Strategies and Secrets for Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life - http://skyvaultpublishing.com/LDDNet/veteranjobs.html

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For more strategies, secrets and tips for transitioning from military to civilian life, visit
http://www.skyvaultpublishing.com/LDDNet/veteranjobs.html
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Note: Names have been changed to protect the identities of the brave and humble. This is a way
to turn your job search into a marketing campaign, a process to sell you to your next employer.
1. Start with quick stories that make you proud These are the kinds of things that you want to tell
people about. They're the things that hunters painted on cave walls. When they're translated into
civilian terms, they're the things decision makers value for their team. They may have happened in
the military, on a job, in a volunteer position, or as part of a school project. Getting an interview is
not about sending someone a history of part of your life; it's about letting decision makers see
everything you have to offer them. This is where you start to develop the material that lets the
decision makers see who you really are and how you are going to contribute to their success.
Enter these in a master file under the heading "Selected Accomplishments."
Example: Dan was able to get the air conditioning going when it broke down. In Iraq, there are
times when that's a pretty important thing. He didn't have the right tools or the right parts but he
got it going. When he started looking for a civilian job, his first thought was, "What am I going to
tell them? Do they want to hear that I know how to blow things up?" His aptitude for repairing
things when it seemed impossible and the fact that he was an NCO landed him a job as a
supervisor in a facilities management department. Once he understood his value, he went from
couch-surfing and a part time job in a gun range to a good paying job.
2. If you get stuck, drag out your documentation Your superiors told the military world what they
valued about you. Use it! Veterans tend to believe that they didn't do anything exceptional.
Veterans usually say, "I just did my job." It's hard to see that you're doing exceptional things when
everyone around you is doing exceptional things. Sometimes, you need someone else's take on
your value. Grab every good thing they said about you and add it to your master file under the
heading, "Selected Accomplishments." You'll translate it for civilians later. Just get it in your
master file as soon as you see it.
Example: Ann was an officer. Just hearing the word resume almost made her ill. She was
underemployed in her first civilian job and reporting to a boss whose disrespect was a daily
reminder that she needed to be looking for another job. Being battered by negativity every day
wears you down, diminishes your self esteem. She resisted getting started on a resume for nine
months. Taking the first step seemed insurmountable. She doubted that she could do any better.
When she dragged out her documentation and started entering her accomplishments in her
master file, she called to say, "I forgot how good I am!" She's moved on.
3. Mine those stories for transferable skills Use your imagination. When you think about your
stories, what characteristics made the story a success? What plain language can express the
acronyms you know so well that just do not translate to terms that decision makers can

