Posted on Aug 18, 2017
What's the most important piece of advice you could give someone that's about to ETS/Retire/Separate from the military?
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Retirement
ETS/EAS
Advice
Civilian Recruiter
Civilian Career
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 26
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If you are planning to transition into a corporate job soon after your separation here is what I always suggest based off my experience.
1. Determine what job field/market you want to get into. In the military we do many jobs but there are no jobs titled "Master of Everything". Narrowing down your job search will make it easier.
2. Network. I attended a military transition seminar in the DC area and it was mentioned that less than 5% of jobs were filled from cold online applicants. That's where networking comes in.
3. Be confident. When you talk to employers, recruiters, be proud, stand tall and look them in the eye. Act like you know what you are talking about.
4. Stay Positive. Keep your head up. It can be quite frustrating and stressful finding what you want. Don't get frustrated and let it affect your attitude. Learn and keep adjusting your plan until you get what you want.
1. Determine what job field/market you want to get into. In the military we do many jobs but there are no jobs titled "Master of Everything". Narrowing down your job search will make it easier.
2. Network. I attended a military transition seminar in the DC area and it was mentioned that less than 5% of jobs were filled from cold online applicants. That's where networking comes in.
3. Be confident. When you talk to employers, recruiters, be proud, stand tall and look them in the eye. Act like you know what you are talking about.
4. Stay Positive. Keep your head up. It can be quite frustrating and stressful finding what you want. Don't get frustrated and let it affect your attitude. Learn and keep adjusting your plan until you get what you want.
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J Leigh Tarzian
This advice is spot on, making the next step in the Civilian world is all about networking and finding connections inside the organizations you are targeting. You never know who you will encounter at an event or even just having dinner. Even small comments made standing in line at the grocery checkout can make a difference.
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Genevieve Walters
Also, do your research, there are many companies that have initiatives to hire veterans/military and have military specific benefits. If any of those companies are in alignment with your interests or expertise, you may want to start your networking/job search there.
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
Gunny has good points .. I would add to his "Act like you know.. is to know what you're talk'g about so if that interviewer should call to Vet what you say or comment on in your portfolio/resume everythingng comes together what you said and what they said about you. alsoa comment to those folks that have a interviewer call about a comrade/ subordinate: if laying accolades on, don't overdo, some extra gravy is ok but when one smothers the interviewer may think negative thoughts, it's happened..
Gunny's point of being positive and all are great.. just be not so tense..
Try to stick to facts, some modesty.. let your professional actions(should you get the position) speak for you.. Shortly after I started working I let myself shine and some things I hadn't bragged on came out.. one of them is looking out for others.. another line Chef had went down the line and hadn't moved his pan handle out of line from those going by (big 14" skillet handle) Another line Chef was coming back down line would have caught that handle with his sleeve and I reached over and Moved it before got caught on his sleeve or jacket. The Chef who was working that station came back and saw what I'd done.. "those were the last of the thawed scallops, others were still frozen... I was consistently keeping my station
Clean along with cooking what I'd prepared.. Cleaning as one goes keeps the area safe.. separator papers are waxed and sliding on them is no fun.. Treating others like want to be treated.. very important..
please and thank you slipped in really helps.. I really worked on that even when an order, it doesn't seem like one, so if you get in a position like that.. I was Cheffing on a line one time and a pan I pulled out of the drawer after I got the last piece of chicken had a lot of blood(maybe a half cup or more). I got a towel and put it down and asked the backer if they'd please get a mop with some soapy stuff.. and mop it up.. thank you, Mr. G. He was right back with a mop and cleaned it up..
another line Chef said the linebacker didn't move that fast for him.. I said try treating with a little kindness instead of hey you linebacker, clean this up! "I'm not here to be nice !" Yes it appears that way.. Chef, I didn't say anything more, didn't have to.. we had line Chefs and prep cook /line-backers. We had other duties to do too.. writing up and costing our specials.. putting in orders requests to stores (in-house supply). Cross check to make sure items were in stock, I just liked to make sure and not find what I need(ed) when I need it.. work closely with the prep cook/ linebacker to make sure they have what they need, give them assistance if possible(this went on before the lunch or dinner hour). They have a lot of projects in their books(each had a book with what they had to prep... I'd make up my list and punch it in on the time clock and insert it in the book. There was no breakfast just lunch and dinner..
so we tried to get in fresh as possible.. within reason (didn't always happen.. fish that came in on ice had to have film and paper between it and ice. To prevent ice burn .. steaks and primes come in in cry-o-vac.. I spend a few extra second on kindness and got hours of willingness out of fellow Chefs and prep cook - linebackers. There are always a few that think they are higher and mightier than others. I respond to those that give orders but when they can find a few seconds to sprinkle a little kindness
I understand there may.be tense moments and response time is of an importance.. especially in battle..
