Re-entering the civilian job market
after 3 or 30 years of service in the military (THANK YOU!!) can seem daunting, even to the most battle-hardened warriors. Not to worry! Just remember that "know your enemy" still applies, except replace "enemy" with "target employer." You know your mission. "Attack" this task with the superior strategic and tactical planning skills you have, and you'll know what you need to do.
Help figuring out what you want to do:
Think of this as defining the mission: You want to find a job as a ... (what, exactly?)
It's the first question you'll be asked - "What are you looking for." Without an answer, preferably in 25 words or less, you're dead in the water. Be as specific as possible, "working with people" or "I could do anything you need" are non-starters.
This may be the toughest part of your job search - what job to do next. You may have hundreds of jobs you think you could do, but you must narrow it down to one or two options, at most, that really interest you. If you don't know, as specifically as possible, what work you want to find, you won't have an effective job search, and people can't help you.
- The classic book, What Color Is Your Parachute, and its accompanying Website, JobHuntersBible, will provide you with a great deal of assistance in figuring out what you want to do for work. The book is updated every year, so look for the latest year at your bookstore or your local library.
Do all the exercises. Yes, it takes some time (several hours, not several weeks), but he payoff for you covers the time investment.
- Creative Job Search - from the state of Minnesota, a step-by-step job search guide, includes a chapter to help you figure out your skills
- Pick your state out of Job-Hunt's list of state employmet offices by state. These offices are set up to help residents find jobs. You'll find employment counselors, job listings, tests, classes, etc. there for you, mostly for free or very low cost.
- America's Career InfoNet offers an astonishing amount of information on the civilian job market, by state, including the job outlook through 2014 for most industries and professions. Pick a bright future.
- Education - The National Association of Veterans Upward Bound Project has some training available for qualifying veterans and the new GI Bill
for service members on active duty after 9/11 also has provisions for qualifying veterans to help funding the education that next job may require.
- Support -
 National Resource Directory, an amazing collection of information with links to hundreds of resources, from the Department of Defense.an online partnership for wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, their families, and those who support them.
- More information - see Job-Hunt's articles and other resources in the box to the upper left of this page for more resources and advice.
Note: you may need another copy of your DD214 (your "discharge papers"). If you don't have a copy or can't find it, you may place a request through the National Archives online to get a new copy.
Often, veterans find that a "transitional" job for Uncle Sam, the USPS, or a government contractor will enable the move from military to civilian career more smoothly.
Sources of job search support and networking:
A job search can be a lonely process, and everyone needs help with it, at least once in a while. Other people have different contacts, perspective, and experience that can be very helpful.
The Basics:
You need a couple of weapons before you launch your mission -
Resumes - People trying to help you and employers will need a copy of your resume to remind them who you are and what your qualifications are. The support organizations probably offer guidance and people who will review your resume to offer feedback and suggestions for improving it. There are also numerous books, software, templates (free in Microsoft Word, if you have that), and Websites to help.
Job-Hunt pro, and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume, Susan Ireland provides free resume advice here on Job-Hunt and also on her own resume site, SusanIreland.com.
Business Cards - Your local office superstore will print 500 copies of a business card for you to hand out to potential employers and to networking contacts. You can also purchase paper for your computer printer to print them yourself (they aren't quite as professional feeling and they aren't cheap, but they do offer you a great deal of flexibility). To protect your privacy, limit the contact infomation on your business cards to a throw-away e-mail address (from HotMail, MSN, or Yahoo) and a cell phone or other untraceable phone number.
Networking - You survived basic training and, perhaps, combat. This is easy in comparison with either of those experiences. You just have to do it. Contact the people you know, and get (and stay!) reconnected with them, whether you knew them in high school or college, in your unit, or in another life. Liz Ryan, Job-Hunt's Networking Pro, offers wonderful advice for succeeding at networking. Check it out.
Sources of jobs:
These are good places to get started. Don't fall into the trap of plastering your resume all over the Internet. It's like using a shotgun or a howitzer when a rifle is the best weapon for the mission.
- Indeed (a Job-Hunt sponsor) is a giant "job aggregator" site - a new kind of job site which collects jobs posted on other job sites, in newspapers, and on association Websites as well as employer Websites, so it's a great central resource for jobs. See Job-Hunt's Guide to Using Indeed to Find a Job for help using it.
- Craigslist is a very large online classifieds ads network, broken down by state or city and state, so pick the one appropriate for your job search and check out both the jobs and the "gigs" (short term jobs). Watch out for the scams. See Job-Hunt's Free 20-Minute Guide to Using Craigslist to Find a Job for tips on leveraging it to your advantage.
- Federal Government Jobs are posted on many government Websites, but the 2 biggest are the USAJOBS.gov (jobs) and FedWorld.gov (information source). In addition, check out Job-Hunt'a large list of Federal Government agency and department Websites where you will find links to the recruiting pages and job postings of over 100 additional Federal Government departments and agencies.
- USPS jobs is where you will find jobs with the Post Office. USPS has always had a veterans' "preference" program, and you should receive credit for your military service, particularly if you were disabled as a result.
- Job Hunt's jobs by state lisitngs - nearly 9,000 (and growing) links to employer recruiting pages, networking and job search support groups, and job search and career resources, organized by state.
You have survived boot camp and, maybe, combat. This is a piece of cake in comparison.
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About the author...
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce is a Vietnam era veteran of the U.S.M.C. Susan has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.
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