Job-Search Tips for Former Service Men and Women

After undergoing rigorous training and arduous duty, you might think the 250,000 or so active duty military service men and women who transition into civilian life each year would have a leg up on the job search. Not so, says a recent article on MSNBC's website. As one former Marine sergeant explained, job interviewers were more interested in his pre-military stint in sales for a health club than his years with a helicopter crew in Iraq, managing upwards of 40 soldiers.

What's dogging these former service members is a communication problem. Titles like Chief Petty Officer can glance off of interviewers with little exposure to the military, and lead them on to more familiar territory, like sales, at a health club. What these former service personnel need to do is what we all need to do, and that's comb our resumes and cover letters and retool our interview answers to suit the hiring managers with whom we hope to speak.

Ex-GIs and officers will do well to consider how to translate job experience and accomplishments into language civilians will understand. As the article pointed out, military titles can be confusing. Instead, list jobs in functional terms, such as "manager," and in parentheses note the formal military title.

Speaking of management, that's a strength many soldiers develop. Even enlisted women and men will have managed people and processes. In resumes, such information is vital to helping civilian employers understand an applicant's value to the organization. You can do this by spelling out what your duties were and the leadership responsibilities you had.

Getting rid of military jargon is the first step. The next step is networking. Former service women and men can call upon those they served alongside, especially friends who also are out in the civilian work world.

Online networking is another tool. Government-run web sites exist to help ex-military personnel find jobs, and there are also independent sites for networking and job postings. Most bases offer transition services for ex-GIs, so go back to Uncle Sam and find out what you’re eligible for.

Preparing for interviews is also a crucial part of capturing a job. Accepting all job interviews, including those for not particularly desirable jobs, will give job seekers the "live" experience that's so important for improving technique.

In preparing for interviews, ex-military applicants should consider accomplishments and challenges they overcame and use these experiences to develop stories. Interviewers' questions can provide jumping off points for sharing relevant stories that illustrate how a soldier succeeded under duress, using the skills, creativity, and personal strength of character that make one a good candidate for employment.

Former military folks might also do well to consider that many recent college graduates are prepared to take lower-rung jobs that will allow them to learn the ropes in a given profession. Along the same lines, former service men and women should feel free to ask companies about internships for which they may be eligible. Short-term jobs from temp agencies are another route to breaking into a field, and temp assignments can often lead to permanent employment.

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