Military Vets – Top 3 Tips To Get a Civilian Job

The last thing you should be worried about when you make the big transition from military service to civilian life. While veterans have higher unemployment rates than the average, there are still some obstacles that can be overcome. The good news is that you can find three surefire ways to get hired quickly.

Obstacle #1 (and its Solution):

Employers in civilian sectors don’t know how your skills and training will be of benefit to them.

The first thing to know about job searching is that it’s a sales process. The company you are interested in working for is the customer. You have to explain to them what you can offer them… what solutions they have, and what benefits you bring. It’s not common for civilians to be able to translate military experience into their own language. Your job is to explain and translate. Look at the job descriptions of the positions you are interested in and use that information to write your cover letters and resume. Consider how your skills could help a company save money, make it more efficient, and so on. They are interested in the bottom line.

Problem (and Solution #2):

Companies fear that you won’t fit in with their corporate culture.

You now need to learn corporate culture and language just as you did the military language. How?

You can do some research online about the jobs that interest you. What are the current buzzwords? What do the big names in the industry do? What are the current trends?

Talk to people who are in the field. Use civilian contacts to arrange informational interviews with people from your potential field. You can shadow someone working in the job that interests you. Ask questions and learn as much as you can about the job.

Interview questions for role-play with a civilian It is worth investing in good interview preparation. Practice makes you more comfortable in a situation where you are interviewing.

For every interview, create a 30–60-90-Day plan. This is the best way to show employers that you are knowledgeable and can handle any situation.

Obstacle #3 (and its Solution):

You aren’t an expert in the civilian job hunt process, so you spend your time searching online for jobs. Your job search can take months.

Online job searching is terrible for anyone, but especially for those who don’t have the right background. Interviews are not given to applicants and resumes that do not match the criteria of Human Resources. What happens is that, even if your resume and applications match the keywords they are looking for, you will not be invited to interview. What can you do?

It is your responsibility to do all you can to reach out to hiring managers (or your future boss) directly. This person has the power to hire and interview you. This person has the best chance of getting the job. How can you find them?

Start a LinkedIn profile and begin searching for others in your field with the same military background as you. Let them know you are looking for work by contacting the person. Ask them if they know of anyone who is looking for someone similar to you. Ask if they can forward your resume. You can use the servicemen’s bond to your advantage. They are more likely to recognize your worth and want to help.

All job seekers today must be more aggressive than ever in order to succeed in today’s job market. You are not an exception as a civilian or military job seeker. These tips will help you be more aggressive, keep your value and never give up. You will succeed.