Military Transitioning

Post Military Career Planning

Notice that this is called career planning, not job planning. You find yourself seeking a job. But you should look for that job within the much broader context of what you plan to do with the rest of your life.

Developing a career plan insures that your initial job is helping you work toward a longer-range career objective. In addition, most employers will ask you how the position you are interviewing for ties in with your overall career objective. If your answer is "I don’t know" or "I have not considered a career objective", then you have probably shot yourself out of the interview.

Career planning takes time and effort. You should develop a career plan at least six to twelve months before the end of your military career. We recommend you start working on your transition plan 12 months before your discharge date. Doing so gives you time to react if your plan identifies obstacles to entering your chosen career field, or uncovers gaps in your educational background or skill set.

In developing your preliminary career plan, you need to answer the following questions:

• What type(s) of work do you really enjoy doing? What about the work appeals to you?
• What career or careers will allow you to do the type of work you find enjoyable?
• What specific jobs within your chosen career field(s) should you apply for?
• In reference to the specific jobs you intend to apply for, how well qualified are you?
• How has your military experience, skills and training prepared you for the job(s)?
• How has any prior civilian work experience helped prepare you for the job(s)?
• How does your formal education tie in with the job(s) you will be applying for?
• Do you have any weak areas, in terms of your work experience, skills and education?
• How can you correct or compensate for any weak areas?
• What general strengths do you have? How will these benefit your new employer?
• What geographic restrictions do you want to place on your job search?
• Are there other restrictions you need to consider? Do you need to consider your spouse’s requirements to also find a job?
• Are there limitations to the amount of travel you are willing to do?
• Are there limitations to the amount of time you are willing to spend away from family?
• Are there limitations on the amount of overtime you are willing to work?
• Are there certain industries you prefer not to work in?
• What is your minimum starting salary requirement? What do you think you should receive?
• For the job(s) you have selected, how will you identify open positions?

If you have difficulty putting together your career plan, you may want to review one or more of the following books:

Does Your Resume Wear Combat Boots? How to Turn Your Military Experience Into a Good Civilian Job Offer by William Fitzpatrick, from Blue Jeans Press. Provides down-to-earth, hard nosed, easy-to-follow advice on career decisions, self marketing, resume writing and job-hunting campaigns. All the information is presented in terms the military person of whatever rank or service can identify with and understand.

From Air Force Blue to Corporate Grey, or From Army Green to Corporate Grey, or From Navy Blue to Corporate Grey, by Carl Savino and Ronald Krannich. These books were specifically written to provide guidance for transitioning military personnel. They provide a wide range of useful information on topics how to identify your skills and abilities to how to conduct research on job opportunities.

What Color Is Your Parachute: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career Changers by Richard Nelson and Rob Walsh. For more than 25 years, this "Cadillac of job-search books" ("Rocky Mountain News") has been the best selling book of its kind. Updated and revised annually, "Parachute" is essentially two books in one: a practical manual for job-hunters and a guide for career changers. The 1999 edition includes all the winning features from previous editions, including a three-chapter overview entitled "For the Impatient Job-Hunter"--a summary of everything to help jump-start a career in no time flat!

The New Rules of the Job Search Game by Jackie Larson and Cheri Comstock, from Bob Adams, Inc Publishing. This resource offers sound advice to the highly motivated job seeker. It emphasizes making direct contact with people having hiring authority and others with information of value in dealing with them, e.g., secretaries and competitors. Also explained are techniques for identifying and researching companies worth pursuing. Makes many sound recommendations, such as approaching smaller, fast-growth companies over the more visible Fortune 500 concerns and locating job prospects in a manner similar to an investor researching prospective "hot" companies.

Career Exploration on the Internet from Ferguson Publishing. If you’re having trouble deciding on a career, this book might help. Initially developed to help students learn more about various careers, it contains information on how to access more than 300 web sites containing information about careers ranging from law enforcement to agriculture.

Job Searching Online for Dummies by Pam Dixon from IDG Books Worldwide. Whether you're casually poking around the Internet for new job opportunities or looking for a full-time position that starts yesterday, you'll find all the tips, tools, and helpful advice you'll in this book. Sort through all the cyberchaos of online job search services, from creating electronic resumes and self-promoting Web sites to tracking down the best of the best in online job databases, with these winning strategies from a seasoned online pro.

