Collecting Your Documentation

Pull together your many sources of information from your career military portfolio.

Keep these materials in one file during your career search campaign — your “I Love Me” book.

Then, begin a new file when you land your first corporate position, either a small notebook you keep in your desk drawer or car, or a Word file on your computer.

The documentation you need to collect for your file:

Report of Separation

DD-214 – this document includes your military job specialty, dates of service, military education, decorations, medals, badges, citations, and campaign awards; as well as pertinent retirement benefits and character of separation.

If you need a replacement, request another copy from the National Archives.

Service Record Summary Documents

Each Service records member assignments to different commands and duties, including some combination of the following: assignment history, promotions, security data, service data, personal/family data, foreign language, military training and education, civilian education, awards and decorations, job performance, and so on.

• United States Army: Officer Record Brief (ORB) – Army Officer
  Personnel Qualification Record (PQR) – Army Enlisted Officer Qualification Records
• United States Marine Corps: Officer Qualification Recrod (OQR) – USMC Officer
  Enlisted Service Record Book (SRB) – USMC Enlisted Service Record
• United States Navy: Offiicial Military Personnel File (OMPF) – Navy Officer and Enlisted
• United States Air Force NCO and Officer Personnel Brief

Training Documentation

Verification of Military Experience and Training Document (VMAT)

The VMET document lists your military experience and training which may have application to employment in the private sector. The VMET document is an “all-services” integrated form which displays demographic, training, and experience information that is retrieved from various automated sources.

Use the VMET document as a tool to prepare resumes and job applications, in concert with evaluation reports, training certificates, awards, transcripts, and other pertinent documents. As an added bonus, it is not an official transcript for purposes of granting college credit, but it can be used to support your having met training and/or course requirements to qualify for civilian occupations, certificates, licenses, or programs of study.

The VMET also provides credit recommendations from the American Council of Education (ACE) for occupations and/or courses that are listed when they are available; the academic institutions, however, determine which credits are applicable to a program of study.

The VMET web site also has a list of links to additional web sites that can assist you in your job search process. You can log on at: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/vmet/index.jsp

Service School Academic (Professional Development and Training) and Award Justifications

Award justifications often are filled with specific examples of accomplishments and how you attained the accomplishment; they are often detailed. Many military awards cover extended periods of time in your career—and may list several specific achievements.

Service School evaluation reports and training records provide overviews of the courses you completed, certificates you attained, and sometimes it even lists special projects or class status.

Performance and Fitness Reports

Performance Evaluations and Fitness Reports are an excellent source of gleaning both job responsibilities and specific achievements and accomplishments. One of your goals is to quantify and qualify your achievements, whenever possible, for a resume and consideration by a potential employer.

As you gather a list of achievements, write down comparisons—what it was like before you “fixed” or modified the situation, and after you “fixed” the problem.

Other Sources

Look for additional achievements by asking the following questions:

• Have you been published?
• Have you been quoted?
• Do you speak at conferences or in other forums?
• What licenses or certificates do you possess?
• Do you have a security clearance? When does it expire?
• Do you have special skills, not listed on your paperwork?
• Is your day to day experience different from your military occupational specialty?
• Do you speak foreign languages?
• Are you engaged in community service or volunteer positions?

Organizing the Information

As you continue to dig deep and gather information from your career history, it helps to organize it into three categories (for each of your employment entries):

1. Describe why you were selected for a job and what your main challenge or assignment was as you entered the new position.

Examples:

Selected from a Board and moved from enlisted to Warrant Officer, i.e., from helicopter maintenance crew chief to pilot school; or,

Represented the U.S. Army in Europe (USAREUR), Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence to senior and executive level-host nation officials in Germany, to facilitate the exchange of intelligence and security information with the German federal and state intelligence, military, and law enforcement services, in support of the Commanding General and USAREUR’s priority intelligence requirements).

2. Provide a scope of your responsibilities within the scope of the organization.

Examples:

Deployed as a Support Operations Officer in the Plans section, in a combat environment, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Established and supervised the Logistical Operations Center. Analyzed, planned, prepared, and presented plans for future missions and contingency operations in support of 165,000 U.S. and Coalition forces. Directed, coordinated, and executed operations of 13 units, 28 direct and 1,300 indirect reports; or,

Managed the receipt, inventory and issue of 3,500 line items worth over $2M.

3. Develop a list of specific achievements or projects and quantify and qualify whenever possible.

Examples:

Developed engineer design plans for mission and life support facilities and secured $150 million in funding through the Joint Allocation Resource Board; Program Manager for a multi-million dollar base restructure; or,

Authored over 100 FRAGOS ensuring the movement and receipt of millions of gallons of water and fuel, and other supply classes daily into the region.

As this list builds, you will be able to start the production of a professional military conversion resume and prepare for the interviewing process. All of your career history information will be stored in one organized file.

Notice that the above entries still contain “military speak”. When you are ready to start writing your resume, you will need to translate your military speak into corporate equivalents.

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

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Every time you moved, you struggled to send resumes, fill out federal applications, and network in a new location.

You may have accepted different jobs, just to “get into the system” at your new location. If you were stationed in a remote location, you may not have been able to obtain employment, as opportunities were limited.

Resume Repair

When your military spouse is ready to retire, and you make a decision to “settle” into one location, then you will need to revamp your resume and leverage your 20-year list of jobs, volunteer positions, and experiences.

On a resume, honesty is the best policy. So, your gaps of time with no employment can be highlighted as opportunities for volunteer service, gaining education, training or credentials.

The summary on your resume or in your cover letter can read similar to the following: 

“Followed military spouse around the world for 20 years. Lived in three countries; traveled to 20 countries. Well-cultured; embrace diversity; very adaptable and flexible. Twenty-year career includes volunteer service and paid positions in industry and the federal government gaining expertise in program coordination, office administration, and bookkeeping. Bachelor of Science in Communications; bi-lingual (Spanish). Formerly held Secret clearance.”

