Job Seekers: What are you specifically doing that will lead you to a successful job/career?

SFC (Join to see) it’s a combination of things that need to accomplished:

1. Understand your employment objective and put it down into a nice precise paragraph ready to be inserted into a resume.
2. Build a really nice resume - you can find all kinds of free examples online - don't pay money for this - you know what looks right
3. Start signing up for job boards on the Internet. There are bunches that are absolutely free. Use those first. Fill out all the information that they ask for and make yourself assessable. Set up daily reminders.
4. Be prepared to "shine" on all telephone interviews. Take those military skills and transition them into civilian skills that the potential employer can relate to. Sell yourself, but do it professionally.
5. Be a good listener. Listen to what the potential employers are looking for and asking for - then respond appropriately.
6. You should be signing up and sending out resumes daily (at least 6 to 7, if not more) if you have signed up for the right job boards. Most will send you the messages when positions are available that you are looking for.
7. Always be prepared for the "in the person" interview once you get past the telephone interview. Dress for success!
8. Look for all the local job fairs in your local area or the next biggest city and go to them - be prepared and confident.
9. Don’t' get discouraged - stay motivated and positive even if you don't get the first couple of jobs. Outgoing and positive will win all day long.
10. Do steps 1 through 9 again to make sure you have all the TTPs down!

There are a lot of other things you can do besides what I just shared - this is the quick hit list. There are lots of great experts out here on RallyPoint that work for placement companies - find them and network. I base this on my own work searches and my experience in hiring 100s of employees over the last 35 years in my civilian industry. Good luck and I hope this helps!

Knowing someone is always helpful. But here are some things that every veteran should know about job hunting.

Point 1. Must have several resumes, there is not a one size fit all situation here. Veterans should tailor their resumes to the actual job they are applying to. It is important to take out as much military jargon as possible. Use different sites like TAOnline and other sites to translate your skills. Ensure your resume is identical to the job posting as most companies have systems that look for key or buzz words in your resume. Remember, the recruiter will only spend 3 to 5 minutes on your resume, so make sure those words are in your resume.

Point 2. Network, Network, Network..find organizations that are specifically tailored towards the career or company you are interested in. Always do your research before applying, make sure you can speak to the companies overall purpose or mission. Join different associations and attend local networking events, this will provide you with instant credibility. It will allow you the opportunity to speak with individuals who are in the career or works for that particular company. Also make sure you social media sites are accurate and up to date. Most recruiters use LinkedIn, make sure you have a professional picture (Civilian) and that your linkedin profile is crisp and detailed. Make sure Facebook, Instagram or any other site are either private or does not have any derogatory information.

Point 3. Practice interviewing..use your spouse or others to help you with mock interviews. Practice your spill so that it comes across natural and genuine. Most veterans struggle with the interview process, always sit straight in the chair, posture is important. Also, relax..there are stereotypes out there that veterans are rigid and uptight. Make small talk with the interviewer. Research the interviewer prior to the interview if you can..look for their profile on LinkedIn or other Social Media sites. If you research the interviewer, most would think this is impressive and commend you for doing your homework. If you are doing a in office interview and the interviewer has pictures, take note, identify things you can create a conversation with the Interviewer about. If not, you can always ask them about their experience with the company or what the company offered that appealed to them.

Point 4. Remember to always close the interview with the question, what are the next steps? Also do not be afraid to ask for feedback from the interviewer. This is how you know what areas you need to work on and correct for your next interview.

Hope this helps..if anyone has specific questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

I left the USAF in the early 90's, Desert Storm was already starting but the economy was tanking. I had to pretty much start from scratch. I was a Ground Radio Specialist and I left the USAF after six years because I assumed I already had a job lined up for me with Allied Signal as a civilian. When they found out my TS clearance from DOD did not carry over easily to the State Dept. , that was it, my job was also gone. I finally worked my way back to school and got my degree and this helped me eventually work for the UN and corporate America. I felt that my training in the military was lost . Draft a plan on paper and execute, taking baby steps until you reach your goal. Best luck!

SFC (Join to see) - who you know - aka networking - is part of what Rally Point's about. Veterans helping veterans. It's what we do.

SFC (Join to see) - people in the finance/accounting/auditing fields interested in living in the DC area should send me their resumes NOW. Personal email address is [login to see] . At the very least, I can provide some guidance as far as a job search is concerned. If things pan out, a job is in hand.

Lot of great advice. As one who has hired a number of Vets but would not hire many more, I'll drop some dimes on what can help.

