Dispelling Civilian Expectations: What You Don't Know You Don't Know

Capt Whitney Davis, USMC

A little background on myself: I was an artillery officer in the Marine Corps from 2004-2012. I spent my time as an artillery liaison officer, forward observer, executive officer, and platoon commander. I also worked as an infantry platoon commander in Iraq and a JTAC/Firepower Control Team Leader in Afghanistan. I conducted a total of five deployments: Iraq twice, Afghanistan, and two Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments. I left the Marine Corps in 2012, was able to find a job before my separation date, and have worked in that job for nearly three years now. I work in the manufacturing industry, initially as a shift supervisor and after a promotion, as a superintendent.

I want to begin by dispelling some expectations you may have of the civilian job market place. For starters, no one is obligated to hire you. No one sees that you are a vet and immediately puts your resume in the “to hire” bin. Your status as a veteran does not necessarily help your job search. It doesn’t hurt in most cases, but do not expect anyone to roll the red carpet out for you. I have found that this is a common misperception that separating service members have. To be clear, there are companies that prefer veterans and there are companies that have veteran transition programs. When those resources are available, use them, but don’t assume you have a leg up. It’s better to expect and prepare for the worst case scenario and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around.

Now, as a veteran, you have some disadvantages. First, you don’t speak the same language as the people looking to hire you. Second, your career accomplishments are not in line with what hiring managers are typically looking for. Finally, you probably have a very limited network outside the military. For most of us the military is the only job we’ve known since leaving high school or college. As such, we don’t know a lot of professionals that aren’t family or service members. This disadvantage is probably the most significant, because a network is what will likely get you hired.

That leads me into my first piece of advice: start your transition early! I cannot overstate how important it is that you start transitioning at least 12 months out. That is the minimum. Ideally, I’d like you to start 18 months out. If you have less than a year before you separate I strongly suggest that you try to push your date out. You will need this time to polish your resume, work on interview skills, and most importantly to build the network that will get you a job.

How do you build that network though, and in what field should you focus? I can’t speak to anyone else, but I had no idea what I wanted to do outside of the military. I am willing to bet, though, that a lot of service members are in the same boat. As I said, most of us have never had a career outside of the military and don’t know where to even start figuring out what to do. I think this is why so many people end up in law enforcement, security, and government jobs after separating. There is nothing wrong with those careers, but don’t limit yourself just because they’re familiar.

Fortunately, there are methods to find out about various career fields. I used the local (San Diego) Chamber of Commerce and American Corporate Partners (ACP). The Chamber of Commerce was extremely helpful. They provided me with personality assessments and an idea of what fields I may fit in. They also gave me an opportunity to shadow people in those fields. This was great for two reasons: first, exposure to career fields I may not have considered (or, ones I did consider but was able to rule out), and second, it was an opportunity to start building a professional network outside of the military. The Chamber of Commerce has offices throughout the nation and, from my experience, is focused on helping veterans transition. It is a great idea to reach out to them and see what programs are available, both in the city that you’re separating from and in any city you’d want to move to.  ACP has a program that will link you up with a mentor in various fields. This mentor is a veteran with a few years of experience in the field you’re interested in. This can be a great resource for getting some detailed information on a career field you may be interested in, along with advice on how to get into that field and some contacts to help you do so. There are more resources out there, and if you’d like to get in touch I will be happy to provide some links, but I found those two most helpful. Look around a bit, be open-minded, and put yourself out there though you’ll find a lot of people willing to help you.

Read more posts like this, here!

Leveraging your Military Experience to be a Successful Business Owner

SGT Marion Townes, US Army

The intangible benefits you gain from serving in the Military are priceless. Work ethic, self-discipline, interpersonal skills, determination, and the ability to work as part of a team are just a few of the benefits. For 3 ½ of the last 7 years, I have worked in a virtual environment.

The office and my manager were 5+hours away; I was entrusted because of my self-discipline, determination, and integrity all from my Military experience. I didn’t have anyone telling me what time to start and end work, no one to tell me what to do every day - I just knew what needed to be done.

One of my responsibilities was to act as a business consultant to small business owners, formally titled Agency Distribution Sales Specialist.  In this role, finding an office location, furnishing the office, assisting with hiring staff, developing a marketing strategy, and reviewing financial statements were some of the things I did on a daily basis. As an entrepreneur, you need to be resilient, productive, focused, disciplined, and a hard worker. These are all skills learned in the Military which is why being an entrepreneur is an excellent option for those that have served our country.

Here are some tips to be a successful business owner:

Hiring the right employee is the first thing that needs to be done. Think of the interview process in the same way as a Promotion Board. Reviewing soldiers’ records is similar to looking at resumes. Pay attention to qualities you are looking for in a team member. Once you have selected who you are interested in, the interview is the next step. The questions asked in the interview should be based on the applicant’s job history, experience, and the qualities you are looking for. During the interview, assess their conversational skills, ability to respond under pressure, question if they coachable, ask yourself if you would want this person on your team, etc.

Once you find the right person, you want to keep them as long as you can. Employees are an appreciating asset because they can become more productive and valuable with time. Compensation is one way to keep someone engaged. In the Military, you promote someone when you want to keep them. As a small business owner, you have the option to create a solid compensation plan. Some ideas to consider are: paying for performance (this will allow someone to make their own raise), paid vacation days, flex time, continuing education fees paid, life insurance, etc.

