Transition Insight

Ten Reasons to Apply For a Job During the Holidays

By Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, CMRC, CFRW
www.militaryresumewriters.com and www.careerproplus.com

A common misconception exists among job seekers that job hunting during the holidays (essentially December) is pointless—employers are not hiring, there’s too many people on vacation, or simply that companies are too busy closing out the year to pay attention to new staff. I feel that job hunting during the festive season is actually a good idea, and here’s why.

1. Less competition for existing jobs. Since many people do fall prey to the misunderstanding that "nothing happens in December," it means there's less competition for available jobs. If you are smart enough to press on while others are sitting on the sidelines, you have an advantage. A friend of mine received multiple interviews last December, the supposedly slow month.
2. Some companies may in fact be scrambling to get staff on the books in the current year before budgets change for next year, making it impossible to bring on new staff. The crunch is on to get new employees on board before 12/31.
3. Other companies are just the opposite and have hiring plans that begin in January, and therefore want to start the year off right. That means they need to be interviewing qualified people in December. If you're not applying, you’re not interviewing.
4. Many executive recruiters are paid a higher percentage of commissions near the end of the year—good news for you.
5. Networking opportunities abound in December with parties, church socials, neighborhood get-togethers, and other seasonal events. Employers and hiring managers may simply be in good moods at this time of year, and it could be much easier to get a foot in the door. Meet more people, get more referrals while everyone is in a festive state of mind—sounds like a plan.
6. If you can be flexible to accommodate a busy hiring manager's schedule during the hectic holiday period—and why wouldn't you be— then you have an advantage versus someone who is off skiing in Colorado.
7. With many job seekers only planning their search in December to be ready to hit the market after the first of the year, you have an opportunity to get in front of hiring managers whose job openings may not be subject to end-of-calendar or fiscal year constraints. Many times, when an employer needs a new employee, they need them as soon as possible. So while your neighbor is mixing the eggnog, you can be mixing it up with an HR department.
8. Winning companies don't slack off during the holidays. While overall capacity may be a bit lower and the interviewing process might be more challenging, these companies still have the drive to succeed. Their success may mean your success. Don't assume the best job openings lay dormant in December—now is the time to dig, not hibernate.
9. Continuing your job search, even during the busy holiday season, means you are keeping your foot on the gas and pushing ahead—sure to be noted by some as positive actions taken during an otherwise "down" time. If nothing else, it will keep your momentum moving forward; you simply never know when the right opportunity will cross your path. You can't score a goal if you're not in the game.
10. You have time now to make a move. If you have school-aged children, they are going to be on vacation for a couple of weeks near the end of the year. If you get a job offer that requires a move, you're in position to act quickly and lessen the disruption to school for your kids. It won't be easy; but it's not impossible, either. Since there is a window of opportunity in this regard, be prepared to open it.

Companies may be hiring to beat a deadline, to hit the ground running in January, or simply because they have positions to fill that are immune to any seasonal influence. Many people are sitting on the sidelines—don't be one of them.

Barbara Adams, President and CEO of CareerPro Global (CPG), the parent company of www.careerproplus.com and www.militaryresumewriters.com, has been a member of the careers community for the past 20 years. Ms. Adams holds four prestigious industry certifications. CareerPro Global is the only ISO 9001-2008 Certified Career Service in the industry, as well as one of the fastest-growing Military, Federal, and Civilian Resume-Writing and Careers-Coaching companies. The team of Certified Professional Federal and Military Resume Writers at CPG assist thousands of clients in applying for and gaining employment each year. We can help you land your military to civilian job.

Activision Pledges to find Jobs for Veterans and Donates $1-Million to the Call of Duty Endowment

Santa Monica, CA — Recognizing that the private sector is as responsible as government in solving the issue of veterans' unemployment, Activision Publishing, Inc. pledged to find 1,000 jobs for veterans and is donating $1 million from the sales of its blockbuster video game Call of Duty®: Black Ops to help transition service members back to civilian life by providing them with job training and placement.

Activision annnounced the $1 million donation on Veterans' Day to the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.). C.O.D.E. is a non-profit, public benefit corporation that seeks to assist other organizations in helping soldiers find work and establish careers after their military service. Since its inception, the Endowment has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants and scholarships to various organizations and schools across the country.

"It is a national tragedy to have these men and women put their lives on the line in Afghanistan and Iraq, only to come home to face another battle of finding a new career.", said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. "The Call of Duty Endowment and the organizations it supports are devoted to reducing the rate of unemployment among our recent veterans by helping them find jobs and use the skills they developed protecting our freedom to earn a living. I am honored that we are able to use the popularity of Call of Duty to bring much needed attention to this serious issue and assist veterans when they return home."

"The Call of Duty Endowment is dedicated to raising national awareness of the needs of our returning veterans – and helping these veterans directly" add Brian Kelly, Co-Chairman of Activision Blizzard. "We are confident that many more businesses will join us by employing veterans in their companies. We are encouraging our suppliers, customers and business partners to join us in the cause of getting veterans hired."

