Educating Veterans for the Middle Class Job of the Next 20 Years
Since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2008 and the realization that veterans were out of work at a much higher level than their civilian counterparts, much hand wringing has occurred over what is the root cause of the problem. Non-profits advocating for veterans, government officials and to a lesser extent, the Fortune 500, have bantered about many well intentioned but half -baked solutions. Silicon Valley (well known producer of new jobs) has been mum on the subject to date with the exception of Craig Newmark of craigslist.com fame.
Most of the early discussion focused on the poor translation of military skills to plain English that civilian employers could easily understand. More effort is being put forth educating military alumni on job search subjects such as writing an effective resume, how to do a phone interview, sourcing job leads, dressing for the interview etc. However this only addresses the here and now of the veteran unemployment equation.
Job Search Tips From Special Operations
A few weeks ago I was in the position to play recruiter pro bono for a program manager I know. The program manager was looking for a hand full of former Special Operations professionals with experience in Africa who could advise the new government of South Sudan on force protection issues. After posting the requirements I was astonished to receive over twenty well qualified candidates.
Looking back through the emails I noticed three things this group did well and that any job applicant should replicate.
2011 State of Overseas Contracting Survey Results
Here are the results from our third annual State of the Overseas Contracting Industry Survey. This year 1,263 people took the survey, which is about 100 more than last year. I will be releasing the Advice from Contractors section a bit later after I have finished editing it.
What to Expect When Working with a Military Search Firm (AKA: Recruiter)
In early 2005 I decided to leave the Active Army and pursue a business career. As I began the transition that spring, I really had no idea how to find a job that I was qualified for or would enjoy. Then a fellow officer mentioned he was talking with The Lucas Group. I asked him what the firm did and he mentioned that it was a recruiting firm that was retained by members of Corporate America to hire Junior Military Officers (O-1 – O-3) to fill middle management positions. On occasion, the firm would look to place Senior NCOs (E7-E9) or Field Grade Officers (O-4- O-5) as well.
As I did some further research I found that there were almost ten such firms out there. Over the years I have interacted with Bradley Morris, The Lucas Group, Cameron Brooks, Orion International, SOAR and Defense Placements with generally favorable experiences.
Travel Out of Iraq
I have been in Iraq with my new employer now for 4 months and this last week it was time to put in my request for vacation. As I did so, I had a lot of questions about how I was going to get of the country and back home.
When I was in Afghanistan it was easy. I put in my vacation request per company policy. Once my request was approved, I booked my travel online or through a local representative of Safi Airways for travel between Kabul and Dubai. When purchasing lodging and air fare out of Dubai I used Orbitz, Travelocity, Kayak, Priceline or Hotwire. The morning I was to leave Kabul, I met a PSD team outside the FOB headquarters building, received a convoy brief and was dropped off at the Kabul International Airport for onward movement to Dubai. Total time: 2 hours.
In Iraq, I found this process to be a more difficult multi-day ordeal.
How to find companies with overseas contracting jobs
Here's my latest video about a method for building a list of potential companies for your overseas contracting jobs search. This is mostly for people who aren't members of DangerZoneJobs.com, but you still might pick something up from it. You can see more videos on our DangerZoneJobs youtube channel.
Overseas Job Search Tips – Interview Questions
This is the latest video from the Danger Zone Jobs Youtube channel, and shares a tip about how to prepare for interviews.
The Value of Advanced Degrees and Certifications for Contractors
A few days ago I was catching up with friends on Facebook and noticed a link to a video related to the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 produced by the organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). The video related the personal story of Eric Smith. Mr. Smith served 2 tours with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines as a Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Navy Hospital Corpsman over a 5.5 year period. After Eric was discharged from the Navy in 2009, he related how he applied to several Certified Nursing Assistant positions.
In each case he was a finalist for the position but was ultimately turned down for the opening due to the lack civilian equivalent certifications. In the end he was passed over by less experienced professionals who had the certifications in place. Mr. Smith has had to make ends by working a series of part-time positions as a bartender, mail sorter, flatbed trailer tarper and day labor.
This got me thinking. As a contractor I run across competent people each day making an excellent salary overseas due to their valuable technical and leadership experience picked up through the military. What concerns me is that loads of collogues who will return home to a rude awakening. (You can’t do contracting forever for many reasons) Countless contractors who were former enlisted leaders do not have a degree or a trade certification from an accredited institution. Scores of former officers (myself included) do not have an advanced degree or certification such as Project Management Professional. The hard reality is that the positions we currently fill we might not be selected for stateside if we do not take steps right now to get that degree or certification.
New KBR Applicant System Coming June 30th
KBR has a notice on their job site about a new applicant system coming that may affect you if you're already in their system:
New Danger Zone Jobs YouTube Channel
Today I launched our new Danger Zone Jobs Youtube channel. The first video below contains tips for organizing your job search. I will be uploading as many videos as possible and I hope they help you.