Would you like to see more Civilian Jobs and Job Related information posted on RallyPoint?
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><FONT face=Calibri>Finding employment in the civilian sector is not as easy as most Service Members might think. I believe we should be able to provide and help each other with jobs and job related information without limitations. We need to be able to help our own.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><FONT face=Calibri>I am a Federally Funded State Employee providing Free Services to Veterans and I receive Job Announcements from Civilian Employers that are in search of Veterans to fill their ranks.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There is a large concentration of Veterans on this site and I would like to share this job related information with them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><FONT face=Calibri>Please let me know if you disagree and why.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><FONT face=Calibri>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><FONT face=Calibri>Clarence Zarnes<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<div>- StartUp Institute</div><div>- AdjusterPro</div><div>- NuLife Med</div><div>- Sierra Nevada Journeys</div><div><br></div><div>And growing...<br></div><div><br></div><div><div>3 more large employers are inbound as well. Look for Walmart, Tesoro, and Cintas in the next couple weeks. Word is getting out fast that we have some awesome military talent on RallyPoint. </div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Best way to get recognized by these employers is to keep your profiles up to date and have current resumes uploaded. These companies have civilian & veteran accounts themselves. If you need assistance with resumes, don't be shy...ask a fellow veteran in industry from a past unit how it's done! I'm here to help as well. </div><div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Brandon </div><div><br></div></div>
CPT C and SGT K,
Great dialogue! I would agree there are a variety of definitions for Veteran Friendly and a variety of reasons why employers hire Veterans. We could judge or compare each one and place them in some sort of category of priority, but what really matters is that they are hiring Veterans.
SGT K, I like the mentorship idea. But unless the employer is a Veteran own business the likeliness of this happening probably slim. I would like to see some sort of system that better assist Veterans in their transition, something beyond the transition classes provided by the military.
I would be interested in getting resume help, I have been told at least a dozen variations on how a resume should look, just today I was at a military job fair on an installation and had 3 different recruiters tell me three different ways my resume should look from the one I gave them.
That to me is an issue that many of us need assistance with as well, the myriad of what is wanted on a resume and the format variations are causing many of us to not even get looked at or get past the computerized HR program for many companies online.
Any assistance or pro tips, or even looking at a resume and adding or highlighting needed changes or formats would be greatly appreciated by many, I know it would by me at least.
SSG E,
Thanks for the response. Your situation of being selected and hired is not uncommon, however I cannot provide a valid reason as to why it happens.
I fully agree with your #6. As a hiring manager, I look at resumes with the intent of answering two questions in order:
1. Why should I exclude this person? (yes, that is the first question. There are always more applicants than positions, by an order of magnitude.)
2. Is there anything that makes me think this person should be a good fit?
The number one error I see is that people have a generic resume that they use for all positions they apply for. This means that it always includes a lot of irrelevant stuff and doesn't highlight how great a match the candidate is for THIS job.
I have found out a few times that someone I screened out had great & relevant experience. It just wasn't explained well on the resume.
The way I personally attack this: I have what I call a "career management document (CMD)." It is essentially an infinite-length resume. It has every job I've held, my responsibilities & accomplishments, every accolade I've ever received, every certificate earned, etc. It's dozens of pages. All formatted in my preferred resume style. I update it quarterly on a schedule. When it comes time to apply for a job, I cruise through the CMD and copy & paste together a resume. Takes about 5-10 minutes. I then spend a few minutes customizing to the employer, if I can.
After doing that for a while, and noticing that I am only interested in a few niche positions, I have about 4 "stock" resumes that I also update on the same quarterly basis. They are ALWAYS ready to go, with just a few minutes' review.
Interestingly, I've NEVER heard the "no more than 10 years" guidance. I've always heard "no more than 20", but have felt free to drop stuff more than 10-12 years old.
You are right on point. Your resume is a marketing tool and should sell you as a potential employee in language & a format the target employer understands.
I would like to further get on my soapbox and that people who push the "qualifications databases" that do "keyword searching" need to die in a fire. Seriously, nothing pisses me off more than a 2-4 page, 8 point font resume with no white space, with 23 buzzwords per square inch that is unreadable "because I wanted to make it past the computer."
On earth, hiring managers and HR people READ resumes. If your resume is hard/painful to read, you LOSE. 'cuz I've already moved on to the next one.
Don't get me wrong, those qualification databases DO exist, and they do perform keyword matching searches. Now, who uses them? HUGE firms and recruiters. 90+% of small, medium, and large employers don't - They rely on the Mark I eyeball. For the remaining 10%, yes - you need something to get you past the screening. But then it goes to the hiring manager, again with the Mark I eyeball.
In the case of dealing with either a HUGE employer or a recruiter, I would by all means have a CUSTOM buzzword-bingo resume, but I would ALSO ensure that I have one that is readable.
/End Rant.