Master Class: New Year, New Career

It is a powerful thing to give yourself a do-over on transition. As we discussed in class, the do-over stage (aka the Killer Rabbit stage) is the moment of your transition where you regroup, rethink, and reorganize your efforts.

Remember, the three things most likely to stall your job hunt are a lack of career clarity, networking resistance, and being overwhelmed by training options and how to pay for them.

In this class, you will learn:

1. How to identify your target job title. It isn't easy to figure out what kind of civilian job fits your training, skillset, and preferences. There are so many contributing factors. Figure it out step-by-step with our exclusive Career Clarifier worksheet. When you print it out and start filling it in, you will find that the answer will come to you much quicker.
    
2. How to network into a job with intelligent questions. No one in the military likes networking during their job hunt. That is a given. However, the research shows repeatedly that your job offers will come from Someone connected to you through a network of weak ties. Get a grip on the process with our Nemesis Networking worksheet.
   
   Instead of random calls to strangers, start by thinking of a question you need to have answered, like—What are my most marketable experiences? Or, what salary should I expect in this field in this area? Do I really need a PMP? Then, jot down on the worksheet what kind of person might have that answer.
   
   For example, if you are trying to figure out your salary, the “someone” you are looking for could include Someone I know who already works in this field. Someone who works for the company. Someone with the same background. Someone who is working as a recruiter or sourcer for this company.
   
   You may not have a name to put with the “someone” right away, but when you look for the kind of person who can answer a question, the sources start popping up everywhere.
    
3. How to pay for education and training. When you are working with your GI Bill, always start by checking your eligibility with the Veterans Administration here: https://www.va.gov/education/eligibility/ Then talk to a real person at an educational institution.
   
   For example, at our sponsor, WGU, you start by speaking with an enrollment counselor. These people are trained to help you identify your options and ensure you are getting the education you need to get the job you want. Even though you can figure things out yourself, getting insight from a trained counselor can help make sure you don’t make any missteps.

After you have watched the class, you can bring any questions to me. Just reach out on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaceyeckhart/