In this video Patra Frame discusses the importance of learning the lingo of the civilian profession you want to work in, among other critical issues.

Don’t be the transitioning service member who speaks, writes and breathes military acronyms!

 +Rob Riggins

World War I Victory Medal

May is National Military Appreciation Month. Each day this month we bring you articles to aid transitioning military in their job search and stories to honor our nation’s veterans.

Whether you are transitioning military to civilian after a short time or a full career, there are resources available to help you make this move. Sure the quality of transition resources varies. But I am still surprised at how many military folks don’t really use most of what is available to them.

For most military folks, the return to the civilian world is a big change. And the longer you have spent in the military, or the shorter your previous civilian work experience, the bigger the knowledge gap.

So it is time for a plan. And a good plan starts with research.

There is excellent research which consistently shows that the keys to successful careers are:

Build on your strengths

Have goals and act on them

Make connections to other people (yes, networking) and keep them

Today we are going to talk about your strengths. How do you even know what they are?

Start by thinking about these questions. Make yourself a record of your answers so you can review and expand upon them as you think more about what you want to do as a civilian.

Question 1: What do enjoy doing that you are good at doing as well?

Don’t just think about your current assignment. Look at other things you have done over your career. Consider achievements in volunteer, community, or outside work too. What made you feel good at the end of the day? What did you most enjoy? What skills or knowledge or talents did you enjoy using most?

Write down some stories or notes about these skills and the aspects of the work you liked best.

Question 2: What longer term goals or dreams do you have?

Have you some dreams, tucked away until you can return to them? If so, what do you need to learn or do to make those dreams a reality? One of the NCOs I talked with last year dreamed of being a minister. But he did not just dream – he had been taking courses to work toward a divinity degree for some years. He volunteered with his church and was about to become a youth minister there. And then he planned to grow onwards after retirement.

Perhaps you, like many of us, do not have a dream job. But you may have longer-term goals which you hope to achieve. These may be work-related but they also might be life-related. Perhaps your long-term goal is to live in a specific area or to make a difference for a cause you believe in. Whatever those goals are, they become an important aspect of your career choices too.

As you work your way through defining your strengths and your goals, you will learn a lot about yourself that you probably have not really thought about much. Document your happiest/best personal achievements as a part of this process too.

Then start talking to people you trust. Talk to past bosses, mentors, peers, friends and family about what you see as your strengths. Ask them for feedback and ideas. You may discover strengths you have not given yourself credit for. Or you may find that others see some of your strengths as even more important than you do. You will hear different views of your achievements and ideas and knowledge. You will get ideas for jobs and careers that you have not thought of. Take it all in. Think about what you learn. Decide what to accept and use in your transition.

I think of a Marine with embassy and site-guard experience, in one war zone after another, who did not think he had any experiences or strengths that translated into civilian work beyond more guard work. His explorations of these two questions led him to a realization that he had been very good at training and mentoring others, at organizing and at dealing with a wide range of people in often difficult circumstances. He took his various military training programs and got them evaluated for college credits and enrolled in a business degree in a good state college in the area he wants to live in.

More information on preparing for your transition:

A terrific compendium of career-related resources. More on What do you want to do next?

What are you doing today, this week, now to get ready for the civilian work world?

ClearedJobs.Net HR Specialist Patra Frame

Patra Frame is ClearedJobs.Net’s HR Specialist. She is an experienced human resources executive and founder of Strategies for Human Resources. Patra is an Air Force veteran and charter member of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.

World War I Victory Medal

May is National Military Appreciation Month. Each day this month we highlight articles to aid transitioning military in their job search and stories to honor our nation’s veterans.

I went to my first tech school barely a month after arriving at my first base. You certainly have had some training too. So what do you do with all that when you are thinking about your transition?

First, as you have looked at what you want to do – your personal and professional goals – you may have thought about getting additional education. Or you may have tried to figure out how your training helped prepare you for the work you want to do.

You may already have a degree and be thinking about graduate work. Or you may not have a degree but be thinking about whether it is worthwhile. Many civilian jobs require specific education credentials. Some enlisted folks are surprised to discover that the civil service and government contractor versions of their job may require a degree they do not have.

Understand the value of the training you already have.

You have a range of options to help translate your military training into college credits — and into terms civilians understand. It’s worthwhile to get your service transcripts and use them for career research as well as have them for potential employers. Here are the links to do so:

Army

Navy/Marines

Air Force

Coast Guard

And if you want to know more about receiving college credit for your military training visit the American Council on Education.

Wondering if you need to get more education?

Look at the requirements for jobs you want. A simple search on Indeed.com or similar job boards for the jobs that interest you will help. What educational requirements are most common?

