4 Steps to Your Job Search Plan

So, you're out of work, expect to be unemployed soon, or want to change jobs. What is your plan? In order to effectively move forward and find the right position for your interests and set of skills you need to have a job search plan.

Below are four steps to an effective job search plan:

1. Be specific. What position are you interested in pursuing, and in what industry? One key to your job search is to be as specific as possible about the job you want so you don't waste time, energy, and resources pursuing jobs that don't fit your skill set.

2. Clarify your offer. What is it, exactly, that you bring to the table? What are the range of skills you have that can make you successful in this job? Having a clear understanding of what you can bring to a job will enable you to clearly communicate this in your resume and when speaking with potential employers.

3. Find the right place(s). Where do you want to work? What are you looking for a place of employment? Decide if a startup works for you, or if you prefer a large established corporation. Maybe you'd like to work for a smaller, more intimate family-run business? Being clear about this will again help you be more specific in your search. And also think about location. Are you interested in leaving your city or state?

4. Find the right people. You likely know some people who can aid you in your job search. Or you know someone who knows someone who can assist you. Be sure to reach out to your network. But be choosy. Not everyone can help you. Select those individuals with a connection to the specific job and industry you are pursuing.

Searching for a new job can be stressful but implement these four steps to be more effective in your job search.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Shaking Up Your Career and Being Productive

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• 7 Deadly Sins of a Job Seeker: "Planning for your job search enables you to properly target roles as well as manage your time and those you approach more effectively."


• Building Trust Will Get You Hired: "In order to show that you will be reliable in the future, demonstrate how you have been so the past."


• How to Shake Up Your Career in 2015: "Expand your talents and knowledge by signing up for a Mooc (massive open online course). From branding and management to film-making or forensic psychology, there's a huge range of free courses available to everyone."


• How to Stop Negative Thoughts: "Instead of allowing unfortunate situations, unlucky circumstances and foul people to suck the energy right out of you, turn to humor for a levity break."


• Surround Yourself with Productive People: "Productive people tend to organise not only themselves, but systems, schedules, and the other people around them. This is beneficial for the entire team."

Gratitude: Thanksgiving Day Edition

For the majority of Americans, Thanksgiving Day is devoted to attending parades, consuming feasts, watching football, and preparing to shop on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It’s certainly a lot for which to be thankful!

But have you ever spent a brief part of the holiday thinking about your career and workplace with a similar sense of gratitude? Below are links to recent e-articles which may help you start or renew the process.

• What to be Thankful for at Work This Thanksgiving: On the blog Fast Track by Intuit QuickBase, contributor Alison Green describes seven work-related things for which workers can be thankful.


• 3 Career-Boosting Steps for Thanksgiving: On the Work, Career & Jobs @ 40+ blog, a Midwestern entrepreneur & HR consultant offers some food for thought: Thanksgiving is the perfect time to take three career-boosting steps to reflect on your career plan.


• 6 Workplace Rights to Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving: US News & World Report contributing writer Alison Green describes workplace rights for which we should be grateful—and not take for granted.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Is it Time to Quit Your Job?

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Should You Quit Your Day Job?: "Playing it safe and not taking chances to stretch yourself, means that in 2-3 years you’ll be exactly the same person as you are today. This sends a signal to recruiters and hiring managers that you have plateaued."

• 9 Ways to Win Over Your Boss: "If something isn’t at the top of your list but your boss expresses that it’s a priority – then it immediately becomes your priority, too."                                                      
• The Most Important 15 Minutes of My Day: "I’m a huge fan of highly regimented creativity – a notion that seems paradoxical, I know. But it works."


• How to Build an Ironclad Network: "Your request for a conversation must be sincere and free of hidden agendas. You will not ask for a job, you won't even mention the word job during your conversation."


• 5 Tricks to Starting a Business While Working Full Time: "If you haven't already realized that there's no true job security, now is a good time to start thinking about how you could bring in additional streams of revenue."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Ready to Leave Your Job?

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 14 Signs It's Time To Leave Your Job: "When you find that you’re spending less time with your family because of work, or you cannot commit the necessary time to your job, you should consider looking elsewhere."

