Rebranding yourself as a professional…
We’ve seen it, we’ve heard it, but what does it mean?  “Branding.” It’s not just for big name companies.  You have a brand!  It just so happens that your brand is camouflage and a rifle. You and hundreds of thousands more.  So what makes you different?

Think about what you love; what is your passion?  Learn your craft, embrace the attitude, get positive, and seek out your opportunity! 

The Success Equation
Remember when your commanding officer used to tell you, “Keep it simple, stupid?”  Same rule applies to the civilian world.   There are three basic components, when combined create the formula for success:

TALENT  x  EFFORT  x  OPPORTUNITY

Is something missing? (I doubt it, but make sure to leave a comment below if you think otherwise.)

Some of us may not be as talented as others, that just means you need greater effort or to find more opportunity.  Some may naturally have less opportunity, but if you excel in your craft and work harder than anyone else, it won’t be a problem.   See how that works?

The Opportunity…
My challenge to you? Find the opportunities around you, ask for help if you need it, then put in some sweat equity. Your first opportunity? Career Expos. Military.com has released their 2012 Career Fair Calendar; I suggest you shine your shoes and go.

Special note:
If you are in the Phoenix area, and would like some one-on-one coaching, we will have a pre-fair networking/strategy event on February 8th. Contact drew@boots-to-suits.com for details. The Phoenix Career Expo is on February 9th from 10am-2am at 552 North 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008. Be sure to look for a Boots to Suits transition liaison.

Good luck, and happy hunting!

“I’m excited and apprehensive about transitioning out of the military. I’m still working, planning to move, and finishing up my degree. I’ve never done a job search before. And if I had the time to do a proper job search, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Whether you’re an E-4, E-7, or O-6, you will face the same issues with transitioning. Getting a job is about leveraging three components: education, experience, and professional development. Most people do very well with education and experience; it’s the formalized professional development that often goes ignored.

There are so many emotions tied up in separating from the Service, mainly because the demands on your time can be overwhelming with your military job, getting your degree, and moving. It’s no wonder that many Service members have problems getting a job. They just didn’t have the time or knowledge of how to do an effective job search. Every service member needs an effective job search strategy. One way you can increase your odds of transitioning well out of the Service is to work on your professional development long before you plan to separate. Give yourself a buffer; let potential employers know that while you’re not available now, but you will be within a certain timeframe.

Don’t worry. Corporate America loves Veterans. As the military has shrunk in size, they have invested more dollars of training into every service member. Thankfully, Corporate America realizes and appreciates that. Your military training and talent usually puts you at the top of the list for hiring. In fact, there are job fairs all over America designed specifically for Veterans.

A good career center will tell you that you need a resume and that you need to post it. Also, you need to search the jobs that are listed. A really well written resume is usually responded to with an equally well written rejection letter. Everyone has a resume. Everyone needs one. They all look the same. They’re all thrown in the same stack when faxed/emailed. In the end, a resume is just an advertisement that might get you an interview. The secret is that there are a lot of jobs which are unlisted and this is where good networking skills can find these jobs. The goal is to get to the decision makers.

There is a way to quickly, easily, and cheaply land your dream job: network within professional national associations. National associations have a lot in common. They usually have searchable websites, industry journals, conferences, and local chapters. They also offer industry knowledge and networking opportunities. New members are always welcome, especially from the military. National associations are organizations which have been created for the betterment of their industry or function and as a result, they are an objective third-party source for networking and knowledge. Memberships usually cost less than $100 per year.

Advances in electronics and today’s business climate have caused the traditional social networks to become smaller; however, the trend for professional national associations has been exploding. By searching on the internet for “national associations” you will find thousands of career-based and industry-based national associations. National associations usually have local chapters all over America, which makes membership extremely portable. It’s easier to find a job if people know that you’re looking for a job.

Every association has a website which usually hosts copies of current and archived industry journals. These journals have articles which are written by industry professionals, most of the time their email is included in the article. This is where your initiative can be used as a Band-Aid for a perceived lack of experience or non-relevant experience.

The whole idea behind these associations is to use their resources to help you increase your odds of landing your dream job. Here’s what to do:

1. Join an association and attend the local monthly meetings here. (2 hrs./mo)
2. Email the author of an article and try to co-opt the author to become part of your own personal network. (10 mins)
3. Write an article. These industry journals are always looking for new and different material. There are a lot of military jobs which have similarities with their “real world” counterpart.

For a monthly investment of just over 2 hours and a one-time article, you will have gone a long way in differentiating yourself to land your dream job.

Emailing an author of an industry article is something everyone can do, but few people choose to do. These authors are not professional writers, they’re industry professionals. And if you email them with kind remarks, you may be surprised how responsive these people can be when it comes to promoting your goals.

Writing an article for an industry journal is like fishing, you don’t know what you’re gonna catch. At the very least, if your article is published, you can use it as a reference for future job opportunities.   The beauty of writing an article for an industry journal is that it tends to make you look like an industry professional.

Your career is up to you. The Career Center is nice but, at the end of the day, you are responsible for your own life.

Get the career you deserve.

