Job hunting: when should I start the process, and what other advice do you have?

SFC James Rigdon — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 20:02:05 -0500

I am about 2 1/2 years from my retirement date when should I start looking for a job? is it to early to start applying for USA Jobs or some of these large companies?

I am wanting to relocate to Australia is there any good leads on a good place to work. I have a degree in Information Technology Management and I am working on completing A+ Network+ and Security+, ITIL foundation certified, I am a 42A by MOS so I can always fall back on HR.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2015 8:13 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 20:13:40 -0500

Start looking now. First think of what you would want to do for a few years. If you qualify for it then start researching jobs in the area, etc. If not then this gives you time to use tuition assistance and GI Bill to start studying for it. Contracting jobs used to be the best bet for $$$$.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2015 8:17 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 20:17:08 -0500

I would suggest that it's not too early to get a pulse of the job market, talk to folks who have the job you want, ask what they did to prepare, and to get the job.

It is too early to apply for jobs on USAJobs, but it's not too early to establish an account on USAJobs and to watch for jobs that are of interest to you there. You can see if you have all the prerequisites for the jobs you want.

Also, start working on your résumés.

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Feb 12 at 2015 8:45 PM

Capt Brandon Charters — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 20:45:37 -0500

James - Never too early to network. Search all the companies we have here within the walls of RallyPoint. We have 10,000+ employers represented by veterans. Take your pick and begin that strong network now. You'll be surprised how many doors can open if you just ask the right person. You can also contact me personally as you near retirement. Cheers!

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Feb 13 at 2015 8:38 AM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 08:38:17 -0500

I personally served with SFC James Rigdon who started this thread. He is a wonderful person, a real pleasure to have in your organization, and a highly competent SNCO. Everyone in our unit went to SFC James Rigdon with the toughest questions and issues -- he was that SNCO who just knew all the right doctrinal and regs references like the back of his hand. If anyone would like to speak with me as a reference for SFC James Rigdon please feel free to contact me directly. I have nothing but the highest regards for SFC James Rigdon.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Feb 13 at 2015 8:39 AM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 08:39:25 -0500

SFC James Rigdon where in Australia are you specifically hoping to relocate to? Can you give us a few cities you have in mind?

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Feb 14 at 2015 4:47 PM

SGT Jim Z. — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 16:47:45 -0500

As Capt Brandon Charters SFC John Gates CW5 Private RallyPoint Member begin networking, working on your resume, also begin a professional civilian wardrobe now instead scrambling at the last minute.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2015 5:05 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 17:05:39 -0500

I'd recommend supplementing online networking efforts with informational interviews. Connecting with a contact at a potential employer or someone in an organization tangential to the one you want can pay dividends down the road. Most positions in Corporate America are attained through networks rather than applying in a black hole ATS.

I've found that veterans from all branches of the service are more than happy to respond to an email or set up a call to answer your questions and discuss possibilities. The first call may not directly lead to an opportunity but through other networks something can come up, I've seen it happen!

Good luck!

Response by SMSgt Thomas Chatburn made Feb 15 at 2015 9:25 AM

SMSgt Thomas Chatburn — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 09:25:00 -0500

The questions I asked myself were:
1)What am I good at?
2) What have I always wanted to do?
3) How can I GET PAID to do it?
The answers to these questions were:
1) I can work independently without a lot of supervision
2)

Response by SMSgt Lance Goeman made Feb 15 at 2015 9:49 AM

SMSgt Lance Goeman — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 09:49:26 -0500

In one respect, I made some mistakes when I thought I could get an offer that would hold open until I secured a retirement date which doesn't work. However, because I phone interviewed well I've made lots of contacts that said they wanted to stay in touch and to reach out when I had my degree/firm availability date which is smoothing my transition. This also let me know through trial and error which companies/positions were matches for my experience, education and credentials.

My recommendation to you is with IT credentials to seriously look in the private sector. You will make a lot me money and you are in high demand. I would also recommend you seek out placement entities like Bradley-Morris and Lucas Group which specialize in placing veterans at no cost to you (they get paid by the employer). Start attending job fairs to build your network and then leverage your network.

Finally, build a LinkedIn profile and resume. You can use resume review services to evaluate what you've built. The problem I had was feeling like I didn't want to brag, so my initial one was weak. To overcome that, I tied my actions to team success. When you build your resume, write a master resume that you can tailor down for targeted resumes that match specific advertisements. Once you develop the master resume, your LinkedIn profile should mirror.

Beat of luck!

Response by SPC Brent Morrison made Feb 15 at 2015 9:49 AM

SPC Brent Morrison — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 09:49:37 -0500

From my experience, USA Jobs is a timely process. That being said, I still think 2.5 years is too early for that. I think about a year out I would start applying to USA Jobs and even then you have to word your resume just right to even get a call back. The trick is to use the same language in the resume that you see in the job announcement.
What I would suggest while you wait for USA Jobs is to apply yourself to an I.T. job that you could do online from anywhere. Then maybe you could start that job before you retire from service and the transition will be smooth and seamless.

I believe the key is to have a strong resume no matter where you apply.
Once you land the interview, just let your personality shine and you'll be fine.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 15 at 2015 11:24 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 11:24:41 -0500

Now is a great time to start looking at your options, networking, and building up your resume. Spend the next year building up the certificates and experience that you need to apply for the job you want when it becomes available. Between 6-12 months out start applying and interviewing for jobs; most companies will wait a few months to get the best person for the job. As previously mentioned, the USAJOB announcements typically have short windows for applying - do have an account and keep your transcripts, certificates, and resume up-to-date for when the time comes to apply. Best of luck to you.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Sep 1 at 2017 2:23 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:23:49 -0400

Now

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2017 4:32 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 16:32:22 -0400

Network! Get your LinkedIn profile ready and network with recruiters in the area you want to be in.