I am a 20 year, recently retired Jet Engine Mechanic and am trying to get into finance or accounting.
After applying to 70+ jobs positions in which I "do" have experience, I finally received a call when I cut and pasted the job description and tweaked it slightly so it wasn't a lie.
However, most entry level finance/accounting positions require a high school education or GED, but also require 2-3+ years experience in the same field. I have an MBA but I do not have the experience that "all" companies are looking for, in what they call "Entry-Level" positions and am curious to know the secret.
Answers
Eddie, you can get in with your education and experience. I believe your best bet in this situation is exactly what Tom said, "Network, network, network." Find industry conferences, symposiums, groups that meet and introduce yourself and show that you are interested in what they are doing. They will be thrilled to have open discussion about your next step to get into that field. You have the door opener of this decade; being a veteran. Now it is up to you to get that interview, that job offer and connect with your ideal outcome.
One more thing I want to add, the best route to "changing careers" even if you are looking at entry level positions is to apply with companies that are within your background and experience but continue to pursue an avenue to crossover after getting in with the bulk of your qualifications and then applying to move into the finance section of a company that mainly manufactures or sells jet engines or related products. In this way you get noticed by the industry in which you have the most qualifications and you will display loyalty after being with them a while and when something comes open based on your passion and education, it will be an easy fill for the company. They will jump at moving a current employee vs bringing in someone from outside.
Don't worry Eddie. This is very normal for us that have went from "Green to Gold" or "Blue to Business." And I have a career training course titled from "Couch to Corporate" for the people that might have been laid off or downsized etc. It's been very popular as of late.
I hope this helps along with all the other great posts here.
All the best!
Rashid H
Happy to Help!
Eddie
I had the same issue when I first retired from the military. I did not have the experience for an entry level job that required experience. The best thing that I can suggest for you is to show them that although you may not have the exact expereince that they want, you have enough comperable experience doing other things that are very comparable to the task description of the job you are going for.
Good Luck
I'd like to thank everyone for the tips. I believe the major consensus is a direct contact or mentor who can help me through the process.
I did scan the Account Temps/Robert Half company and unfortunately, even the $9 an hourly positions required an experienced clerk. I think the best choice is to ask some professionals in a small firm for advice, like Thomas Walsh mentioned.
Went to an Employment Development Department orientation class for the unemployed today and the state of California may pay a company up to $5,000 to give me on-the-job-training… If they can pull that off, that'll be great. I can bribe a company to train me…
It's not over yet, I'm determined to find that job!
Thank you, ALL!
Greetings Eddie..
You can get an entry level position or a position that matches your skill level. The key is being able to translate your military experience and skills into marketable skills for your targeted job. For example operational readiness=financial readiness or cost savings. With 20 years military experience I guarantee you have the skills, you just need to be able to translate and explain them.
Hello Eddie,
Appreciate your dedication to our country. Wanted to suggest volunteering with non profit organizations or reaching out to the Alumni of the school where you recieved your MBA, networking with some of the students you went to school with, along with reaching out to past professors or mentors. Hopefully this will assist with strengthening your network and help to gain insight as to what area you would like to focus on. Best of Luck.
Hi Eddie, thank you for your service. I agree with Rick Matthews, you should contact a few Accounting/Finance staffing firms in your area. Not only will they assist you with job placement, but they also help with your resume and interviewing skills. Sometimes the larger companies only deal with Staffing firms. So even if you send your resume directly to the company, they do not have a Human Resources department that does the hiring, they rely on Staffing firms for this. Good luck!
Tom, thank you for the information. I have seen the mentoring network that UOP has set up and had considered it. I'll sign up for the UOP mentor tomorrow. Deciding "exactly" what "I" want to do is clearly a task after doing what I was told for 20 years.
Rick, Thank you for the tip… I'll check their website as well.
Hey Eddie, thank you for your service. Try Account Temps/Robert Half International to get you started. It's a Temp agency for Accounting/Finance. You can gain the experience required. You can also possibily get hired in for a permenant position. I went through them and they got me a temp position at UPS. After about a month, UPS hired me permenantly. I've been here for 15 years now.
* And also, develop a plan to find mentors and advisors. ACP-usa.org, the Veteran Mentor Network group on LinkedIn and the MC4 group on LInkedIn are good places to start. is a good place to start.
* with mentors and advisors, explore the specific role you may want to play.. Finance and Accounting are very broad fields. You may want to narrow your focus, or select a few roles that you will pursue.
* Please interact and provide feedback. Please accept or reject these suggestions, and please elaborate and provide target dates and specific actions you will take relevant to each suggestion you accept.
* Have you tried utilizing the career center and alumni network of the University of Phoenix? Has U of P been helpful?
http://www.phoenix.edu/career-services.html
* Network, network, network. Develop a career networking plan and share it with us. It will take work on your part, and is well worth the effort.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=career+networking+plan
Hi Eddie, let me thank you first for your services,
it seems you are interested in financial services? do you love it or it's a business decision?
the answers depend on your future goals and what services will you be providing, it requires a Career planning, I am an investment Advisor and I love helping others find the careers they love, go to my website www.calpars.com
feel free to call me @ 818-217-8400
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