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by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

Hire Veterans: Talking Points for Job Interviews

Hire Veterans: Talking Points for Job Interviews

 

 

Editor’s note: This week’s article is written by Brad Miller, TheMilitaryGuide.org

Veterans leave the military equipped with a variety of life and job skills that most professionals don’t possess. For that reason, businesses actively target recently discharged veterans when recruiting talent.

 

But if you’re a former service member, you still need to advocate for yourself in cover letters and interviews to make sure potential employers know exactly why you’re valuable and how your military skills can fulfill the company’s needs.

 

The good news is, you can answer the age-old interview question, “What are your strengths?” with several of these significant reasons why any company should consider hiring you — and other veterans.

Listen to Career Transition Strategies for Military Veterans

Veterans have strong job experience

The U.S. military invests a lot in training its members. Regardless of position or specialty, it’s guaranteed that a person in any branch of service receives superior training and comes out with top-notch skills. For example, depending on your military job, you may carry such certifications as:

  • Medical skills — first aid, CPR, or AED use
  • Security skills — handling detainees, maintaining public safety, or operating firearms
  • Construction skills — operating heavy equipment, estimating budgets, or oversee completion of projects
  • Inventory management skills — keeping track of gear, sensitive equipment, or weapons

 

Due to the intense and thorough training received throughout a military career, veterans emerge well-prepared to fill jobs across many industries. On a résumé, a skill may look “too military”; however, you can often persuade an interviewer to dig a little deeper. Once they grasp exactly how your military skills and experience transfer to their industry, they’ll see why hiring you can be the right decision.

Veterans possess highly sought-after ‘soft’ skills

While hard skills are necessary to do a job, they can be taught, or existing skills enhanced through education and additional training. However, soft skills are another story: These are often innate qualities or ones instilled by repeated lessons — and not everyone has them.

Read The Military to the Civilian Job Market Transition

According to one survey, a whopping 93 percent of employers said soft skills are an “essential” or “very important” consideration when they look to hire new employees. Many of those employers also said these attributes are hard to find in job candidates. When interviewing, you should be able to explain to potential employers that veterans tend to possess the top soft skills they’re seeking:

  • Problem-solving — You instinctively know how to troubleshoot because the military trained you to do so, often under intense pressure. One survey found that  62 percent of employers sought candidates with strong problem-solving skills.
  • Leadership — Military members are trained to lead by example in any given role. You instinctively understand how direction, delegation, inspiration, and motivation are all important leadership tools.
  • Time management — The military runs by the clock, and employers who hire veterans can rest assured that their team members will make the most efficient and valuable use of their time. You’ve become highly skilled at getting things done because punctuality is ingrained by rote as part of the military timetable.
  • Communication — In the armed forces, teams rely heavily on communication to complete a mission and/or remain safe. This means you understand the importance of clear communication and pay careful attention to what is said. Poor communication leads to misunderstandings, and there is no room for that in military missions.
  • Adaptability — Considering that active-duty military members relocate or move every three years on average (not including deployments in between), potential employers should understand how effectively veterans adapt to change — in this case, relocation, frequent travel, or off-site meetings — without complaint. Organizational change is often cited by employers as a tough challenge to overcome, making veterans a perfect choice in such situations. You not only adapt to changes; you’re typically able to lead people through them.

Veterans strengthen your team

When employers are looking for a motivated and ethical person who’s willing to work hard, you can assure them that hiring a former service member makes good business sense. Built on the foundation of a strong work ethic, the collection of positive attributes that veterans possess is often hard to find in other candidates.

  • Well-versed in teamwork — You thoroughly understand how to cooperate as a proactive, positive and diligent team member. Ingrained feelings of responsibility toward fellow team members make veterans especially considerate when working with others.
  • Able to work independently — Military members are also trained to be able to work independently when needed. This makes you a valuable solo asset as well as a useful leader.
  • Adept at conflict resolution — Living a military life usually means you’ve faced serious conflict. Every military branch trains its members to navigate conflict and find a workable solution. Let potential employers know that conflict resolution is a huge strength they can find in their veteran hires.
  • Strong performers under pressure — Military life comes with pressure; it’s a part of the job description. You well know the implications of tight schedules and limited resources. After surmounting sometimes-literal life-or-death situations, veteran hires often easily transition to coping in high-pressure business environments.
  • Quality customer service skills — You’re used to cooperating with others, and your strong communication skills transfer nicely to customer service jobs. Veterans often excel at managing customer communication and interactions.
  • Dedicated to following protocol — Without rules or accountability, things fall apart; you’ve likely learned this throughout your military career. Veterans understand the importance of regulations and protocols, having lived through conditions with and without them. As a result, most vets adapt to their place in an organization and take job responsibilities seriously.
  • Possess an accelerated learning curve — As military policies and missions change, so do your job requirements. Remind potential employers that former military members are used to consistently demonstrating an aptitude for quickly learning new skills and concepts.

 

Employers that actively recruit former service members find they acquire employees who are able to take on leadership roles right from the start. Even if they don’t, these employees tend to advance quickly due to their personal attributes, belief systems and willingness to dedicate themselves to doing a good job.