Now that you have your team in place, it’s important to define success. Determine what the goals are so everyone is on the same page with ‘the mission’ or what needs to be accomplished. In the Military, you kept score. You knew how many pushups needed to be done in order to score 100; you knew how many points you needed to make the cut off for promotion. It’s no different in the business world. One way to keep score is to keep track of where your business comes from. Marketing and advertising are expensive; a review should be done on a regular basis to assess the return of investment for each system. Many small business owners get their business from word of mouth, so having a loyalty or referral program might be something to consider.

Hopefully you will find what I have written useful so you can apply it to your operation. My advice to you as an entrepreneur is based on my experience working with small business owners and salespeople in my organization. Good luck with your entrepreneurial journey!

Read more posts like this, here!

PSA: Online Presence is Important to Transition

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

The importance of having online presence has become increasingly greater with the popularity of social networking sites in our daily lives. College administrators as well as hiring managers and recruiters have found social networking sites to be a great tool to find out more about candidates outside of the materials presented in the application process. 

In fact, a new survey discussed on CollegeRecruiter confirms what many of us already know: "the use of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have become an essential practice amongst human resource professionals with 92 percent of U.S. companies using social networks and media to find talent in 2012, up from 78 percent five years ago." 

The survey also found that nearly 3 out of 4 hiring managers and recruiters check candidates’ social profiles, and 48 percent of them always do so, even if they are not provided in the application.

All this information suggests that having an online presence is crucial to employment and transition. 

Most hiring professionals go to LinkedIn first in order to search for you and assess you based on relevant keywords. If you don't a LinkedIn profile, or an incomplete one with few relevant keywords, you’re probably going to have some trouble gaining visibility to them. 

The best advice for cultivating an online presence is the following:

• Have a broad presence in the social media world
• Exude and communicate professionalism
• Avoid uploading, posting, or being tagged in controversial material

Develop a Broad Online Presence

Expand your social networking presence and make sure that you have some presence in the major networks that employers use to scout or screen candidates. 

LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter tend to be the largest civilian social networks that many hiring managers sift through to get both a metaphoric and literal picture of you and the type of person you are while they consider your application. RallyPoint is the largest military network, and many hiring managers that work for companies that have a robust hiring process for veterans and service members are active in the site. So make sure that you've organized and completed your profile on these major sites and you should have your bases covered.

Exude and Communicate Professionalism

Part of cultivating a good online presence for your future employers and veteran recruiters to see involves making sure that your profiles on various social networking sites are completed and organized.

• You want to make sure you include information that is relevant to your skill set and experience, and fill out as much information as possible when describing when and where you've worked and what you did. Part of this discussion is mostly relevant to professional networking sites like LinkedIn and RallyPoint, where many hiring managers and veteran recruiters go to find talent for their job openings. Also make sure your Facebook profile doesn't include too many personal details that you wouldn't want your employer to know through a quick Google search of your name (e.g. extraneous information about when you expect a newborn or financial information). Adjust your privacy settings if you want to limit the amount of information available for strangers to see publicly. 

• Uploading a professional photo involves one that would help the employer see how you would fit with the company's culture. Sometimes wearing military uniform detracts from the employers' ability to envision you fitting in, so try to get a civilian and professional photo of you taken. 

• Part of communicating professionalism on online social networks is also making your profile viewable and understandable to the common civilian employer without military experience. Try removing military lingo that isn't readily understood. 

• Mention your civilian world achievements when you can. A lot of your accomplishments may be pertinent within the military community, but many civilian employers might not appreciate them and such information only serves to clutter your professional profile. Be concise but informative and relevant.

Avoid Controversy

Being careful with what you post in the online world may seem like common sense, but unfortunately many individuals still don't seem to truly understand how this impacts their professional careers. 

Remember the old adage that if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say it at all. Unsurprisingly, recruiters and hiring managers find negative content to be more harmful to their perception of the candidates than not having any content at all. 

This isn't to say that you shouldn't post anything at all, but that you should always be mindful of who might be reading the content you post online. Expressing your opinions on headline issues on Facebook, for example, is not off limits. But the type of language and the approach you use to speak about the issue at hand might merit some careful consideration. As mentioned before, you should also look into your privacy settings if you want to have more control over your profile's content.

The survey we've mentioned above talks about some of the content that are big "No's." 

• Content that recruiters especially frown on includes references to using illegal drugs (78 percent negative) and posts of a sexual nature (67 percent negative). 
• Profanity in posts and tweets garnered a 61 percent negative reaction. 
• 47 percent reacted negatively to posts about alcohol consumption. 
• Grammar or spelling mistakes on social profiles saw a 54 percent negative reaction.

Go through your profiles on Facebook/Twitter and other social networks to make sure that nothing sensitive or of that nature is linked back to you. Don't let the opportunity for a job interview be pre-determined by the type of inappropriate things that your friends tagged you in, the regretful things you wrote when you were serving, or other sensitive material that you wouldn't want your family members or hiring managers to see. 

Go fill out your RallyPoint profile and make the first step in attractively marketing yourself to veteran recruiters and hiring managers. Go reach out and contact companies in our career corner.

The infographic used throughout this post is from the Hollister Institute and has been modified in this piece. All rights and ownership to the infographic and any derivates belongs to the Hollister Institute.  The source for the information presented in the infographic is pulled from Staffing Industry Analysts, Career Builder's "Annual Social Media Recruitment Survey" - conducted between Feb. 11 & March 6, 2015 & article: "Number of Employers Passing on Applicants due to Social Media Posts Continues to Rise, According to New CareerBuilder Survey."