• Tips for Merging on to Your Career's Smart Track: "To gain respect, you have to deliver. Do you consistently produce outstanding work, exceed expectations, go above and beyond what is expected, take initiative and simply work hard?"                                                      
• Please Stop Complaining About How Busy You Are: "If you're really up to your neck, it's very easy to find a scheduler, virtual or otherwise, to help put things on your calendar. Sometimes it's a matter of freeing up that time used for coordinating plans to actually doing them."


• 4 Ways Older Job Seekers May Circumvent Hiring Fears: "Demonstrate that your energy level and intellectual curiosity remain high. Talk about how import it is to be a top producer and why. At every step along the way demonstrate that you are up to date with your skills, and that you don't sit on your laurels."


• How These Famous Motivational Quotes Can Help You Succeed: "The only way you can become a leader is by setting a great example and by putting together a team that is pulling together in the same direction and towards the same target."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Planning and Preparation

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• How to Tell People What You Do--And Be Remembered: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

• How One Day Can Make or Break Your Career: "One day really can make or break a career, but if you are ready to take full advantage then the outcome is more likely to be positive rather than negative."                                                      
• Are You Suffering from Sitting Disease?: "Given the number of workers who perform their tasks on a computer or otherwise seated at a desk, medical experts are starting to become concerned about the health effects of sitting."


• Stop Planning. Start Doing: "The most important part of actually getting things done is trusting your own abilities. Once you let go of your fears, you’re actually going to be able to accomplish the big things on your to-do list."


• Top 10 Tips for Planning Your Career: "If you don’t take any other advice from this list, take heed of this one: to get where you want to be, you’ll get there faster with a mentor."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Second Acts: Turning Your Passion Into a Paycheck: "For many who have spent their first half working for other people, the soul-searching often leads to entrepreneurship."


• The Skills Gap That's Slowing Down Your Career: If your speed bump is a lack of the right skills, it helps to first do a quick cost/benefit analysis to see if investing in an upgrade will be worth it."


• How to Build an Antifragile Career: "Most of you will fail, disrespected, impoverished, but we are grateful for the risks you are taking and the sacrifices you are making for the sake of the economic growth of the planet and pulling others out of poverty."


• Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity is Forever: "Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose, so never allow yourself to ever do anything that would damage your integrity."


• A Better Way to Plan Your Career: "To prepare for whatever surprises lie ahead, try to make choices today that will maximize your options in the future. Gain transferable expertise — in the classroom or at work — and form close bonds with your peers and colleagues."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Career Plans, Networking, and Must-Read Books

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. Do You Have a Career Plan?
"So many people get caught up in the casual momentum of their career that years go by without any room for growth or new opportunities. Take control of your career destiny and develop your plan."

2. 10 Must-Have Skills and Must-Read Books for Today's Worker 
"As a job seeker, employee, and/or a business of one, you will want to develop and promote these qualities in terms that are quantifiable and meaningful to your future or current boss."

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos 

3. Never Say No to Networking
"The best networking suggestion I can offer? Always say yes to invitations, even if it's not clear what you'll get out of the meeting."

4. 14 Bad Habits That Can Cost You Your Job
"A single bad habit is not likely to get you fired immediately, but the cumulative effect of the bad habit over time can."

5. 10 Things College Kids Must Do Now to Snag a Job Post-Graduation
"Never waste a summer. Sure, you know that interning is one way to get some job experience while still in college, but don't be afraid to take on more than one over the years of your entire college education."

High Five Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 6 Must-Ask Questions Will Keep Your Career on Track
"You must manage your career – or fall victim to someone else managing it for you. Here are six questions that you must manage in order to keep your career on track."


2. How to Say No Without Burning Bridges
"If you thoroughly weigh the pros and cons and decide that the job isn't right for you, don't be shy about letting the employer know."

3. Don't Ignore that Gnawing in Your Gut; It's Your New Career Calling
"Most career change dilemmas come down to this: You want to be happy. But then again, you want security. It’s either one or the other in most people’s minds."

4.  Building Trust Through Skillful Self-Disclosure  
"There is considerable evidence that leaders who disclose their authentic selves to followers can build not only trust, but generate greater cooperation and teamwork as well."