 

You can use your job search and interview process as an opportunity to advocate for yourself and other former service members — all the while educating potential employers about the many good reasons to consider hiring a veteran. Former military members retain the “mission” mindset, meaning they focus on “achievement, cooperation, and personal development” — all important attributes that make a workplace better, stronger, and more competitive.

 

About Mark Anthony Dyson

My name is Mark Anthony Dyson, and I am the Founder of The Voice of Job Seekers. I am a career advice writer, but more importantly, I hack and re-imagine the job search process.. I've worked with hundreds of job seekers one-on-one helping them to construct a narrative and strategy that appeals to hiring managers and recruiters. I present at colleges and organizations, and facilitated many workshops including my volunteer effort through a Job Lab. I write and create useful job search content on this blog and write career and workplace advice for blogs such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Job-Hunt.org, Prezi and more. Media Feature highlights: Forbes, Business Insider, NBC News, Glassdoor, LinkedIn's #GetHired, and NPR Freelance writer and content contributor: Glassdoor, Payscale, job-hunt.org, The Financial Diet, RippleMatch.com and more. Contact me to contribute career, job search, or workplace advice for your site at markanthonydyson@gmail.com.

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Filed Under: Interview, Military, Veterans Tagged With: Job Interview, Military, Veterans

by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

Recruiting and Social Media for the Veteran Job Search

Recruiting and Social Media for the Veteran Job Search
http://traffic.libsyn.com/thevoiceofjobseekers/thevoiceofjobseekers106.mp3

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Welcome to the 2nd annual Veteran’s Day edition. This episode is dedicated to veterans everywhere who are transitioning back to the civilian sector. We wish you (veterans) much success during your transition, and hopefully, this show will contribute to your needs in finding the right job for you.

I would love your feedback, especially if there are tools you need for your job search. Perhaps we can cover them in future episodes. Here’s how you can let me know:

  1. Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822
  2. Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
  3. Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Happy Veteran's Day! (1)

If you are a career professional who advise job seekers and adds feedback whether it’s advice or a differing opinion, I will include a link in future show notes and read your comments on an upcoming show. Just let me know if it’s OK with you.

Sultan Camp (@careersultan) is a military recruiter and headhunter who works for Orion International, a company  that finds civilian careers for Military Officers, Enlisted Technicians, and strong NCO leaders, as well as Veterans who have already transitioned but are seeking a career change. His contributions have included in media outlets such as Career Builder, Monster, Career Attraction, and Military Times.  Sultan’s company sources, screens, and guides veterans to civilian jobs (think eHarmony).

  • His focus is on veterans technical or mechanical skill set. He puts them directly with a hiring manager
  • Hardest positions for veterans to fill: High-voltage technicians
  • Challenges remain to interpret military duties to civilian unless the company has a lot of experience, especially in interviews
  • Most veterans talk about what the team did before what “I did”
  • Veterans should try more conversations in interviews than monopolize it (less is more)
  • The mental pivot from wearing the uniform to civilian is a challenge. The word “fired’ and “quit” are never used in the military. It’s either the “end of contract” or “end of term”
  • Many who transition are given some time to start finding opportunities wait too long to find other opportunities. If you have a year, you should immediate start looking
  • “What are your preferences?” What are the priorities?” Those are the first two question is preparing transitioners
  • 90-120 day mark before leaving is when he or she should be interview ready; not much time is spent on the resume, jobs again are technical
  • For those who don’t interview well, the companies Sultan works with giving feedback for remedial training. They use their local branch transition office

Karin Durkee (@karindurk) is the Director of Social Media for Corporate Gray. She is a military spouse, educator, technology consultant, and author of Social Media and Your Job Search: Maximizing Your Network for a Successful Transition, an ebook for members of Corporate Gray. Karin presents social media workshops to transitioning military members on installations in the Washington, D.C. area. She is a frequent participant in The Voice of Job Seekers Linkedin group.

    • One of the myths of military is that they should avoid using social media if he or she has security clearance
    • Recruiters often look for security clearance, and it should be in a LinkedIn profile (although company rules and approval may determine how much info can be published)
    • Comfort level is also a consideration when determining if and how you want to be found online
    • High ranking officers use social media but care about not communicating clearance information
    • Social media is great place for research in a military transition
    • Find out how your expertise meets an employer’s needs
    • A professional photo is critical on LinkedIn, personalizes your presence, and get noticed
    • It is highly recommended to use a professional civilian photo than your military photo
    • Joining LinkedIn groups keeps you apprised of your field and military groups
    • Twitter is great for military spouses, easy to set up profiles, follow companies and industry experts
    • Twitter hashtags are great for research and trends. HootSuite, a Twitter client, allows to follow conversations, trends, information
    • Don’t: Don’t use military jargon to describe your experience, recruiters must understand what your experience means to their civilian clients
    • Do: Define your accomplishments that is understood by civilians
    • Don’t: When you say “retire” means you’re done
    • Do: “Transitioning,” says you are actively looking
    • You can Google “military terms translator” to help with military terms and acronyms

As a additional resource, go to www.everyveteranhired.com for the 100% complimentary tool for veterans called “The Job Ruck.” The tool is useful to help high performers find their purpose after service. It’s all about identifying purpose.