after transitioning, Need to back up
Take a few breaths and put one self
In other's places.. I've had a some tense moments but haste makes waste.. take a few breaths look at the tickets.. got e'thing I need Check my drawers, my spice shelf .. my utensils.. s'times we'd been moving along through cooking and realized ewe're a few filets short.. I remembered counting 6(that's all that fit comfortably in the third size line pan, don't want to pack too many in because have to reach around and may bruise other meats, especially fish.. beef chops bounce back ok.. but.not fish.. So I Send back for another pan .. One of the preps told me hecseen that grouchy Chef steal a couple filets..
didn't cook them or anything.. just put them in his drawer.. Not going to go ballistic.. would not achieve anything.. I caught his attention and gave him the "I know" look.. he asked me later how I knew, I told him he was always looking over his shoulder, around a corner, up and down the line.. not a very good poker player.. I didn't let on he'd been betrayed.. he shorted himself some utems and tried to blame it on me.. even got a new prep to lie for him, I think he made him a sandwich.. I didn't say anything just gave him the "I know" look, I was bluffing ... when I did kind of.. the prep was from salad area, not even close by our stations.. that's how I knew.. I let it drop.. he will catch himself.. one day ! One day he did .. when he was on Vacay to his fave casino.. new cameras were put in.. all over !
The camera caught him stealing our
Of my drawer again.. a few days later I got called to the office.. Chef C is gone, we dismissed him.. why didn't you tell us he was doing it before the new cams were installed? I was playing him, baiting him, actually he baited himself.. he's not a good poker player, Chef .. (our Exec Chef).
That makes you Senior Chef after me.. We had 3 that retired all of a sudden in the past month., I think it may have been Their age. They thought they were being treated like a thief.. The cams were mostly for at night to catch those that had keys and snuck back in.. shortly after we got key Cards.. We used them to come in the door, go in the Coolers, the freezer.. Stores room which was actually a big walk-in cooler.. not as cold as the others but cool enough. If you lost your key card it cost $50.. it had your pic on it.. you went to the office upstairs you used your card.. the prep's cards didn't have as many access points.. your card got you into the locker room and your locker
so you darn sure made you took it to the shower, because if you left it in your locker, you were kind of temporarily out of luck. We had 3 women Chefs and they had their own suite. I was treated good and treated others good, even The grouch. I seen him later on the street somewhere and he asked me why I was nice to him, I told him because I wanted to TO be treated that way and hopefully it would rub on to him.. He just went off shaking his head.. I'd tell people in a supervisor like voice.but I put a please and thank you with it.. I got good positive response out of people that way..
Gunny's point of being positive and all are great.. just be not so tense..
Try to stick to facts, some modesty.. let your professional actions(should you get the position) speak for you.. Shortly after I started working I let myself shine and some things I hadn't bragged on came out.. one of them is looking out for others.. another line Chef had went down the line and hadn't moved his pan handle out of line from those going by (big 14" skillet handle) Another line Chef was coming back down line would have caught that handle with his sleeve and I reached over and Moved it before got caught on his sleeve or jacket. The Chef who was working that station came back and saw what I'd done.. "those were the last of the thawed scallops, others were still frozen... I was consistently keeping my station
Clean along with cooking what I'd prepared.. Cleaning as one goes keeps the area safe.. separator papers are waxed and sliding on them is no fun.. Treating others like want to be treated.. very important..
please and thank you slipped in really helps.. I really worked on that even when an order, it doesn't seem like one, so if you get in a position like that.. I was Cheffing on a line one time and a pan I pulled out of the drawer after I got the last piece of chicken had a lot of blood(maybe a half cup or more). I got a towel and put it down and asked the backer if they'd please get a mop with some soapy stuff.. and mop it up.. thank you, Mr. G. He was right back with a mop and cleaned it up..
another line Chef said the linebacker didn't move that fast for him.. I said try treating with a little kindness instead of hey you linebacker, clean this up! "I'm not here to be nice !" Yes it appears that way.. Chef, I didn't say anything more, didn't have to.. we had line Chefs and prep cook /line-backers. We had other duties to do too.. writing up and costing our specials.. putting in orders requests to stores (in-house supply). Cross check to make sure items were in stock, I just liked to make sure and not find what I need(ed) when I need it.. work closely with the prep cook/ linebacker to make sure they have what they need, give them assistance if possible(this went on before the lunch or dinner hour). They have a lot of projects in their books(each had a book with what they had to prep... I'd make up my list and punch it in on the time clock and insert it in the book. There was no breakfast just lunch and dinner..
