You can find career advice all over the internet on different ways to make yourself stand out, but look no further; we have your Top 5 Job Hunting Tips for Veterans right here.
Tip #1: Polish Your Resume
The first thing you’re going to want to do is to get your resume civilian-ready. Ensure it’s up-to-date and includes all the relevant details from your military career, but you’ll need to put this in terms that civilian employers will understand. Many of the skills you developed during your service apply to civilian jobs, but you’ll have to help your potential employers understand this through your resume.
If you find yourself at a loss for skills to include, check out our guide “5 Skills You Didn’t Realize the Military Gave You” for some advice.
Tip #2: Practice, Practice, Practice
If you’ve been in the military for a while, likely, you haven’t had a job interview in quite some time, and the interview process can be nerve-wracking for even the bravest soldier. That’s why it will be vital for you to practice your interview skills, even before you land that first interview. There are hundreds of practice questions on the internet and even more videos on YouTube that you can watch to help you prepare.
However, you choose to get ready and tailor your answers in a way that your civilian interviewer can understand. Like in the military, practice makes perfect and will help better prepare you when the time finally comes to sit down for an interview.
Tip #3: Network
Don’t underestimate the power of networking.
Sometimes in the civilian world, it’s not about what you know; it’s about who you know. Even before you transition from the military, reach out to friends and family to let them know that you’re going to be looking for a job soon. Like LinkedIn, you can also use social platforms to connect with people who might know of an employer explicitly looking to hire Veterans or someone with your experience. The more people you have in your network who are helping you look for a job, the wider of a net you can cast. Your network can also attest to your skills and your character to help you stand out even more.
Tip #4: Keep Your Options Open
When you start your job search, you might have a particular career field in mind, but keep your options open to new opportunities.
Veterans sometimes get pigeon-holed into careers like security or government, but if that isn’t what you want to do, don’t do it just because you think it will be easier to find a job. Keep your options open. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of different career opportunities for Veterans, so don’t settle for one just because it’s the first job to come along. If you are in a good place financially and don’t need a job on day one of getting out, then take your time, do some research, and wait for that right job to come to you. You never know what kind of opportunities might present themselves if you are patient.
Tip #5: Don’t Give Up
Job searching can be a time-consuming process. It could take weeks or even months before you get your first interview. Don’t let this frustrate you and make you stop your search or settle for a career that you don’t really want. Keep working on your resume and reaching out to your network. Eventually the right job will come your way. The military taught you perseverance, so use that and don’t give up.
Remember – start the job search early and be prepared to wait. In the meantime, if you need some more career tips or advice, you can always reach out to us.
Contact Us
Have a question about your Veteran benefits? You can email us today! If you are within one-year pre to post-military separation, you can enroll in our FREE program by setting up a call with one of our transition coaches.