Why can't I land a good civilian job?

SFC Harry (Billy) Tison — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 21:12:01 -0400

I Hy been retired for 4 years now, and still have yet to land a job that uses my skill set. I have worked a lot in the supply and logistics arena, and have been told that I have an excellent resume. What's could be going on? I would like a job that pays enough that my wife doesn't have to work anymore

Response by SGT Chris Stephens made Sep 9 at 2018 10:17 PM

SGT Chris Stephens — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 22:17:22 -0400

Don't think of yourself as too good to do any job. Even with your level of experience, some places aren't going to hire you into that same level, instead preferring to promote from within.

Response by SSG Laurie Mullen made Sep 10 at 2018 11:11 AM

SSG Laurie Mullen — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:11:02 -0400

Have you tried working in law enforcement? It's a steady paycheck and by getting your foot in the door you may eventually be able to work in other areas for your department or county.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Sep 10 at 2018 11:57 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:57:58 -0400

So much of the commercial sector relies on logistics types. In my experience, being told repetitively that you have an excellent resume is codespeak for "I don't like the container the stuff comes in". Suggest you get yourself a local mentor who'd spend time digging down to help you figure out what's really going on. I was mentoring a former SM who irrationally insisted every day that the world won't recognize his skill set... all the way up to the day he put a bullet in his head. Make sure you are not over valuing your past work skill/experience. BTW "Automatic Data Link Repairman" translates to "trainable for Dish installer". If you want better, show better and be a container they like.
Tough words but you say you're in a tough situation. Time to get tough getting to the bottom of the disconnect.

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made Sep 10 at 2018 2:37 PM

MSgt Michael Smith — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 14:37:16 -0400

One of the things that I found out right once I retired is that all your resume/experience/degrees/etc. only counts for so much. The bottom line is that in the civilian world, managers are far less likely to take people at their word --they want recommendations from people they trust and know, and they will almost always promote from within if they can. That means that at first, you have to start at entry level or a little above, and work your way up through the system with good performance. Sorry, that is just the way it is.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2018 1:05 AM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 01:05:29 -0400

SFC Harry (Billy) Tison I see that you are on LinkedIn. Join the LinkedIn Group, "Veteran Mentor Network." This group has many professionals that will be glad to help you with your resume, job search, etc. Since you are in Florida, consider some of the aerospace companies that are located down there. Best wishes on finding the right job.