If you are active duty military or a veteran in a civilian job search, what are your biggest problems?
- Finding enough opportunities
- Finding the right opportunities that fit your skills
- Some employers are wary about you and how you may relate and adapt to civilian work culture
- Explaining your skills in a way that civilian employers see as valuable
These problems can get in the way even when you have true job skills and employers feel favorably about hiring veterans. This is why the unemployment rate for veterans is higher than average. Many a veteran has been passed over for jobs they were completely qualified for.
To overcome these issues and get good job offers, you need to…
Find More Opportunities
When you first begin job searching, you probably get on some kind of job board and look at listings. It looks like a lot at first, until you start narrowing it down to what fits you. What you’re left with is a few jobs you can apply for. But guess what? For most people, it won’t be enough. Very few of those online applications result in actual interviews (some say it’s as low as 2% of applicants).
The big “secret” of job searching is that for every job you see listed, there’s at least one more that isn’t. That’s the hidden job market. That’s what you need to access in order to find the opportunities you need.
*See How to Find Unadvertised Jobs and Get Interviews.
Contact Hiring Managers Directly
You need to contact hiring managers directly, because applying online through HR departments won’t cut it for you. This method doesn’t work for anyone who isn’t a letter-perfect fit for the job.
The most effective move any job seeker can make now is to stop applying for jobs online and instead go straight to the hiring manager. Very few online applications result in interviews (and this is true for everyone), so don’t even waste your time. Think about what the job title of your potential boss would be, and look for people with those job titles at companies you’re interested in and send them an email with your resume. 96% of executives say that contacting hiring managers gets more interviews. It will probably take some research on your part, but your interviews will be worth it.
* See this video about How to Go Directly to the Hiring Manager to Land the Interview.
Have a Resume That Markets You
In today’s job market, a resume that is only a job history won’t get you the interviews you want. You need a resume that acts as a marketing document. It should ‘sell’ you for the job, and grab the attention of employers with a clear, strategically-written objective statement, bullet points, and quantification.
Communicate Effectively in the Interview
When you get the interview, you need to communicate in a way that helps them visualize you in the job. The very best way to do this is to bring a 30-60-90-Day Plan that shows how you would approach this job in the first 90 days. These plans take a lot of research to complete, but the effect on a hiring manager is huge.
30-60-90-Day Plans are the most effective interview tool for everyone from brand-new graduates to those with years of experience. The last time I was in a job search, my plans got my 5 job offers, and when I was a recruiter, I insisted that my candidates bring them, too (and they got hired at a very high rate).
* Find out more about 30 60 90 Day Plans and start creating yours for your interview.
Job Search Success for Active Duty Military and Veterans
Because military folks (and their spouses, too) can have difficulty effectively communicating your value to employers and getting hired, we put together a targeted collection of tools especially for you called Mission: Transition. It solves unique issues like job searching long-distance, translating military experience for civilian hiring managers (on resumes and in interviews), answering interview questions, 30-60-90-Day Plans, and more.
*See what’s included – Mission: Transition.