Learn from U.S. Military Veterans Get Your Mindset Ready to Compete for a Job

Learn from U.S. Military Veterans Get Your Mindset Ready to Compete for a Job Learn from U.S. Military Veterans: Get  Your Mindset Ready to Compete for a Job   Changing  careers, industries, companies or geographies  can  be  overwhelming.  This is especially true for  U.S. Military service members  transitioning from the military to civilian employment.  An important step for them is to  get in the right mindset  when  preparing to compete for  their  next career  move in the civilian world.     I work  regularly  with Veterans and  Military Spouses by giving them  instructions and downloadable templates  necessary to make the move from military to civilian work.  Although the  following  lessons  were  originally  written for Veterans who have served  our  country and are about to embark on a job search in civilian life, they apply to  all  job seekers.     Lori Norris,  the founder of  Get Results Career Services,  is on my Advisory Board and  compiled  these lessons.  Since 2005,  Ms. Norris  has  dedicated her career to assisting Veterans  in  successfully  transitioning  out of the military.  She  counsels: “Veterans know the importance of planning, preparation, practice and having their head in the game at all times. Although the stakes of this job search “mission” are different than the missions  they  went on in the military, we are talking about  their  career and livelihood.”   Developing  the following  mindset and belief shifts can make a major impact on future  career  success.  According to Lori:   Put your job satisfaction  first:  Rarely in the military are  people asked what makes them happy. Once out  of the military, Veterans  become their own career managers and  need  to ask themselves  this  essential  â€œhappiness”  question.  Veterans  should ask themselves:  Do  I  want to work inside or outside? Do  I  want to work with people or with equipment?  What are my  interests and passions?  What are my strengths and what kinds  of tasks do I want to avoid?   Communicate:  Communication is key during  the  transition  to civilian life.  Veterans  should  be  open and honest about expectations regarding what life outside of the military will look  like.  Veterans need to discuss where  to  live, a realistic expectation  for the first  few years of salary,  and what’s  been gained or lost when separating from the  military.     Gather your support system:  For Veterans, the military is like a second family. This doesn’t go away when they take off the uniform. It is important to identify  and stay in touch with  key people, peers and  military  friends.  Use social networks, especially LinkedIn, to keep in touch with former co-workers and supervisors and connect with other  Veterans through LinkedIn groups. Take advantage of the multitude of mentorship programs available to  Veterans such as ACP and  Veterati.  Veterans  need  people in  their  corner  rooting for themâ€"especially during big transitions.     Value your military skills and experience:  Even if  Veterans  are making a  complete career change from  their specific role  in the military,  they bring  valuable skills to any team.  They  possess problem solving and effective decision making under pressure, adaptability to new environments and tasks, a focus on teamwork, persistence and determination.  Veterans need to  objectively evaluate  their  skills and experience and believe in the value  they  bring to  their  future career field and employer.     Learn to be your own champion: Veterans  are  taught to focus on team accomplishments;  taking credit and self-marketing may not come naturally. However,  they  must  learn to take  credit for what makes  them  good at  their  job.  They must  be able to  communicate  how  they  can be of value to  a  future employer.   Hop on the social media train:  Using social media, specifically LinkedIn,  as a job seeking tool may be new  for many  Veterans.  When preparing for a  career in the private sector,  having a  LinkedIn  presence  is  mission critical. At a minimum,  everyone needs a  LinkedIn profile  in order  to be found by potential employers and take advantage of the  platform’s robust networking opportunities.  An account is free and LinkedIn’s help function will walk you through every step.     Learn to adapt:    Veterans  have adapted to different jobs, different countries and different working environments.  Now it is time to  adapt to the civilian workforce.  They  must learn to fit into the civilian workforce  and bring their  discipline, work ethic and can-do attitude  to their next career.     While Veterans face  unique  challenges  in the job search process, anyone looking for a job today will benefit from  having a  clear  and focused job  seeking  mindset.     Join Dana  Manciagli’s  Job Search Master Class ®  now  and get the most comprehensive online job search system available!