Challenges in Transition: Overcoming Obstacles That Hinder Your Chances at Employment

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

A survey conducted nearly three years ago by Prudential (the Veterans Employment Challenges survey) measured the experiences of "post-9/11 veterans from all services to gauge their challenges to returning to civilian life. Almost all of them, 98 percent, reported at least one service-related challenge to entering or re-entering the civilian work force." 

If one thing is clear and agreed upon in the veteran and military community, it is that transitioning has its unique set of struggles. Transitioning, in the eyes of many unfamiliar civilians and hiring managers/recruiters alike, may not like a big deal. After all, you aren't emigrating to another country or learning a different language. Yet, the transition to the civilian workplace comes with its own set of challenges and many veterans often find themselves feeling like they are lost in a cultural translation. 

And indeed this feeling is something that arises when veterans don't fully realize the extent and nature of the transition. You may have made your own plan of action and milestones (POA&M) throughout your military services, but it's time to understand that a POA&M for transitioning into the civilian world is equally important. 

The first point comes from an article from Business Insider:

1. You Need to Recognize That You're Starting Over Professionally 

Imagine the amount of training that you had to go through and the amount of time took you to be fully accustomed to the military culture when you first joined. You spent years serving and climbing the ranks. You had to learn new skills and learn from new lessons that you had every day. You cultivated experiences, learned to speak in a certain manner, learn the ins and outs of the military and sometimes travel to other locations and "start over" with a new job at a different post.

The Business Insider article mentions that "The transition is a bit easier within the Department of Defense and Federal arenas, but you’re starting anew. It’s imperative that you understand this...Just as I would have been far better informed had I spoken to a military recruiter before I left my civilian job [to join the military], so should you be similarly informed before entering your last year of service. Use recruiters, headhunters, employment counselors, hiring managers, etc. to gain intelligence and information so you can be pragmatic in your expectations and planning. Also, getting a mentor who has successfully navigated into the private or government sector and is also a veteran will provide invaluable insight from a perspective you’ll be able to relate to."

The takeaway here is that you need to recognize that, in many respects, you are starting over professionally, and although the type of your assignments have drastically changed, the nature with which you approach completing those assignments haven't. Spend serious time considering the prospects of your civilian career. 

Think about the things you have learned, the experiences you've had, and the wisdom you've gained from your years of service. But do not assume the things that you are expected to receive something like a promotion by simply staying at the company for a while. Remember to show vigor, enthusiasm, and, more importantly, a commitment to learn to how you can become an attractive employee. 

2. You Need to Translate Your Skills and Experiences to the Civilian World

The study discussed at the beginning of this article mentioned the difficulties of transitioning veterans in finding employment. The same study mentioned that one of the biggest challenges for the transitioning veteran is "explaining how their military experience translates to skills of interest to a civilian employer (60%). This is a consistent theme throughout the study in terms of being a barrier to employment." 

The good news is that the survey also mentioned that almost all veterans say they have the skills that would help them land a job, it's just a matter of being able to communicate those skills that's holding them back. 

Michelle Tillis Lederman from Every Veteran Hired explained how to approach this challenge: 

"To start wrapping your head around this, think about what you did on a daily basis in the military and how many of the skills you used are essential for the normal workforce. In the military, you were in stressful situations that required you to think quickly, be effective with limited resources and adapt to ever-changing circumstances, and as a result, you built many, many skills. 

Veterans are adaptable, energetic, creative; they pay attention to detail, get the job done, communicate critical information clearly, meet deadlines, display maturity and have an extraordinary work ethic. They are problem-solvers, team players and leaders. 

The first step in preparing for a civilian interview is to recognize these skills, and the second step is to value them. You want to communicate these translatable skills — and the added value you as a vet bring to a civilian work situation — at every step of the job hunt process, from resumé and cover letter right through to the actual interview."

So what are your skills? What did you do on a daily basis? What words would your close friends and your ranking officers and senior leaders use to describe you? Are you a problem-solver? An innovative leader? Quick thinker and a quick learner? These are general questions that get you to ask yourself the fundamentally more important question: how can you get the practical experiences and skills you've learned in the military and put them through a "civilian dictionary" so that others can understand?

If you're really stuck, try looking for online skills translators for your MOS. Look up sample resumés of veterans who have been able to communicate their skills and experiences and find a civilian career. Remember that your resumé needs to meet the standard civilian expectations that we've mentioned in our previous post, so keep that in mind when viewing samples on different sites or when looking through different resources. 

3. You Need to Go Back to School Or Learn More Skills

You might feel like you don't know what to do or that you don't feel ready for the civilian workplace. Many veterans feel this way, and many pursue educational opportunities using their GI Bill to go back to school and learn more skills. With the post-9/11 GI Bill, "programs offered at non-degree granting schools, the benefit pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees or national Maximum, whichever is less. Monthly housing allowance (MHA) is paid based on the location of the school. Up to $83 per month is available for books and supplies." (Learn more at the VA's page here.)

Among the numerous educational opportunities that veterans can pursue are online programs, college and universities, technical or vocational school and programs. 

For example, U.S. News released a list of the best online graduate education programs for veterans. The methodology for ranking these online programs was explained on their website: "For the 2015 edition, the online business rankings have been split into two: one ranking of MBA programs and another of other types of business master's degrees, such as accounting, finance and organizational leadership.

