Your Network is Your Net-WORTH!

I hope this article reaches you LONG before you separate or retire from the military! Why? Because when we learn the true value of networking, especially on LinkedIn we are usually WAY behind the power curve and have to scramble to catch up!

So...let's get STRAIGHT to the point!

Johnny has a ton of friends who separated from the military that are now on to "bigger and better" things. They all decided to cut ties with the military after their first enlistment but Johnny wanted to hang out for another 4 years. At his 10 year mark he is ready to "punch his ticket". So, what does he do? Yep! He reaches out to his battle buddies a year or two prior to his separation and starts asking questions (Informational Interviews). He now has the roadmap of what he needs to start knocking out to close his skills gap...but more importantly...he now understands what he WANTS to do after his time in the military! A few of his battle buddies are currently doing the job Johnny wants to do so he has good info!

Let's fast forward! Johnny now has the skills! They were paid for by Uncle Sam using his Annual Tuition Assistance and COOL funding. He is ready to rock and roll and it's time to CRUSH this transition so he creates a master resume and blasts it out to 700 companies and receives a terrible response! What the hell?! "How could a company not understand my value" he thinks? I just served 10 years in the United States Military, companies should be scrambling to pick me up for a job? What is happening?

Competition. Simple as that. And Johnny's inability to create a separate targeted resume for each of those 700 job applications has caused his resume to be tossed in the trash. Why? Because it doesn't meet the basic qualifications of EACH separate job posting. At this point he feels completely defeated but he does have one final ace up his sleeve! His NETWORK! He FINALLY gives in to his ego and reaches out for help on LinkedIn. He has been building a presence for quite a few years so he does indeed have a TON of support (just lacked the courage to lean on them). The response is absolutely incredible and Johnny soon fully understands the power of networking and how 85 percent of jobs are filled this way! The light bulb goes off and Johnny is now extremely glad that he spent so much time developing authentic relationships with his battle buddies...AND random people!

You see, your network truly is your NET-WORTH, but you have to be active and truly want to develop long-term, professional relationships. When you provide value and are good person to others...you create trust. Trust creates friendships. Friendships create referrals. Friendships and referrals create a great life for you and your family. One with purpose and one that allows you to GIVE BACK! Simple as that. However, the key is to be laser focused on WHO your friends are! If you eventually want a career in Cyber Security you wouldn't want to spend a ton of time getting know know folks in Logistics right? If you have the band-with...sure, go for it. But if not, be hyper focused on your niche.

You might be asking yourself..."how in the world do I provide value to a civilian working in cybersecurity, or logistics, human resources, etc... Well. The answer is simple actually. All of these folks work for companies who are in need of talented folks! It just so happens that you know quite a few talented junior enlisted folks in your circle! You know they have the exact skills the company is looking for so you send a message and refer your buddy! Boom...you just created value for the company (they don't have to sift through a bunch of resumes), you might have helped your connection get a bonus for the referral, and you just hooked your friend up with a great career! That's the most obvious way to provide value!

However, if you want to take it 10 steps further you can volunteer your time and skillset to help folks out! This allows you to gain real-world experience by "getting into the mix" and solving problems and creating value for others.

Here are a few examples:

1. Let's say you want to get into a trade after you separate from the military. You reach out to a new connection on LinkedIn who is in your local area and develop a friendship. Your new friend tells you exactly what you need in order to be qualified to "do the job". Let's say it's electrical work. Well, after a few conversations you could ask your new friend if he/or she is doing some work on a weekend or something (a time that doesn't interfere with your military duties). You could shadow this person and help them by handing them tools, or other easy stuff. While you are doing this conversations are happening and you are getting an in-depth look at what the job is all about. This will 100 percent set you up for success when it's your time to apply for an open position. You will get the referral...and you will ALSO be able to speak the language! This is going to set you up for success!
2. You can cybersecurity, code, do IT stuff like no ones business so you reach out to your LinkedIn connections and ask if they need help with anything! You are helping them out in a tremendous way using your skillset and gaining real-world (quantifiable) experience that you can now add to your resume! Oh...you also have their referral! Cool right?!
3. Another way is to start a "side-hustle". What are you good at and how can you use that skill to help others and solve problems while making money! Entrepreneurship is an incredible way to create a large and diverse network while gaining new skills.....while still serving in the military!

That's it! Clear as mud right?! Your success is directly related to your "will to achieve". This is what makes veterans so damn successful in the corporate world. There is no "quitting". You either do it right the first time or your keep fighting until the "thing" is complete. We are a rare breed indeed and this is one of our most valuable skillsets! The key is aligning your drive to meet your passion in way that is extremely humble, provides value, creates friendships, and ultimately helps others!

You are the creator of your destiny.

Cheers!

Keith Heimericks