If you’re a veteran looking for work, it can seem like you’re navigating uncharted territory. It can be challenging to navigate a sea of varied job titles and roles and even to figure out what jobs your background qualifies you for. Navigating all that requires you to articulate your transferable skills. Then, there’s interviewing and onboarding, which might not be something you’ve navigated recently. That can be a lot to take in when coming from a structured environment like the military, where you’ve had diverse experiences, training, and skillsets. For this reason, we’ve put together a list of tips to help you simplify your job hunt and land the right job for you.
Start searching early and keep looking until you find what you’re looking for.
It is not unusual for veterans seeking their first civilian job after service to begin that search 2-3 months before their terminal leave. This might sound like a long time, but the truth is, as soon as you have a timeline for transition, you should begin researching your career options.
You may choose to research companies that interest you and begin networking and building relationships and connections to those companies you see may be a good fit for you.
Emphasize your character.
Experiences, skills, and certifications are valuable, but civilian employers are looking for more. They’re interested in understanding more about your experiences and situations that have allowed you to demonstrate initiative, flexibility, reliability, leadership skills, capability to be a team player, etc.
Develop a professional resume and cover letter.
When developing your resume for civilian employment, you want to ensure you highlight your transferable skills and experiences, as well as relevant soft skills. Lean into your pertinent technical expertise as well. Just understand that civilian employers may not be familiar with common military terminology and acronyms, so you may need to clarify those. Adding a personalized cover letter to deliver for each specific position you’re applying for lets you articulate how you can contribute to the company in specific ways.
Have a civilian review your resume and cover letter.
To make sure your information is clear and concise, you may want to ask someone without military experience to take a look at your resume and cover letter. Ask them if there’s anything that isn’t clear or doesn’t make sense. Sometimes the military lingo becomes so engrained that you may not realize the language you’re using may not resonate with your potential employer due to their lack of understanding and military experience.
Connect with a staffing agency.
Sometimes navigating the world of job hunting is overwhelming, especially if you’re pressed for time to find that next role. That’s precisely why staffing agencies like Elite Staffing exist. At Elite Staffing, we are able to connect great talent to great opportunities in the hospitality industry. So, if you’re looking for a great opportunity in hospitality, don’t hesitate to contact us to get started on finding the perfect job match today!