Transition Insight

Are you looking to improve how you manage your personal network? In other words, how are you staying connected with people you've met or used to work with?

Keeping track of all the people you know, their contact information and when you've communicated with them can become a daunting task. It doesn't have to be.

If you've learned anything, it's that a strong network is key to your career success. So it's imperative that you find a way to keep track of people.

Managing your personal network involves two things:

1. Data collection
2. Human contact

So let me ask you this. How are you:

• keeping up to date with what's going on with people you know
• collecting information on target companies and hiring managers
• reminding people about your talents

It's not enough to have an address book filled with names and contact information. You need to take action. Reach out, touch base! That's what keeps your network alive!

People in sales live and die by their contacts. In fact, they've developed tools to track "leads". CRM (customer relationship management) databases are important. But as the saying goes, garbage in, garbage out. As the owner of this database, you will want to do a thorough job of collecting and categorizing your contacts and updating your interaction with them.

Spreadsheet

Many already know how to use spreadsheets. That's great. But, given the fact that you seldom sit behind your computer, you may want to have mobile access to your network. You want to be able to access your information via your smartphone. Using Google Sheets is a good idea.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great tool for finding and messaging people. However, you don't own the information nor is it easy to keep track of how you met people you are connected with. It's a good tool to use to find your connections and invite them to connect. This then gives you access to their email address so you can send the person an email. You can also review a person's updates on LinkedIn. If you still aren't using this tool to manage your network, please, get going.

FREE Personal CRMs

Tracking your conversations during job search eventually becomes challenging to manage. That's why you'll want a CRM (customer relationship management) tool.

You may use your email address book as a kind of CRM, but it doesn't give you an easy way to manage, track or flag contacts. If you were lucky enough to use Salesforce or similar CRM, you understand the power a good CRM is capable of.

I'm always on the lookout for free resources. At one point, I was piloting HubSpot's CRM and it was great at helping me schedule follow-up emails.

Teal offers a CRM and job tracker.

Huntr provides a contact tracker and job tracker.

Notion has templates for job search that can get you started.

There are other tools to help you manage projects and tasks like To-Doist, Asana, Trello. If you already are familiar with a tool, find a way to adapt it for keeping track of your contacts and when you'll follow up. Learning a new tool, while valuable, can be a huge time-suck. Ask around and see what tools your friends are using to help organize their work (not just a job search).

How To Stay In Touch

Sometimes it helps to categorize your contacts. You can always change how you've categorized someone, but it may help you prioritize when or how often you reach out.

Strategically Grow Your Network helps you understand exactly what you need to do to be more purposeful in who you decide to contact.

In Nurture Your Network With These 11 Ideas you'll find ways to stay in touch with the network you've built.

The Air Force is seeking highly motivated Air Force retirees and Veterans with at least 10 years of service in the ranks of captain through colonel and technical sergeant through chief master sergeant (associate's degree required) who have a passion to instill core values and desire to pay their Air Force experience forward to high school students.

As role models, instructors ingrain into students a sense of civic pride, shaping the next generation of service-minded leaders and innovators. In this role you will teach students the character traits necessary to excel in school, along with how to be good citizens. Instructors also foster unit cohesion, which capitalizes on students' unique perspective to build trust and reinforce a culture of teamwork.

There are more than 250 vacancies across the nation and overseas for both former officer and enlisted members. This distinctive opportunity, which was exclusive to retired members, is now open to Veterans and traditional Guard and Reserve Airmen. Veterans that have separated or retired less than five years ago can apply. Veterans that have been separated more than five years could potentially be considered if they meet all other requirements.

To apply for a position at a high school, you must first complete the certification process through the Air Force, which is done via the website button link below. The certification process includes a criminal background investigation and normally takes around 60 days from start to finish. Once your certification is granted, you may apply to any school that has an opening. Instructors are employees of the school district and not the Air Force. We have recruiters standing by to answer any questions you may have, and they can be reached at (334) 659-6797, (334) 318-0354 or (334) 659-6269.

Click the button below for more information, including the minimum instructor pay, vacancies or frequently asked questions.

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Job hunting can feel like a game of hide and seek — recruiters and job seekers often find themselves searching in completely different places. Whether you're actively looking for new opportunities or hoping to get discovered by your dream employer, understanding this disconnect is crucial.

Let's explore where recruiters are actually looking for talent, where most job seekers focus their efforts, and how to bridge this gap to maximize your chances of landing the perfect role.

Modern Job Search Strategies for a Competitive Job Market

Let's compare how recruiters source (look for) candidates versus how job seekers are looking for jobs. This identifies gaps in methods and strategies job seekers should apply.

Sourcing

Sourcing is what recruiters do when they look for people to fill jobs. Depending on the company, the industry and the role, they will use different strategies to find the best candidates.

Job boards are just one of the ways recruiters try to get applicants.

Approximately how much of your hiring is done through online job boards/recruiting platforms?

iHire: The State of Online Recruiting 2024

Sourcing vs Job Searching

While it's challenging to do a direct comparison, the table below shows what recruiters do to look for candidates versus what job seekers do to look for jobs.

It's important to note, the recruiting data below is taken from two questions. "how much of your hiring is done through online job boards/recruiting platforms" AND "Aside from job boards, which of the following resources do you use regularly for recruiting? (check all that apply)"

The job seeker answers are "check all that apply." For a clearer comparison, I combined job seekers use of general job boards and industry job boards into one box.