Chronology entries may include:

2012 – 2015: Completed bachelor’s degree. (Stationed in Germany.)

2011-2012: Volunteer with Army Community Services.

Organized multiple community events including base-wide festivals drawing 3,000+ patrons; annual holiday events; and official ceremonies. Coordinated with Department of Engineering officials, other base services, and off-site contractors to secure requirements for the events, i.e., tents, chairs, food, entertainment, and sponsors. Managed operating budgets up to $30,000. Arranged for and supervised the activities of up to 325 volunteers for large events including security guard forces. (Stationed in UK.)

2007-2011: Program Coordinator (GS-7).

Program Analyst in a transportation office, managing freight shipment and transportation support functions supporting a community of 6,000. Expedited a wide range of specialized shipments including household goods, privately owned vehicles, and hazardous materials. Prepared paperwork. Coordinated with customs’ officials. Held Secret clearance. (Stationed at Fort Bragg, NC.)

2001-2007: Stay-at-home-mom and community volunteer.

Served as volunteer for Girl Scouts / coordinated annual cookie sales with average annual revenue of $7,000 in region; coordinated and led adult Sunday school; Committee Chair for Spouses Club / organized the shipment of hundreds of boxes of goodies to deployed soldiers; Red Cross Volunteer. (Stationed in Korea and USA.)

Networking

It is important to network before you arrive at your final retirement location. Begin using Web 2.0 social media services including Linkedin.com and Facebook to let your family, friends, and colleagues know that you are available for employment and remind them of your skill sets.

Education and Credentials

If you need to complete a degree or obtain a credential before your military spouse retires, check out MyCAA, the DoD Military Spouse Career Advancement Account program. This is particularly good for spouses who are in remote locations where employment opportunities are scarce — a great time to pursue a degree or credential.

For those military spouses who are ready to start school, or complete a training or certification program, leading to employment in Portable Career Fields, MyCAA provides up to $6,000 in financial assistance, as MyCAA financial assistance funds help military spouses pursue education, training, licenses, and degrees.

Be Proud

When seeking employment after you finally settle into a retirement location, be proud of your eclectic experiences and leverage your varied skill sets. You can let a potential employer know that you are now settled, and you will be considered a top candidate, if the employer knows you will have longevity with his company. He or she will value your diversity, ability to adapt well and be flexible, and your willingness to learn and contribute value to the new employer.

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

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As a service member, you probably had substantial training and experience with both leadership and management.

You need to “package” that experience and those skills in a way that a civilian manager can understand the value you bring.

Leaders vs. Managers

Natural leaders develop a following; they focus on building relationships and ensuring that visions and mission plans come to fruition.

Alternately, managers may need to earn their level of respect and authority, by moving up the ladder at a company, as an example. Managers normally enforce rules and they are more function-oriented, concerned with organizational requirements, planning, staffing, directing, and controlling. Managers often think incrementally, and leaders think radically.

A leader needs excellent communication skills and an awareness of the entire organization and the activities of the team (the bigger vision).

Hybels’ Leadership Styles

Here is a list of potential Leadership Styles, that you may identify with (summarized) from Billy Hybels, a leadership trainer, speaker, author, and communicator:

• Visionary Leader

  The visionary leader sees the “big picture” of programs and what they want to happen in their minds. They usually express great enthusiasm to fulfill their visions. Visionary leaders share their vision with anyone who will listen. They usually are undeterred.

• Directional Leader

  The directional leader recognizes how to choose the right path at the critical intersections when the organization starts to ask hard questions: “Is it time for a wholesale change or should we stay the course? Should we add facilities or relocate?” This type of leader is able to sort through options and assess the mission including its strengths and weaknesses.

• Strategic Leader

  The strategic leader is able to break an operation into steps and help it unfold. This leader takes a vision and makes a workable plan that a team can follow. This leader is detail-oriented.

• Managing Leader

  The managing leader is able to manage the people, processes, and systems. Directional and strategic leaders may be incapable of lining up the correct team members, resources, and systems in order to achieve set goals, like the managing leader

• Motivational Leader

  The motivational leader provides ongoing inspiration and refreshment for team members. This leader celebrates accomplishments and recognizes when the team or person needs a promotion, pay raise, or other encouragement.

• Team-building Leader

  Team-building leaders find and develop other leaders. They have a knack for matching talents and blending teams with the right chemistry of each team member. They are able to fit people into positions on a team to achieve desired results.

• Entrepreneurial Leader

  The entrepreneurial leader has “vision, boundless energy, and a risk-taking spirit. They love being told it cannot be done,” according to Hybels. This type of leader is always looking for a new start-up project or challenge

• Re-engineering Leader

  The re-engineering leader is a likely follow-up from the entrepreneurial leader. This type of leader looks at a situation and is challenged to fix the problem. They enjoy reorganizing and revitalizing flailing organizations. However, they like constant new challenges and once a project is in place for re-engineering, they may be already looking for the next “fix-it” project.

• Bridge-building Leader

  The bridge-building leader’s mission is to bring together various representatives under a single umbrella, so that the overall organization can accomplish its goals. This leader has exceptional communications skills with an ability to listen, assess needs, understand all points of view, negotiate well and calmly, and maintain diplomacy.

Blanchard Situational Leadership Styles

Here is a description of situational leadership styles as classified by Blanchard Training and Development®:

• Selling: Hi people and Hi task

  The selling leader sets the goals and gains input from others. This leader makes decisions and motivates buy-in by others. They make the plans.

• Participating: Hi people and Lo task

  This leader involves staff in goal-setting, they encourage the team to develop plans, they help solve problems, and they provide encouragement and support.