5. 4 Things Your Dog Can Teach You About Starting a Business
"Dogs can be constructive influences on our personal lives, and they can teach us a lot about how to be better, happier entrepreneurs. Here are just a few things humans can really learn from them when starting up a business."

Determining Your Career Path after High School

If your high school graduation is right around the corner, or even a year or two away, you may be feeling unsure, and even overwhelmed, about choosing your future career path. These feelings are normal. The important thing is to become familiar with the options available. The following list may help.

• Pursuing a 4-year or 2-year college degree program
• Enrolling in a trade or vocational program
• Joining the military, perhaps for a career or in exchange for college tuition assistance
• Securing a full-time job after high school for the long term or to save money for college
• Traveling abroad to gain cultural experience or work with an international volunteer organization

Whatever path you choose, before you decide, be sure to invest time exploring your interests, aptitude, and strengths, and the career options that align with these. Following is just a sampling of activities that can help you make an informed decision about “What next?”:

• Dismiss stereotypes regarding occupations; keep an open mind to possible career paths.
• Recognize and leverage the abundant career information and resources available through your school, the library, the Internet, etc.
• Talk to counselors as well as parents, teachers, and other trusted adults.
• Take aptitude, interest, and personality tests to help identify careers you’re well suited for. Many are free and available through your school’s career center.
• Research careers, related educational and/or training requirements, projected job growth, job descriptions and tasks, salaries, etc.
• Look into post-secondary schools and programs based on your career interests. Consider their academic reputation, suitability for your field of interest, cost, location, culture, etc.

After doing your homework, your options and career direction may be much clearer. Then it’s time to create a plan and start working toward it. Put yourself on a future path to success.

Pushing Your Career Muscles to the Limit

The only way to grow muscle when strength training is to lift to a point of exhaustion…then go a little beyond that point. It makes sense, if you think about it, because of the body’s remarkable ability to adapt to the physical stress presented upon it. More stress makes the body grow; less stress keeps it the same.

Have you looked at your career in the same way? What pressure have you put on yourself to create a career that is rewarding, fulfilling, and makes a difference in the world? Think about these three areas of your work life and the focus questions after each.

Work performance: You begin a job not knowing how to “do” it, gradually moving to level of competence that becomes second nature. This is a good thing because it demonstrates competence and productivity, but there’s a temptation to hit a “peak” and not progress from there. Going beyond that peak-challenging and questioning your status quo and the organization’s status quo-leads to more personal engagement and fulfillment.

• Have I mastered what I currently do?


• Are there improvements that I can make in the procedures or processes of my current position?

Challenging projects: Challenging projects-beyond what you are doing now-will help your career grow through giving you new skills, putting these skills (and your current ones) to test in new environments, and allow you to show your versatility.

• Do I proactively seek out new projects that will allow me to do so?


• What projects do I currently know of would benefit from my involvement?


• How would these projects help grow me professionally?

Relationships: There are relationships that you naturally cultivate at work-such as ones with your supervisor and coworkers-but going further to grow relationships with those outside your immediate work unit is indispensible in creating a network of peers that can attest to your great work performance.

• What relationships do I need to cultivate to position myself for the next step in my career?


• Who have I tried to get to know outside my work unit?


• What reputation do I want to cultivate with those outside my work unit?

Career improvement is a journey; not a destination. Fight complacency by challenging yourself to go beyond the normal and what’s comfortable. Your career muscles will thank you for it.

Waxing Strategic: Creating a Plan to Guide Your Career

When a company (or work unit in a company) engages in strategic planning it does so to get focused on a goal or set of goals that will positively impact its function/operation. A desired outcome is agreed upon and an analysis is performed in order to figure out the best way to achieve that outcome. Strategic planning isn't exclusive to multinational corporations; individuals can perform one as well. Have you been struggling with reaching an outcome related to your career, be it getting a job at a company you admire, moving up in the company where you work, or changing career fields altogether? A strategic plan could bring you focus, break down your actions into manageable steps, and give you a clear picture of what success will look like for you.