so we tried to get in fresh as possible.. within reason (didn't always happen.. fish that came in on ice had to have film and paper between it and ice. To prevent ice burn .. steaks and primes come in in cry-o-vac.. I spend a few extra second on kindness and got hours of willingness out of fellow Chefs and prep cook - linebackers. There are always a few that think they are higher and mightier than others. I respond to those that give orders but when they can find a few seconds to sprinkle a little kindness
I understand there may.be tense moments and response time is of an importance.. especially in battle..
after transitioning, Need to back up
Take a few breaths and put one self
In other's places.. I've had a some tense moments but haste makes waste.. take a few breaths look at the tickets.. got e'thing I need Check my drawers, my spice shelf .. my utensils.. s'times we'd been moving along through cooking and realized ewe're a few filets short.. I remembered counting 6(that's all that fit comfortably in the third size line pan, don't want to pack too many in because have to reach around and may bruise other meats, especially fish.. beef chops bounce back ok.. but.not fish.. So I Send back for another pan .. One of the preps told me hecseen that grouchy Chef steal a couple filets..
didn't cook them or anything.. just put them in his drawer.. Not going to go ballistic.. would not achieve anything.. I caught his attention and gave him the "I know" look.. he asked me later how I knew, I told him he was always looking over his shoulder, around a corner, up and down the line.. not a very good poker player.. I didn't let on he'd been betrayed.. he shorted himself some utems and tried to blame it on me.. even got a new prep to lie for him, I think he made him a sandwich.. I didn't say anything just gave him the "I know" look, I was bluffing ... when I did kind of.. the prep was from salad area, not even close by our stations.. that's how I knew.. I let it drop.. he will catch himself.. one day ! One day he did .. when he was on Vacay to his fave casino.. new cameras were put in.. all over !
The camera caught him stealing our
Of my drawer again.. a few days later I got called to the office.. Chef C is gone, we dismissed him.. why didn't you tell us he was doing it before the new cams were installed? I was playing him, baiting him, actually he baited himself.. he's not a good poker player, Chef .. (our Exec Chef).
That makes you Senior Chef after me.. We had 3 that retired all of a sudden in the past month., I think it may have been Their age. They thought they were being treated like a thief.. The cams were mostly for at night to catch those that had keys and snuck back in.. shortly after we got key Cards.. We used them to come in the door, go in the Coolers, the freezer.. Stores room which was actually a big walk-in cooler.. not as cold as the others but cool enough. If you lost your key card it cost $50.. it had your pic on it.. you went to the office upstairs you used your card.. the prep's cards didn't have as many access points.. your card got you into the locker room and your locker
so you darn sure made you took it to the shower, because if you left it in your locker, you were kind of temporarily out of luck. We had 3 women Chefs and they had their own suite. I was treated good and treated others good, even The grouch. I seen him later on the street somewhere and he asked me why I was nice to him, I told him because I wanted to TO be treated that way and hopefully it would rub on to him.. He just went off shaking his head.. I'd tell people in a supervisor like voice.but I put a please and thank you with it.. I got good positive response out of people that way..
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Laurie Geoffroy
Agree with J Leigh, Jonathan's recommendations are great starts. As an HR professional and recruiter, I say "have insight before intent", meaning really start thinking and writing down BEFORE you depart, what roles in the military did I enjoy most and felt I was at my best? How would those learning experiences and developed skillsets add value to a civilian position I may apply for? One key element I have noticed in many of the vets I have coached is the dialog of the unit vs. "I". It is such a wonderful trait to hear the humility of vets who never take the credit as an individual. It is always in the framework of "the unit" and "the team". I quickly applaud them for their team mindset; however, I remind them that "the unit does not get to go on the interview with you". It will now be only you with the hiring manager. To get them into the individual mindset of a candidate, I start by asking how did you personally contribute to the success of your unit? What was that impact? While team playing more than likely will be a discussion point in the interview, having some key individual accomplishments that had an impact will be of interest to the recruiter.
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As much like anything we've learned in the military, is to have a plan. Plan your resources, plan your pre-checks, plan your execution. Have copies of your medical records for the future. Have your ducks in a row for what you're planning to do after, whether you continue to work a civilian job, go into business for yourself, or just go fishing every day. I'll add more later perhaps, but that's always my best advice. Set some short term (6 months to a year), mid term (2-3 years), and long term (4-5 year) goals, and have a plan.
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don't count on your military experience to set you apart from others, at least in the tele-communications field.
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SGT Jim Arnold
1 thing I wished I did when I got out. I stopped the routine of running doing pt. I went from 145lbs to 190 in 6 months
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SrA (Join to see)
Im not trying to contradict you but I have noticed military experience has gotten noticed at the Telecom company I currently work for.
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