There are competency models for a wide range of careers that show education requirements as well as skills and experience at CareerOneStop.org.

Not entirely sure which jobs best match your interests? There are excellent, free career assessments online at O*Net.

If your desired career requires additional education, you can start while still on active duty or use your benefits following your service. Carefully check out the schools that interest you. Unfortunately there are a number of schools that target military people, especially for online degrees, that do not have good degree completion track records or are not considered valid programs by many employers.

If you are going to attend school after separation, consider schools in the geographical area where you want to live. Many fine colleges and universities exist beyond the few highly recognizable ones. And many companies prefer to recruit from area schools where they have connections.

Use your education effectively.

While you will not attach your transcripts to resumes in applying for most civilian jobs, you can offer them in your cover letter, during an interview, or as a follow-on to interviews. You will need your transcripts when applying for federal or state civil service jobs.

Perhaps more importantly, seeing what your transcripts translate your training to may give you ideas both for jobs and to enhance your resume.

Summing up:

– Get your education and training documented and translated by your service.

– Use what you have learned in your job search and marketing materials.

– Learn what other education or training you need for your career goals and think of ways to attain that.

ClearedJobs.Net HR Specialist Patra Frame

Patra Frame is ClearedJobs.Net’s HR Specialist. She is an experienced human resources executive and founder of Strategies for Human Resources. Patra is an Air Force veteran and charter member of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.

Networking is a key trait of successful professionals. But many think that networking is only for sales people. Networking is crucial to any professional’s personal and career growth. We’re not talking about comparing the number of your “Connections,” but true networking where you have established connections and a relationship with other people.

Does Your Employer Know You’re Looking for a Job

As with the story about the gentleman who left his job after a disagreement over uploading his resume to LinkedIn, many job seekers are concerned that creating or updating their LinkedIn profile — or any social media profile — may get them in hot water.

But having an active LinkedIn profile is going to allow you to develop a network that moves with you throughout your career, not just for the times you are looking for your next job.

In Kelly Dingee’s article about using LinkedIn but not tipping off your boss to your job search, So You Want to Use LinkedIn, she recommends:
1)    Turn off your Activity Broadcasts
2)    Don’t say you are open for connection for “Career Opportunities”
3)    Don’t be too detail oriented
4)    Don’t have a public profile

Activity Broadcasts share two things: any changes you make to your LinkedIn profile or who you connect with on LinkedIn. You can share your Activity Broadcasts with just your network, your connections (meaning your 2nd and 3rd degree connections) or everyone. For tips and where to look for your LinkedIn settings, check out this presentation on the ClearedJobs.Net Slideshare channel.

Stay Passive in Your Job Search But Active in Your Networking

If you stay up-to-date on the trends in your industry and like to share information with your network, continue to do so.

And if you update your resume or profile information every several weeks or months with new accomplishments you may want to keep your Activity Broadcasts turned on. It both keeps your information up-to-date and doesn’t raise a red flag that you are starting a job search if it’s a regular activity.

In addition to networking being a benefit to your career development and growth, it can also support recruitment of new employees for your current employer. Employee referral programs are critically important in the security cleared world as a source of new hires.

According to the Career Xroads Sources of Hire study, referrals are in the top three sources of hire for many employers. For cleared facilities employers, the percentage of employees sourced through referrals typically ranges even higher — between 40-60%.

 +Kathleen Smith

David Alexander, Reuters. In what is likely the next phase of robotic vehicles, the military and industry are experimenting heavily with autonomous vehicles of varying sizes to allow delivery supplies without human guidance. While true autonomy is likely far off, it is increasingly likely that systems such as convoy vehicles, or the currently being tested Squad Mobile Support System, will see service in coming years. These systems mean there are fewer soldiers and Marines on the road and at risk, while increasing logistics capacity.

With NGEN, Navy Prepares for Move to the Future

Amber Corrin, Federal Computer Week. There are certain contracts that are worth so much that every player in the industry is waiting for the Request for Proposals with their breath held for years. The Navy’s Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) is one of those contracts. With a potential $10 billion at stake to build the Navy’s next computer network, it will be hotly contested. The system aims to take the entire enterprise in-house to the Navy with a contractor only operating the system, instead of owning it. All the major players in the defense IT sector are jumping to get some, if not all of the contract, which closes July 18th.

Cyber Sharing Program Formally Expanded

Zachary Fryer-Biggs, Defense News. A joint Homeland Security and DoD program that allows intelligence agencies to share cyber threat information with participating companies has been formally expanded from an initial group of 20 firms, to any companies in the defense industrial base who meet certain requirements. The program is not without criticism as companies have been reluctant to share information with DoD, while participants have said the intel they have gotten hasn’t been terribly useful. As is typical in government, things have been improving between DoD and the industry participants recently…so they transferred the whole thing to HLS to manage and everyone is back to square one in trust building.