• Telling: Lo people and Hi task

  This leader sets goals unilaterally, develops plans and assigns tasks, gives direction and solves problems, and closely supervises workers.

• Delegating: Lo people and Lo task

  The delegating leader goal-sets and plans with team members, shares decision-making, allows team members to evaluate their work, and provides feedback and recognition.

Obviously management styles and leadership styles cross boundaries. But a leader is someone people follow. In addition, “mindful managers” can become directional leaders. For more information on situational leadership styles, visit the Blanchard Training and Development®.

Right Fit

Understanding leadership styles for talent management (recruitment) purposes is important. A good fit when an employer places a candidate (or a recruiter solicits a candidate), must ensure the right chemistry for team players, knowledge of the job and specific industry, and so forth.

For example, placing a re-engineering leader into an organization that runs smooth and does not require new processes, will squelch the leader’s ability to work effectively. And oppositely, placing a visionary leader in a position that requires the development of plans and steps to achieve a mission, will also be a detrimental fit.

A good fit would be a motivational leader with an energetic personality who inspires his colleagues, subordinates, leaders, and external contacts / management leader, which compliments the management style of handling the daily operations of a large department/division, with responsibility for plans, resources, organization and scheduling, and coordination, working in busy, large organization, with many personal interactions (Selling: Hi people and Hi task).

On the other hand, if a manager is needed for a position, and not a leader, i.e., a manager who has the fortitude to enforce rules, policies, and procedures; develop working plans, and handle resources from an office with a bit of hands-on, then a recruiter will benefit from selecting a candidate with more management abilities than leadership abilities. Usually, people like and revere leaders. But managers, do not necessarily need to be liked. They are often the overseers.

The book Certain Trumpets by Gary Wills describes the impact of making a proper fit for leaders, i.e., a military-style leadership works best in war time, a political leader is best when forming a government with thousands of constituencies, and an intellectual leader is the best fit for an ideologically social struggle. Fit is critical to effective leadership in any environment.

Are you able to determine your leadership or management style (s) from these brief summaries? Once identified, you can carry the theme into your professional resumes, networking, and interviewing process.

More: Leadership Interview Questions and Example Answers

Bottom Line

Most likely, as a service member, you acted in leadership and management roles, which are benefits to potential employers. Nevertheless, it is important for you to identify your natural abilities and leverage those strengths on your resume and in the interview process.

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

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When you are ready to seek employment for your encore career — after you retire or leave the military — you will need an appropriate wardrobe for interviewing and for your new job.

Appropriate Job Interview Attire

You want to dress suitably for the type of position for which you are applying, the level, and also the culture of the company or agency. For example, a sport coat or blazer may be correct interview attire for a vocational position or very casual IT company, but a suit is probably the standard attire when interviewing for a management position in a bank or law firm.

Here is a general guide for dressing for interviews:

Men:

• Director and executive level jobs

  Two to three dark suits; belt and shoes should match; socks match color of slacks; several dress shirts (white is best; colors that match your skin tone are fine); several ties (red and deep purple are considered “power” colors); a tie clip or tie bar, one ring per hand, and a simple metal or leather band watch (nothing with a compass and flashlight).

  Grow your hair a little before the interview process, if possible. Do not wear facial hair during an interview.

• Management level and below

  In appropriate situations, a sport’s coat or shirt with a tie may be acceptable.

Women:

• Purchase two to three suits — a combination of slacks and skirts is often acceptable — but beware, there are companies that still require women to wear skirts and pantyhose — an employer can enforce attire rules.
• Wear natural looking makeup.
• Nails should be clean and polished.
• Avoid perfume and excessive bangles (stick to one ring per hand, a small watch, a necklace or broche (not both), and simple earrings) — not both.
• Shoes should be mid-heel.

The investment in interview attire will serve you well once you start your new job — if you wear a suit on the job, you will probably need to purchase more outfits.

If you find out that your office will be casual, you can wear the good suits on important meeting days.

(Tip: If you work in an office that has casual Fridays, then always keep a suit jacket and tie in your office (for men) or jacket for women, to slip on in the event that an important meeting is set up at the last moment, or you find out visitors are arriving from another facility. It can be embarrassing if you are the only one in a high speed meeting, wearing a polo shirt and Dockers — if everyone else is in a suit.)

Other Do’s, Don’ts & Tips

• Both men and women should remove face piercings and cover tattoos for professional interviews.
• Carry a non-government issue pen, and a slim, clean briefcase or binder.
• Surveys indicate that a fairly fresh haircut makes a positive impression on interviewers — as it appears neat and tidy.
• Check your teeth and appearance just before you enter the interview — use your car mirror or use the restroom in the building before the interview. Bring floss and a lint remover brush in your car. Don’t eat or drink on the way to the interview to prevent spilling on your clothes.
• Don’t wear political or military emblems on your clothes.
• In the interview, be respectful, but avoid a constant run of “Yes Ma’am” or “Yes Sir.” Certainly this is very polite, but corporate America is more geared to names — call the interviewers by the names you are given when you meet them, i.e., Mrs. Smith or Mary.

A job interview is your chance to make a great first impression in person, to “close the sale” that lands you that new civilian job. Unfortunately (or not), uniforms are not specified or issued for civilian life, so these tips should help you transition smoothly to your new career.

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

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Veterans’ Preference

Most veterans are given some type of preference in appointments in federal jobs, and the preference is extended to military spouses and widows of deceased veterans in certain circumstances.

The current Veterans’ preferences comes from the Veterans Preference Act of 1944, as amended, and now codified in Title 5, United States Code, which states, “by law, veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over others when hiring from competitive lists of eligible candidates, and also in retention during a reduction in force (RIF).”

