The transition from the armed forces to the civilian sector is hardly ever seamless. For vets, competitiveness in the job market has made it increasingly difficult to find gainful employment. Spending years in the military service means you are less in tune with the civilian job market. This gives your well-experienced civilian competitors an upper hand in the job hunt.
Thankfully, this trend has been changing over the last few years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for veteran job search has fallen to 3.5 percent in 2019. This is great news for all the vets who are currently struggling to find a job. This is your time to shine!
Finding a fulfilling job as a civilian might be one of the biggest challenges you’ll face after service. Though with the unique traits that you possess, you can bring great advancement to the civilian workforce and become a priceless asset to the company. As an ex-military professional, you also have countless skills that can be used to your advantage. It’s all about being aware of where to look and how to present you. Here are some tips that will help you smoothly integrate into the civilian job sector.
1. Make Use of Veteran employment resources
There is a wide collection of some great and helpful websites for vets that make the transition process a lot easier and time-effective. You can use these different resources to find information about available jobs and get connected with employment services that suit you.
Some of the popular ones are:
GI Jobs: It has various efficient online tools for vets. They have a salary calculator that will assist you to discover what pay you’ll need in your civilian job that will equal the pay you had in the military.
LinkedIn for Veterans: It is another great tool to stay updated with any job openings. It makes you show up in search results when potential recruiters look for individuals with your skillset.
Hire Heroes USA: This site gets you in touch with strong business professionals and aids you to explain your military skills on your application or in private firm interviews.
Also read: 10 Best Jobs for Veterans Moving to Civilian Careers
2. Networking
Perhaps the easiest and fastest way to get employed in the current economy is through your professional network. This is why you should always be on the lookout for opportunities allowing you to expand your network. Go out more often, meet new people, and show them your skills. Get in contact with people from your professional circle and ask them to review your resume, so that you can improve it if needed. Networking with the right people will get you the needed referrals. These people will also keep you informed about potential job openings at their employers if there are any.
3. Have a Clear Vision
As attractive as it may seem, don’t waste your energy applying to every job you see. The key is to take your time, do your research, and look for jobs that you are qualified for. Gather as much information as possible about the companies you’d like to focus on for employment. Try to look for jobs that utilize your military experience so that your hard-earned skills don’t go to waste. That’s not to say that you have to find a job similar to what you were doing in the military, just make sure you don’t settle for less than your abilities. If you are struggling to figure out a path for yourself you can always talk to a career counselor. A career counselor will be able to help you find direction and the best part is, Department of Veterans Affairs can provide these services for free.
4. Work Hard On Your Application
It is crucial to crafting a post-military resume that highlights your transferable skills and experience. One thing you should keep in mind is to make your military skills understandable to civilian laymen. In other words, speak the language that is friendly to the civilian sector. One important aspect of resume writing is to create a unique resume for different jobs according to the job description. Similarly, you must also customize your cover letters for varying job openings. In your cover letter, you should showcase how you can contribute to employers in specific ways.
- Some skills you should emphasize are:
- Leadership roles
- Technical expertise
- Soft Skills (empathy, adaptability)
5. Focus More on Government Jobs
The government Sector must be explored for veteran job search since it provides extra benefits like medical, physical as well as financial security. The job field widely ranges from administration to construction, with usual promotion and relevant pay systems according to job grade. There are many government programs for veterans, which create public service jobs for veterans.
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