Rankings of criminal justice programs, including both criminal justice and criminology master's degrees, are also new this year. To ensure academic quality, all schools included in these rankings first have to be ranked among the top 75 percent of schools in U.S. News & World Report's 2015 Best Online Programs rankings, which were published in January 2015." (More info on the methodology on their site).

Military Times also created its own lists detailing the best 2-year colleges, 4-year colleges, and online colleges and programs for veterans. Check out these opportunities and browse for more on your own if you feel you need to hit the books before finding employment or a place in the workplace. Remember that it's worth looking into internships with businesses, non-profits, and the government or even veteran-specific internships if you choose to supplement what you've learned with practical experience in a civilian company. (Don't forget that the internship searching process is not a walk in the park! Bring as much vigor and enthusiasm searching for internship opportunities as you would an actual job).

Join discussions related to careers and transition on RallyPoint here.

Hire a Veteran: 4 Reasons Why You Should Want a Veteran In Your Workforce

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter at The New York Times, wrote a book published in February 2012 called The Power of Habit. In the book, Duhigg writes:

"The way we habitually think of our surroundings and ourselves create the worlds that each of us inhabit. 'There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says 'Morning, boys. How's the water?' the writer David Foster Wallace told a class of graduating college students in 2005. 'And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes 'What the hell is water?' 

The water is habits, the unthinking choices and invisible decisions that surround us every day -- and which, just by looking at them, become visible again."

This excerpt is a great summary of why so many companies want to hire veterans. Veteran recruiters specifically look towards the veteran population because many of the habits developed through their years of service are valuable in the workplace. Below we'll review four of the many habits and qualities that make veterans attractive members of your workforce, and four habits you should keep if you are a veteran.

1. Leadership and Teamwork

A study by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) in 2012 found that 70% of companies that hire veterans do so because of leadership qualities or teamwork skills. 

Business New Daily corresponded with several business leaders and asked what leadership means to companies. One of the business heads, Andor Kovacs (CEO and founder of Restoration 1) defined a leader in the following way: "A leader places the people around him or her in a position that sets them up for success. This is a difficult task because a leader must have an in-depth understanding of each individual, such as understanding their career goals and knowing what motivates them. By being committed to helping each person achieve their own personal goals, the leader sets the organization up for greatness. Leaders are [also] good listeners. They listen to verbal and nonverbal cues to understand [what is] occurring in the organization. This allows you to address problems before they become big issues."

Veterans know the importance of leading, a combination of spearheading projects and coordinating among different people but also the importance of teamwork. They understand that personal preferences may not be appropriate or relevant if it doesn’t help the team and are willing to sacrifice for the good of the team. Veterans also use this understanding for effective leadership by inviting counsel and evaluation when making decisions (a great display of respect for the team and of humility).

Indeed, it is difficult to imagine anyone in the military lasting long without developing these habits of trust, humility, and decision making which stem from qualities of leadership and team playing.

2. Discipline

Veterans are accustomed to being on top of their assignments and show commitment to completing the task that needs to be done. It is no surprise that over 40% of companies that hire veterans do so because they understand the value of having a committed and disciplined member on the team.

One of the most difficult things that challenge hiring managers and recruiters is being able to judge candidates in areas such as discipline, reliability, and strong work ethic. However, years of service, training, and habit formation make veterans especially attractive. 

Veterans have a strong work ethic that distinguishes them from many civilian counterparts. Their focus and work-oriented attitude is something that has been a natural part of their experiences while serving, and this quality transfers to the civilian workplace. Former service-members also understand that being on time and even arriving earlier shows respect, one of the most important habits that veterans pick up throughout their years of service. It communicates reliability, and veteran recruiters recognize that punctuality is strongly correlated with commitment and discipline. 

A former Sergeant who has transitioned into the civilian world after fighting in Iraq during OIF emphasized that "People like us show up early, stay late and if you ask them to do something they work hard to see that it is done. In the worst case scenario, they will be responsible enough to tell you when they need help."

3. Critical Thinking

Veterans understand that "a problem clearly stated is already half solved." Former military members draw from their experiences, and the constantly changing circumstances they were placed in to to make quick and effective decisions and do so while articulating their thought process and understanding the problem's situation.

This goes hand in hand with decision making. Veteran leaders know how to make decisions. Years of military experience sharpen habits of making intuitive and informed judgments about the best course of action.  Intuition is the ability to understand something immediately and is important, in the corporate and military world alike, in coming to a quick and correct decision that took into account all possible options. 

These skills aren't honed in a classroom setting but in the everyday as well as in real-life experiences where problems that need solutions arise daily. Having the ability to quickly ascertain changing conditions and knowing the difference between what matters to the mission and what doesn't are highly desirable skills in today's business world.

Patrick Lefler points out that "The average combat solder or Marine probably makes more critical decisions in a single day than his or her peers in the civilian world do in a month. These decisions all focus on selecting the action that gets the most done at the least cost, all while minimizing risk. Today's veteran knows the difference between interim, adaptive, corrective, preventive and contingency actions — distinctions valued in the modern business world but not completely understood by the majority of their civilian peers. They also understand the importance of prioritizing decision-making objectives. Distinguishing between 'necessary musts' and 'nice-to-have wants' helps prevent poor decisions in which essential requirements are sacrificed for the sake of meeting less important criteria."

