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.