According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 27 jobs making 60K a year that don’t require a Bachelor’s degree. But I will guarantee you that these jobs don’t take “walk-ins.” The door to those jobs open only with specialty certifications, licenses, Union affiliation, or experience. If you don’t have a Bachelor’s degree, that last one, experience is what you have to sell to get the job.

My suggestion is to take a good look at the job requirements. This is where you match your experience to the listing. By now, you have probably read all the great advice from job search engines like CareerBuilder, Monster, and specialty fields like EHScareers for Safety and Health.

Don't forget to deconstruct your military performance evaluations and translate them into "civilian speak." If you need assistance check out these excellent free sites: http://www.realwarriors.net/veterans/treatment/civilianresume.php OR http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/skills-translator.
Don't sell yourself short and remember to highlight your skills that are related to the job, such as budget planning, scheduling, customer relations that you learned in the military.

Here is your first confidence booster; The job is listed because the company has a NEED. Be the solution for that need. I have been hired to fill positions that were open because the manager was bullied by the union and quit, once because of a “bad hire” that was fired, another because the manager walked off the job and called on his way home to say he quit, and another was under federal investigation for attempting to bribe an OSHA Compliance officer.

This is how I got hired at jobs that paid well and “required” a Bachelor’s degree.

1. Research the company history. From the founding fathers to the current corporate structure. Discard any job that is in regulatory trouble, just my advice.

2. Go and take a look at the facility. Take a tour if possible. You will get a first-hand look at operations that you will see as opportunities to apply your skills. Take notes to adjust your resume and flesh out your cover letter.

3. Call others that are doing that same job. I got great advice from a manager at a similar facility and learned some of the process “lingo” that came in handy during the interview.

4. If there are specifications and contracts associated with that position, Google them. Study them. I was hired on the spot when the Project Executive was describing the job and I let him know that I had read the “specs." He said “All of them?” and I answered “Yes, but to be honest, I didn’t read every Addendum.” He said, “They are the driest drivel, aren’t they?” After that was the handshake and the start date.

5. Do what that job recruiter would do (the one you will pay big bucks to “get” you a job). Call the Hiring Manager directly and ask for 10 minutes of his or her valuable time. Remember that the job was posted and he is tasked with filling that job. He is motivated to talk to viable applicants.

I started all of those conversation by saying that I didn't have the Bachelor's degree listed, but that after reviewing the requirements and observing the operations, I felt confident that I could give the company exactly what the job needs. Use that 10 minutes to go over some experiences that directly relate to the job. Give numbers: people, money, production, percentages, etc. The civilian world is about the bottom line and you need to show “numbers” that equal production.

Did that work? Each time, I was invited in to discuss the position and all that was left was to negotiate my salary. And later on in my career when I was the hiring manager, I found it refreshing to have a “real” discussion about the job from a motivated candidate as opposed to thumbing through folded up resumes on expensive paper. I once called an applicant in for an interview because he told me to burn all the other resumes to heat my house because he was the one for the job. You can’t get confidence like that to jump out of an envelope.
And when you get that job give it all you got. Sounds like a civilian translation of a military slogan, doesn’t it? Make them believe you are the best hire ever.

Good Luck!