Outcome: The first step in creating a strategic plan is determining what you want. You may be thinking "I don't know what I want!" which is fine! In fact, you could even create a strategic plan around "finding out what I want." Regardless, a strategic plan cannot function without some kind of outcome or end result. Don't be picky and don't make choosing your topic painful. Ask yourself this question: "what do I want to get out of my career that I am not getting right now?" This will help you get focused on a topic that serves you right now; it's okay for things to change in the future.

SWOT analysis: A SWOT analysis is a process commonly used in business to examine Strengths and Weaknesses (internal considerations) as well as Opportunites and Threats (external considerations) as they relate to what your outcome is. Creating one-which you can do by drawing four boxes on a piece of paper-helps you get specific about your situation and think critically about what you have (and don't have) going for you. There is a fantastic template for creating a SWOT analysis here that will help you get one created quickly. Again, think action; don't let your head fill with the "yeah, but..." thoughts that keep you from action! Be critical, but stay positive and focused on your outcome.

SMART goals: Many people have heard of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reaching, and Timely) and you can read more about them at this Daily Leap blog post. SMART goals are a great compliment to a SWOT analysis, helping you take your analysis in the latter and create something actionable with the former. Again, don't focus on making "perfect" goals; there is no such thing as a perfect goal! The only question to ask yourself here is "will this goal lead me to my outcome?" If it does, then go with it!

Anyone who has ever had dreams for their career but hasn't been able to act on those dreams would benefit from creating a strong, resonant strategic plan. Even if you don't think it will work, try it anyway (you have nothing to lose and MUCH to gain!). Challenge yourself to create your reality, not just live it!

Preparing to Transition Careers

Chances are you will eventually have to transition careers some time in your lifetime. Career transitions can be categorized three ways:

• A new occupation in a new field
• A new occupation in the same field
• The same occupation within a new field
  

Career transitions can be voluntary or necessary, but either way, you’ll benefit by giving them careful thought and preparation.

Identify Your Reasons

Consider why you’re changing careers. Are you basing your reasons on temporary circumstances or issues that could be solved? For example, did you give yourself ample time to adjust to working for a new, difficult manager? If you are no longer feeling challenged have you requested more complex projects?

Know Yourself

Assess your interests, values, skills, and personality traits to target a suitable occupation. Tap into the extensive self-assessment tools/tests available to assist you, many of which are free.

Do Your Homework

Take the time to thoroughly research occupations, industries, and companies of interest. Read career and industry overviews, job profiles and postings, and growth projections. Talk to people who have experience. The more homework you do, the better informed your decisions will be.

Formulate a Plan

Develop a clear transition plan by factoring in your current life situation and any financial, educational, and timing considerations. Think about small steps you can take toward your career transition, such as enrolling in a class or volunteering in a field of interest.

Gain Experience

Any experience you develop in your targeted career will be extremely valuable, whether it be volunteering, interning, working part time, freelancing, or temping. In addition to gaining experience, you will acquire insight and, hopefully, develop professional contacts.

Career transitions require patience and time and may be humbling; however, with the right planning, you can make a smooth and satisfying transition.

Career Center Success

Your college or university’s career center has a wealth of resources at your disposal to help you make better career decisions and sharpen your skills to make you a standout candidate in interviews. Unfortunately, many college students fail to use the career center…or fail to use it correctly. Read on for some tips on how to make the most of your time at the career center.

• Maintain realistic expectations: Many students think that they can waltz right in to their college career center and there will be a resume or even a job waiting for them on a silver platter. Not true! Think about it: would you go to a library and expect the librarian to do your research for you? Of course not! A career center provides assistance, from critiquing your resume to putting you through a mock interview, but it will not do the work for you. Expect to put in some work.


• Have a goal: It’s frustrating for career center administrators is to have a student schedule an appointment, come in, and then sit there expecting to be told what to do. Ask yourself this question: “what is my purpose in visiting the career center today?” The answer to this question should guide your conversation and make your visit more productive, keeping you from feeling frustrated.


• Engage in the process: Your time is precious and you should expect outstanding service from your career center. If you feel your needs are not being met, say so. Those in a career center truly want to help you. Be vocal with and committed to your goals to experience success!

