Transitioning from military to civilian life can have its challenges, but you’re not alone. Many veterans are coming back home and they need employment (or, they’re looking for a second civilian career), and we hope these tips are useful. Whether it’s your strong work ethic, commitment to excellence, ability to mediate or attention to detail, your commitment to service is an asset. Now, it’s just about making sure employers understand that you’re the right person for them. Without further fuss, here are seven tips for the veteran who’s looking to get a civilian job.
Be specific – Do not assume who you are talking to will know what you did or how many troops you led just on sharing your rank and title. Relate them to the business world, which includes talking in numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts.
Avoid jargon – Tell a story to illustrate your experiences and accomplishments to someone who is not familiar with the military. Be sure to include how you handled and overcame challenges, as well as how you are a problem-solver. A good tip is to ask a trusted non-military friend who will give you honest feedback if they understand what’s in your resume.
Tell people – Don’t just look for “a job,” look for the job you want. Do some research, and then be focused on your task. That way people know how to help you. Networking is important in the business world and building that network will be invaluable to your civilian career.
Don’t ignore the essential skills – Were you a solid leader of a team? Always the guy who had the technical answer to fix things? Or are you the negotiator, bridging people together? Whatever those soft skills happen to be for you, don’t ignore them. They’re crucial for companies today.
Take an inventory – Make a list of the things you did regularly – daily, weekly, monthly, as well as things and tasks you were responsible for. It might surprise you all you did, and it’ll help you describe what you did to civilian employers.
Do your research – Be sure to be prepared when you go into that interview. You wouldn’t go into a mission unprepared, and getting a job is a mission, in a way. Know what the company does, try to find out its strengths and weaknesses, and how maybe you could really help the team. Always be listening to what the person you are interviewing with is saying, and think about and then offer solutions.
Translate your experience – There are various ways that a military career can translate into a civilian one. There are multiple tools out there, but check out this skills translator that includes the ability for you to entre your branch of service, military pay grade, and military occupation code to help focus your search and give you some clarity. https://employmentportal.herokuapp.com/skills-translator
We hope these tips help you. If you’re interested in more or looking for a career, get in touch with us at veterans.strategicstaff.com.
