November 2013 |
Transition-e-news Volume 3 Issue 88 |
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Transition Insight
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Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to Hire Over 800 Veterans as Peer Specialists and Peer Support Apprentices by December 31, 2013. Make a difference in the lives of your fellow Veterans! VA is hiring over 800 Veterans to work as Peer Specialists and Peer Support Apprentices. To qualify, you must be a United States Veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition. Completion of an approved peer specialist training program is also required. Click here for more information and to apply. |
Top Five LinkedIn Dos and Don'ts
by Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, MFRW, MMRW, MFCA-T If you are in the market for a new job, then you'll find LinkedIn to be a highly essential job-search tool. The basic service is free, and that's really the only service you will need. In my view, you should "rev up" your social networking efforts with LinkedIn to make professional networks and expedite your job-search process. However, there are social networking rules that are important to follow, and I've listed my top five "Dos and Don'ts" below: 1) DO connect with your friends. Do create a profile, and start connecting with your friends, acquaintances, classmates, colleagues, co-workers, business partners, both past and present, and others—even strangers—who would serve as beneficial professional connections. LinkedIn offers a great way to reconnect and begin fresh connections. Some tips: a) Download your Outlook address book so that LinkedIn can find your friends who are already members. b) Use the "Find Colleagues and Find Classmates" functions to find people you know from school and past jobs; and c) Invite friends who aren't already LinkedIn users to join the network—you'll be helping them get connected at the same time you grow your own network. 2) DON'T become an invitation spammer. It's tempting to start sending "connect to me" invitations to every Tom, Dick, and Harry you find on LinkedIn, but this is considered bad manners. If you want to reach out to someone whom you've spotted because he/she has an enticing profile, send that person a contact request rather than an invitation to join your network. Your contact request could say something like, "I've read your LinkedIn profile and thought you would be a great connection because you work for xxx or with xxx or are in expert in xxx and I'd like to know more about your expertise." 3) DO unto others... Do not send connection invitation to members identifying that no new connection invitations will be accepted. If you send an invitation and the invitation is not accepted, it will show that the request is pending. Sometimes, people set up LinkedIn profiles but never sign back on. Don't be disgruntled if your invitation isn't accepted; rather, move on to someone else. 4) DON'T make assumptions. Do not indicate to potential connections that you expect them to link up with you. Just because you served on the same committee or because your kids are best friends doesn't guarantee a connection. Don't be offended if people forget how they know you. It can be embarrassing for them, so you may want to extend a professional courtesy by including a subtle reminder when you send the invitation to connect, such as, "I'm glad to see you on LinkedIn and I'd like to connect with you. Several years ago, we attended a dinner party for the ABC Corp." 5) DO keep your profile current. Do keep your profile current. It's only fair because you expect others' profiles to be current, too (hence the reason for connecting). If you change jobs, then update your LinkedIn profile. Some people may request to connect with you because you work for a specific employer. If you continue your education and earn a higher-level degree or even if you learn a new skill, update your profile. If you are seeking employment, the new education or skill might just be what a potential employer is looking for. I have been using social media for all of CareerPro Global's hiring for the past three years. I join specific groups where I know the type of employees or other industry professional will most likely belong. After advertising and finding the best people to fill our positions, I have found that social media is now our "go-to" place to use for the vast majority of our company's hiring. The candidates seem to be more engaged because it takes effort to keep up with social media— and you know how the sayings go...everything good takes effort and doesn't come for free, even your time. 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. |
Does Size Matter?© Tom Wolfe, author; all rights reserved; excerpts from Out of Uniform: Your Guide to a Successful Military-to-Civilian Career Transition; used with the permission of the author and publisher, www.potomacbooksinc.com. Many factors will influence your choice of civilian employment when you leave military service. One such factor is the size of the organization: large or small? Each offer advantages and disadvantages. It would be worthwhile to consider this as you conduct your job search and prior to making your final decision. Many military service members express an interest in working for a smaller company after they leave the military. The Department of Defense (DOD) is one of the largest organizations in the world and many people are interested in trying something less bureaucratic and less structured. Those individuals may shy away from big companies like Proctor & Gamble, Ford Motor Company, IBM, General Electric and the like. This could be a mistake. Consider this analogy. The Navy’s submarine service is a relatively small and specialized subsidiary of a parent company (DOD). Major corporations like those mentioned above are often collections of subsidiaries under a corporate umbrella. In the case of General Electric, these subsidiaries are referred to as strategic business units and they operate with a great deal of autonomy. On the surface, leaving DOD to work for GE sounds like trading one bureaucracy for another. Beneath the surface (pun intended), leaving the submarine service to work for GE Energy could feel much different. You might discover that the corporate culture of the smaller business unit defeats the stereotype of working for great big General Electric. Working for a small company can be very appealing. Much of this appeal is based on the assumption that smaller means less bureaucracy, more decision-making responsibility, and a higher likelihood of making a difference. Although often true, in some small companies the opposite situation occurs. Smaller sometimes means centralized and centralized decision making frequently occurs at the top of the organization. If the reins are held too tightly, it can be very difficult to get the horse to go in a different direction, no matter how sound the reason. Whether or not those large and small company stereotypes are accurate or even important to you, there are other issues to consider, such as: Training and Development. A small company might offer you more initial responsibility but will also have higher expectations of your ability to add value quickly. A large company is more likely to allow you to incubate for a while, spending money on your training and development before expecting to see results. Benefits. A large company has much better bargaining power with insurance companies and other benefits providers than does a small company. This may result in a better, cheaper, and/or more flexible benefits package. Compensation. A small company will probably be your highest or lowest offer. Expect a higher salary if your learning curve is flat and your current skill set allows you to