Tools of the Trade

LT Thomas Wolfe — Tue, 29 May 2018 14:21:15 -0400

Make sure these tools are in your transition toolbox:

Timeline. There are three phases to your search: preparation, execution, and decision. Start one year out. Months 12 through 5 are the preparation phase. Months 4, 3, and 2 are interview months. Month 1 is decision time. Month zero? Start your new job!

Self-knowledge. All of your research, knowledge of products and industry, and mechanical preparations will be for naught if you fail to know thyself. Do not overlook your weaknesses and failures. Your ability to discuss this subject shows self-confidence and creates empathy.

Work smart. Focus on organizations that have a history of hiring veterans. Chase someone who wants to be caught.

Network. To be successful you too must find and develop a contact at every one of your target companies. Add all of those contacts together and you have your network. You either have contacts already in place or you will have to work hard to find and foster those relationships. Congratulations—your membership in RallyPoint has jump-started your network.

Homework. Researching companies was once difficult. The Internet arrived and we now have the opposite condition—it’s easy! Insufficient or inaccurate research is inexcusable.

Filters. Your job search is a system of filters—those inserted by you and those utilized by the employers. Both parties use them to eliminate impurities, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the contenders. Be judicious with your use of filters. Keep them at a minimum.

Interviewing empathy. As focused as you are on what matters to you, you must also have an appreciation for what matters to the interviewer. Your sensitivity to those issues is called interviewing empathy. Without it you will be hard-pressed to make the personal connection necessary to convert the interviewer from an adversary to an advocate.

Q & A. Every conscientious job seeker knows the importance of the A. Anticipating, preparing for, and practicing answers to questions is standard operating procedure. It’s the Q of the Q & A that causes many interviews to fail. The questions that you ask are your most powerful tools.

Social media. This powerful job search tool comes with risks. Although it’s a great way to research companies and develop a network, it’s also an easy way for companies to check you out. Do some housekeeping on your social media sites. Are you on Facebook? Will it make an employer more or less interested in you? Do you have a presence on LinkedIn? You should!

Close. Interviewing is selling—you are the salesperson and the product. The employer is the customer with a need and you want to fill that need. You package, promote, advertise, and market yourself. You make your pitch and close the sale. Ask for what you want—the job (if you are ready to accept) or the offer (if you are not yet certain).

Dive Deeper. Read Out of Uniform (2nd Edition; © 2018): Your Guide to a Successful Military-to-Civilian Career Transition (http://www.out-of-uniform.com) for a more in-depth discussion of the above tools and much more.

©2018, Tom Wolfe; all rights reserved; used with the permission of the author.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made May 29 at 2018 2:24 PM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Tue, 29 May 2018 14:24:16 -0400

I would like to share this with my Facebook groups, LT Thomas Wolfe

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made May 29 at 2018 2:27 PM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Tue, 29 May 2018 14:27:33 -0400

LT Thomas Wolfe: I shared this onto my Facebook Homepage. I will soon share it with my Facebook groups; of which I am the coach.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2018 4:50 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 May 2018 16:50:21 -0400

Can we find this book on Amazon?

Response by Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA made May 30 at 2018 2:42 PM

Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA — Wed, 30 May 2018 14:42:10 -0400

I think your advice is very good. If I may add to what you said, I'd suggest candidates attempt to interview the person for whom they will be working. People typically join companies but leave their boss. This is critical. Also, I would suggest finding a position you enjoy doing as opposed to the first thing that comes along, otherwise you just won't be happy.
Also, you may want to brush up on your leadership skills. Let me offer a book I wrote to do just that (I realize this is a shameful plug for something I wrote, but not that many bosses out there know how to lead). It's called "Management Matters". Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Management-Matters-Practical-Managers-Training-ebook/dp/B079P665QC/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid= [login to see] &sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=management%20matters%20dr.%20tim%20parker

Amazon.com: Management Matters: The Practical Guide for New Managers or Managers with Limited...

Management Matters: The Practical Guide for New Managers or Managers with Limited Training - Kindle edition by Tim Parker. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Management Matters: The Practical Guide for New Managers or Managers with Limited Training.

Response by PFC Donnie Harold Harris made Oct 4 at 2018 12:12 AM

PFC Donnie Harold Harris — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 00:12:40 -0400

Nice Work

Response by SPC William Shirley made Feb 12 at 2019 9:32 PM

SPC William Shirley — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 21:32:58 -0500

Transition sometimes is terrible when you get out hurt and got no help. For 37 years i couldn't put my shoes or socks on or even wipe my own ass, or turn my neck and they gave me a whooping 10 percent rating of 90 some dollars a month. I love my country but it didn't love me back. I wonder how many more are out there like me.

Response by SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM made Aug 2 at 2019 10:51 AM

SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 10:51:14 -0400

People should be reading this after entering service, so you can best navigate your success from all perspectives. Many folks wait too late or don’t see things from all sides,

Response by SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM made Aug 2 at 2019 11:04 AM

SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 11:04:18 -0400

This should required reading as a part of the separation process