OPM Website

Check out the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) VetGuide. Veteran’s preference does not require an agency to use any particular appointment; rather agencies can select candidates from a number of different special hiring authorities or through a variety of different sources including Veterans Readjustment Appointment (VRA) or special authority for 30 percent or more disabled veterans.

Leverage Your Preference

To leverage your veteran’s preference points when applying for federal jobs, claim the preference points on your federal applications, in the appropriate online menu driven sections; or list it at the top section under your name and address on a hard copy federal resume.

VEOA

You may also apply under the Veterans’ Employment Opportunities Act, i.e., “When an agency accepts applications from outside its own workforce, the Veterans’ Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 allows preference eligible candidates or veterans to compete for these vacancies under merit promotion procedures.” Eligibility includes veterans who have been separated under honorable conditions from the U.S. Armed Forces with three or more years of continuous active service. For more information, visit http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ei52.asp.

VRA

Veterans’ Recruitment Appointment: This appointment allows federal agencies to appoint eligible veterans to jobs without competition. These appointments can be converted to career or career-conditional positions after two years of satisfactory work. Veterans should apply directly to the agency where they wish to work. For information, visit http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ei4.asp.

Bottom Line

The veteran’s benefits are available; but you need to check with your personnel office to determine your veteran’s preference points (5 or 10); obtain an SF-15 (if you are 10 point preference/with a disability), and then use the veteran’s preference points when applying for federal jobs, and also for some state positions. In addition, there are many military-friendly employers who show favor to veterans.

The requirements of obtaining veteran’s preference may be complex and embedded in the fine print, but ask questions of your personnel office, until you are certain of your benefits.

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

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Military-friendly companies value your leadership skills, diversity, commitment, discipline, training, flexibility/adaptability, and your “in-the-trenches/can-do” attitude and work ethic.

A number of companies that recruit veterans also have internal veterans’ programs, enabling and encouraging the success of the veterans they have hired. For example, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), actively recruiters veterans and military in transition at Google Careers.

Google also provides an outline of their hiring process and tips for getting hired.

For a deeper dive, Google offers a 1-day “inside look” at working for Google for veterans who are MBA students. These take place at Google facilities in New York, Chicago, and LA. Meals are provided but the costs for travel or lodging are not. Details – Google Student Veteran Summit.

Once hired, Google supports an internal networking organization called VetNet for employees who are veterans.

Another Fortune 500 company, Booz Allen Hamilton, has a similar program for veterans, as they value the knowledge, experience, and credentials of veterans.

Military-Friendly Employers

Choosing your target employers is an essential element for a successful mission.

Today, the smartest strategy is to have a list of ten to twenty (or more) target employers. Having these targets makes your job search efforts more effective:

• They enable you to network with the “right” people.
• They provide you with the “right” words (keywords like job titles and skills) to use in your resumes and LinkedIn Profile.

Today, the benefits of technology include the availability of information about employers (easy to find with Google) and the ability to find and connect with the “right” people through both online and offline networking (LinkedIn is essential).

Federal and DoD Contractors

Government/Department of Defense contractors value and recruit veterans, as oftentimes, the work you performed in the military is directly aligned with the work needed by the contractor. You may even be able to step into the equivalent job, in the same location, you held in the military.

Additionally, many DoD contractors require their employees to hold security clearances. If you have a security clearance when you leave the military, you may want to leverage that credential, and apply for jobs with DoD contractors. If you already have a security clearance, then you are highly desired by many DoD contractors, and your hiring process may even be expedited.

Other Organizations & Industries That Recruit Military

Interest in hiring veterans is not limited to DoD contractors. Many other organizations, companies, and state and local governments are also very interested.

Security & Law Enforcement Organizations

The military defends the homeland against threats from foreign entities. Consequently, as a service member, you are trained in security, anti-terrorism, and force protection, at a minimum. Your skills and knowledge of security may be a benefit to an employer seeking an expert in security operations and / or law enforcement.

However, you do not necessarily have to “walk the beat.” Your skills may translate to managing a security operation for any type of company: creating security plans, developing contingency security plans for a company or other organization.

The Federal Government

The US federal government offers veterans’ preference points to service members who were awarded a campaign badge or expeditionary medal or were disabled.

Many federal positions align with military occupational specialties, and seeking federal employment can make for a smooth transition from the military.

An honorable discharge is required to qualify for veterans’ preference.

Executive Order 13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government, established the Veterans Employment Initiative.

The Initiative is a strategic approach to helping the men and women who have served our country in the military find employment in the Federal Government. The Executive Order states the Federal Government will thereby help lead by example in promoting veterans’ employment.

One of the leadership strategies calls on administration officials to “create advocates for veterans’ employment within each federal agency.” All 24 agencies covered by the order have established a Veterans Employment Program.

• Start here to learn if you have hiring preferences: FedsHireVets.gov
• Contact the U.S. Department of State Veterans Employment Program at vets@state.gov
• Mil2Fed (Identify federal jobs related to your military occupational specialty)

Here is a short list of the many Federal Agencies that hire veterans:

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE jobs)
• Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBIJobs)
• US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• CIA

For details on the current pay scale and other information, see — GSA Pay Tables by location

Intelligence & Intelligence Training Organizations

These types of organizations seek and recruit military, as you are already well trained with hands-on experience in intelligence disciplines. Many of these organizations will be DoD contractors and require a clearance. Check out ClearedJobs.net for jobs requiring clearances.

Communications, Utilities, and Communications-Oriented Companies

Communications and utilities companies recruit veterans to leverage the skills gained in the military specific to communications and utilities. Specialists in network security (also known as cyber security) are in great demand.

Transportation Industry

The transportation industry is seeking veterans to drive trucks and heavy equipment. Take a look at TMC Careers to look for transportation jobs: TMC Transportation.

Companies seeking military experience and discipline

VetJobs.com, GIJobs.com (which publishes an annual list of the top 100 Military Friendly Employers), MilitaryHire.com, and other veteran-specific job boards and information sites provide comprehensive lists of military-friendly companies.