Veterans also learn quickly. While on duty, service members are accustomed to switching jobs frequently and, as a result, must learn how to be adaptable and climb learning curves quickly. Veterans expect and welcome challenges and can be key change agents within a company.

4. Loyalty

Turnover is costly, and companies want to minimize spending resource and time finding, training, and hiring new employees when old ones leave. According to the CNAS study, "17 of 19 companies said veterans had a longer tenure." 

One of the company managers interviewed in the CNAS study mentioned that "The majority of senior veterans stay longer. They are used to having loyalty to an organization. I recently completed a study on the turnover rates at [my company] and based on the analysis, the attrition rate was 7 percent lower for vets than civilian employees."

Loyalty is a quality that has retained its value in both the military and in the workplace. The same study mentioned above concludes that "Companies that purposefully hire veterans proclaim the benefit gained from employing individuals who exhibit the same loyalty and strong performance in the civilian workplace that they did while serving the country."

Check out RallyPoint's career corner and find qualified veterans for your workforce, or look for career opportunities waiting for you.

Top 5 Jobs That Pay Over $80,000 For Veterans

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

1.  Chief Information Security Officer

With major cybersecurity threats and data breaches becoming more common, chief information security officers are facing more challenges than ever. This officer is charged with evaluating, reporting, and suggesting ideas that involve enhancing security measures and addressing problems that the company currently faces.

Chief Information Security Officers are very familiar with information technology and oversee teams of highly-skilled technicians, programmers, and engineers who are charged with the responsibility of protecting the company's data and information systems as well as shaping its security apparatus. With a new focus on combatting compromising cybersecurity threats, veterans are often well qualified to use their knowledge and skills to similar positions in the private sector. This position is also about leading, which is why military experience and skills transfer along well.

In fact, according to PayScale, veterans are more than six times as likely to work in this position than a civilian. The median salary for this position is $139,860. Follow the unofficial page for Chief Information Security Officers on RallyPoint here.

2. Capture Manager

Capture managers are tasked with overseeing a company's bids for new business opportunities (especially those that involve government contracts). According to PayScale, veterans are ten times as likely to hold this position than their civilian counterparts. 

Lisa Rosser, the founder and CEO of The Value of a Veteran, a consulting company that coordinates efforts with private organizations to streamline internal veteran hiring programs, has described the position as a "fancy sales position" that requires an individual who is familiar with business and government relationships and also capable of highlighting the value of the product. 

PayScale details the types of duties and responsibilities of a Capture Manager:

• Recruit and inform the capture team, setting schedule, and assigning tasks.
• Set strategy, budget, and timelines for selected proposals.
• Review potential projects, research funders, and competitors, and evaluate likelihood of success.
• Work with contractors, build relationships with funders, and increase client base.

The median salary is $118,589. Check out the RallyPoint followers page for Capture Managers here.

3. IT Security Architect

An Information Technology (IT) Security Architect is, like the Chief Information Security Officer, responsible for the network and computer security for the company. 

During the early stages of the company's security "life cycle," the IT Security Architect is essentially the project leader and is in charge of planning, researching, and ultimately designing the most important elements of the company's information security. The IT Security Architect begins the project by creating a general design and planning the features and functionalities that are needed. The IT Security Architect is also responsible for delegating important tasks to members that are capable of programming and developing the necessary modules for the ultimate security structure. 

Once the individual pieces are created, the IT Security Architect is responsible for integrating and synthesizing the pieces and testing the final security structure to ensure that it is behaving according to plan. He/she is then responsible for developing the standard operating procedures and company policies for how the security systems will be used for the business. 

The median salary for this position is $113,664. Be a part of a network of security architects on RallyPoint here and here. 

4. Auditing Manager

An Auditing Manager is responsible for "overseeing a company's process or procedure to ensure that it runs smoothly and that the company is following necessary laws and regulations." The act of auditing is simply a systematic review or assessment of something. Therefore, audit management is the process of "oversee[ing] the internal/external audit staff, establishes audit programs, and hires and trains the appropriate audit personnel."

For example, an Auditing Manager may be responsible for invoices, examining invoice receipts and ensuring they are fulfilled as binding legal contracts. They may also be involved with internal company affairs ranging from ensuring that the company's employees are all acting ethically and keeping a record of company finances to check for embezzled, lost, or stolen funds. 

Veterans with a keen eye for numbers and attention to detail are particularly fit for this position, which many larger companies require in order to run effectively. 

The median salary of an Auditing Manager is $83,057. 

5. Supply Chain Manager

Supply Chain Managers are responsible for overseeing and coordinating key parts of the franchise supply chain, as the name of the title would imply. The three main responsibilities include "promoting teamwork between the sales team and customer service team, developing and maintaining policies on general logistics and procedures, and maintaining overall inventory based on demand." 

A supply chain manager is also responsible for remaining in direct communication with suppliers and should be able to analyze the cost-benefit analysis of contracts. They must "provide leadership and guidance to a team of store managers within the supply chain," and veterans with years of military service have the know-how of leading with purpose while being mindful of logistical details. 

Veterans are perfect candidates for this type of position as they have experience working with large teams and coordinating teamwork among disparate sections or cross-divisions. It is important for the Supply Chain Manager to have his hands in many constant projects and being on top of things.

The median salary for Supply Chain Managers is $81,782. Be a part of a network of Supply Chain Managers on RallyPoint here.


Explore some of RallyPoint's career opportunities using our career-searching platform.