What Price Freedom? LCS-1 Leaves Dry Dock Amid Questions About Worthiness

Michael Fabey, Aviation Week. AW is out with a pretty tough report on the Lockheed Martin-built LCS-1 USS Freedom, and the challenges the ship is having in testing surrounding corrosion, design and manufacturing issues, that don’t seem to find resolution. The Navy was forceful and direct in responding to the article calling it speculation, third party and dated information. But the fact is there are a lot of folks asking what is wrong with this ship design that will make up half the LCS fleet when all is said and done. Congress is getting very tired of hearing it’s all going to be okay, as the next ship in the class prepares for its sea trials shortly.

Army Seeks New Recruiting, Training Strategies

Michelle Tan, Army Times. As the Army is facing a reduction in size, a group called the Human Dimensions Task Force is taking a look at how the service recruits and trains the future leaders of the service. Currently there is little measurement of how a recruit will succeed in the military.  The existing Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB test is actually some 60 years old, and has little measurement of how a soldier will actually perform in the Army. The task force aims to find better ways to match recruit aptitudes with the right jobs and ways to train those recruits most effectively for the future. It’s an interesting mission that is long overdue.

The week ahead

Themes:  The Senate is gearing up for their NDAA markup session next week so this week promises to be a lot of maneuvering as everyone digests the results of the House Armed Services Committee markup last week and what it all means. The Senate will be looking at the transition from DoD to VA for disability ratings of service members and that promises to be a tough one for both departments. After years of attempting to meld their health record and personnel systems, they still struggle with the handover.

Tradeshows: 

NDIA 2012 Joint Armaments Conference (Mon-Thurs, 14-17 May) Seattle, Washington. The Joint Armaments Conference, Exhibition and Firing demonstration theme this year is “21^st Century Weapons Systems-Providing the Right Response” and along with its typical focus on small arms systems and gun and missile systems will also include unconventional and emerging armaments.

AFCEA and USNI Joint Warfighting Conference 2012 (Tue-Thurs, 15-17 May) Virginia Beach, VA. The theme this year is “Joint Forces Inflection Point: What to Hold and What to Fold?” and boasts a star studded line up of panels and speakers including keynotes from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Martin Dempsey and a VTC speech from ISAF Commander General John Allen. This free event will surely include a lot of discussion on the new defense strategy released two months ago and its implications on the military. To follow along on Twitter the conference hashtag is #JWC12.

Congress:   The full Congress is in session this week.

Senate:

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – Hearing (10:00 AM, Wed, 16 May) Full committee hearing on “Seamless Transition: Review of the Integrated Disability Evaluation System.” Witnesses: TBD Location:  216 Hart Senate Office Building

House of Representatives: 

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee – Hearing (2:00 PM, Mon, 14 May) Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee field hearing on “Honoring our Nation’s Veterans: Examining the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program.” Witnesses: TBD Location: Fillmore County Courthouse, 101 Fillmore Street West, Board Room, Preston, Minn.

House Rules Committee – Meeting (10:00 AM, Tues, 15 May) Full committee meets to formulate a rule on H.R.4310, the “National Defense Authorization Act for FY2013.” Witnesses: N/A Location:   H-313, U.S. Capitol

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee – Hearing (10:00 AM, Wed, 16 May) Health Subcommittee hearing on “Optimizing Care for Veterans with Prosthetics.” Witnesses:  TBD Location:  334 Cannon House Office Building 

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee – Hearing (2:00 PM, Wed, 16 May) Economic Opportunity Subcommittee hearing on “Examining Executive Order #13607 and Its Impact and Schools and Veterans.” Witnesses: TBD Location: 340 Cannon House Office Building

Think tanks and other news events: 

Homeland Security Policy Institute: A Conversation on Cyber Strategy with General James E. Cartwright, Washington, D.C. (5:00 PM, Mon 14 May) Description: This event features General James E. Cartwright, USMC (Ret.), former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Cartwright will offer an assessment of U.S. cybersecurity, and share his thoughts on how he hopes it will evolve moving forward — with a focus on effective deterrence strategies, and a discussion of offensive capabilities. His remarks will place cyber issues and challenges into context, and convey insights relating to cyber strategy. RSVP online. Participants: General James E. Cartwright, USMC (Ret.), former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, Seventh Floor, City View Room, 1957 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20052