Career Pursuit: Practical or Passion-Driven

You’re not alone if you’ve toiled with pursuing a practical career versus one geared toward your professional passion. Often, this means weighing a job or career that is secure, lucrative, and accessible with one in which you’d be doing something you love for less financial gain. Weighing a practical career path versus a professional “calling” is common for those pursuing a first career or a “next” career. However, practical careers have taken on new meaning as the challenged economy creates an uncertain job market.

While there are no guarantees when it comes to finding a lifelong career that satisfies your passion and lifestyle needs, you can do some things to point yourself in the right direction.

Assess Yourself

As a job seeker or someone looking to change careers, consider your values, interests, and talents. Use a formalized approach by tapping into free assessment tests and tools. Start in Career Transitions “Discover My Interests” section for assessment tools.

Another key resource is the online O*Net center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. Go to http://online.onetcenter.org to access an interest profiler, ability profiler, and skills evaluation tool that matches skills to occupations.

Explore and Research Career Paths

After completing various assessment tests and reviewing results, you should have a good idea of the occupations that might be a good match for you. Afterwards, decide which ones interest you, and then do some research. Read up on job responsibilities, the economic outlook and projected growth, average salary range, trends, and more. Again, Career Transitions presents this information in a way that is easy to find and understand in the “Explore Careers” section.

Selecting and pursuing a particular career path is exciting, but it can also be a daunting endeavor. By leveraging available career information and tools, you can make a more informed decision. Whether you opt for a practical career path, one weighted toward your passion, or a balance of both, the choice is yours. Be sure to embrace and enjoy the process and the exciting career opportunities that lie ahead.

Mind Your Brand

When you hear “Trump” what words come to mind? You may think of “luxury,” “success,” or “business.” The associations that you make are no accident; Donald Trump has intentionally created them through vigorous attention to his personal brand. Personal branding is the process by which you deliberately create, control, and maintain your professional reputation. It touches on nearly every aspect of your career life, from how you dress and communicate with others to your social media presence and the knowledge, skills, and abilities you have at your disposal.

Anyone in any profession can create and maintain a personal brand; it is not limited to white-collar workers or CEOs. While there are plenty of resources at your disposal in print and online to help you start shaping your brand (the works of Dan Schawbel and Tom Peters are a great place to start), here are some questions to guide you in your journey of self discovery and professional control.

• How do those I work with describe me professionally?


• What do I think I am currently doing that makes me a strong professional?


• What knowledge, skills, and abilities do I need to further my career?


• What do I do to show others that I enjoy my career?


• How does my online reputation project the professional persona that I want it to?

Get By With a Little Help From Your Profs

Ask any successful professional the secret to her success and I will wager that you will not hear "I did it on my own." We all need a support system - a personal "board of directors," if you will - and a mentor is a crucial part of it. A mentor is someone who has specialized experience in the work field that you are interested in entering and who agrees to help nurture your success. The key phrase in that last sentence is in the work field that you are interested in entering. It differentiates a mentor from a coach (the latter being a topic for a different blog post).

College professors have the potential to be wonderful mentors: they are most definitely experts in their fields through their academic backgrounds and research, and the cultivation of young minds is their forte. How would you approach one of your college professors to be a mentor to you?

• Be familiar: a mentor relationship is best cultivated with someone with whom you already have a relationship. If you do not have one, create one by becoming engaged academically and studying your field outside of class.

• Be intentional: meet with your professor during her office hours and express that you are interested in creating a mentorship relationship with her. State why you've asked her in particular and what you hope to get out of the relationship. Furthermore, show genuine reciprocity by asking what you can do for her.

• Be resilient: professors are very busy, so do not be surprised or discouraged by a reply of "thanks, but no thanks." Simply seek out others with similar qualifications who can assist you with your career.

Transitioning Out of the Military: 5 Steps to Success

Step 3 – Create Your Job Search Strategy

An effective job search is a time consuming process that uses multiple approaches toward the target. You have already learned that an effective job search must be targeted. However, it must also be organized and strategic. Prepare your search strategy by avoiding these common mistakes.

Mistake #1 – Your job search is one-dimensional
As a military service member, chances are you have not conducted the type of search that will be necessary in today’s market. A multi-pronged attack is necessary for success. Sending resumes and cover letters in response to job postings is only one option. You must also start networking. Talk with fellow service members who are employed with your target companies to gain referrals. Inform vendors and military contractors about your transition. Participate in social networking such as LinkedIn by posting your profile.