4 Tips for Job Interviews for Veterans

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

You've landed the interview, congratulations! You've been given the opportunity to sit down and have a chat, formal or informal, with the veteran recruiter who was piqued by your application and your commitment to want to be a part of the company's team. 

The veteran recruiter probably looked over your resumé and your cover letter, and was interested in finding out more about you. Maybe someone internally referred you to the veteran recruiter. Whatever the case may be, now you have to show him/her and the company what you have to offer.

The interview process may seem a bit daunting, especially if it's your first time going in for an interview for a civilian job. 

We'll review some general information and specific tips for transitioning veterans and go over some strategies in preparing for the interview.

1. What is the Interview About?

First, understand that landing interview is an exciting indicator of your work so far. The fact that the veteran recruiter reached out to you means that your resumé validated the qualifications for the position you applied to, and that your cover letter communicated your experiences in such a way that the recruiter wanted to find out more. (Remember not to forget to record which type of resumé and cover letters received the most callbacks and interview opportunities!)

The interview, aside from being a validation of your credibility, is an opportunity not only for you but for the recruiter to find out whether you are a good fit for the company. 

The veteran recruiters want to find out four main things throughout the course of the interview: your presentation/personality, your drive, your technical expertise, and your experiences.

• Presentation and Personality. 
• Remember that your interview begins way before you enter the room! Punctuality is key -- make sure you arrive at least 15 minutes early. Thankfully, the military tradition and emphasis on punctuality should make this habit a non-issue. Employers appreciate that you've come early for the interview, and while they may not notice that you've arrived earlier if they're in a room interviewing someone before you, they will definitely notice if you've come later than when you were supposed to.
• An important part of your interview is leaving a good impression, which is, in large part, determined by how you present yourself. So dress appropriately -- wear suits with matching shoes if the interview is formal, or wear business casual attire if the interview setting is less formal. If you're unsure as to how you're supposed to dress, kindly e-mail the recruiter who reached out to you and ask for clarification on what the dress code is. Be mindful of your personal hygiene, the type of bag/briefcase/purse you carry, and inappropriate jewelry you might be wearing. Give eye contact and communicate confidence with a firm hand shake and a pleasant attitude. Speak clearly and be mindful of your body language. All these contribute to your veteran recruiters' impression of the type of person you are, so make sure he/she doesn't get the wrong image!

• Drive  
• You have to answer the subtle (and sometimes direct) question: Why do you want this job, and how badly do you want it? Companies spend a tremendous amount of resources and time in order to hire the best fit for the team. They want an employee who believes in the company and that the type of work that will be done. Some companies spend more than $10,000 in costs for hiring and training new hires, so making sure that they have chosen the right candidate is of paramount importance to them. You want to express your drive and motivation for working with them. 
• Speak about why you believe you can do well for the company outside of your expertise. Will you make a great environment? Will you contribute to the company culture? Which one of the company's core values (which can often be found on the company's home page) do you believe resonates with you strongly, and, more importantly, how will you take it a step further? Be genuine and sincere, and the recruiter will know that you are a committed candidate. 

• Technical Expertise
• Are you aware of the type of work that the company needs you to get done? Are you familiar with what the job position asks of you? You need to be ready to answer how, specifically, your military experience or your civilian experience can help the company. 
• Tech companies often give you practice problems that require you to program in front of the interviewer to see how you think and how you would solve the problem. Some business companies may give you a case study and ask you to show them how you would think through a hypothetical problem and solve it. Be ready to show your skills, in whatever capacity. Look up some sample questions for the technical portion of the interview online, you might be able to find previous forums that discuss the interview process.

• Experiences 
• Your level of education, your past employment history, and your references are important to your recruiter. They might ask you to explain about what you've learned in school or what you did in your past jobs. Your veteran recruiter might contact your references (if you have them) to find out more about you from an outside perspective.

2. What Things Should I Say?

• Be specific about the work you did and experiences you have. Just like in our previous post on writing resumés and cover letters, you have to demilitarize your language so that your recruiter (especially if he or she is not a veteran) can follow along. 
• Avoid military jargon
• Avoid mentioning your MOS and assuming that your interviewer knows what you're talking about
• Avoid referring to your team with military terms like battalion or squadron. Use specific numbers and adjectives to describe the size and nature of your team. 
• For example, "a large and interspersed team/organization with X personnel in X geographically separated areas"
• Use "Mr. X" or "Ms. Y" (unless the recruiter introduces him or herself by first name) and avoid the overly formal "Ma'am" and "Sir."
• Avoid the alphabet soup of military acronyms and spell them out, or take time to explain what you are referring to
• Avoid using military time if you are unsure whether your recruiter is a veteran himself/herself.

3. What Things Should I Take?

• Bring a notepad to take some notes when necessary
• Be sparing. Only take notes on things that would help you advance the conversation or if you want to follow up later in the interview or after the interview. 
• Bring extra copies of your resumés. Your interviewer may not have printed it out, and may want to look at it during the interview. 
• Bring a reference list if you have one. 
• Create a list of references including your names and contact information. Write a short note on who the reference is. E.g. "Mr. Johnson was my business supervisor from during my time in Company X from 2003-2005."
• (Make sure your references have given you permission to use their names).

4. How Should I Practice?

You can prepare for some of the general questions that you might encounter during the interview. 

Many interviewers and veteran recruiters want to get a feel for your personality and whether you'd be a good cultural fit for the company. They might ask you some general or personal questions to get to know you. Practice the responses you would give to these questions so you know what to expect in a typical interview.

