John Parker, MBA, MSIS ⋅ Vacaville , CA U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman ⋅ 4 years served

The only thing I'll add is that you'll probably want to stop by onetonline.org and enter your military job in the occupation search. This website gives you suggestions on how to remove military jargon and explain your previous military experience in more civilian terms.

Josh Margolis ⋅ Columbus , OH CRM Insights LLC ⋅ 40 years experience

Jason,

You mention job fairs and resumes, but not networking. As a major, you're looking for a job at the vice president level. You won't find it by sending out resumes. First, focus on an industry, then find and join as many groups as you can related to that industry. Second, join any other networking groups you can find in your area: breakfast, lunch, alumni, business, etc. Church is a good place. Talk to everybody at a senior executive level. They know people who know people. Never pass up a chance to talk. Bankers, lawyers, insurance salesmen, stock brokers, financial planners, doctors all have clients/patients across a broad spectrum of companies and industries.

Use LinkedIn to find online groups of interest, then connect with people in your area and invite them to breakfast, lunch, coffee, etc. Ask them about what they do, what groups they belong to. Let them talk. They'll think you're a genius after they've heard themselves talk or 30 minutes.

Get some sales books (ignore how to find a job books). This can be tricky because there's a lot of junk out there. You are the product. Remember that high priced items usually have a longer sales cycle. Look for Art Sobczak's books on cold calling. Jill Konrath on "Snap Selling." You need to develop your elevator speech/60 second infomercial. Books on cold calling often have the best examples because you only have 7-10 seconds to capture someone's interest on the phone.

Being a veteran is part of who you are, but I want to know how you are going to make me rich and/or give me more free time to be with my family. That's what you have to convey. And before taking an offer, get to know the company's vibe. If you rank people by success, the people in the top 5 hire above them, the people in the bottom 5 hire below them. If someone at the prospect company seems to feel threatened by you, think hard. For myself, I love hiring people who are smarter than I--of course that's a pretty low bar to begin with. They make me look good.

Marlene Boychak ⋅ Newark , DE CSC ⋅ 20 years experience

Social networking is a must and connect with as many people and recruiters in the profession you want to get into. Have the recruiters work for you. I encourage you to research the job descriptions and identify how your knowledge and skills compare. If you don't have the formal education needed identify where you have practical experience to compensate for the education requirement.

Your resume should be tailored to match the job description so don't just have one resume for all positions you apply for. By all means include your Veteran's status and past experiences because they are your best assets. We recently hired four veterans and their work ethic, teamwork, organizational & presentation skills, are by far the best I've seen.

Robert Jurasek ⋅ Hollywood , FL Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ⋅ 45 years experience

Hi Jason,

Go to usajobs.gov > select "Federal Employees" and click on Advanced Search. After "Search for:" use the drop-down arrow to select "The exact phrase" > enter Supply Chain > scroll to the bottom of the page and click Search.

The above search returned 50 job announcements, and when I changed the Search for: selection from the exact phrase to "All of these words" the search returned 85 jobs. Granted, some of the jobs are internal postings, open only to current Federal employees, but many job announcements are open to Federal employees and Veterans, under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA).

If you create an account on the usajobs website, you can build and save searches like the one above, and get email notifications of new job announcements. You will have to create an account anyway, if you want to apply for any of the jobs.

Best regards,
Bob

Ronald Kroetsch ⋅ Fort Gratiot , MI U.S. Army, Sergeant First Class ⋅ 20 years served

From one Vet to another, I am having the same problem. I had to little jobs since retiring 2 yrs ago. I am completing my MBA come Dec and a CAPM in June. I don't know about you what I get told is I don't know there systems, I don't know lean manufacturing, Kaizen, or other manufacturing processes oh or computer skills which are mid level. So all I can say is drive on add to your education in which we earned and like most say in todays world make a couple different resumes for yourself. It's hard not to get frustrated when also training is part of coming onboard a new position. Ron

mark c. mansour ⋅ Burlington , WA Oasys Inc. ⋅ 28 years experience

3/16/2015 11:47 AM
Jason,
First, thank you for your service to our nation.

