A little background; I have a Top Secret clearance, worked at a NSA for 4 years as an Intelligence Analyst and Separated from the Navy with an Honorable discharge. So why can't I find a similar job anywhere? Every post that I see asks for 6+ years and may include a college degree (which I don't have). What I do have though is 4 years of job experience. But I get emails back saying, "Sorry, we are looking for someone with more experience/ more qualified". I have abandoned any hope of finding an intel job by applying to entry level retail jobs at Kohl's and Macy's. I received a call back asking why I was applying because I am overqualified. When I explained my situation he said i should be applying for something between entry and Supervisory. He gave me an example that was specific to his store. While his call was very much appreciated and encouraging I left even more baffled. I didn't want to go back to College, I was never very good at it, I just want to work and continue Intel. My life and goals are being spun around. I have enrolled in school and am still hoping to get a job because I hear it will take months before they start paying me and it's not enough money for me. I can't be the only person having this problem.
Answers
Richard
That is an excellent question. Thank you for your service.
This is my take on your situation. You do not have a degree, and neither do I. I was able to show through experiences in the interviews that even though I did not have a piece of paper, I was worthy of an opportunity. If you look at the fine print of what qualifications that they are looking for, you might see that the company wants a degree plus so many years or equivilent experience.
another nickel's worth of thought.. How does your resume look? Look at some of the resume questions and responses. Does your Resume stand out? Does it show the real you?
I do concur with Phil.. about giving college another chance. I am glad to see that you are enrolled. Don't give up hope.
Good luck
Richard,
Thank you for your service, you have worked in a demanding field within a demanding career. College is not as necessary as some people make it out to be but it is helpful. If you don't like college studies, then you should not be there because you will not be as successful. You also might want to give college another try (take a few classes at a Junior College), you will find after six years in the Navy, college is much easier. I went back to school for a Master's degree after 5 years in the Navy and discovered I was a much better student after learning the self disciplined needed to be successful in the Navy.
If you go to college, get as much done at junior colleges as you can, I have a son about to start college and the savings of junior colleges just cannot be beat.
If you don't go to college, think about the skills you have to offer. You probably have skills that are valuable in other areas. Think about the skills you employ in your work and which ones you want to build on. Find other areas that utilize these skills and apply for those jobs. Highlight your skills on your resume. Civilian employers understand skills but not the jobs you did in the Navy.
From what I know about the intel work, I think some of the skills might transition well to supply chain management jobs (my field). APICs (www.apics.org) has valuable training and professional certifications. You can also look up a local chapter and attend any of their meetings to meet professionals who will give you advice.
Looking for a job is a numbers game, when I have a job opening I usually have at least 100 applicants, that means each applicant needs to apply for 100 jobs. There is a manager out there looking for someone with your skills, you just need to find him.
The Oil & Gas industry (my industry) is looking for many people. All the openings say Oil & Gas experience preferred but there are more job openings than people with industry experience.
I hope this helps, remember you only need to find one job, it is out there for you somewhere!
Hello Richard,
I hate to parrot what others have said but a degree is the name of the game. If you want to differentiate yourself from the "I have a degree" crowd, one in engineering, science, or business from a good school is the way to go.
Alas, there are not many positions between entry level and supervisor. Us military folks lack "industry experience" in most civilian jobs. This is where the degree comes in. You indicate you have industry experience in the intelligence world. The degree helps you get into a low-level supervisor role in that industry.
I recommend you apply is entry level in a corporate setting. These jobs don't require a degree but court people with work experience and degrees alike. Most are customer service based. That might look like a bank teller, sales agent, or customer service representative.
If you want out of intel, GE has an NCO training program. JP Morgan also has a robust veteran recruiting program. If you indicate you are a recently separated veteran, they send you to a military recruiter. That ensures someone is looking at your resume.
Hope that helped a little. Let me know if I help.
Morgan
Richard,
I think you are going to need a degree. Give college another chance. The civilian world has absolutely no clue how to equate military skills to industry skills. You are probably more capable at Intel than any new-grad, however you need that piece of paper to satisfy the HR folks; the ones who may have had a hand in ruining things for many well qualified veterans.
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