2. understand? If you were explaining what you did to your grandmother, how would you explain it?
When you hit on a plain language term while you're thinking about how you'd explain it to your
grandmother, enter it in the master file under the heading, "Skills.".
Example: Ben was an Admin. He got out and started looking for jobs as an Administrative
Assistant not knowing that, in the civilian world, that's a clerical position and often a very low level
clerical position. His interviews were puzzling to both him and the interviewers until he worked his
stories for the plain language version of what he did for the Base Commander. Once he saw that
the part of the work he did that he most enjoyed had an exact civilian equivalent, he started
looking at event planning as his objective and is taking classes to make that happen. His GI Bill
will keep him going until he is ready to look for that job.
4. Troll the internet for job postings that sound like a fit Look at job postings in the industries that
interest you. Consider the fact that clean energy and biotech are areas that are growing. Consider
how you might fit into one of those industries and look at job postings. Imagine how what you did
in the military might fit into civilian industry. What industry would make you wake up happy to go to
work every morning? What industry would make you proud? There's no reason to look for a job
that will leave you unsatisfied. Enter the job title and industry into your master file under the
heading "Objective." In a resume, the objective is not about you or what you want out of life, it's
the decision maker's objective - someone to do a specific job with an interest in their industry.
Example: Ed was a Jet Mechanic in the Air Force Reserve. Home was in an area where there are
no nearby airports. Neither he nor his family wanted to leave the country and move to the city. His
career coach headed him toward wind power, where the turbines are not that different from what
all of his valuable training in the military prepared him for. Wind energy is a new industry. There
aren't that many people who already have experience in the field and transferable skills can be a
life saver for a company just trying to get started. Some of the most remote areas in our country
have wind farms. His objective could be "Maintenance technician in the wind industry."
5. Mine those postings for transferable skills Beef up the skills section of your master file as you
go. While you're looking at the job postings in the industries you'd be proud to support, look for
those civilian terms for the work you already know how to do. As soon as you see a term you can
use, add it to the master file under the heading, "Skills."
Example: Bill was in the Army Reserve. He got out of the service with a disability. The truck he
was driving hit an IED in Iraq and he suffered permanent damage to his shoulder. His job at home
was driving a truck. He kept at it because he knew the job market was tough but it meant 24/7 pain
for him. He knew he needed to find another line of work. His career coach pointed him toward a
school that would certify him as a construction estimator when construction was nearly dead.
When he completed the class, his was one resume in a pile of resumes for inexperienced
estimators. Bill had extensive HazMat training in the military and it gave him the edge. He got a job
with a small construction company right away.
6. Enroll in an accredited school with an active veterans group Miss being part of a military unit?
Feel alone? Don't have the education decision makers want for the job you want? Enrolling in an
accredited junior college or university will get you on track for the education you need and you'll
find a group of other Veterans going through the same transition. The Veterans counselor can
probably help you get additional school credit for your military experience. You may be closer to

3. that Associates or Bachelors degree than you thought. Add your education to your master file
under the heading "Education" and put the anticipated completion year at the end of the line.
Example: A nearby junior college has one of the most active veterans groups in the area. Veterans
who are taking classes there have access to employers, VSOs, and the local patriot community
who are ready to help with fund-raising events and barbecues. There is a spirit of camaraderie that
the Veterans were missing when they first came back and felt disconnected from family and
friends. The military changes you and sometimes the people in your life don't know how to
reconnect with the new you. They were waiting for the old you to come back. Having a unit with
common goals can make the transition and the reconnect more comfortable.
7. Now the history needs to be included Enter your work experience in your master file as one-
liners, starting with your title because you are the product that you're marketing and this is a
marketing campaign. The job you did, who you did it for, and when you did it are all that's needed
here. If you have never been out of work for more than a month or two, month and year are good
enough. If you have gaps that lasted more than a few months, year to year dates will avoid
concern. Enter these one-liners under the heading, "Experience."
Examples:
Infantry, United States Army 2005 - 2010
Electronics Technician, United States Navy 11/2003 - 04/2009
Truck Driver, XYZ Freight Company, Denver, CO 2001 - 2005
Director of Information Technology, High Tech, San Diego, CA 05/2004 - 01/2011
Facilities Manager, Big Convention Center, Washington, D.C. 2008 - 2010
Conclusion Once you have a master file started, keep one copy of it on your computer and
another copy on a backup device. Never remove anything from your master file. Always add to it
and save any additions to the backup copy as you add accomplishments and skills, education, and
work experience. Polish the accomplishment statements to make sure they are in plain language.
When you need to send a resume, save a copy of the master file with a meaningful name so you
know who you sent it to and when. For example, EmployerName-2011-01-15.doc would be a good
way to recall the resume when you get a call for the interview. From that new copy of the master
file, which will be way too many pages for anyone else to ever see, delete everything that does not
fit that job and sequence the skills and accomplishments as that employer has shown their
priorities. You'll have a resume that's an obvious fit for the position that decision maker is trying to
fill and you'll make it past the gatekeeper and onto the decision maker's desk or screen. The
interview is up to you. Dazzle them with your exemplary character and qualities.
Joy Montgomery is a coach for startups and job seekers. She helps you position yourself for
growth, profitability, and acquisition.

4. Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joy_Montgomery
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For more strategies, secrets and tips for transitioning from military to civilian life, visit
http://www.skyvaultpublishing.com/LDDNet/veteranjobs.html
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