I read through and scanned much of the feedback offered and will share some thoughts and experience. Some may be redundant but I hope it is still helpful.
In "my industry" I take feedback from peers - advisers - team-members and save - cut and paste the positives and negatives to one word doc, along with the name of the writer. For me it makes follow-up, review and detail much easier to capture, and often the more we "touch" information/data the better our recall.
As a hiring manager our companies have always looked to our veterans because of their training, experience and the NET results they work towards under extremely challenging situations. I have found that companies often are not able to present an outline of their immediate and short term objectives, or provide the pathway/resources needed for a new team-member to gain early traction on the job. So often they look to the unique experience and "will do" attitude our Military Men and Woman bring to the workplace. Noting that; employers often look to the applicant (and first the resume) to find assurances that the applicants are more equipped to mount a "turnaround" with their specific situation, transition or new project. In the input you've received some of the professionals encourage that you "translate" your real world military success into concise statements that parallel in the civilian world. To me Supply Chain Management experience is an automatic transfer of skills but I think those of us unfamiliar with military management, logistics and processes need that "translation" to have a visual that matches our company needs. Best regards and good wishes on continued success.
Mark

STEVE SWENERTON ⋅ Boulder , CO SWENERTON CONSULTING, INC ⋅ 43 years experience

All the above is very good advice. I would like to add another element. Military people are focused on accomplishing their mission. That is a key factor that employers are looking for--the ability to get things done. Thus achievements done and leadership shown are key military elements that are not found in many non-military candidates for jobs. You should reflect on your military career and be sure to focus not only on your achievements but also your attitude toward getting things done.

Best wishes,

Steve

James Gonsalves ⋅ Annapolis , MD Hewlett Packard ⋅ 27 years experience

Hey Marine!

Congrats on your retirement! Thank you for your service!

I just hired a Logistics/Supply Chain SME who is a veteran for my sales team - and he is doing really great! Customers love his approach which focuses on their challenges around logistics and sustainment...real problems that need solutions = sales.

Recommend looking at some Sales/Business Dev roles to get rolling!

Please reach out and let's discuss!

Semper Fi,

JG

Charles Boice ⋅ Pensacola , FL State of Florida, Dept. of Labor & Employment Security ⋅ 28 years experience

Employers are looking for:
Experience in their industry, e.g., retail, marketing, finance, and hopefully in their sub-specialty, i.e., a company in the same industry as theirs
Skills applicable to their operation
good appearance (suit and tie for interview)
They like you. (Work on being likeable, friendly, easy, pleasant, eager)
You can fit-in with the group
You are realistic about the work force, economy etc. Don't say that you were in charge of 100,000 men in a battalion. Don't use military jargon.
Never give a salary figure. Let them make an offer. If pinned-down, be general, non-specific.
In a nutshell, how can you help them in accomplishing their goals?

David Jackson ⋅ Midland , MI U.S. Army, Specialist ⋅ 3 years served

One of the first things that you need to do is in your Objective is identify yourself as a veteran. "Military veteran" (seeking a position in or as a ,,,,,,,,,,) That will alert employers of your status because you have what they are looking for. Training, discipline, ability to act, drug free, if you have or had a security clearance put that in your resume, because that says a lot about you and your honesty, integrity, the gov doesn't just hand those out to anyone, I know I had a top secret. Don't show any dates later than 10 years, if you need to go back further than that set up a category of "Additional Skills and Experience" because the older you show yourself to be the more expensive you are and employers are looking for the best and the CHEEPEST! Don't show dates on education and do show all your military training. Those are a few of the key points if you would like more information feel free to e-mail me. Good luck with your job search and last but not least,,,,,,,,, a resume has only one function and that is to get you an interview. So write it with that in mind. Sorry one more tid-bit,,,,,,, do not use "I" and watch your dates make sure that if it's in the past you write it in past tense and if it's current write it in present tense.

Dave Lay ⋅ Lincoln , AL CPC Logistics ⋅ 25 years experience

Take a job at a lower level and work your way up. Things will move quickly

Wayne Linderman ⋅ West Olive , MI Ensign Equipment ⋅ 24 years experience

You have received some excellent advice in all of the previous answers. I'll only add a two cents. Government contractors understand military jargon and concepts. If you're looking for opportunities in the private sector, make sure that you know their language and jargon. APICS offers excellent training and information in the areas of supply chain management, purchasing, logistics, and business operations. APICS greatly helped me in the transition.

Charles Bonilla ⋅ Chicago , IL PeopleScout, A TrueBlue Company ⋅ 3 years experience

Hi Jason,

1. From what I've seen - and this is purely anecdotal - the transition can take between three and six months.

2. When you've submitted those several resumes to the private organizations/companies, was each truly tailored to the position description? Nothing's disappointing to a screener than to see a "generic" resume that has so obviously been sent to 25 other companies; OR a hack work resume that has randomly scattered keywords. You may have heard job searching is like dating. When you date you're attentive, tuned into your date's needs, etc. The equivalent to that in the job search is researching the company, the position, the culture, etc.

