I am an E-8 in the Air Force and will be retiring in May. I worked in the munitions career field for the majority of my career which is basically logistics/supply chain. I have also worked Quality Assurance in this field and been in charge of a technical training school with 52 instructors and 2,200 students annually; I also did some instructing while there. I am currently on the Inspector General team as an inspector at the headquarters level and travel around to other Air Force bases conducting inspections.
When employers view my resume I fear that they will see me as a jack of all trades although when it's all said and done I was a manager within the career field, but did so in different capacities...training, quality, etc. Also, the Inspector General and instructor job are coveted positions that only select the best of the best. If I apply for a government job they will understand this, but how do I convey that to civilian employers?
(Didn't mean to sound boastful above, just have a genuine conern about this)
Also I have a BA Degree, three AA degrees and a Professional Manager and Occupational Instructor Certification.
I've thought about Training Development, Supply Chain, QA and Human Resources. Just not sure which would be more applicable to my experience.
Here is a link to my LinkedIn profile to give you an idea:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=294092350&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
I'm glad I found this website, and thanks in advance for your help.
Cass
Answers
Cass, first let me thank you for your service to our Country. Congratulations on making this exciting transition to the private sector.
If I were a recruiting manager and saw your post, the first question I would ask is: Cass has an amazing professional and educational background -- so what is it that you actually want to do? In other words, if you and I were in an elevator together for 60 seconds and I said, what do you want to do next, you need to have a very intelligent answer. Think about it, and do your research.
If right now you're still not sure, then you must go on what we call "informational interviews" which are informal non-employment discussions with professionals in the company/job function that you think would be a good fit for you.
Once you narrow down what you can intelligently say is the appropriate next career step for you, then you must tailor your resume to that specific job based on the selected experiences you have that fit the roll.
You need to do some leg - work by starting to make informal connections with the right professionals before you even worry about a "resume". You might even find yourself with a job offer without even handing someone that piece of paper!
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance, particularly if you are interested in working in financial services -- might be able to point you in the right direction.
Best wishes for the exiting time ahead.
Yours truly,
Seth Mitchell, CFA
Thanks for the responses and help! I will forward my resumes to you.
Ari,
Yes, I am in the process of making a few different resumes. Just not sure which path I want to chase or would be most qualified for.
Thanks!
Cass
Hi Cass-
Have you thought about creating multiple resumes?
Companies spend a lot of time carefully crafting job opening descriptions to match a specific need. If you tweak your resume to line up with what they want, you'll have better luck getting in the door for an interview.
Once you're in, they'll be impressed with how much extra value you bring to the table with your other skills and expertise.
Personally, I have 3 resumes which highlight different areas of my experience, and I'll modify the summary paragraph for each submission to match the posting.
Good luck with your search!
Ari
Hello,
I can also look at it.
jbuck@ameritastech.com
http://www.ameritastech.com
www.linkedin.com/in/janinebuck
Hi Cass -
I would be more than happy to review your LinkedIn and your resume. If you'd like, you may email me your resume bridges.l@eppendorf.com.
Thank you!
-Lauren
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