Military Transition Solution- a Roadmap to Success

Today is Transition Day at JobHaus LLC, so we've decided to create an ongoing military transition narrative designed to help military transitioners and job seekers in general with the "how to find a job" in today's complex job market. We will address this challenge not only from the job seeker's point of view, but also from the employer's perspective by providing valuable insight into how employers hire Veterans. (Reverse engineer the process!)

Finding a job is a complex process, and experience has shown us that this method helps:

1. Provide the job seeker with an overview/outline of the process
2. A coach/mentor is assigned to assist with the process
3. A tailor made transition solution is created and executed

Vignette:

We were recently approached by a transitioning military member and asked,

"I'm getting out of the military in a few months, and I really don't know what to do. Can you help?"

I can't tell you how many times we've heard this in the past, and the struggle is definitely real. The good news: there are definitely fundamentals to the job search for any job seeker (transitioning military member, Veteran, or civilian) - you just have to know what the variables are, address them and tailor your approach to your particular path. As with all complex processes, there are important steps that must be taken in order to solve the problem at hand.

OVERVIEW: VARIABLES AND INITIAL JOB SEARCH STEPS IDENTIFIED

1. Key questions that need answering:

-What do you want to do? (Narrowing this down to a job title - helps tremendously with your search!)

-Where do you want to do it? (Preferred location? Very important)

-What is your timeline?

-Realistic Salary/Compensation expectations?

2. Communication with Recruiters and Hiring Managers - how to reach them and techniques that work

3. Job Search - a tailored approach (part of the "best way to find a job" solution)

4. The Resume - refining your base resume to show decision makers that you are qualified

5. A Word on Social Media - becoming "discoverable" to recruiters who are looking for your type of talent

6. Military Friendly Companies - understanding corporate culture and how it relates to you as a Veteran

7. Your network will get you hired. What does that really mean?

8. Preparing for the Interview - an introduction to behavioral questions and what to expect

9. Hired! Your winning strategy for your first 90 days so that you stay hired!

TRANSITION TIPS

1. If you are transitioning out of the military, make a list of all of your peers/work colleagues that you have worked with in the past that have the same or similar background as you (i.e. same expertise or military occupational specialty). Find them on LinkedIn and see where they've landed professionally. This may provide you some ideas as to the types of job titles and companies that you can apply to when you are ready.In the coming updates, we will be addressing each of these topics in depth in order to assist with this process. We welcome comments, feedback, and any questions you might have that we can address in future updates. We look forward to hearing from you soon - let's get the Transition Solution refined out to the masses so all can benefit from our collective experience!

USING YOUR CLOSE NETWORK - THE POWER OF A TRUSTED REFERRAL

1. 'I'll look at a reference from somebody and they'll say, ‘This person is just awesome.’ I'll go, ‘Well, I don't really know that they line up with any of the projects. I don't know if there's anything I can do.’ But I'll meet them anyway. And sometimes, it's amazing.”?- Reid Hoffman (CoFounder of LinkedIn), from "3 professional life hacks from a billionaire introvert," by Meredith Somers.

VIGNETTE/TIP - A WORD ON JOB INTERVIEWS

A friend and colleague recently asked me if I would provide him a recommendation for a job he recently applied to.

I said that I would be happy to provide a recommendation, and asked him if the interview had already taken place.

He said that the interview was going to be the next day, and that it was most likely just a formality as he came highly recommended by an internal employee.

This was my response:

"Treat it as formal. Prepare. Know the company. Their product. Their current challenges and what they are focused on. Explain how you can help solve their current and future challenges. Study Behavioral Interview Questions. Have questions prepared. It's never a done deal until the day you start." Key.

Please like/share this article in order to get maximum feedback. Together we can provide the information our transitioning military members need in order to maximize results!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dave McAleer is the owner and CoFounder of JobHaus LLC, a Recruiting and Staffing company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. He spent 23 years on active duty – and retired from the Army out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During his 20+ years of recruiting experience, Dave has had the opportunity to interview and hire hundreds of military members. Bottom Line: Dave's primary focus is to help transitioning military members navigate their transition, and to quickly connect them with military friendly companies in order to start new promising careers.