Networking during military transition is awkward, I admit. It can make you feel like an alien. Stuck on a hostile planet. Looking for a handout. Naked.
No wonder you do not want to network. No wonder you procrastinate. No wonder you are still hoping that blindly applying to jobs online will somehow lead you to the promised land. Or at least a solid paycheck.
It won't. According to LinkedIn data, 85% of jobs are found through networking. It is unavoidable, even for transitioning military.
Luckily for you, networking into a job does not have to be quite that awkward for transitioning military, veterans or spouses. It does not require waiting in line at a hiring fair, standing around at a networking event or cold-calling a lot of strangers.
In fact -- when done correctly -- networking looks a lot like things you do every day. Like emailing or messaging people you know. Talking on the phone. Looking up info. Sitting in the bleachers. Asking and answering questions.
As Military.com's transition master coach for the Veteran Employment Project, I can tell you that there is a secret to networking without awkwardness (or nakedness, for that matter.).
That is why we put together our newest transition master class: Networking Without Awkwardness. We are opening the class to the more than 10,000 veterans and spouses who have attended past master classes, as well as to readers of Military.com.
In just 60 minutes, you will learn:
- What networking actually means for transitioning military and spouses.
- What networking rules should you know in each stage of networking so you look like an insider.
- How to conduct an informational interview without awkwardness.
- How to circle back to your network with class when you are in job-seeking mode.
Networking might feel like an awkward activity at first, but with our rules, you will learn how to network into a job like a pro.
Jacey Eckhart is Military.com's transition master coach. She is a certified professional career coach and military sociologist who helps military members get their first civilian job by offering career-level Master Classes through our Veteran Employment Project and on her website SeniorMilitaryTransition.com. Reach her at Jacey.Eckhart@Monster.com.
Learn More About the Veteran Employment Project
To get more tips on how to make a successful military transition, sign up for one of our many FREE Military Transition Master Classes today. You can view previous classes in our video library. Questions for Jacey? Visit our Facebook page.