These employers range from transportation, finance, health care, technology, government, retail, security, defense, consumer goods, logistics, to insurance, industrial products and services, business services, and more.

Here is a short list of Top Military-friendly companies:

• Deloitte Junior Military Officer Recruiting Program
• Union Pacific Railroad
• Home Depot
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.
• TriWest Healthcare Alliance
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Sodexo, Inc.
• Schneider National
• Sears Holdings Corporation
• Bank of America
• State Farm Insurance Exelon Corporation Financial Services
• DynCorp International
• Corrections Corporation of America
• U-Haul
• Brink’s U.S.
• American Eurocopter
• BAE Systems, Inc
• Capital One
• CarMax
• Comcast
• National Security Agency (NSA)
• PNC Bank
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Sysco Corporation
• Wegmans

Leadership & Management

Your military occupational specialty may be very specific, i.e., accountant, engineer, veterinarian, weapons specialist, chemical/biological/nuclear specialist, pilot, or logistics manager. However, you may also have gained many skills sets complimentary to leadership and management roles within varied military-friendly companies. For example:

• A submariner (Navy) secured a position with Coca-Cola as a Bottling Plant Manager
• A comptroller (Army) accepted a position with Frito Lay as Director, Accounting Division
• A military officer accepted a position with Amazon in Logistics
• Another military officer accepted a position with Google
• An infantry soldier accepted a position as an Operations Manager/Warehousing with Wal-Mart.

Your leadership skills, discipline, and solid work ethic are very desired by many companies, DoD contractors, and the federal government.

Teaching Careers

The DoD’s DANTES: Troops to Teachers provides counseling and referral services to military personnel interested in beginning a second career in public education as a teacher. The DANTES Troops to Teachers office will help applicants identify teacher certification requirements, programs leading to certification, and employment opportunities.

Internships

You may also consider internships for veterans, which range from new college graduates to professionals. Internships can be helpful with focusing and further developing transferable skill sets. Some internships pay, others are for experience only. If you need to gain some industry exposure, this may be a great alternative.

Here are some ideas:

• Oracle: Focusing on injured veterans, Oracle has developed a comprehensive paid internship program that provides training in IT, technical consulting, finance, HR, sales and marketing.
• Google: Google offers a one-day “inside look” at working at Google if you are a veteran moving into business and technology while working on your MBA( the Google Student Veteran Summit mentioned above).
• The Aurora Foundation sources funding to support student veteran internships.
• Internships.com lists scored of opportunities for internships and many of the participating companies will give preference to veteran applicants.

Locating Other Military-Friendly Employers

To identify military-friendly employers, start with general Google searches, Indeed or Simply Hired searches, and military association searches. You may also look at your alumni associations for mentors or leaders in the industries that are seeking military professionals.

Join groups on LinkedIn specific to military-friendly employers, your alumni, and industries of interest.

Google Jobs for Veterans Searches

Google offers a short cut for veterans. Simply type “jobs for vets” into the Google search bar, and the top of the search results page will contain links to job postings specifically for veterans. Type your MOS into the blue box at the top, and go to a page of jobs related to your MOS and many more search options.

Keyword Searches

To aid in locating companies who hire veterans, you can conduct keyword searches using any combination of these suggestions:

Department of Defense Contractors / DoD
Cleared Jobs
Clearance
Security
Cyber security
Law Enforcement
Intelligence
Anti-terrorism
Homeland Security
Communications
Internships
Veteran Friendly Employers
Government Jobs
USAJOBS.GOV
Force Protection
Logistics
Operations Management

Any keywords specific to your occupational specialty (engineering, health care, human resources / human capital, operations management, clergy, accounting, maintenance, transportation, etc.)

[Related: How to Find Jobs Using Google, The Ground Rules for Google Search, and The Best 25 Keywords for Your Job Search.]

Bottom Line on Veteran Friendly and Military Friendly Employers

There is a growing appreciation in the civilian world of the value of military-trained employees and executives. The employers and resources listed above are just a starting point.

More About Successful Veterans Job Search

• Understanding How Military and Civilian Cultures Differ
• Military Transition Action Plan – Long-Term Service to Civilian
• Choosing Your Civilian Career

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

The post Veteran-Friendly and Military-Friendly Employers appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Military Culture

As veterans, you lived and worked within a subculture of mainstream America.

You lived and worked on bases and installations: ships, submarines, and tents.  You ate MREs.

Many of you moved a lot (some move every year for 20 years).

You deployed to various worldwide locations to protect our freedoms (leaving behind spouses and children). You shopped in PX/BXs and commissaries, and you frequently saw those you knew at the same medical clinics, schools, places of worship, and restaurants, on bases.

The world becomes small for service members, as you often reconnect in new worldwide locations.

Leaving this culture is difficult for some service members. You are not just leaving a job; you are leaving a whole lifestyle.

Military Language

The military also has its own language. Understanding military acronyms, rank structures, service branches, jargon, and technical requirements is often equated to learning a foreign language.

Even the different service branches use different terminology (for example, a Captain in the Army is a junior officer; and a Captain in the Navy is a very senior officer).

Qualify and Quantify Military Language

I know that as you leave the military (especially if retiring with 20 or more years of service), you are mostly likely more comfortable using military jargon, terms, and acronyms than civilian terms, and often you simply do not know the civilian equivalent.

Certain terms are easy to translate into “corporate speak” –

• Translate such words as “commanded” to “supervised” or “directed.”
• Convert the terms “soldiers,” Marines,” “sailors,” “airmen,” or “Coast Guardsmen” to “employees” or “personnel.”
• Translate junior enlisted to “supervisor” job titles.
• Change senior enlisted (E-6 and E-7) to “operations manager” job titles
• Translate very senior enlisted (E-8 ad above) to “COO” (Chief Operating Officer) for Master Sergeant and above.
• Convert “Lieutenant,” “Captain,” “Major” or “Lt. Colonel” to “Division Manager” or “Regional Manager.”
• Translate “Colonel” and above to “VP,” “Executive Vice President,” “CEO,” or any of the other C-level jobs.
• Using the employee quantities appropriate for your service, change “Squad” to “8 employees” and “Company” to “150 employees” and “Battalion” to “250 personnel,” and so on for other units and assignments.

Try to qualify and quantify accomplishments as often as possible:

“Directed an organization with 250 personnel, supervised 12 department managers, executed an operational budget of $3M, managed assets worth $70M, and significantly reduced a logistical backlog by 87%.”

A short quantitative statement is successful in describing years of leadership.

And for more complex translations, try this method:

Strategic Planner, Strategic Planning & Policy Directorate, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith / equivalent to Strategic Planner and Advisor to CEO & VPs regarding multinational issues. Or this: Deputy CIO for Data Management, Joint National Integration Center, Missile Defense Agency, Schriever Air Force Base / equivalent to Executive VP of Data Management / Technology of a large company advising the CIO.

To clarify the appropriate job title for you and other relevant terminology, research job postings using a site like Indeed.com or search through Google for jobs to see the job titles used — and the requirements specified — for the job you want with the employers you want.

Identify Your Skill Sets and Strengths

To make the military terminology translations and identify specific core competencies and skill sets valuable to corporate America, just requires a little digging through your career history. What did you do best? What was most satisfying?

 Example: From Infantry to Logistics Management  

For example, an infantryman once told me that he had been in the Army for 23 years (E-9/Command Sergeant Major), but felt he had no skills or direct value to offer corporate America.

He said he operated tanks, weapons, and dug ditches.

However, after our discussion, we determined that this Command Sergeant Major directly supervised, trained, and evaluated 40 personnel, supporting over 2,000 troops in four countries, with an inventory list of 1,500 line items, and material assets valued at $65M (including large vehicles).

His functional areas of expertise included personnel management, logistics, and operations. As he moved up the ranks, to a level of senior management, he also gained considerable responsibility for strategic planning and tactical application.

This soldier accepted a management position with a major retailer as a logistics expert with oversight supervisory responsibility for several hundred employees, and multiple warehouses in a multi-state area (he doubled his salary, and banked his military retirement pay).

 Example: From Bomb Disposal to Pharmaceutical Sales

In a different example, an Army Major / Bomb Disposal expert, decided to move into pharmaceutical sales (as a Regional Manager) when he retired.

So, we worked together to translate “Bomb Disposal expert” into “sales and marketing.”

We identified his leadership skills, ability as a public speaker and briefer when “selling and marketing” new programs to convince management to revise and improve processes, very savvy negotiation abilities, and skill at writing and communicating effectively.

We also focused on his experience in leading large size programs and supervising dozens of personnel while managing multi-million dollar budgets. In the final resume, there is only one line referring to his extensive knowledge as a bomb disposal expert.

Translate Military Experience and Skills to Civilian Equivalents

In each of these examples, we translated not only individual military acronyms and terms, but also career experience and skill sets.

We dug deeply into his career history to identify those experiences and skills not directly related to the career field (perhaps you spent a years as a recruiter, lead the planning for a large event, or trained in IT — you just never know), as well as those skill sets directly related to the career field.

The Bottom Line on Translating Military Experience to Civilian Jobs

Of course, not every troop re-entering the civilian job market is a former Command Sergeant Major or a Major, but the training and responsibility you received in the military stand you in very good stead for the civilian world. You have had much greater responsibility and managed much larger numbers (or values) of people and equipment than the vast majority of civilians your age. And you have been trained to be a leader and manager, focused on achieving a goal, unlike the vast majority of civilians.

More About Military to Civilian Job Search:

• Exit Strategy for Career Military
• Job Hunting While Deployed
• Military Transition Action Plan – Long-Term Service to Civilian
• Military-Friendly Employers
• Military vs. Civilian Cultures

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

The post Translating Military Experience to Civilian Jobs appeared first on Job-Hunt.

On USAJOBS.gov, a job seeker can easily use keywords, locations, job titles, salary ranges, and / or federal series to search for federal positions.

Veterans have their own special site — FedsHireVets.gov — which offers information specifically for veterans about the process, the benefits, a directory of Veteran Employment Offices, and much more.

The Military to Federal Jobs Crosswalk (from the State of Maryland) will connect your military occupation with the federal equivalent, if any, and identify appropriate associated job openings (if any). 

If you do not yet know your Federal job series equivalent, you can scroll through the job titles or use varied keyword searches until you find a job description that matches your background.

For example, if you were an Infantryman, conduct a keyword search using the following search terms: Logistics Manager, Inventory Manager, Inventory Specialist, Motor Pool Manager, Fleet Manager, Transportation Manager, Warehousing Manager, and so forth. You might even type in “Infantryman” or “Infantry Management” to see what is available.

My keyword search for Infantry opened a position for Combat Development Specialist. So, sometimes, a veteran’s directly “military-oriented” job title is equivalent to open positions supporting the military through the U.S. government.

Understanding Federal Salaries

If you are searching by salary – please remember that your previous military salary may not match up with the government salary. There is no direct equivalent from military to federal for salary ranges. However, there are some equivalents for GS ratings and military ranks.

Grade equivalencies were created by the U.S. Department of Defense for treating civilians serving alongside members of the Armed Forces.

This is a general example of military rank equivalency to General Schedule federal positions (also known as “GS” as in the table below). Please note, some military can enter federal positions at a higher grade, based on additional education, years of experience, or specialized training.