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. iTunes is a great place to write an honest review and increase the show’s visibility. Enjoy listening to the show.

Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction?I can help.

Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

I would still like to help self-published career professionals promote their books. If you’re interested, find more info here.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

My name is Mark Anthony Dyson, and I am the Founder of The Voice of Job Seekers. I am a career advice writer, but more importantly, I hack and re-imagine the job search process.. I've worked with hundreds of job seekers one-on-one helping them to construct a narrative and strategy that appeals to hiring managers and recruiters. I present at colleges and organizations, and facilitated many workshops including my volunteer effort through a Job Lab. I write and create useful job search content on this blog and write career and workplace advice for blogs such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Job-Hunt.org, Prezi and more. Media Feature highlights: Forbes, Business Insider, NBC News, Glassdoor, LinkedIn's #GetHired, and NPR Freelance writer and content contributor: Glassdoor, Payscale, job-hunt.org, The Financial Diet, RippleMatch.com and more. Contact me to contribute career, job search, or workplace advice for your site at markanthonydyson@gmail.com.

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Filed Under: Military, Veterans Tagged With: Job Advice, Job Search, Recruiters, Social Media, Veterans

by Mark Anthony Dyson 1 Comment

Career Transition Strategies for Military Veterans

Career Transition Strategies for Military Veterans
http://traffic.libsyn.com/thevoiceofjobseekers/thevoiceofjobseekers63.mp3

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Thanks to all Veterans

This Veterans Day episode is dedicated to all of you who served our country. We thank you because you sacrificed your comfort, family, and yourselves to make sure that the rest of America can enjoy their freedom that we often take for granted.

The transition back to civilian life is not an easy task. For many veterans, transitioning back to the civilian job market is a nightmare. Are you a military veteran challenged by the competition or the lack of career resources? What is the toughest part of your career transition from serving to civilian?

There are three ways you can let me know:

Blog: TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com (Use the send voicemail feature)

Email: mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Voicemail: 708.365.9822

My guest today is Patricia Frame (@2Patra). As an Air Force Veteran herself has extensive experience as a Human Resource expert. She has trained more than 1,800 hiring managers in effective hiring and talent management processes and actions. She was recommended as a guest from Susan P. Joyce, a guest back from late summer. Patricia is the founder of PatraFrame.com and Veterans’ job expert at job-hunt.org.

Here are a few of the highlights from our conversation:

  • One of the differences from past military transitions is now career training is provided for all Veterans’ before leaving the military. The bad side that too many Veterans wait for the training and not doing anything for their job search before instruction begins
  • Patricia noted that many Veterans’ miss the intense camaraderie they experienced through combat making it hard to transition back to civilian life. Very few civilian workplaces can replicate the teamwork a Veteran experienced before leaving
  • One of the common mistakes Veterans’ make on LinkedIn is posting their military pictures. She said that is an indication that they are not ready for a career transition back to the civilian world. Employers also pick that up all because a soldier wants people to see their “fruit salad (military ribbons and décor)” and rank
  • Patricia stated that people need to think of their LinkedIn profile as an advertisement. For example putting “Retired” sends the wrong message to recruiters and employers. We agreed that a common error among Veterans’ is not speaking the language of civilian employers
  • Don’t forget the importance of showcasing soft skills and achievements through writing and speaking, especially when the job you performed was classified

Resources mentioned:

Type “Troops to…” in the Google search engine filled by the profession you desire will populate with many choices (many of them free). Training is often sponsored by companies and trade associations

Microsoft (free training available)

SAP (Veterans to Work program)

General ElectricSyracuse University for Veterans and Military Families

Veterans Tuition Credit Program

American Corporate Partners (mentoring and career advice)

BPW

Joining Forces

Next week I will have a PDF with additional resources to find listings, programs, and directories to help those veterans that need additional help! Email me at mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com to be put on the list.

Have a great week!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

My name is Mark Anthony Dyson, and I am the Founder of The Voice of Job Seekers. I am a career advice writer, but more importantly, I hack and re-imagine the job search process.. I've worked with hundreds of job seekers one-on-one helping them to construct a narrative and strategy that appeals to hiring managers and recruiters. I present at colleges and organizations, and facilitated many workshops including my volunteer effort through a Job Lab. I write and create useful job search content on this blog and write career and workplace advice for blogs such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Job-Hunt.org, Prezi and more. Media Feature highlights: Forbes, Business Insider, NBC News, Glassdoor, LinkedIn's #GetHired, and NPR Freelance writer and content contributor: Glassdoor, Payscale, job-hunt.org, The Financial Diet, RippleMatch.com and more. Contact me to contribute career, job search, or workplace advice for your site at markanthonydyson@gmail.com.

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Filed Under: Military, Veterans Tagged With: Career Advice, Military, Veterans

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJNTym48NVo&t=68s
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