No One Will Give You a Job!
No One Will Give You a Job!
Transcript
The best piece of advice that I received while transitioning was that no one was going to give me a job. At the time, I wrongly assumed that civilian professionals fully understood what I did in the military and how those skills and experiences translated to corporate America. My thinking was, I was a Marine with a deployment to Afghanistan, who wouldn't want to hire me? I had a chip on my shoulder. And as it turns out, there actually were not very many people interested in hiring me.
The truth is, civilian professionals really do not understand what you do in the military and how your skill set can add value to their company. Remember that less than 1% of the US population has served in the military, so their knowledge and understanding of what veterans actually do is limited and influenced by Hollywood movies, cable news, and secondhand stories that they hear from neighbors and friends. So for instance, can you speak intelligently about what prosecutors do on a day-to-day basis other than what you see on Law and Order?
So don't think that you can, as a transitioning veteran, you're just going to post your military resume online and have dozens of companies fighting to hire you. You are going to have to compete and work hard for every meeting, every interview, and every single job offer. The responsibility is on you to be able to effectively communicate your value, your skills, and your experiences, and why you should be selected for the job. Employers respect and they appreciate your service, but that alone will not get you a job.
And you know what? When you finally do land that first job, you're probably not going to be in charge of anyone. You're not going to be mentoring other colleagues, influencing strategic operations, or frankly, have much responsibility for anything except yourself. You will most likely be the low person on the totem pole so you can learn and acquire the technical competencies of your new job.
So don't get down on yourself if you end up being a 28-year-old intern-- I was-- or if your new boss is several years younger than you are with considerably less leadership experience. Be prepared for this, and don't take it personally. You have to pay your dues and learn the trade, just like you did when you joined the service. In the military, there are no skipping ranks. You have to earn each rank with hard work and experience. Could you imagine if the army took the honors graduate at boot camp, and then made him or her your squad leader during your deployment? There's just no way that would happen. So why would a company do the same thing with you?
The truth is, civilian professionals really do not understand what you do in the military and how your skill set can add value to their company. Remember that less than 1% of the US population has served in the military, so their knowledge and understanding of what veterans actually do is limited and influenced by Hollywood movies, cable news, and secondhand stories that they hear from neighbors and friends. So for instance, can you speak intelligently about what prosecutors do on a day-to-day basis other than what you see on Law and Order?
So don't think that you can, as a transitioning veteran, you're just going to post your military resume online and have dozens of companies fighting to hire you. You are going to have to compete and work hard for every meeting, every interview, and every single job offer. The responsibility is on you to be able to effectively communicate your value, your skills, and your experiences, and why you should be selected for the job. Employers respect and they appreciate your service, but that alone will not get you a job.
And you know what? When you finally do land that first job, you're probably not going to be in charge of anyone. You're not going to be mentoring other colleagues, influencing strategic operations, or frankly, have much responsibility for anything except yourself. You will most likely be the low person on the totem pole so you can learn and acquire the technical competencies of your new job.
So don't get down on yourself if you end up being a 28-year-old intern-- I was-- or if your new boss is several years younger than you are with considerably less leadership experience. Be prepared for this, and don't take it personally. You have to pay your dues and learn the trade, just like you did when you joined the service. In the military, there are no skipping ranks. You have to earn each rank with hard work and experience. Could you imagine if the army took the honors graduate at boot camp, and then made him or her your squad leader during your deployment? There's just no way that would happen. So why would a company do the same thing with you?