Mistake #2 – Your job search is too general or too specific
There is no such thing as an effective general job search. If you have no target in mind, you will never achieve your goal. One of the biggest mistakes is to try to cover an entire military career’s job responsibilities in one resume. This will overwhelm an employer with information and underwhelm them in terms of your relevance to their company. Focus your efforts, highlight relevant skills, and leave out irrelevant information.

Before beginning your job search, you must research your targeted industry. Before you write a targeted resume, you need to ensure there is a market for this specialty where you want to live. Your resume and your search must be targeted. However, there has to be a market for your skills where you want to live.

Mistake #3 – You started your job search too soon or too late
Military personnel often begin to make preparations up to two years prior to retirement. However, two years – or even one year – is too soon to start applying to job openings. For federal positions, you can start applying six months prior to your separation date. For civilian positions, you can start applying three months prior to separation. Start too soon and you may knock yourself out of the running with some companies when they find out your availability.

However, don’t wait until the last minute to begin your career transition. As soon as you decide to make the transition, decide on a career target and prepare a focused resume and cover letter. These can be used for networking with friends, neighbors, colleagues, and contractors. It is never too soon to begin networking.

Finding the Career for You

When deciding upon your career direction—whether you are a college student declaring a major or a seasoned professional transitioning to a different field—it is vital to take an inventory of your skills, interests, and values.

People spend considerable hours at their jobs, so it is important to find a position that meets your needs beyond the obvious need for a paycheck. Being energized by your work is a huge advantage when it comes to getting and retaining a position.

Skills Assessment: These tests, consisting of a series of questions which can be answered in 30-45 minutes, will help you understand how your strengths and challenges relate to a variety of career options. There are many skills assessment tests available. Check out the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey, Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (for college students), and Strengths Finder 2.0, which is a combination book and online assessment. And coming soon, Career Transitions will include a skills assessment tool.
Interests: Working in a job that uses your skills is gratifying, but if the subject matter is not of interest, the job can quickly become routine. To figure out what excites you, consider the types of work you enjoy, the leisure activities you pursue, etc. Then, make time to take the Career Transitions interest assessment, review your results, and explore some of the careers that match up.
Values: For long-term satisfaction, consider your values before taking any position. Do so without judgment; the exercise is to understand what you need from your job, not to revamp your value system. For example, consider your views on work-life balance, the weight you place on salary, the significance of career advancement opportunities, and how important it is to you to make a contribution to society.

Transitioning Out of the Military: 5 Steps to Success

Step 1 – Find a Focus

Whether you have served four years or dedicated your entire career towards service in the military, you may face some obstacles in your transition. Over the next five weeks, I will tackle some of the issues you will face and provide you with five steps you should take in order to expedite the transition process.

This first step is very important; it will determine the effectiveness of your military transition. In order to get results, a job search and a resume must have a target or focus. One of the biggest errors made on military transition resumes is a lack of focus. There is no such thing as an effective generic resume. A resume that tries to appeal to everyone ends up appealing to no one.

Military personnel learn a wide variety of skills and often have countless additional duties on top of their duty title. It would be nearly impossible and certainly ineffective to fit all your previous military experience into one resume. Studies show that the reader affords your resume 10 to 15 seconds of attention. The reader will not sift through all the irrelevant information to get to the most compelling information. Your relevant, transferable skills must be easy to find, not buried among the unimportant information.

For example, a jet engine craftsman whose focus is contract and finance management will never be effective in their search with a resume that focuses on jet engine maintenance. In addition to mechanical knowledge, this candidate has project management, customer service, budget planning and allocation, documentation management, and supervisory experience. Their mechanical knowledge has no place on their resume, as it is irrelevant to the target employer.

Before beginning your transition, determine the career field you will pursue and identify the local companies that have jobs. Discover what qualifications and education you need and define your transferable qualifications. Some research resources are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco) and the Department of Labor’s O*NET site (http://online.onetceter.org).

Making the decision to target your job search will enable you to eliminate irrelevant information from your resume and accelerate your job search. This may mean leaving out some skills and experience or possibly having multiple resumes targeted to different careers.