Yellow Ribbon Programs: What You Should Know About Your Education Benefits

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

BestColleges.com pulled a 2012 report from NBC News which noted that there are roughly 800,000 veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces currently attending college, but that many of those who attend do not complete their full time in the institution. Disheartening statistics of veteran college drop out rates, however, have bred more active responses from legislators, schools, and communities to adopt better measures to ease the transition to the civilian world. Of those measures, the Yellow Ribbon Program stands out in aiding veterans in covering often expensive tuition costs. 

In our previous post about noting important details about the GI Bill, we mentioned the Yellow Ribbon Program and how schools have partnered with the VA to help alleviate the costs of higher education for returning veterans. 

Going back to school after years of service can be a valuable way to pick up a few things that may help you in your transition to working in the private civilian sector. Many schools offer classes and degrees in technical areas and non-technical subjects. You can get a background in areas such as programming or business and marketing, which may be worth your time if you don't think your military experience is enough to land you a full-time job that you would like to work for.

So how do you get these benefits and what exactly is the Yellow Ribbon Program? We'll review some of the details we've mentioned before in our previous post but also go into more detail regarding the specific eligibility requirements and specific benefits.

So What is the Yellow Ribbon Program?

The Yellow Ribbon Program is essentially a component of the Post-9/11 GI Bill that help veteran students attend more expensive private universities by cutting tuition costs. Usually, the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for veterans attending private schools have a cap mandated by the national maximum, meaning costs are not always covered by GI Bill benefits. The maximum changes often and can can be tracked here. Currently the maximum is $20,235.02 and will change this year on August 1, 2015 to $21,084.89.

According to the VA, the Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay you: 

• All resident tuition and fees for a public school 

• The lower of the actual tuition and fees or the national maximum per academic year for a private school

"Your actual tuition & fees costs may exceed these amounts if you are attending a private school or are attending a public school as a nonresident student. 

Institutions of Higher Learning (Degree Granting Institutions) may elect to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program to make additional funds available for your education program without an additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement. 

These institutions voluntarily enter into a Yellow Ribbon Agreement with VA and choose the amount of tuition and fees that will be contributed. VA matches that amount and issues payments directly to the institution."

Eligibility Requirements

The VA provides a list of requirements that you must meet in order to receive the Yellow Ribbon Program benefits. Here's the complete list that you can find on the VA's site:

• You must be eligible for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. 
• You must not be on active duty or a spouse using transferred entitlement. 
• Your school must agree to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. 
• Your school must have not offered Yellow Ribbon to more than the maximum number of individuals, as stated in their participation agreement. 
• Your school must certify your enrollment to VA and provide Yellow Ribbon Program information 

You may be eligible if you fit the following circumstances: 

• You served an aggregate period of 36 months in active duty after Sept. 10, 2001. 
• You were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after Sept. 10, 2001. 
• You are a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on the service eligibility criteria listed above. 

Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Am I automatically eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program if I am also eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill?

No. Only Veterans and dependents who received your benefit through a transfer are eligible. Active duty service members and spouses are not eligible. Also, the school or institution itself must be approved to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program and you have to apply to the school.

If the school I intend to enroll in participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, am I automatically going to receive the benefits?

No. The school or institution partners with the VA to help cover tuition, but the extent to which the school provides these benefits depends on the school. There are limits on the number of veterans who can receive benefits from the program, and this is determined on a first-come, first-served basis. You have to apply to the school and the school should notify you whether you were accepted into the program and thus eligible for the benefits. 

How do I know whether the school I want to attend participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program?

You can find schools that participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program through the VA's list of Yellow Ribbon participants on the GI Bill website. Here is a direct link, where you can find schools that participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program by state. 

You should also look into schools that have an overall more robust program that provide support for veteran students. You can find informative lists of institutions that offer more benefits for veteran students seeking higher education through some simple searching.

For more FAQ's and answers, check out the VA's page here. Join more discussions or learn more about transitioning in our employment and transition thread 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!

Top 4 Tips for Veteran Job Fairs

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

Veteran recruiters at job fairs are there for a particular purpose: they are looking for transitioning military to hire. Not only are they interested in seeking individuals who are motivated and qualified to fill a position, but they are also looking for veterans who can fit with the company's culture and professional setting. The event requires a lot of interaction and may be hectic or confusing. Even NCOs and seasoned officers often make mistakes that cost them a callback opportunity. Here, we will review some tips that will help make your experience in job fairs more productive and effective.

#1 Research

In our previous post on Tips on Writing Cover Letters, we emphasized the importance of "doing your homework" on the company that you are applying for. 

One of the most important things about the entire application process is that the process starts before you even speak to any of the recruiters that have their booths set up at the fair. Before attending the actual fair, you should do the following as part of your pre-fair homework:

• Make sure to review the list of all the vendors, companies, and other organizations that are going to be at the fair. Some companies may even list the types of open positions they would like to fill way in advance.
• Create a list of all the "target companies," or companies that specifically pique your interest. 
• Research those target companies and other ones that you would like to talk to before going to the fair. Go online and try to cultivate an understanding for the company, its daily operation, and its culture. Try to see how your experiences and your skills would match with what the company is looking for. 
• Make sure you have enough of an understanding of the company so you can ask the veteran recruiter appropriate questions and to get relevant responses. 
• Arrive early. Don't show up to the last 15 minutes of the fair and expect to see all the companies there. Some companies have come from very far and may start packing up to get to their next destination.
• When you arrive at the job fair, make sure you map out the booths you want to visit first and get to them as soon as you can.  
• Find out in advance if the fair offers mini-workshops or career coaching opportunities. These may be worth exploring if you are interested, but make sure you schedule these in advance and see how they fall with your day's itinerary so you do not sacrifice valuable time for something you do not think is worth the interaction with the recruiters you want to speak with.
• Consider the smaller companies. You should try to include some of the smaller companies in your target list and start off with them. Job fairs tend to be a very costly investment of both time and money. If a smaller company is willing to make that investment, chances are that they are actively seeking a veteran to fill the position that they need to fill. There may also be a chance that the person in charge of making the final hiring decisions will be present at the booth! So take advantage of this.
• Try to go to the booths by yourself. If you run into acquaintances or went to the fair with a group of your friends, explain that you have a particular route and you are going to be hitting a specific list of companies that interest you. Generally, you want to interact with the recruiters in a way that gives them a personal and positive impression, so going to the booths can be of great benefit to you and the relationship you build with those you speak to.

#2 Resumés and Notepad

If you've read our previous post about writing an effective and informative resumé, then you should have your resumés ready to go. If not, we suggest you review some of the general tips we've outlined in the post and make sure that your resumé looks ready and printable. 

Hard Copies: Print about 25-40 copies of your resumés, depending on how many companies are on your target list and making enough to give to non-target veteran recruiters that you spoke along the way. Put them in a professional folder or small briefcase. 

Soft Copies: If you can register for the job fair online and in advance, you might also be able to submit your resumé online as well. Double-check with the job fair website to see if this is a feature that you can use. Also, if possible, bring a USB flash drive with your electronic copy (removing any irrelevant and unprofessional documents that may have been stored on the flash drive). Some of the booths may take electronic copies of your resumé and relevant documents, so having a flash drive handy may save you a couple minutes and can show the recruiters that you came prepared. 

Targeted Resumés: You may also want to make some specific resumés that target a specific industry. For example, you may want to have master copies of your resumé that detail the broad experiences and skills you possess. But if you are looking to tailor your resumé for a specific industry such as technology, you might want to have a few resumés with more of your tech experiences/skills to distribute to the tech companies you're interested in speaking to. 

Also bring a notepad and a pen. Jot down some notes of the things the recruiter said during the conversation that you might want to use when you write a cover letter to send to a hiring manager. (See our previous post for more details regarding this). At the end of the day, when you go to your e-mail contacts to send thank you e-mails to the people you've spoke to during the fair, the notes you took will help you remember the specific details that you might want to include in the e-mail to make your message more sincere and personalized.

#3 Attire

You may have heard of the common saying "Dress how you want to be addressed" or "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have." You might want to keep your uniform back at home when you go to the fair. There are a couple of things to consider when making this decision. 

• Remember, your employers want to see how you'd fit in with the company. Veteran recruiters want to envision you as a part of the company, and it is difficult for them to do that if you are still in your service uniform. 
• Your recruiters might also perceive you to be less prepared for transition. Dressing up with an interview-ready suit or the like will communicate with the recruiter that you put more effort in your appearance that you are taking your prospective transition into a professional civilian industry seriously.
• Recruiters remember who came to the fair dressed like they wanted the job. They remember those who came with a polished, refined, and professional look.
• Recruiters who happen to be veterans themselves can gain information that you might not want to communicate simply by looking at your uniform. They may be able to see whether you're retiring or how much you get with your current salary. This may not be the type of information you want to accidentally tell your recruiters, especially to those who may feel that they don't want to hire someone who may not settle for a lower salary for the initial stages of work before giving you a raise.

#4 Attitude, Presentation, Delivery

Your recruiter may have already seen and spoken with 100 of your other fellow service members and veterans. You don't want to be "another applicant."

Your approach should not consist of details that only involve you and your experiences. Do not start the conversation by explaining where you got your degree, your years of service in the military, why the recruiter should be consider you and your application, and by shoving your printed resumé to their face (unless the recruiter wants to see the resumé while you are speaking). 

Instead, start with a smile, a strong and confident handshake, and a positive attitude. Introduce yourself by name, and ask for the recruiters'. Ask them what they do for the company (find out if they're recruiters to begin with!) and what they do for the company. After these pleasantries and formalities, sell yourself.  

Talk about your experiences, your skills, your past work history, your qualities. Your sales pitch should be about 10-30 seconds long and should acknowledge the skills you have and how they can be useful for the company. (If you did your homework, your skills and what the company needs should align). 

At the end of the conversation, ask them for a business card (and give them your resumé if you haven't done so already, but make sure to ask if they would like to see it first). Ask if it's appropriate for you to send them an e-mail to that address. If your conversation went well and you feel like you've made a connection with your recruiter, ask them if they would also like to have an electronic copy of your resumé sent to their e-mail address with a written explanation of some of the more interesting experiences you've had. 

Think of business cards as your access to the recruiters' network. Send all the people you've met with personalized e-mails thanking them for the opportunity of speaking with you and offer to meet them in the future to learn more about the company and what you can do for the organization. Most people do not do this. Stand out and go out of your way to send a sincere and genuine thank you e-mail to show that you took the conversation you had with the recruiters seriously. 

If you want to go one step beyond, go online to the recruiters' RallyPoint profile or LinkedIn profile and ask if you can connect with them online. Go the extra mile to really show that you have drive and motivation.

Lastly, if you've already attended any veteran job fairs and would like to connect with the people you've met, check out RallyPoint's search feature. If you're interested in other career-related opportunities, check out RallyPoint's career corner.