You should also consider rehearsing how you would respond to a typical question out loud. Even better, get a close friend or family member that can take some time to help you or coach you while you respond. Practicing with someone (in a "mock interview") who listens to how you respond to some of the questions can give you a perspective on how you are communicating. The other person can give you feedback on what tones are communicating what emotions and whether you are being clear when describing your skills and experiences.

Some of the typical questions that you might run into during an interview and that you can practice include:

• Why are you interested in working for this company?
• Tell me about your education.
• Why have you chosen this particular field?
• In a job, what interests you most/least?
• Give an example of how you solved a problem in the past.
• What are your strengths?
• How do others describe you?
• Where do you see yourself in three years?
• How do you think you will fit into this operation?
• If you were hired, what ideas/talents could you contribute to the position or our company?
• Give an example where you showed leadership and initiative.

Some tougher questions may include:

• Tell me a bit about yourself
• One way to answer this is given by Lily Zhang from themuse: "A formula I really like to use is called the Present-Past-Future formula. So, first you start with the present—where you are right now. Then, segue into the past—a little bit about the experiences you’ve had and the skills you gained at the previous position. Finally, finish with the future—why you are really excited for this particular opportunity.
• What are some of your major weaknesses?  
• This is not the time to confess all the problems you've faced or claim your invincibility. The best way to answer this question is by mentioning some personal out-of-office weakness or something you have already improved. For example, "I've never been good with detailed accounting, but I'm glad this position wouldn't involve too much number crunching." Or "I had a tendency of biting more than I can chew, and I've been working on this by delegating responsibilities more effectively."
• Do you have any questions for me
• Always have some questions you want to ask your interviewer. Maybe something you dug in your research that you wanted to know, or maybe something about the interviewer himself/herself. 

Some online Googling can help you dig up some strategies that others have used when preparing for the interview. Look for online resources for some of the tougher questions that you don't know how to prepare for. 

Check out RallyPoint's career corner and apply to open positions!

100,00 Jobs Mission: 10 Companies That Are Hiring Veterans Now

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

The 100,000 Jobs Mission, as it is stated on the mission's website, began in 2011 as a coalition of eleven companies. These companies were "committed to hire 100,000 veterans by 2020" but have, since then, hired more than 240,000 so far (more than double the original goal). The coalition has also grown to more than 190 companies that represent almost every industry in the American economy. 

Each company in the coalition has committed to hire veterans, report their hiring number on a quarterly basis, and also share best practices. Because the coalition has surpassed the original goal of hiring 100,000 veterans, they have raised their goal and pledge to hire hundreds of thousands more. Today we'll go over 10 of the 190 companies that are a part of this coalition.

#1 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the largest back in the United States and is a major provider of banking and financial services. The multinational company was one of the founding members of the 100,000 Jobs Mission coalition and has, according to its veteran recruiting page, hired more than 8,800 military veterans since 2011.

The bank states in its mission statement: "Our company offers veterans and military spouses the opportunity to put their skills and experience to work for a global team that is dedicated to making a real difference for the community, doing what’s right for our clients and customers, providing our employees with the opportunity to define unique career paths and creating bold innovations to help improve our customer experience. 

We have a dedicated military recruiting team that has helped hire more than 8,800 veterans since 2011. And we have designed training, mentoring and other programs to help bridge the transition from the military to corporate culture. Our goal is your long-term success."

Check out JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s military and veterans page here. Reach out to current JPMorgan Chase & Co's employees and recruiters on the unofficial company page on RallyPoint.

#2 Timken

The Timken Company is a global manufacturer (28 countries) of bearings, and other related components. As stated by its military hiring landing page, the areas in which Timken hires veterans include but are not limited to: manufacturing, engineering, sales, customer service, IT, finance, and supply chain. Timken has employed over 600 individuals in the United States that are self-identified veterans and 1,200 with military experience. 

Timken has also donated $250,00 to the USO's Operation Enduring Care campaign to assist U.S. military veterans, as a part of company's commitment to aid those who have served. The USO's campaign will "design, build and endow Wounded Warrior Support Centers at Bethesda, Md., and For Belvoir, Va., to offer specialized spaces, services and programs to serve the troops recovering in long-term care and their families."

Check out Timken's career searching service here. Reach out to current Timken employees and colleagues on the unofficial Timken company page on RallyPoint.

#3 Amazon

Amazon is an American e-commerce (electronic commerce) company. It is the largest Internet-based retailer in the U.S. The company started as an online bookstore, but later started selling more diverse products such as electronics, clothing, furniture, food, toys and other common products. The company has also produced its own electronic products such as the Kindle and Fire tablets. 

Fortune wrote a piece on Amazon's enthusiastic efforts to recruit veterans: "In 2011, 25% of new salaried employees hired by the online retailer at its fulfillment centers were ex-military. That appetite for vets landed Amazon in the No. 1 position for 2012 in the annual ranking of the top 100 military-friendly employers compiled by G.I. Jobs magazine. It’s somewhat counterintuitive to think of the technology industry picking up the hiring slack for soldiers, sailors, and the like. But Amazon is really a logistics company as much as a tech company."

The company also has it's own career corner. The page welcomes veterans to explore the career opportunities. The page quotes Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO, who alluded to Amazon's leadership principles when he said "These principles look very familiar to men and women who have served our country in the armed forces, and we find that their experience leading people is invaluable in our fast-paced work environment."