contribute immediately; lower if you are brought on board as a high potential trainee. A large company is likely to start you at the middle of that range — a reasonable starting salary that will grow as you climb the learning curve and your value added increases. Stability. Consider this scenario: The large company has experienced steady growth since its founding over 100 years ago. Two years ago, the small company was a start-up. Which of the two is more likely to be around five years from now? Growth potential. Perhaps the small company is growing at 20 percent annually and the large company has averaged nine percent growth during its lifetime. If you are very good at what you do, at which company will you find better personal growth? Short-term? Long-term? You should also balance this against stability. Span of control. Look at the classic pyramid organizational structure at the small and large companies. Find the block on the chart that represents you. Big fish in a small pond or small fish in a big pond? Which is more appealing? Cross-functional mobility. The larger company has more divisions, more departments, and, in theory, more lateral mobility. However, does the corporate culture accommodate cross-functional transfers? In the small company the marketing department is right next door to the distribution department. Physically, that is an easy move. Realistically, how often does it happen? Level of responsibility. Accept a job in production at a small company and your business card could read Director of Manufacturing. Take the equivalent position at the larger company, and your card says Production Supervisor. Relocation frequency. Depending on the type of job and career path, a larger company will probably require more relocation than a smaller one as you climb the corporate ladder. Travel. If business travel is inherent in the job (tech rep, sales, consulting, recruiting, etc.), you may travel more with the smaller company. Visibility. Go to work for the large company and you may never meet a vice president. At a smaller company the president could know you on a first name basis. Resume Enhancement. Suppose you find yourself back in the job market. Which option looks better on your revised resume? The larger company may be the more recognizable of the two, but how marketable is that new skill set? Your depth and range of experience (and title) at the smaller company is impressive, but where else might those things be applicable? So, does size matter? Simple question — complicated answer. As with many of the important issues in life, there is usually enough information available to support your decision either way. It is up to you. Identify your issues and decision criteria, weigh them, prioritize them, fill in the blanks as well as you can, and take the plunge. Good hunting!
© 2013; Tom Wolfe, is an author, columnist, career coach, veteran, and an expert in the field of military-to-civilian career transition. During his career he assisted thousands of service members in their searches for employment, placing more than 3000 in their new jobs. Prior to civilian life, he graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy and served as a surface warfare officer. He teaches transition courses, gives seminars on career and job change, writes about the career transition process, and continues to counsel current and former military personnel. His book, Out of Uniform: Your Guide to a Successful Military-to-Civilian Career Transition, was published by Potomac Books in 2011. Tom lives on the North Carolina coast with his wife, Julie, and their Chesapeake Bay retriever, Maggie. |
Support Resources for Veterans Starting a Veteran Owned Small Business
by Scott Denniston, National Veteran Small Business Coalition (NVSBC) Veterans make great entrepreneurs. The military teaches us to be disciplined, dedicated and mission driven. All traits necessary to be a successful small business owner! U S Small Business Administration statistics say veterans start small businesses at twice the rate of non-veterans. However, just like the military, success takes dedication and hard work! No one gets rich quickly owning a small business. It takes long hours over days, weeks, months to be successful. Many veterans, while technically and professionally very good at their skill/craft, many times lack basic skills of financial, personnel, and sales management. The good news is many resources are available to help veterans navigate the small business world. The Small Business Administration is a great place to start with a "Pre-Business" workshop offered at most SBA offices by the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). These workshops really make you think about the necessary commitment to a successful small business and whether you are ready. SBA also offers financial and management counseling programs for veterans thru the network of Small Business Development Centers and Veteran Business Outreach Centers. All of these services are FREE to veterans. SBA also has several loan programs including the "Patriot Express" program which is exclusive for veterans. To locate your local SBA office, go to www.sba.gov. Successful veteran business owners learn the value of "networking" and joining professional associations. There are professional organizations for any type of business you are considering. Not only join, but become active in the events sponsored by these organizations. Business is about establishing trust! Another great networking opportunity is LinkedIn, a social media website for business owners and professionals. These are several LinkedIn group exclusively for veterans. Get Involved! Another way to "network" is attend business conferences in your local area sponsored by Chamber of Commerce or other reputable business organizations. In the government contracting arena many organizations sponsor conferences. Look at the agenda and speakers to decide if there is "value" in your attendance. These events also allow you the opportunity to keep current on rules and regulations as well as network with buyers and other small business owners. Any veteran small business owner interested in the federal government marketplace should attend the Veteran Entrepreneur Training Symposium held annually in Reno, NV., sponsored by the National Veteran Small Business Coalition (www.nvsbc.org). |
Where are the best cities for Veterans to find Jobs?
by Ron Rutherford, TAOnline.com Want to put those skills you learned in the military to good use? Then your best bet for a job maybe Texas or Florida. A recent USAA and Hiring Our Heroes commissioned survey to find the places for veteran jobs listed three Texas cities and three in Florida among its top-10. And TAOnline has more than 2,800 jobs listed in these cities from employers looking to hire veterans. The Sperling’s BestPlaces list reviewed nearly 380 major U.S. metropolitan areas. Factors taken into account for this survey include:
Some cities were excluded for high unemployment rate, high cost of living and/or high violent crime rate. When all the research came in, here are the results*:
*Jobs within a 50-mile radius of city center This is the second straight year USAA and a military partner commissioned this survey. Ironically, only one of the 2012 winners made the 2013 list. TAOnline had more than 2,700 openings listed in these Top-10 cities*.
*Jobs within a 50-mile radius of city center Whether you desire to utilize your military-related skills in you civilian career, or choose a different career path, TAOnline has more than 20,000 jobs from military friendly companies. TAOnline is always free to the job-seekers, offering career advice articles, interview and resume tips and the latest job fair information. (Bio) |
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