3. In my humble experience as a veteran career counselor connecting vets to jobs and opportunities with Walmart, when I do a resume session with a senior enlisted or senior officer with years of experience, we inevitably run into the "shock and awe" of their experience absolutely overwhelming the position description. We mitigate that by going back only 10-12 years, and absolutely including in the resume ONLY those accomplishments that best align to the position description. Additionally, we collaborate to completely translate the resume from military to civilian (and there's always one more thing to do in that regard)

I hope this has been helpful. You may also want to consider this resource: http://www.amazon.com/Success-Your-New-Mission-Transition/dp/0991561309

Tim Keefe ⋅ Washington , DC U.S. Army, Specialist ⋅ 6 years served

All good advice here and I can add the following:

1. A harder question to ask is, "Where do I want to live?" You make headway in answering that by having some places in mind and then doing recon on what kinds of companies and job openings are available in that are, while factoring in other things like cost of living, possible commute times, community, etc. In my experience, this is often a question that a younger person with no ties can more easily answer. In today's market, you definitely would have to relocate, especially if you're a newly minted vet and have no experience in either the "real world" job market or in the area in which you want to live. In short, you'd have to go to where the jobs are -- maybe not permanently, but for the next year or so while you find something else.

One option along these lines is to look into doing overseas contracting in logistics or something similar. One of my former Army buddies did this for nearly three years to save up the cash to get himself to a better position. It wasn't easy for him, but he had skills in demand and no ties, so was able to do it.

2. Related to (2), read the blog of Ben Casnocha, an entrepreneur based in the Bay Area. One of his best posts, IMO, is this one:

http://casnocha.com/2012/01/the-jammed-career-escalator-old-premises-new-realities.html

Realize that there are fewer job openings and ways in to a company or organization due to shifting job responsibilties and because those that are in the organization haven't made their way out because they either choose to remain in the organization, or are there because there's nothing more compelling to make them leave, or they can't retire because their finances are terrible. There a whole host of reasons. If you go into the fight knowing this, you can then make better decisions about which companies are worth your time in investigating and then reaching out to.

3. Nearly all employers don't want to hire if they don't want to. They'd rather in-source because they have people who know the organization and it's cheaper to retrain someone already in than hire from the outside. The trick is to give them a compelling enough reason to hire you, as an outsider. This is all the more difficult when there are fewer and fewer entry-level jobs and more and more applicants for those jobs. Now, if you can find one of those jobs, but maybe in another field, you could do that while working your way into something else within the same company if you like the company and see yourself there for several years. Adding to (1), with the Net, it's now easier to do something on the side, as a contractor, and not be geographically limited, though you might be regarding where you choose to live.

4. Realize also that there still is a lot of bureaucracy and incompetence in hiring, especially with big companies where HR has more of a role in hiring than they should be. This is where the difficulties in translating your military skills into civilian skills comes into play. You have to get creative, but not to the extent that you're going to jump through hoops for HR when they don't know what they're doing. This is where networking with people is definitely helpful. But, also know that some of this networking is useless (I speak from experience), because the person who knows the hiring manager, or even the hiring manager themselves, have no final say over what HR decides. If you find this to to be the case, then network to find out what's happening in the field, overall, and not in that particular company.

Generally, you'd have better luck going with smaller companies that don't have an HR behemoth calling all the hiring shots. But, also do your due diligence in finding out their health and use that as a point for bargaining for a position. If they want they best, they can pay for it, unless you're willing to lowball yourself just to get that position. If it comes to that, you just might have to do it.

5. Lastly, it seems that employers are looking for bundles of skills instead of just one skill. This is both good and bad. The bad is that by knowing just one or two things, you could severely limit yourself in job opportunities or find yourself unemployed because your skills are outdated. The good is that you can think more creatively in how to apply what you already know to current and future problems as they crop up. Since you know logistics, you might want to consider pairing it with GIS skills, since GIS is becoming more important. And, you definitely want to have strong IT skills: a bit of programming, management, project management, etc. The more versatile you are, the better off you'll be. But, also remember that you're paid for specific skills and not general skills.