AEI, CNAS, and the New America Foundation: The U.S. National Security Budget, Washington, D.C. (1:00 PM, Tues 15 May) Description: The American Enterprise Institute, the Center for a New American Security and the New America Foundation panelists will discuss an issue sure to face the next administration: U.S. defense spending in light of American grand strategy. With the “sequestration” mechanism set to cut at least $500 billion from the Department of Defense, on top of budget reductions in recent years, discussants will consider how these cuts could affect defense policy. RSVP online. Participants: Michèle Flournoy, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, David Barno, Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow at Center for a New American Security, Thomas Donnelly, Resident Fellow and Co-Director of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Michael Waltz, Senior National Security Fellow, New America Foundation and Former Advisor on South Asia to Vice President Cheney Location: American Enterprise Institute, 1150 17th St. NW, 11th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Digital Diplomacy: A New Era of Advancing Policy, Washington, D.C. (9:00 AM, Thu 17 May) Description: In a world of likes and hashtags, governments are using social media tools to reach beyond traditional diplomacy. Ministries and embassies are adopting new strategies for the digital age and exploring innovative ways to reach and engage domestic and foreign constituencies. Join leading thinkers in diplomacy and communications for a discussion on the evolution of public diplomacy and the ways visionary diplomats are using these powerful new tools to connect cultures, increase awareness, and advocate policy positions.  RSVP online. Participants: Amb. Arturo Sarukhan, Amb. Harold Forsyth, Alec Ross, Sarah Wynn-Williams, Martha Boudreau, Tom Carver Location: 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Center for Strategic and International Studies: Challenges to Access and the U.S. Response: The Joint Operational Access Concept, Washington, D.C. (1:00 PM, Fri 18 May) Description: A Military Strategy Forum event with Lieutenant General George J. Flynn, Director, J-7, Joint Staff speaking about Challenges to Access and the U.S. Response: The Joint Operational Access Concept followed by a panel discussion. RSVP online. Participants: Lieutenant General George J. Flynn, Director, J-7, Joint Staff Location: The St. Regis Hotel, 923 16th & K Streets NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

Fred Wellman with General Petraeus in Iraq

Fred Wellman, President ScoutComms, brings us his weekly review of defense industry news via The Scout Report. Fred served over twenty years as an Army officer in both aviation and public affairs. You can follow Fred on Twitter @ScoutComms.

+Fred Wellman

Have you ever emailed your resume to a recruiter and simply said something along the lines of “Here’s my resume. Let me know what you have for me.”

Recruiters see hundreds of resumes from job seekers each week. The more specific and helpful you can be when communicating with a recruiter, the better your results will be.

Bill Lewis, Recruiting Manager with L-3 Communications GS&ES, and a service member for 23 years, suggests using the following steps when emailing your resume to a recruiter. In fact Bill believes this so strongly, he has printed these job seeker tips on the back of his business card:

1. In the subject line include your full name, job title of the position you are interested in, and your security clearance.
2. In the body of the email introduce yourself briefly, similar to your elevator speech or your 30-second commercial. Set yourself apart by stating accomplishments, not responsibilities. Keep. It. Short.
3. If you are willing to relocate add the location(s).
4. Paste your resume into the body of the email so it’s immediately accessible, but also attach your resume.
5. Make your resume complete and easy to read. (Remember our article that a recruiter spends an average of six seconds reviewing a resume?)

Bill concludes with the following advice:

“There are many candidates whose skills match yours. Tell us why you are the best!”

+Rob Riggins

Thanks to all of our employers for providing a great experience to our cleared job seekers. The next Cleared Job Fair is Thursday, June 7 in Tysons Corner, VA.

+Rob Riggins

Hear a former service member with General Dynamics-IT discuss his transition and the support structure that General Dynamics-IT provides to transitioning military.

Bill Lewis, Recruiting Manager with L-3 Communications GS&ES and a service member for 23 years, relays some helpful thoughts for transitioning military on their job search.

Check out the job translators below the video!

Military job translators
http://www.onetonline.org/crosswalk/
http://www.careerinfonet.org/moc

Afghanistan Campaign Medal

May is National Military Appreciation Month. Each day this month we highlight articles to aid transitioning military in their job search and stories to honor our nation’s veterans.

Don’t assume there are no relevant civilian jobs for your military experience. You just may need to do some homework to figure out where the skills you developed in the military are most transferable in the civilian world.

In this video Patra provides guidance on how you can get started.

Make sure you check out the resources below the video.

Resources:

Military job translators

O*Net Online
Career One Stop Military to Civilian Occupation Translator

Career exploration

Career One Stop Keys to Career Success

My Next Move for Veterans

New tools

Google for Veterans

LinkedIn for Veterans

Career guide to industries

Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide to Industries