1. Make sure you can translate what your skills and leadership would mean to a prospective employer. They won't do the translation for you and will conclude you don't know what your looking for. When you see a job advertisement, do some web research and see what the company is about. See if it is something you want to be a part of.

2. Don't forget to be a combination of exciting yet comfortable. Employers don't want people near the ends of the bell curve as that's a signal for high maintenance.

3. Take a course in Technical Writing and/or English Composition. I've see great people with crappy resumes which is a flag that you can't write. Another flag that you'll be high maintenance. 80+% of Vets don't write well enough for higher end commercial sector. Sorry you don't like this, but the mirror can be a cruel thing. That said, most Federal employees need a writing booster shot too and is an inhibitor to their promotion.

4. Be ready to describe how you can help a prospective employer. Once you've interviewed a few times, you'll learn how you can key into where they're coming from.

5. You'll always second guess yourself on interviews. It's the woulda, coulda, shouda said or not said. Don't beat yourself up. As long as you're cheerful, sound intelligent, respectful, and act like you'll be there for them; that sticks in their memory. Many don't get into the door the first time, but a different job may have them calling you.

6. Work on breaking your "MIL Think" habits. You need to join their culture, not the other way around.

7. Think twice about some jobs, especially those with high turnover such as call centers, sales, etc. I've seen many companies hire Vets for Business Development and then dump them about 18 months later because they don't bring business in. Retired O-5s take notice.

8. If you're looking at Federal, State, County, etc. most have some sort of "Merit System" hiring process. The better you understand that process, the better you can navigate it. Vets many times can't or won't learn how and shoot themselves down chasing these positions because they're stubborn.

9. Check out the NFPs (Not for Profit) and fraternal organizations. They tend to be more directly mission focused and have more of a dislike for politics. Sound familiar? Exceptions include many of the large ones. Special Olympics comes in third behind the Vatican and FIFA in politics.

10. Sell your strength. That means you have to recognize where you are on the technical, leadership, management, people skills, etc. continuum. Overselling in any area typically means short employment.

11. Word will get out on you in the commercial sector if you are perceived as untruthful in your resume, interview, and employment. OK workers don't get mentioned at the pub but great and bad workers do. Negatives hang around.

12. Finally for this episode, get a mentor who'll help you define what it is that excites you. Nothing like having a crappy job you hate waking up for. You want the win-win so you need to sort out good fits. You have to have realistic expectations about yourself. That means you don't shotgun everything out there but rather be somewhat shrewd in what you'll do, for what price, at what locations.

Good luck.

I was given the most effective advice I received from a placement advisor. He said that networking is critical. His advice was to not ask your contacts for a job directly, but ask them if they know anybody that is looking for someone with your qualifications. This takes the pressure off of them and helps them to see through your perspective.

If they have a job for you, they will make the offer; otherwise they may give you several other people to call that they know might be hiring people like you.

When you call the people your contact referred you to, be certain to use the contact's name and say that he/she thought that they might know someone hiring people like you. Again, they will either offer you an interview or a job or give you other leads.

The placement advisor said that by the time you hit the third level of references you will be certain to be asked in for an interview or offered a job.

The key to the system is to put out feelers into the industry you are interested in, and to be guided in your search as a friend of a friend by people that know that industry and are actively working in it.

It worked for me, and I never got to the third level.

Good luck and good hunting.

Knowing someone in the post military career field that you plan on pursuing is always a plus but don't rely on that alone. You have to make yourself more marketable to the civilian world. Ensure that you have a really good resume. There are plenty of Veterans Assitance programs aimed at helping Soldiers prepare their resume. While you are still in, use the Military to your advantage. Get as much education as possible, both college and Military. These are just a few helpful hints.

I applied for a position that was posted on Glasssoor (yes, one of the places they tell you about at TAP/ACAP). I went on leave on Friday and started the following Monday. I am one of the lucky folks. But I am also one of the folks who payed attention during TAP-ACAP.

I worked hard my last year of active duty to finish a technical school, get some certifications, and learn a trade (in my case, Information Technology). While I spent a year working this school, I also volunteered on several occasions to help the systems administrator of my military unit. This process is of course easier if you already have a marketable skill that translates well into a civilian job, but even then you must work on a good resume.

So first would be marketable skills: what can you do, do you enjoy it - are you good at it, and if not, how much training and time would it take to make you marketable?

Second would be your resume: does it reflect exactly where you want to go? If not, what is missing from this resume and what can you do RIGHT NOW to update and fix that?

And finally, yes, networking is key: After all of the above is said and done, you must get your hustle on, talk to people that are doing what you want to do, and find out the process - who to send the resume to - etc.