Application Procedures / Resumes

The USAJOBS federally-formatted resume is a text document, created in an outline format with short, keyword-laden paragraphs, and CAPPED headers for enhancement (as opposed to bold, underlines, and other formatting enhancements used in a traditional presentation resume).

The resume is posted into USAJOBS online, menu-driven resume builder (see Job-Hunt’s Guide to Federal Government Job Search for more information).

Some applications require Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities essays (also known as “KSA’s”) to accompany the resume, and other applications require the applicant to respond to several self-assessment questions – much like a multiple-choice test.

Tip: Review the announcement requirements carefully, analyze the job duties and KSAs or other required competencies, and follow the directions exactly to apply.

[Related: KSA Update.]

Check out FedsHireVets.gov for more help with your Federal job search, understanding Veterans’ Preferences, the GI Bill, and much more. 

Bottom Line

Federal employment is often an easy transition for veterans, as the culture change is less defined than moving into industry. Department of Defense agencies often recruit for veterans, as they already have a good working knowledge of the federal operations and requirements, may already hold a Clearance, and in general understand the Agency / DoD culture.

[Related: Job-Hunt’s Guide to Federal Government Job Search.]

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

The post Starting Your Federal Job Search appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Prior preparation and planning can avert some of the challenges, as usual.

The Top 5 Mistakes

1. Not preparing in advance.

Many veterans fail to prepare in advance of leaving the military. Consequently, when they are ready to seek their first non-military job in some 20 years, they are ill-prepared; without a resume, a plan, focus, updated interviewing wardrobe, and/or interviewing practice.

Waiting until you are “out” is a big mistake. The unemployed “clock” starts ticking as soon as your discharge is official, and the longer you are unemployed, the more that civilian employers will question your quality and work ethic.

Reverse:

Plan two years in advance of military retirement.

Make plans to relocate, obtain education or certification, identify companies to target, prepare an initial resume, and begin networking (take advantage of online networking so plentifully available, even from deployment locations).

At a minimum, begin your LinkedIn Profile so supports your job search NOW. [Related: LinkedIn for Job Search.]

Civilian employers will not be supportive of your efforts to leave (unless firing you counts), so take advantage of the support and resources available for you now.

[Related: Military Career Exit Strategy.]

2. Devaluing or undervaluing military experience.

“I just did my job. What value do I have to offer a non-military employer? How will I fare against the non-military competition?” I hear these comments and questions often from my military clients, who genuinely are unaware of the value they have to offer a non-military employer.

Reverse:

Make a long list of major career accomplishments and projects; use your performance evaluations and award justifications. Then number them in order of importance in terms of major accomplishment for you — and in terms of project scope.

In comparison with most of your civilian competitors, you have:

• Substantial training in leadership.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Substantial experience managing and supervising subordinates.
• Understanding of the importance of flexibility and skills in meeting diverse, unexpected challenges.
• Ability to lead through change and in stressful environments.
• Specialized technical skills at a higher level than most civilians.

Don’t forget to include those standard values you bring to a potential employer. In addition, you are well-disciplined and healthy.

[Related: The Value of Military Experience.]

3. Not investing in a quality résumé.

Veterans often tell me they know they need a resume, but they don’t want to take the time to write it. Alternatively, they ask me why they need multiple types of resumes.

Reverse:

Investing in quality resume development, focusing on accomplishment-laden examples of career achievements, does not necessarily mean you have to invest money.

However, it does mean you need to, at the very least, invest the time it takes to learn how to write a highly competitive resume used in today’s employment market. Then, learn to tweak the resume to meet the requirements for specific job announcements.

You may also need two basic versions of your resume – one for corporate and one for federal applications. Don’t neglect to customize earch resume to the requirements of the job you are applying for.

[Related: Military to Federal, Guide to Effective Resumes and Cover Letters and Guide to Federal Job Search.]

4. Not networking.

I hear it all the time, “I have been in the military for 20 years, and everyone I know is military. I don’t have anyone to network with.”

Reverse:

Networking is about giving to others — reaching out. It is not about approaching everyone you know and asking for a job.

Networking is about offering to share leads and information; and asking others to share leads and information with you.

As a retiring veteran, you can easily send a note to everyone you know — military and nonmilitary (family, church, alumni, etc.), and tell them that you are proudly retiring after 20 years of service to America.

Indicate when you are available for new employment, and provide only a few reminders of your areas of expertise and credentials, i.e.,

“You may remember, I spent the last 20 years as a logistics specialist, managing supply chain operations, and most recently in the Pacific region. If you are aware of any leads or opportunities, would you be so kind as to pass them along to me.”

You do not need to send a resume – if they want the resume, they will contact you for it.

Other networking opportunities include Linkedin.com. Join groups through LinkedIn and you will continue to network even while deployed. You might also want to join fee-based online associations such as Netshare.com or Execunet.com; your alumni association, military associations, and any online networking associations in the area where you will retire.

Some job fairs will allow you to submit your resume via email, or an online posting; so even if you are not able to attend in person, you can send a resume.

Always show appreciation to your networking contacts — send them a link to an article, and don’t forget to send them all a short note of thanks for being willing to help you out, after you start your new job.

[Related: Military Networking Letter and What network? Finding Your Network.]

5. Giving up – seeing lack of response from employers as “rejection.”

“I got another rejection letter today. I thought I was the perfect candidate for the position.” Or “I thought I was the perfect candidate and my resume was great – and I never heard anything back at all. I was rejected again.

Reverse:

In my career as a career coach and former internal recruiter, I have never seen a “rejection” letter. I have read many letters that said, “Thank you for your resume. At this time, your qualifications do not match our requirements. We will retain your resume on file…”

This is not a rejection; rather, an opportunity. If your qualifications were not a good fit, then accepting such a position would set you up for failure. And employers want to set you up for success because then they succeed, too.

