CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS

 

We have all faced apprehension. Joining the military was scary. Could we measure up, could we pass the test, would we succeed? But we had help. The drill instructors were hard but fair, and they guided us through the process.

Once in service and perhaps in combat, we faced more apprehension. How would we handle our assignments? How would we be accepted, would we succeed. But again, we had support. Experienced NCOs’ and senior officers were there to guide us through the challenges.

As you prepare for your new career, there is more apprehension. That is understandable and well justified. Unemployment is not an option, high paying jobs are harder to obtain, and the private sector has very limited exposure to the military and thus very little understanding of your career accomplishments. But you do not have to do it alone. We are here to guide you just like others have in the past.


Understanding the Marketplace

Understanding the marketplace is like gathering intelligence before the battle. You need to know what you are up against. The good news is companies are always hiring. The bad news is on a very limited and selective basis. For well qualified candidates who can express themselves both in writing and in interviews, there are good paying jobs. But you must be prepared in order to find the jobs, secure the interview, close the interview, negotiate the offer, and accept the position.


Traditional Approaches

  1. ADS Not as effective as in the past. Costly to companies and a very limited return for job seekers.
  2. INTERNET A great tool. Target a company, find the careers section, submit your resume, and you're hired. Right? Well, yes in theory; but in reality, you are not the only person to think of this approach. Hundreds of thousands of job seekers are doing the same thing. Not proactive.
  3. RECRUITERS There are thousands of recruiters most with specialties by industry, location, and salary ranges. Do you know who to seek out? Further, they cost a company 20-30% of a base salary. That expense is often subtracted from your offer.
  4. DIRECT APPROACH Requires going straight to a company and seeking employment. Extremely time consuming and very ineffective except at entry level-which no military trained person should ever have to accept.
  5. NETWORKING Still very effective if you know how to do it. Unfortunately, military personal have moved so much and have been out of contact thus making this very difficult.

Solutions

Like the military, we employ a step by step process to attacking the job market. It is a sequential process requiring completion of one assignment before moving to another.

  1. FOCUS Our staff can pinpoint your best market opportunities and career path based on your past experiences, education, training, and goals.
  2. CREATIVE MATERIALS We know what sells in the private sector and how to translate your military experiences into keywords and phrases that deliver results.
  3. DEVELOPING MARKETING STRATEGIES We help identify the right targets based on your background, goals, and expectations. We then employ the marketing approaches that best fit the situation.
  4. CONTACT We enter your profile into our matrix of companies and match to listed openings. Then we contact corporate recruiters on your behalf.
  5. RESEARCH We pinpoint opportunities by industry, size, location, and salary potential. Some industries and companies are military friendly and some are not. We know the difference. Also, some favor certain military branches over others, we know the difference. Further, we will provide in-depth research on companies that have scheduled interviews to better prepare you for that meeting.
  6. INTERVIEW PREPARATION You will exhibit confidence as you answer their questions, sell value, deflect concerns, ask for the offer, and control the close.
  7. NEGOTIATE This is a minefield. Unprepared, you can lose the offer. We carefully guide you through the process of offers, counteroffers, adjustments/amendments, and finally the agreements and contracts. We ensure all offers are in writing and review every agreement to include extensive benefit packages. This service is invaluable for all military personnel.
  8. FOLLOW UP We will be with you all the way. We will monitor all progress and our staff is available to offer advice, materials, and ongoing research. Our success depends on your successful conclusion in a relatively short period of time.