Don't wait until you are separated from the service to begin your job search. Work pro-actively. Begin assessing your strengths and your needs as to future employment. There are too many job seekers with separation dates fast approaching who have not even created a resume! Avoid this by following some key concepts:

Prepare a resume. Use an old resume and add your service related accomplishment sand awards in the text. Prepare a portfolio to go along with your resume. this portfolio should contain the proof sources that substantiate the accomplishments you have listed on your resume. Practice with your resume and the portfolio, so your stories are succinct and professional and polished.

List careers or types of positions for which you're suited. If you are applying to a pharmaceutical or medical company, explain your experience and bullet point why you are suited for this position and company. Sales jobs for all industries require the same skills, but when applying to a pharmaceutical company, you will need to prove not only  your talent and skill as a salesperson, but that you have the capabilities to learn and present medical information. use examples of successful informational presentations.

Make contacts early. If you are one or even two years from separation, start investigating companies in which you're interested and recruiters that can help with your career transition. Starting early builds knowledge of the job market, puts your profile in front of people who can help, and gives you an understanding of the standards necessary to successfully land a job.

Visit your Transition Assistance, Family Service or Career Resource office for information and assistance during your transition. Often times there is literature left behind by recruiters and other companies which can provide a great deal of information. Another great resource at the office is the manager. He or she has dealt with various organizations helping military job seekers transition into civilian careers. Article by TED DAYWALT-President vetJobs.com

Transitioning  using the Internet

The greatest amount of information regarding ones transition from a military to civilian career is found on the World Wide Web. Here you can get tips on writing resumes, review the details of others who havecorporate America, and post your resume for interested employers and recruiting specialists. The Internet can be the most powerful tool in your job search. Use it effectively, and your chances of finding the ideal civilian career are greatly enhanced.

Where should you go? Job boards are very popular on the Internet, however, you need a resource that caters specifically to you as a job seeker leaving the military. 

Transitioning Military Job Candidates Can Break into Pharma Sales

Everyone wants to land a job in pharma sales, how can I get my job offer?

Many transitioning military candidates such as JMOs are interested in pharmaceutical sales careers, and think that they can land a job easily.  What’s the real story? 

Many pharma sales recruiters devote a good deal of time to military recruiting. But you’ll need to learn what a pharmaceutical sales rep does before you meet with a corporate recruiter and/or hiring manager. 

By merely stating that you want to be a sales rep and thinking that you’ll make a good rep, you are asking the recruiter or sales manager to take a risk by hiring you. But if you know what a successful rep does, you’ll be able to compare your similar successes and why you will have a successful impact on the company’s bottom line. Now you are minimizing the manager’s risk- and increasing your chances of landing a job offer.

What are some of the things that a JMO can do to give themselves the best possible chance of landing a pharmaceutical sales job? 

Research what a pharmaceutical sales rep job is, what sales reps do, and why they are successful. Read books on sales jobs and research information about drug companies. Look up local pharmaceutical sales rep organizations and make some phone calls to their members. If you can arrange it, meet for coffee. Show up professionally dressed and on time. Treat the meeting like a formal interview. Bring your resume with you and ask the rep to share it with his/her manager. Now you have a mentor in the business. If the person is open to it, ask to accompany him/her on some sales calls. This is a great learning experience called a preceptorship. List this on your resume and document in your brag book. It sets you above other candidates. 

Emphasize science and communication course work and leadership abilities on your resume. Pharmaceutical company recruiters look for course work in the sciences so make sure to accentuate good grades in related coursework and your ability to learn science related material. List books and outside reading that includes anatomy, physiology, diet, and exercise. Use your training and accomplishments in persuasiveness to prove that you can convince people to do things. After all, this is what sales is. Use stories about working in a team environment to persuade people to follow your ideas. Prove the stories with documentation. Track your accomplishments and collect references letters from everyone you have worked with including supervisors and peers. 

You will need to create a brag book- a portfolio of your accomplishments. Your brag book is a must for successful sales interviewing. It is as important as your resume; it substantiates the resume’s claims. Practice using your brag book too. Refer to the book as you role-play answering interview questions. 

Lastly, but very importantly, don’t be boring. Use animation in your story telling when you answer interview questions. It has been my experience as well as colleague recruiters that military recruitment is very BORING. Stand out; be personable, friendly and likable. Always close by confidently asking for the job and demonstrate your follow up skills by voice mail and e-mail. prs.com

Five Ways to Make a Military to Civilian Life Transition

Copyright © 2006 by Vivian Banta

The process of transitioning out of the military can present its own unique set of challenges. While the armed services train soldiers well in technical and leadership skills and do provide soldiers with many useful resources as they exit, there are some things that military service does not prepare you for when re-entering civilian life.

