After 10 years of active military service, I am ready to enter the corporate world. How do I transfer my military training and skills to the private sector? I haven’t even had any luck getting interviews. Any advice for veterans transitioning to the real world?
First of all, and I know this sounds cliche, but thank you for your service, and I mean that sincerely. And what do you mean transitioning from the military to the “real world”? Dedicating your life to serving and protecting your country is the real deal, so don’t discount what you did and learned. Are we clear? Crystal clear! (C’mon, one of the best scenes ever.)
You may not be getting a response due to a lack of clear narrative of what you can do and what you want. It is incumbent upon applicants to be crystal clear about what they want to do and how their skills and experience qualify them to do it. There are government resources designed to help vets sharpen their focus and narrative. I’d start with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA.gov) and New York State Department of Labor (Labor.NY.gov). I’d also fish where the fish are. Many companies dedicate specific recruitment resources to hire vets. Research those companies, particularly those that advertise in media like Military Transition News, Stars and Stripes, GI Jobs, TAOnline.com and Military.com. Also, make sure you create a profile on LinkedIn, which is where you can find groups of vets and where recruiters seeking vets can find you. That is the truth — and you can handle the truth!
Calling all vets
Making a career transition is hard enough, but it is a unique challenge for vets transitioning to a civilian career. So I want to help pay you back in some small way. The resume is only one tool, but it’s an important one. So if you’re a vet and you’d like me to take a look at your resume and give you some feedback, send it my way at the email below. Remember, don’t you ever think you’ve got nowhere else to go, because you can always go to Greg. That’s a fact, Jack. All you gotta do is ask me nicely. And if you don’t get all the movie references, drop and give me 20.
Gregory Giangrande is a chief human resources and communications officer in the media industry. Email your career questions to [email protected]. Follow Greg on Twitter: @greggiangrande. His “Go to Greg” podcast series is available at iTunes.