Rick Martin is an Enrollment Counselor in the Military Division at University of Phoenix who specializes in guiding veterans and service members in utilizing their benefits to obtain higher education and the careers they want. If you are interested in maximizing your potential by earning a degree, you can get in touch with Rick at (602) 332-5965.

Job Search Action

Job search got you down? What were you doing five minutes prior to reading this? What will you be doing five minutes after leaving your comment at the bottom? Do you have a thoughtful plan of action? When in doubt, engage in a concrete activity related to your sequence of job search steps. Conduct research on communities, companies, positions, and salaries using social media job search methods; survey job vacancy announcements; write resumes and cover letters; contact three employers each day.

Now, developing a plan of action and actually maximizing its potential is much easier said than done. If done properly, your job search will become an extremely time consuming activity. Sometimes it competes with other personal and professional priorities. This is why you need to make some initial decisions as to how and when you will perform job search activities.

Time Management

Ask yourself, “How valuable is my time in relation to finding a job or changing my career?” The amount of time you can devote to your job search will depend on your personal situation. I understand that until you actually separate, you are employed by the U.S. Government and have a job to do. However, I doubt you work 24 hours a day. Concentrate on your job search sooner rather than later and make maximum use of your available time. The advantage of seeking a new job while still employed affords you benefits such as health coverage and a more attractive appearance to prospective employers.

Try making a “to do” list for each day. These can be very effective, especially if they are created the night before. Develop a pattern for a guideline and start each day ready to take action. Making your list the night before gives you less opportunity for procrastination. Prioritize which activities are most important, include a particular goal at the top to complete each day. You will find it much easier to accomplish more in less time, and with better results.

Plan…To Take Action!

Planning makes sense; it focuses attention and directs action toward specific goals. It requires you to set goals and develop strategies to achieve them, but avoid excessive planning, it should not be all consuming. Too much planning can blind you to unforeseen opportunities. Sometimes you get lucky, the more you get yourself out there, the more likely it is to happen. Luck, although not to be relied on, can play an important role in the job search. I want you to do just enough planning so you will be in a position to take advantage of unexpected occurrences and opportunities that arise from the execution of your planned activities. Be flexible enough to capitalize on new opportunities and the luck that just might come your way.

Develop a Timeline

Just like any military operation, it is important to establish a time line and be disciplined in the execution of activities. Your mission is to obtain employment. When do you need to start? Which activities can be done concurrently? Prioritize and place activities on a time line, execute and follow-up. A solid but flexible search plan is critical to a successful employment campaign. Depending on your situation, you may want to incorporate a specific sequence of job search activities. This sequence of course, should be consistent with the seven job search steps.

Your time line should incorporate activities over a six month period. The first four steps should be accomplished in the initial month, and the final three steps continue in the subsequent months. If you plan, prepare and persist the pay-off will be job interviews and offers.

Job hunting requires time and hard work-perhaps the hardest work you will ever do-but if done properly, it pays off with a job that is right for you.

Organize your job search

You are one in a million. Actually, you are closer to one in 20 million. That is how many people who find themselves unemployed. Each year. Not to mention the millions of others who attempt to advance their careers by looking for alternative jobs and careers. How are you going to compete with this? You were in the military, strategy of course is what gives you the inherent advantage. Finding a job in a systematic and well-planned manner will be hard, but it will also be rewarding. The current job market is not making anything easier for you right now. It may seem put-together but it is in fact relatively disorganized. If you are looking for consolidated, thorough and timely job information in one place, the job market will frustrate you. You may find many services ready to help you, but even these services produce fragmented and disappointing overall results. Why do many unemployed stay unemployed? Their job search methods are ineffective.

There is no system organized to give you a job. At best is a culmination of newspaper listings, trade publications, employment offices, temp agencies, and computerized job databases. These are solely designed to link potential candidates with available positions. This is why many people try to sell you job information, and job search services. They create the apparent notion of a “competitive advantage.” Ultimately, there are few systems that help you land a job closely related to your skills and interests.

Understand. Organize. Strategize.

Finding a job is more than just a task; it encompasses facts, skills and principles which can be learned, but must be adapted to suit individual situations. Learning how to find a job is as important to your career as knowing how to perform a job. Actually, the skills associated with job-finding are often more important to your success than job performance. The key elements of a successful job search relate your past, present and future.

Research Stages:

Step 1: Identify your motivation, skills and abilities.

Step 2: Specify a career objective.

Step 3: Research jobs, communities and individuals.

Writing Stage:

Step 4: Produce resumes and cover letters.

Contact Stages:

Step 5: Conduct informational interviews.

Step 6: Manage job interviews.

Step 7: Negotiate salaries and benefits.

You should be comfortable conducting your job search. This is why we integrate your past into the process, it should allow you to represent the best of what you are in terms of how your past and present accomplishments relate to your future goals. The idea here is to communicate your best self to employers while focusing on strengths as they are portrayed during your job search, and how this translates to success on the job. To learn more about your strengths and motivations toward work, take the FREE MAPP Assessment.

Questions?  Comments?  I’d love to hear them!
Email: drew@boots-to-suits(dot)com

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