Paul Trejo ⋅ Austin , TX University of Texas at Austin ⋅ 40 years experience

Dear Jason,

Thank you for your years of service. You could tailor your resume to the hiring company, but you could also tailor the company you seek to your resume. You say that your expertise is in Supply Chain Management. That is the latest incarnation of what we used to call, "Logistics."

You evidently got your experience in a giant company with international interests, namely, the US Military. There's your first clue -- you should seek out giant companies with international interests. These are the only companies willing to pay big bucks for a "Logistics" expert (which today is known as a Supply Chain Management consultant).

This also means that (as in the US Military) you should be willing to travel, as well as to re-locate to the headquarters of that giant company.

There is a booming market for Supply Chain Management -- amongst giant global corporations, especially in manufacturing companies. Since many USA manufacturers have moved their factories to China, you might consider re-locating to China, just in case that's where their "Logistics" department is located (along with the manufacturing plant).

Best wishes,
--Paul Trejo, MA

Tony Barker ⋅ Abilene , TX TonyBarkerSpeaking.com ⋅ 20 years experience

There is some excellent information here. I'd like to reinforce some Main Points.

First and foremost, the shift in priorities from National Defense to Shareholder Profits can be shocking. It permeates the mindset of many (but not all) decision-makers.

This means that Strategically, your mission is to demonstrate how hiring you will result in a significant Return on their Investment in your salary and training.

Tactically, this is accomplished with your resume choices (in particular a great cover letter), networking, and following much of the advice presented here.

The cover letter is taking more of a pronounced role in in today's market. It's your chance to demonstrate that you've looked into the company enough to identify where your skills are needed, and that you're willing to commit your experience in the service of their goals.

Another aspect of a the profit-driven community is how big a role Fear plays in many decisions - particularly the Hiring decision. The "short list" of applicants will all have skills that match the job requirements, so the candidate that gets the offer will be the one that communicates most clearly why they are the obvious choice.

This is where a job search becomes a Sales effort. Don't let that word fool you; smarmy, deceptive practices have no place in a job search (or anywhere, for that matter). Sales, when done with integrity, is an honorable concept that benefits all involved.

You know that the product (you) is good, reliable, and will perform the function required, but the "customer" (whoever's doing the hiring) needs to feel comfortable completing the transaction. This means accentuating the "Added Value" in hiring you; your ability to secure the best efforts of vendors, transportation and other resource providers, your willingness to relocate, and how your "Mission First" thinking will be used to their advantage.

I recommend asking the interviewer what their needs are, and phrase it like this, "What does a good job look like? What's going to make my boss come up to you in six months and congratulate you for hiring me?" This does several things:

1. You'll get information that goes beyond the basics of the job description; information that most other candidates won't have.
2. Your answer will likely be, "I can do that", with a confident smile on your face.
3. You will have planted the image in his or her mind of you already being on board.
4. You might have a picture of what has not worked in the past, and either avoid it or take it head-on.

I hope you find this helpful, and I, too, thank you for your service to our country.

Tony Barker
http://www.TonyBarkerSpeaking.com

Damin Kirk ⋅ Hazelwood , MO Boeing ⋅ 19 years experience

In addition to the networking advice given previously. I'd add you need to tailor your resume to the job description. It's less about what companies are looking for in a Veteran and more about you showing how you can help that company. Veterans bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to any job, this is well known. Translate your military experience into civilian terms; Operational Readiness = Producitivy and cost savings, LEAN..etc; Leading Military Exercises = Project Management; Deployments = Adaptability. I can go on and on..

You need to get the interview before you can get the job. Tailoring your your resume is the key, it should almost read back the job description provided you have said experience. Then once you get the interview, you'll impress them with your bearing and all the other skills and attributes the Military teaches us. Good Luck!

Damin

Maureen Devane ⋅ Purchase , NY PepsiCo ⋅ 25 years experience

The way to get a job is to know someone. So as Josh said, you need to network. Call your friends in business and ask them what they know about Supply Chain in their companies or industries -- then ask them to put you in touch with the people they know in SC. Connect with people you know on Linked In, then look at their contacts to see if any are in the job/employer/industry you would like to be in, then ask your contact to introduce you. The more personal contacts you make, the more likely one will result in a position that's right for you. It's hard work (much harder than actually having a job), but keep at it! As mentioned above, take inventory of your skills and have a 3-4 minute speech on your leadership and SC skills and why you would be an asset to a company.

Best of luck!

