| As unemployment rates go up across the
country, veterans transitioning into a civilian workforce are facing a tougher time
finding work after leaving the military. A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com showed that
1 in 5 veterans looking for a job said it took more than six months to secure one after
leaving active duty.
At times veterans feel that they are dealing with a whole
new set of rules and skills that they are not accustomed to. Among one of the most
frustrating obstacles is an employer's inability to understand how military skills can
fulfill qualifications for civilian positions. Many veterans are finding that job posting
boards are not much help. They spend the time submitting their resumes on these sites and
never hear back from anyone. This coupled with the inexperience in interviewing for
civilian jobs or having viable job finding skills is directly affecting the ability of
these veterans to find work. Then when they do find work it is often at a rate of pay that
is far below their skill level. And, they find many unwanted surprised along the way.
If you are a veteran looking for a job you will improve the
quality of the job you are getting, and avoid unexpected surprises by doing a little more
research.
How Veterans Can Find the Job They Want
One thing to consider is who the employer is? There is
nothing worse than finding a job and then discovering that the employer is going out of
business. This is especially important if you are considering moving to a new area for
that job. Then there is the surprise of finding a job that is just awful. The only reason
that the job is available is that nobody wants to work there.
Here are a few simple things that you can do in order to
give yourself the best possible chance of matching with a good employer:
1. Pull up the website for the companies you wish to work
for
You can learn a lot about a company by what is on their
website. Often companies will put news articles about the company on the site. These
articles can tell you what is important to the company and a little bit about their
culture. You can also learn about the history of the company and their values. This
information is good to incorporate into your interview as it shows that you did your
research.
On some sites the bios of key employees are located and you
can learn a lot about who makes up this company and where they came from. All this will
give you a good gut feeling about who they are.
2. Use search engines
One of the best ways to perform a search for companies is
to use Dogpile.com. This site will compile information from all the other search engines.
So instead of looking through each search engine this one will take out the duplicates and
give you the most relevant information.
Another good source is the Better Business Bureau in the
city where the company is located. When you call ask them for a reference and see what
type of reputation the company has established with them. The service is free to the
public and they will tell you if there have been any complaints and what they were about.
3. Search the local newspaper
Another easy thing to do is go on-line to the local
newspaper and search past articles using the company's name. Also, complete a search by
using the name of the company's president. When you find an article read it to see what
they are known for. In some cases you might discover that the company has a charity that
they regularly sponsor. You might even find that the company was involved in some type of
problem. Basically, you are looking for both good news and bad to help you make a good
decision and avoid the surprises.
4. Talk to Employees.
The best sources for information on the companies you want
to work for are current and past employees. Who better to tell you the good, the bad, and
the ugly of the company? But what if you don't know anyone at the company?
Then talk to the receptionist. These folks usually know
more about what is going on about everything and are willing to share if you treat them
nicely. One way to score points with a receptionist is to talk to them when they hit the
slow point in their day. In most cases this will be between 10:45am and 11:30am in the
morning. By that time most of the morning urgent calls have already come in.
When you talk to them tell them that you are considering
getting a job there working and would appreciate knowing more about the company. Let them
know that you value their comments and will keep it confidential.
Many times the information you get from this source will be
more valuable and complete than anything else you do.
Follow this advice and you won't get stuck with a job that
no one wants just because you are a veteran. You can find your dream job and get hired
fast even during a recession if you just follow the advice above. |
