A truly military view of the civilian job market!
This Page is specifically published for military personnel transitioning to civilian employment.
The civilian world is a Target Rich Environment for job seekers
The old joke is that what some folks call being surrounded Marines call a target rich environment (TRE). When you are transitioning from the military into the civilian world you are surrounded with job opportunities. With everything the military has trained you to do, the civilian world is truly a TRE for you.
When you are looking for a job, the most important first step is to get your well-written resume into the hands of a hiring manager who can allow you to interview for the job you want. In military terms, the hiring manager is your target and your resume is your bomb.
In general, when it comes to hitting the target, you have two approaches.
Two approaches
Spray and pray
In World War II taking out enemy targets with bombs was a matter of dropping a lot of bombs over the selected area and hoping that some would have the desired effect. According to one source, it took 108 B-17 bombers, crewed by 1,080 airmen, dropping 648 bombs to guarantee a 96 percent chance of getting just two hits inside a 400 x 500 ft (150 m) German power-generation plant.
Applying this approach to getting a job is referred to as "spray and pray." You spray the job market with a lot of resumes and hope one hits the mark.
In 1991 I sent out nearly 100 resumes, each with a customized cover letter. From that barrage of resumes I got about a dozen responses, a half dozen interviews, and three job offers.
Spray and pray is not only inefficient, it runs the risk of devaluing your reputation in the marketplace. If several folks at the same company get your resume as you apply for different jobs they may choose to interpret your energetic hustle as desperation and drop your resume in the trash.
I frequently hear job seekers complain that they have sent out hundreds of resumes without a single response.
Precision guided munitions / precision guided resume
Today, we have precision guided munitions which can hit the third vehicle in a five vehicle convoy to take out one bad-guy and his body guards. This is a one-shot, one-kill scenario.
In 2019 I sent resumes with cover letters to two hiring managers. I got two interviews and one job offer.
While you are free to choose to "spray and pray" or use precision I recommend you learn from my experience and pursue precision.
Gunfighter and US Marshall Wyatt Earp is credited with teaching that,
"Fast is fine. Accurate is final."
Here is short overview of the steps you need to follow to use a precision guided resume to get the job you want.
Pick your job
Your military career has probably qualified you to do excellent work in a number of different civilian jobs. While that gives your job search a lot of targets to choose, success lies in precision. Consider the military jobs you enjoy most, figure out the civilian equivalent, and then pursue one or two of those with a very tight focus.
Identify the industry
Chances are good that the kind of job you want is used in a variety of civilian industries. Invest the time to find out which industries use your skills and what they call the job you want. Make the time to learn how your military skills relate to the job in each specific industry. Then, decide which industry, or industries, you want to pursue.
Each industry will have its own lingo. Understand that lingo and translate your resume into language for the industry you are targeting. Don't leave it to a hiring manager to figure out how your experience relates to the job in their industry. Most won't know how to make that connection, or care. They will throw your resume in trash and move on to a candidate whose resume clearly demonstrates the skills they need.
Target specific companies
After narrowing the field to one or two selected industries study the field(s) and learn who are the players. Find out which have a presence in the part of the country where you want to live. Look closer at their local operations to see if those desired locations seem to offer jobs doing what you can deliver.
Make your resume into “The Bomb!”
It won't do you any good to hit the target, getting your resume into the hands of the hiring manager, if your resume is a dud. When it lands in the hands of the hiring manager you want it to blow their mind with how you are clearly what they need.
Invest the time and money to get a professionally written resume that showcases your relevant accomplishments, skills, and experience in language that civilian hiring managers can easily understand. Make sure your resume is both strong on the content and readable.
If a hiring manager needs more than two-seconds to see how your resume relates to their needs, your resume will land in the trash. I know that sounds harsh. You may think it isn't realistic. Unfortunately, it is the cold, hard truth. Disliking this 2-second rule won't make it go away.
Precision Guided Resume
Get your resume into the hands of the hiring manager
After you have identified the job you want, there are four major steps you need to take to precisely guide your resume into the hands of a hiring manager.
- Identify employees at target company
- Identify hiring manager
- Network from one employee to another until you reach the target
- Connect with the targeted hiring manager and deliver your resume
I have successfully used this approach for decades. Over the years, I have refined it to take maximum advantage of tools like LinkedIn. I have taught others to do this as well. Clients have paid me thousands of dollars to personally teach them how to do exactly what I have done. I have refined my process into a proprietary process to help you Get the Job You Want, Now! (R).
Buy the complete course on how to Get the Job You Want, Now!
Use PayPal and send $97 to Tom@ResumesbyTom.com
Click Here to Buy Now
Upon receipt of your payment we will email you a zip file containing this entire course and several unpublished bonuses.
What You Get
ü Step-by-step, easy to follow instructions to implement the Get the Job You Want, Now! System
ü Learn how to use your network and get your résumé into the hands of the right person every time
ü 3-things you should never do when networking. Any one of these three things will destroy the valuable relationships you need to add to you network
ü 3 keys to a successful online profile. If you are missing one of these, your job hunt will be much harder than it should be
ü Three in-person networking must-do’s. If you are missing any of these three, you may miss out on adding the right people to your network and missing out on the job you want
ü Tips to effective use of social media comments, posts, and articles to build your professional network
ü Decoding social media and company websites to pinpoint the key people you need to connect with and then to build your network so that when you do connect, it will be as natural as breathing
ü You will learn how to keep desperation out of your job search and networking. People can sense desperation, and they run from it. You will learn how to bring them to you
ü Guide to avoid the traps that can sabotage all your efforts
ü Do’s and Don’ts of Business Networking
ü Peace of mind knowing that you can get a job in any job market
ü 30-day Money Back Guarantee
ü Shorter job search times
ü Financial stability with less time between jobs
ü And a whole ton more!
This system is backed by my 30-day
money back guarantee. If, after 30 days
of using this system you aren’t satisfied that it is helping you to get the job
you want, I will refund your money.
Please note, this course is most
effective when used in conjunction with a professionally prepared résumé,
targeted cover letter, and excellent interview skills. If you feel you may be lacking in any of
these areas, check out the Extra Help for You at the
end of this course.
Because you are a veteran, I will also send you a copy of Robert Conwell's powerful lesson about opening your eyes to opportunities all around you, "Acres of Diamonds."
Click Here to Buy Now!
Tom Sheppard successfully transitioned from the USMC to civilian
You can too!
Buy the complete course on how to Get the Job You Want, Now!
Use PayPal and send $97 to Tom@ResumesbyTom.com
Upon receipt of your payment we will email you a file with this entire course along with several unpublished bonuses.
Click Here to Buy Now
(C) Copyright 2020 Thomas K Sheppard and A+ Results, LLC.
All Rights Reserved
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