I was visiting Omaha, Nebraska, for the retirement of an Air Force friend. I tried to restrain myself, but I could not help asking about his job hunt. That's just the kind of friend I am.
Chris dutifully told me about all the applications he had submitted online. He confessed he didn't want to reach out to anyone in his network, because he did not want to bother them.
He believed he’d eventually land the right job just from applying online. "It's just a matter of time," he said.
I hate to rain on anyone's optimism parade, but I also hate to see any transitioning service member, veteran or military spouse waste time on job-hunting methods that don’t work.
"Do you know the unwritten rules of the job hunt?" I asked.
Chris sighed. "I hate unwritten rules," he said.
Of course he did. What part of "Air Force" was I not understanding?
Anyone who has ever transitioned from the military can tell you the job-hunting process is anything but straightforward. This is especially true when you are looking at jobs that pay more money. Those jobs represent more of a risk to the employer, so they are more carefully held behind unwritten rules.
As the master of perceiving unwritten rules, I love them. That is why all of our master classes skip over the job-hunt basics you learned by Googling. We go right to the unwritten rules and strategies you need to land the job.
Here are the top 10 unwritten rules of the job hunt that every transitioning military member needs to know.
1. You Can't Get a 6-Figure Salary by Applying Online
The higher the salary, the less likely it is that you will land a job without doing some networking. Our free Networking Without Awkwardness master class teaches you how to have the right kind of conversations with people you already know.
2. Civilians Can't Understand the Military Terms on Your Resume
Hate to break it to you, but your resume is a clusterfudge of military terms. No matter how many times the civilian recruiter or hiring manager watched "Full Metal Jacket" or "Top Gun: Maverick," they still don't equate "communications" with "IT." Ask a civilian friend to circle all the terms on your resume that seem "military" to them. Then work with a civilian coach or recruiter to identify which terms can be left as-is and which need to be translated into civilian vocabulary. Check out our free Translation Lab master class for more on this.
3. People Expect to Talk to You During Your Transition
This may seem strange, but most people you’ve worked with in the past do expect to hear from you when you are getting out of the military. Most past co-workers – peers, bosses, mentors and subordinates – don’t see it as an imposition for you to reach out. After all, your network is where you get the best job leads, and someday you’ll be able to pay it forward.
4. No One Has a Job for You Today
To add to the above tip, remember that once upon a time, someone you worked for said, "Look me up when you get out of the military." They meant it. They liked your work style. They were impressed with your knowledge. They could imagine a time they would want to hire you. But keep in mind it’s very unlikely they’ll have a job open for you at the exact moment you are getting out. But still get in touch. Many in your network will have ideas about who you should talk to next.
5. Don't Take Job-Seeking Advice from Active-Duty Military Members
The Marines, sailors, airmen, Coasties, Guardians and soldiers you work with today love you, but they know only what they have heard. The most relevant job-hunting advice comes from recruiters, hiring managers and post-military friends who have found a job within the past year. For more advice, find all of our free master classes in our Master Class Video Library.
6. Don't Approach a Friend Cold
When you reach out to a friend who works at one of your target companies, first look at the job listings the organization has available. Use that information to ask whether that is the right level you should be applying for or if they have any tips for putting together a better application. People are often willing to offer a lot of information; you just have to ask.
7. Avoid Oversharing
It is understood that this is a very turbulent time for you. You are naturally chock-full of indecision, uncertainty and existential angst. But it’s best to keep that in your inner circle. Share your feelings with your family, closest friends, career coach and therapist. Don't share your feelings with anyone who is employed and might someday be a lead to a job. Instead, tell them what kind of job you might be looking for, even if you aren't quite sure.
8. Hiring Is Cyclical
Certain periods of the year are better for hiring than others. Contracts come through. There is a lull in deadlines. Human resources workers come back to the office ready to clear their desks. Christmas ends. Strategize how to make the most of the hottest hiring season of the year with our free Postseason Playbook master class.
9. Look Up the Interviewer
Before you go into any kind of phone call, informational interview or formal interview, look up the interviewer on LinkedIn. It is only polite. The information is readily available, and you are expected to use it.
10. The Humblebrag Is Not the News We Are Looking For
The longer you are on the job hunt, the more likely it is that your entire feed will be full of other people landing jobs. You get the idea that the only information anyone wants to hear from you is that you got a job already. Not so. Job-hunt info is best delivered not by social post, but by email. Keep your circle informed regularly about how one of their job leads turned out. Or that you applied to something at their firm. Or that you had an interesting conversation with a mutual friend.
We are all rooting for you, job seeker. We know how valuable you are to the work world we live in. Keep moving forward.
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