Here are five tips to help make the transition a bit easier:

1. How to connect to a new community With its relocation and MWR departments, the military does a lot to help soldiers and their families adjust to a new base, posting and locale. Once out of the service, though, you may find connecting to a new community quite daunting. Apart from become involved with the school your children attend and joining a new religious organization, there are other ways to immediately connect to a new community.

Tapping into your interests, hobbies and sports can reveal others who are like-minded and share your passions. You can also choose to get involved by volunteering with a not-for-profit organization or taking a class at the local community college or at a hobby or home improvement store. Many cities also offer a Newcomer's Group to welcome recent additions to their new home. Check out the meetings and events calendar in your newspaper or ask at the local library to find out when they meet. It's a great way to meet people who may know a lot about the city, who can perhaps point you towards other resources and groups and who want to welcome strangers. Finally, civic organizations and special interest groups offer a further way to involve yourself in a new community and build long-term relationships that can help with your career as well as your social life.

2. How to write a resume Instead of a resume, the military uses a Field Service Record to detail qualifications, training and experience. This poses several challenges to you in civilian life. First, you may never have had to write a resume. Second, the information contained in the service record is dictated by military regulations. It may include things not applicable to a resume while neglecting to mention other useful and marketable skill sets. Finally, they are written in military language that is difficult to translate into civilian speak.

In addition to learning how to write a good resume, you must also learn how to remain marketable in today's business climate. Military planners often look ahead to determine future needs and train soldiers accordingly. Also, few soldiers are concerned about getting laid off in a downsizing. You didn't have to be ready with a current resume and a strong network of contacts. In the competitive civilian world, individuals must keep informed about where their chosen industry is heading and gain or refresh skill sets ahead of when they are needed to ensure their future employability.

Although soldiers pride themselves on being resourceful and self-reliant, this is one area in which it's best to obtain professional help. On many bases, there is a department that provides soldiers with specialized help in creating a good civilian resume and there are numerous outside sources of help as well.

3. How to select your family's support team Medical and dental care and basic life insurance is provided to all active military members and their dependants and soldiers. Similarly, soldiers have access to basic legal services through the Judge Advocate General (JAG) office.

Once out of the military, these support services are no longer available and you may have no idea how to locate, interview and select medical health providers, life insurance, lawyers and financial planners. It's important to learn about these different services, determine what your family's needs are and thoroughly research the providers before choosing your support team. Many resources are available, particularly on the Internet, to help you. Several even list important questions to ask during the interview process as well as the customer service record of various providers.

4. How to succeed in the civilian business world One of the first things that soldiers encounter is the competitive nature of the civilian business environment. Most find the dog-eat-dog mindset of their new civilian co-workers and supervisors bewildering and disappointing. After participating collaboratively in military service where you are trained from boot camp on to look out for and depend on the other members of your team, you may quickly discover that civilian workers are often lone wolves when it comes to careers. Where you might expect camaraderie and support, you might find anything from caution to backstabbing, from poor morale to ruthlessness. While this is not true of every work environment, you need to understand that this behavior grows out of a competitive employment climate marked by downsizing, industry shifts and turnover.

In the military, you are given an assignment for a specific length of time at a standard pay grade with a predictable salary and are provided with the clothing, equipment, and training necessary to carry out the mission objective. Ordinarily, you don't face such issues as researching a company prior to a job interview, negotiating salary and benefits packages, selecting and purchasing a civilian work wardrobe, keeping skills and a resume updated frequently, being ready for downsizing, creating and maintaining a network and giving a resignation notice without burning any bridges.

Working with a transition coach or other similar resource can help to process the experience and ease the pains of necessary change.

5. How to start your own business Perhaps because former military members find the civilian business environment so alien, some decide to become their own bosses and start their own businesses. Unfortunately, many aspiring small business owners do not take the time to fully research and plan how to start and run a business and lose whatever savings they have managed to accumulate. Starting your own business requires a clear vision, full commitment, plenty of work, and realistic planning.

Fortunately, there are many resources available. Start with a local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Development Center (part of the SBA). These organizations can help or point you in the direction of further assistance.

Vivian Banta is a life coach who works with people in transition including those who are relocating, changing careers, shifting from military to civilian life, and dealing with personal relationship changes.