Michael Mitchell ⋅ Nashville , TN EMF Telecom Inc ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Jason,

I employ a lot of Vet's and have heard your question asked more times than any other. And I guess now is a good time to say that I'm not an expert on Supply Chain Management. But I am pretty good at giving advice to people such as yourself.

At our company we see a lot of Vet's who's Military MOS doesn't translate exactly into our job openings. Along those lines I would advise you to steer your answers towards the dynamics of your experiences. In other words, talk about how flexible you really are, how the military taught you to be a person who can tackle most any task not just being a Supply Chain Manager.

Additionally, in the short write-up about yourself I see where you talk about $1.5-$3.2mil budgets. That dollar amount kind of limits you, I would suggest you remove those amounts. Don't get too specific, you may be interviewing with a company whose inventory is much higher. They may look at $3.2 as too small and as a limiting factor of experience. If you have those amounts on your resume you should remove them, put down "Multi-Million" instead. Paint in broader strokes, at this point its all about getting in front of someone, getting a chance.

I see you are a Marine and a high ranking Officer with 22 years of service. Let me try to give some perspective, In the Marines, how many PFC's are there compared to how many Major's? The short answer is a lot right? Same thing goes for jobs its about compensation, experience and education. The more your want to make the fewer jobs are out there. I know a few Chief Executives who lost their positions at the beginning of the financial crisis and some are still of a job. Point is this, it's going to take some time to find the right position.

In the mean time it may be helpful to look back at any interviews and any positions where you applied. Compare your resume to the Job Positing/Descriptions and try to figure out what you're lacking. Then, start taking some continuing educational classes to fill those gaps. Look at where you live too, that is huge especially if there aren't any jobs, you may need to relocate. You need to eliminate any limiting factors!

Lastly, and I tell everyone this, be aware of opportunities dressed-up as something else. Meaning, if the posted job isn't exactly Supply Chain perhaps the position would use the same skill-sets you already obtain. And most of all, be humble, it's tough at times but you gotta do it. If you find something a little less than what you want, ask yourself, does this opportunity give me a chance to get what I want? I've seen good people advance very quickly once they have establish themselves. Don't take a low-level job but its okay to take one a level below what you're after.

Thank you for your service and sacrifices. I hope this was helpful.
Michael

Andrea Kilburn ⋅ Dallas , TX CBRE ⋅ 8 years experience

I think Robert gave some great advice. Additionally, one thing that most employers do poorly is translate military experience to job requirements in the civilian world. If your resume translates your experience for them, your resume will definitely stand out. Try the below website which helps you translate your military experience by branch into civilian positions and experience.
http://www.onetonline.org/crosswalk/MOC/

You can also note any areas where you have worked with others in a military situation by using words like "collaborated" or "provided leadership to" when describing those experiences.

I can feel for the experience you are having with being too experienced for lower level jobs but not experienced enough for the higher level ones. Keep in mind that as time consuming as this may be, you should format your resume to the position you are applying for. Play up the experience you have related to the job requirements for the position you apply to and downplay the higher level experience if you need to get that lower level job for the time being.

Robert Lamaster ⋅ Meridian , ID IBM ⋅ 16 years experience

This is always a difficult question, and unfortunately there isn't really one answer that works in all situations. All I can do is speak to my experience in the IT sector, and hope that it applies to your field.

There are two major things to consider:

1) Are you in a position where you are desperate to find work immediately? I had to take a lower-paying job in IT, below my experience level, for a year. After a year, a higher position opened up and the employer had seen my work and liked it. It's usually easier if you are already with the organization to get into an open position. At the very least, if you can do some time at the lower position, it will give you some civilian experience and the time to shop around for the next move.

2) Harder to determine: Is there a lot of turnover in your chosen field, especially at the location you are applying to? If workers stay in the same position for a long, long time... and there are a lot of them, it will be much more difficult to get moved up, especially if the jobs in that field are based on seniority, not performance. If it's more fluid, you may be able to do what I did and wait for the next opening (being a shining star while you're waiting). You might try getting in touch with someone who works in a place you're applying to through LinkedIn or similar to check out the landscape.

If you can afford to wait longer, there's nothing wrong with holding out for the better position. Use the time to polish not only your resume, but also your online presence. Employers will often check you out on LinkedIn or similar sites (or a member of your interview team will). Following industry groups is one way you can look like you're serious. Remove dumb stuff from social media accounts (funny cat pictures, obnoxious comments, etc.). Get a good, professional email address (not joeDaMan@aol.com) and use it for all of your communications. Every little thing helps.