To build awareness for the issues facing veterans, the Call of Duty Endowment will launch a twenty-five day social media campaign beginning on November 12 until Pearl Harbor Day on December 7. Fans of the Call of Duty Endowment’s Facebook and Twitter pages will be asked to post a call to action or 'service op' as their status each day. For those individuals that share the 'service op' with their friends and followers, they will be eligible to win a copy of Call of Duty®: Black Ops. Two winners will be selected at random from both the Facebook and Twitter platforms each day the campaign is active. Participants must post the daily call to action through a special Facebook application or by using the hashtag, #serviceops, on Twitter.

Recent figures from the Labor Department cited that there are close to 1 million unemployed veterans throughout the nation and that the unemployment rate for the youngest Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is more than 20 percent.

Progress Report on the Post-9/11 GI Bill

by Greg Eisenbarth, GIBillHub.com

We are one year into the New GI Bill, and while challenges exist, it is serving the education needs of today's veterans. Student data obtained from a recent report by the American Council on Education (ACE), called "Service Members in School", and discussions held with military students in college have allowed us to publish the following set of best education practices for veterans using the New GI Bill.

Veterans Have a Value Perspective on Education
When using tuition benefits of the New GI Bill, veterans focus on the location of education and their choice of public or private institution. When making a school selection, veterans most often evaluate degree programs offered and weigh the reputations of schools, programs and faculty. Many veterans choosing 2-year and 4-year public education options find good values in their states of residence and determine that to be the best way to apply the tuition benefits of the New GI Bill.

Veterans Use the Yellow Ribbon Program
Other veterans who decide to attend private, out-of-state or graduate schools, most often use the Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP) of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The YRP influences their decisions to get an education and degree. While veterans understand the benefits of the Yellow Ribbon provision, they also identified a need for more resources to select schools that are putting extra money into this program to increase tuition aid.

Veterans Graduate on Time
According to ACE research, only 64% of Post-9/11 GI Bill beneficiaries who responded to surveys anticipated they could finish their degrees on time. Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, qualified veterans are allowed 36 months to complete their education. To accomplish this, veterans specified that courses must be made available when they need them and cited the importance of receiving academic credit for military service and training. The main two factors that contribute to graduating on time are course availability and course credit.

Because of the size of their student populations, course availability is a larger concern at public universities. Veterans get the courses they need by taking approved classes at accredited schools near their primary institution.

According to an ACE survey, only 47% of veterans who made an attempt to transfer credits were satisfied with the results. Veterans most often receive course credit for degree programs at private schools by finding allies such as academic advisors and professors who advocate on their behalf and initiate appeals. This helps them transfer more course credit and ensures that they will graduate on time.

Veterans Leverage Fringe Benefits
Because tuition is paid for qualified veterans under the New GI Bill; housing allowances, stipends for books and other sources of tuition assistance often cover the remaining costs of their education. According to ACE's report, veterans consider these fringe benefits to be the most important improvement of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The housing allowance (which averages $1,330 per month) and book stipend that pays up to $1,000 per year, give veterans the opportunity to enroll without needing a job and allows them to attend college as full-time students.

Veterans Avoid Common Pitfalls
Delayed processing of claims and payments, bad record management, lack of support and administrative gridlock have plagued the 1st year of the program. Successful veterans avoided these pitfalls by planning ahead, not making changes to degree or course schedules and accounting for all details of their education. Most problems were resolved by anticipating that they would happen and by keeping receipts, tracking all expenses and writing everything down.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is not perfect, but administration and policies are improving. It is undeniably generous in education benefits to military veterans and seen as effective in providing post-secondary education. The original GI Bill provided education to 8 million veterans, built higher education as we know it today, paid $7 back for every $1 in public funds that were invested and ushered in economic prosperity for several generations of American families. If today's veterans would simply use the education benefits that are available to them, there is realistic hope that the Post-9/11 GI Bill will do much the same.

Greg Eisenbarth is the Executive Director of GIBillHub.com, a resource designed to assist veterans in using their GI Bill benefits. Other resources available include MilitarMBA.net and LeaderstoLawyers.net offering graduate degrees for military officers and NCOs. If you like more information about any of these programs, click here

Military-connected Schools Benefit From Grants

By Elaine Wilson, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2010 – The Department of Defense Education Activity awarded more than $38 million in grants this year to public schools serving military children across the nation.

Officials awarded the grants to 32 military-connected school districts to boost student achievement and ease the challenges associated with military life, including deployments and frequent transitions, DoDEA officials said. Grant recipients serve about 190,000 students -- with at least 37,000 students from military families -- and cater to communities near more than 30 military installations.

DoDEA officials awarded grants through two avenues: competitive and invitational. The competitive grants were aimed at school districts servicing installations that are experiencing growth, whether due to factors such as base realignment and closure or global rebasing, according to Kathleen Facon, chief of DODEA's educational partnership. For the invitational grants, DoDEA, in collaboration with military service partners, sought out school districts affected by deployments or with limited educational opportunities for military students.

Nearly all grants are focused on academic programs and achievement, but with the military students' needs in mind, Facon said. Military students who frequently transition into new schools may need extra help to adapt to a content area, she explained. And learning opportunities offered outside of the school day or in the summer can help to fill a gap when a deployed parent is away.

Since 2008, DoDEA has provided $97 million in grants to 76 public school districts and nearly 600 schools serving more than 100,000 military children.