Check out Amazon's unofficial RP page here.

#4 Unum

Unum is a Tennessee-based insurance company. It was created in 1999 when Unum Corporation and the Provident Companies merged (Unum was formerly known as UnumProvident). Unum is the top disability insurer in both the United States and United Kingdom and offers various insurance services/products such as accident and life insurance.

Unum has an "Accelerated Leadership Development Program" which is a "high visibility rotational leadership program that provides veterans an unparalleled opportunity to expand their industry knowledge and hone their skills sets through career exploration and ongoing senior leadership coaching and support."

To check out some career opportunities with Unum, check out their home page here. Check out the company's unofficial RallyPoint page here and follow the page if you are a current employee. You can also reach out to current employees on the same page. 

#5 General Mills

General Mills is a multinational manufacturer of consumer foods. The company began in the United States with flour mills on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1866. The company's food is marketed in more than 100 countries on six continents. Though the company's corporate offices are located within the United States, about half of the organization's 43,000 employees work outside the United States. Some of the popular products that General Mills has created includes Green Giant vegetables, Cheerios cereal, Betty Crocker dessert mixes and Pillsbury refrigerated dough.

One of General Mills' annual report describes the company's outreach to the veteran population as a mission "to recruit, retain and position veterans for success at General Mills. Bringing awareness, internally and externally, that General Mills is a veteran-friendly workplace, has been a main focus, including launching, in partnership with Diversity & Inclusion and Recruiting, a dedicated landing page for veterans on the external careers website and an additional veterans informational page under our main external website responsibility section."

Check out the unofficial General Mills company page on RallyPoint to be a part of General Mills' discussion or to reach out to current employees and colleagues.

#6 Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a professional services firm and the third largest professional services firm in the world by aggregated revenue in 2014. It provides assurance (including financial audit), tax, consulting and advisory services to companies. The company operates as a "network of member firms which are separate legal entities in individual countries." The organization has 190,000 employees in over 700 offices around 150 countries in the world.

Ernst & Young has, during the past several years, used its Veterans Network to spread the word about the value of veterans in the workplace, plan events and initiatives important to veterans, and supported veteran peer mentoring programs. 

The Ernst & Young military careers page also spends some time explaining their commitment to hiring veterans: "we’re dedicated to leveraging and promoting the valuable skills and experiences veterans bring to the table. And we’re honored to support them. Veterans make great employees — their military experience provides them with the leadership skills, confidence and teaming abilities that can be gained few other places."

Check out Ernst & Young's unofficial RallyPoint page here.

#7 Bristol-Myers Squibb

 

Bristol-Myers Squibb was formed in 1989, after the merge of Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation. It is a pharmaceutical company that manufactures prescription pharmaceuticals in areas including cancer, HIV/AIDS, heart-related disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and psychiatric disorders. 

Bristol-Myers Squibb has already shown its commitment to the veteran community by announcing more than $2 million in new grants to support three leading programs that help post-9/11 veterans and their families transition from military to civilian life. It has also committed ten grants totaling $3.28 million to help address the mental health needs of returning veterans. 

Bristol-Myers Squibb has a specific military careers corner on their page. Check out their RallyPoint page here. 

#8 Intel 

Intel is an American multinational technology company based in California. Intel is the world's largest manufacturer of computer chips and, despite recent challenges by other competitors such as AMD and Cyrix, Intel still dominates the market for PC microprocessors. 

Intel says that about 4,300 of its U.S.-based employees are veterans. The company said it has hired, on average, one military veteran a day over the past year. Additionally, the company said it has hired, on average, one military veteran a day over the past year. 8% of Intel U.S. based employees have self-identified as military veterans representing the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy. 

Check out Intel's Careers for Veterans page here and Intel's unofficial RallyPoint page here.

#9 Sears Holdings

Sears Holdings Corporation is an multinational holding company and the owner of Sears and Kmart, which was founded after the latter purchased the former in 2005. The company operators about 4,000 retail locations under the names of Sears, Kmart, and their other subsidiaries. As of 2013, the company is listed as the 13th largest retailer by annual revenue. 

Sears Holdings has demonstrated its commitment to hiring veterans by surpassing its 2013 and 2014 goals of hiring 6,000 - 6,500 veterans and anticipates to hire more in the years after. The company currently employs more than 30,000 veteran associates, many of whom are still serving in the National Guard and the Reserve forces.

These associates joined the company in a variety of roles, including store manager, category manager and marketing project manager. The company's efforts to bring talented veterans into leadership roles is gaining traction as it realized a 20 percent increase in salaried veteran hires from 2012 to 2013, and plans to continue that trend moving forward.

Check out Sears Holdings veterans page here. Sears Holding is also an official partner with RallyPoint and, therefore, has an official company page on RallyPoint which can be found here. You can find their latest job postings on their page and also be a part of an active discussion related to employment and other topics within the Sears Holdings veteran community. You can also reach out to Sears Holdings' veteran employees and connect with them and the page.

#10 Western Union

The Western Union Company is an financial services and communications company. The company has several divisions and departments, each charged with the management of different products such as person-to-person money transfer, money orders, business payments and commercial services.

Some career opportunities with Western Union includes: Accounting, Administrative/Corporate, Audit Banking/Finance, Customer Service, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal/Compliance, Management, Marketing/Communications, Operations, Risk, and Sales. Check out their opportunities here.

If you are interested in finding more opportunities on RallyPoint, check out the career corner here.