Social Media Sourcing

Employers use a variety of social media, not just LinkedIn, to look for candidates. (Employ Recruiter Nation Report 2024)

• LinkedIn 71%
• Facebook 68%
• Instagram 43%
• Twitter 38%
• Youtube 36%

Diversify Your Search by Focusing On These

The name of the game is to diversify! Spend less time scouring the job boards and more time using other methods and strategies to uncover jobs and to be discovered. These methods are under-utilized given the data from iHire above.

• Employee referrals/networking
• All social media
• Company career pages
• Professional associations | MeetUps | online forums
• Alumni/school networks/career centers
• Staffing firms/outsourced recruiters

Do More To Stand Out

Mass applying or easy applying to jobs doesn't help you stand out. Instead, try taking some proactive and bold steps like these mentioned below. These ideas have been used successfully by job seekers during down markets (job markets that favor employers).

• Write a researched letter of interest
• Create a presentation that shows how you have or would solve a company's problems
• Systematically reach out and stay in touch with past colleagues
• Post regularly on LinkedIn (and other social networks) related to your industry/occupation
• Announce your job search on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks
• Attend a professional association networking event to connect with decision-makers
• Comment on a professional LinkedIn post or blog by a department head/leader
• Reach out to an author of a professional trade publication to ask for an informational meeting

Your Challenge

For the next 30 days, I challenge you to drastically change how you are spending your time! If you are unemployed, you should be spending at least 35 hours a week in job search related activities! Finding a job is a full time job.

It will take time and great effort on your part to make this transition. Be patient. You won't feel immediate gratification. Here are some thoughts on how you can begin to make this happen:

• Schedule time weekly to meet with people either via phone or in person (get a calendar, you are going to need it!)
• Turn every activity into an opportunity to meet new people (aka build relationships).
• Embrace the power of social media/networking to begin building new relationships!

The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on the part of VA. Veterans should verify the information with the organization offering.

Are you a Veteran who wants to own and operate your own business? Do you have the ambition and work ethic but not the experience or business idea? Would you like to be in business for yourself but not by yourself?

If so, then you may be a good fit for joining the estimated six Veterans who open a franchise every day in the United States, and do so with discounts on franchise fees offered only to Veterans.

But the process of getting into franchising can be daunting.

Most Veterans start at the "franchise buffet." They Google "franchising" and other similar terms and get bombarded with information. But this rarely leads to an informed decision, or any decision at all.

To make that decision, Veterans need the right information, at the right time, with the right perspective, in a structured process led by an experienced, trusted advisor.

That's where Vetrepreneur comes in. Vetrepreneur's advisors, who we call franchise coaches, are high achievers with years of military business and franchising experience.

About the Academy

The Vetrepreneur Franchise Academy guides Veterans through a comprehensive 10-week, 10-step process to determine if franchising is right for them and, if so, finding and vetting the right franchise for them. At the end of the Academy Class, Veterans should either own a franchise or have decided that franchising is not for them.

Each Academy Class admits between 25-35 Veterans. There are six group classes lasting one hour each. Every Veteran will be assigned a franchise coach who will meet with them virtually about once every 1-2 weeks and will be available any time between scheduled calls. Along the way, franchise coaches will introduce the Veteran to other partners.

Vetrepreneur Franchise Academy is run by Vetrepreneur, a magazine, advocacy and business consulting Veteran-owned business which has been helping Veterans get into business ownership since 2004.

The 10-week process of owning a franchise

Veterans sometimes pursue a franchise because it's on the "Best franchises in this industry list" or the "Top income producing franchises list." Those may be good reasons to choose a mutual fund for your retirement account, but they are horrible reasons to choose a franchise.

Why? A mutual fund is managed by someone else but a franchise is managed by you. The process of choosing the franchise best suited for you is a custom fit.

Vetrepreneur employs a comprehensive, six-part custom fitting process over several weeks leveraging both science and experience, including a free franchise matching personality test. Those six parts include:

• Your why.
• Your fears and dislikes.
• Your lifestyle.
• Your skills and interests.
• Geographical preferences.
• Financial qualifications.

But choosing a franchise is only part of the process. The Vetrepreneur Franchise Academy will support you through an extensive due diligence process including:

• Introduction to franchisors.
• The franchise disclosure document.
• Validation with other franchisees in that franchise system.
• Custom-fitted financing plan.
• Tax strategies.
• Forming an LLC or corporation.
• How to maximize your chances of being offered to become part of the franchise system you've chosen.
• Discovery Day preparation.
• Negotiating and signing the Franchise Agreement.

After signing the Franchise Agreement, which takes about 10 weeks, it typically takes another 3-9 months to open the business. So if you're within one year of wanting to open your business, now is the time to go through the Academy.

Qualifications

The most successful applicants for Academy admission are Veterans with a strong desire to open a franchise in the next 12 months, have the time to put at least several hours per week into the process and have a spouse or significant other that is open to it.

No prior business experience or franchising knowledge is required. So you don't need to do anything to prepare for the Academy. It's also recommended that Veterans do not go to the franchise buffet prior to the Academy or Coaching. Doing so will send you down pathways that may be irreversible and not in your best interest.

How to Apply

Register to attend the next online Information Session on Friday, March 14 at 3 p.m. EDT, or Friday, March 28 at 3 p.m. EDT. You can also watch a recording if you're not available for the live Information Sessions.

REGISTER NOW

Apply for the Academy Class that best fits your schedule. Applications and admissions are rolling, with a new class starting every 2-4 weeks.

Seats in the Academy are limited and demand is high, so please apply early. FAQs, class dates, syllabus and application deadlines can be found online at http://vetrepreneur.com/academy/va.