and summary will be the first thing they see.  Make sure you image is not blurry, too small or big, or unprofessional, etc.  Make sure you have a photo.  No photo is a “do not.”

Your title (current position / expertise) could be searched.  It is a best practice that you optimize your title so that it is easily searched.  If you have multiple titles / expertise add those key words, but do not make the mistake and add words just to add words.  For example: “Recruiter at XXXX | Resume & Career Consultant | Blogger.”

For the summary have something catchy or something that provides a good introduction of who you are, what your standards are, and what your expertise is.  You want to set a skilled background for readers that can gain a hint of what opportunities you bring to the world.  To find some ideas of what you can write, visit some of your connections and read their summaries.

LinkedIn Key #2 – Update Regularly

Your LinkedIn profile is your online resume.  So, update it regularly.  Your LinkedIn profile will probably be seen more than your paper resume by people you don’t know.  You will want to have your profile up-to-date as to not have a potential opportunity pass you up.  Updating should involve updating:  work history, new connections, projects, and sections such as Skills & Expertise, interests, groups and organizations, and who you follow.  Make sure you contact information is update often too.  It is helpful if you post website addresses (personal / company), blog, or twitter information.

LinkedIn Key #3 – Connect with many

Connecting is networking.  Increase your number of connections all the time.  Once you hit 50 connections LinkedIn starts suggesting connections.  LinkedIn offers the “People you may know” tool.  Use this tool to find people and establish business connections that may bring opportunity in the future.  The key is, the more connections you have the greater chance you have to be seen.  The profile is used as a visual resume presentation.  Because it is online, it is an easy way for recruiters and companies that are hiring to find you through links of friends and colleagues.