If you believe you genuinely were the perfect match, then call the company, and ask them what they were looking for in a candidate that you did not indicate on your resume.

In general, many companies do not send notification of receipt of a resume, as it is simply a matter of logistics. If a company receives hundreds of applications for one position, your resume may never be read by the hiring manager. It may be screened by a computer or HR specialist, which prevents your resume from arriving at the next level.

Bottom Line

To overcome these obstacles, follow up on applications, ask questions of HR and hiring mangers, and maintain persistence in your job search. You’ve overcome much tougher obstacles in the past, starting with boot camp.

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

The post Reversing the Top 5 Veterans’ Job Search Mistakes appeared first on Job-Hunt.

You may also be asked this question during a public speaking event or by the media.

Public speaking is listed as a fear greater than death by Americans, and yet, in some form we are all required to “public speak” or at least respond to basic questions in group or community gatherings.

Are you ever caught off guard at a community social hour – you have a plate of hors d’oeurves in one hand, a mouth full of food, and a cup of soda in the other hand – and someone new walks up and says, “So, tell me about yourself?”  Best to be prepared!

Let’s Break the Ice

As you begin your job search and transition from military to corporate, you must develop a strong, compelling response to the ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ question.

The question covers:

• What do you do?
• What business are you in?
• Who do you work for? (if employed)

All are begging the same response – let’s break the ice. Let’s find out about you in a general sense. Let’s see how your initial communication skills are in an interview setting.

And, because these types of questions will undoubtedly pop up during your career search campaign, I recommend that you develop a script, write it, refine it, and practice it for different professional settings (and as a Veteran, you also need to translate military terms).

The 60-second elevator speech/infomercial/introductory statement should be focused on your professional background.

Do not start with your birth, youth, and linger on for several minutes moving through every position you ever had. Also, this is not the time to talk about your spouse, family life, church and children. These are your introductory comments.

Here is a recent example of a client’s first try at a 60-second infomercial and the revision:

Client Original:

I have a CIO certification from the Office of Personnel Management and from the University of Maryland University College; a Master’s in Information Technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration also from the University of Maryland.

I have 20 years of professional experience, 12 of which is from the US Navy as a Chief Petty Officer as an IS, and I was responsible for briefing executive level persons on foreign naval activities and the last 10 with Motorola Inc., eight of which I worked as a collection manager managing a personal balance of $2.5 million dollars while overseeing four reporting people with a combined balance of $5 million dollars.

For the past two years I’ve been working in the Military and Government Sales department, managing 200 accounts with a $3 million dollar quota.

While in the Navy, among other things, I also analyzed intelligence information and identified and produced intelligence from raw information.

I assembled multisource operational intelligence and prepared planning materials for photographic reconnaissance missions. I worked ashore and afloat; maintaining intelligence libraries and files.

I also created, operated and owned a DOTcom business focused on networking and building web pages.

And I’m currently preparing to take the Cisco Certified Networking Administrators (CCNA) exam.

Revision:

Well, as an IT professional, I just completed my Master’s degree in IT and simultaneously received Certification as a CIO from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), a very specialized program (I was the second class to graduate from the accredited program) to train, graduate, and infuse CIOs into government and industry, to lead in bridging the gap between IT and business professionals within companies.

My career history includes 20 years of experience in business and IT, 10 years with Motorola as a sales professional managing a region with over 200 government and military customers, requiring two-way communication systems with a $3 million quota. Prior to that I was the collections department manager with responsibility for staff, policy implementation and international accounts.

Previously, I served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years as an Intelligence Specialist in shore and afloat assignments managing sensitive and critical IT requirements and databases. In those assignments, I supervised and trained up to 30 personnel and briefed executive level persons on foreign naval activities.

My most recent venture involved the start of a web-based dot.com business.

Analysis

The revision highlights critical elements of the candidate’s career history and deletes extra information not required at this point.

The revision placed his career history in strict reverse chronological order (except for his recent personal professional endeavors, used as a short closing statement), without jumping back and forth, as in the client’s version.

Since the client is seeking a high level position as a CIO or Director of IT, the new CIO certification is a critical starting element. The section on Naval service removes military terms (Chief Petty Officer and IS), and translates it to Intelligence Specialist, and highlights his expertise managing critical IT requirements.

Removing many of the numbers and specifics and translating the military jargon, allows the person listening to think of questions and not be so confused.

The revision is broken down into four short bullets, to allow for a breath between thoughts.

Following Up

When you deliver a well prepared 60-second infomercial, you can follow up by asking, “What more can I tell you?” or “What else would you like to know?”

Questions that may be posed about military service include: Tell me more about your military service? Where were you stationed? Were you deployed? What does an intelligence specialist do? What rank were you? How long were you in?

Finalizing the Response

To help prepare the infomercial, one pertinent exercise is to tighten the script even more, so that the response becomes about 45-seconds (audio tape it—so you can hear how it sounds and how long it actually takes to deliver the response).

Of course, you do not want to recite your 60-second infomercial as if it was being read, but rather summarize it naturally—this requires practice.

Role play the response with a friend or colleague. And certainly keep a copy of your response in your telephone interview file, so you can refer to the bullet points during the interview screening interviews.

Bottom Line

A well prepared 60-second informational / Tell Me About Yourself response will help you overcome the competition, who may not be as prepared – thus positioning you with a stellar first impression during an interview or networking event.

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert for Veterans, Diane Hudson is a military transition job-search strategist and career coach. She designs and composes military conversion resumes and helps position service members for employment in corporate or Federal America. Diane holds eight industry credentials including Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach and Federal Job Search Trainer & Counselor and owns Career Marketing Techniques.
More about this author…

The post Job Search/Job Interview Necessity: Veterans’ 60 Second Personal Infomercial appeared first on Job-Hunt.