“can`t” in any language

JANUARY
MAY 06
www.civilianjobnews.com
INSIDE
Air Force Reserves
The hiring conference experience
Bon Secours Richmond
Health System
by CRAIG GRIFFIN
KBR
iring conferences are events that are
hosted by a full-service military-tocivilian placement firm that bring together
candidates (service members looking for
opportunities) and clients (corporations
looking for employees) in order to facilitate
face-to-face interviews between the two.
“Hiring Conferences 101” (see the January
issue at www.civilianjobnews.com) covered
the what, how and why of hiring conferences, and provided some criteria to help you
determine if attending one of these events
may be the right move for you as part of your
job search. This article will focus on the
event itself: preparation, attendance, and
post-event activity.
Your recruiter should completely prepare
you for everything you will encounter during
a hiring conference including:
• Instructions on proper attire for all
phases of the hiring event.
• Guidance for writing a professional
resume targeted for the companies in
attendance at the event.
• Recommended reading and/or areas in
your skill set that you might want to
brush-up on prior to your arrival.
• Mock interview drills, typical questions
to be prepared for, and proper etiquette.
• Research on each particular company,
job and interviewer you will be interviewing with during the event.
The placement/recruiting firms that sponsor
CareerPro Plus
Bill Heard Chevrolet
AMDG
Kennesaw State University
SunSource
Bradley-Morris, Inc.
MilitaryResumes.com
The Franchise Answer
GMATS
Granite Construction
MBM Food Service
Gainey Corp
… and more
HIGHLIGHTS
Demonstrating Your Value
........................................page 3
Six Steps to Your New Job
........................................page 5
Today’ Preparation,
Tomorrow’s Achievement
......................................page 13
Optimize Chances for Success
......................................page 14
DEPARTMENTS
Off the Market!
................................pages 2, 10
H
these events are subject matter experts
on all facets of the
interview process.
Listen to them, and
you will greatly
increase your chance
of success in landing
a desirable position
in the civilian workforce.
The main adjective
to use when describing a hiring conference is “efficient.”
For both clients and
candidates, the hiring
conference format Greg Rivera, Southeast Regional Operations Manager for Bradley-Morris,
maximizes exposure Inc., briefs junior military officers during a recent hiring conference held in
in a very compact Atlanta, Ga.
period of time. Most
conferences are two or three days in length; schedule of events and last-minute guidance
we’ll use a two-day example.
to assist in the interview process, and distributes each candidate’s individual schedule. Every candidate at the conference has a
Preparation Day
The first day of the conference is only unique schedule listing the companies that
attended by the candidates who are looking he/she has been selected to interview with,
for employment and the recruiting firm staff. compiled based on the individual’s skill set,
Each candidate is individually prepared by geographic preferences, compensation
his/her recruiter prior to the event, so upon expectations and availability.
The largest portion of Day One is spent in
arrival at the hotel, the conference kicks
small group briefings where the eight to 14
into high gear immediately.
The first couple of hours of the day are candidates that have been chosen to interspent in a large group setting where the
continues page 11
recruiting firm provides details about the
Publisher’s Letter
........................................page 4
Point : Counterpoint
........................................page 6
C3: Career Coach’s Corner
......................................page 10
Job Fairs
......................................page 15
Capitalize on networking opportunities
by BARBARA ADAMS
CPRW, CEIP, CFRWC
Contributing Editor
he old aphorism, “It is not
what you know, but who you
know,” is as applicable in today’s
ultra-competitive, Internet-driven job market as it has ever
been, and maybe more so. Good
skills and career history certainly have their own merits, but
when competing with hundreds
of qualified candidates for a single position, knowing someone
who knows someone may help
give you the competitive edge
you need.
It is time to assess your networking base — identify who
you know and where they work
or socialize. Take it one step
further and consider how you
can get to know even more people, at least well enough for
Address correction requested
T
them to associate your name and
face and remember that they
have met you.
Be ready to capitalize on any
and all opportunities that come
your way. Be proactive, explore
the options, and do not lock yourself into traditional approaches
alone. Instead, market not only
what you have to offer, but also
who you are. Networking opportunities are abundant in most
communities, and they are generally free of charge.
Job fairs
Presenting yourself at a job
fair may seem nonproductive at
first glance, since job fair interviewers meet and greet dozens of
people in this venue. But stop
for a moment and take a second
look. Consider that a job fair is
one of the few places where you
can hand-deliver your resume
and engage in a preliminary
interview with a company representative who has either hiring
authority or strong influence
with those who do.
Do not be an anonymous job
seeker. Take time to find out
something about the companies
that your are interested in, and
prepare a good question or two
in advance. Then strike up a conversation with the recruiter
rather than just dropping off
your resume. Let them know
you have appropriate skills and
are particularly interested in
working for the company they
represent. Make the recruiter
become someone that you know.
Give them a great smile, interesting conversation, or just a
friendly attitude to help distinguish you from the other candidates. Become someone they
will remember in a positive light.
Chambers of Commerce
Most towns have Chambers of
Commerce — organizations
through which business representatives assemble for regularly
scheduled meetings. Moreover,
most Chambers of Commerce
periodically sponsor a special
business fair designed to introduce new residents of the community to local area businesses,
and many of them have once-amonth social hours hosted by
particular businesses to highlight
their Chamber memberships.
Chamber of Commerce events
present a golden opportunity to
meet community business owners and managers in person.
Attend several events and gain
some name and face recognition
for yourself. Ask everyone you
meet if they know who is hiring.
continues page 12
2
MAY 06
If you don’t know the meaning
of “can’t” in any language
You’re fluent in KBR
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supporting our troops overseas.
From Afghanistan to Iraq to Djibouti, we’re there where we’re needed most, providing services and solutions for virtually every aspect of contingency
operations. So, if you’re like us – meaning you can only imagine one way to get the job done, “the right way”– talk to us about incredible opportunities
and far better financial rewards and benefits.
KBR has a range of available positions in Transportation & Maintenance, Crafts & Trades, Logistics, and Management & Administration.
Please apply online at: www.KBRjobs.com
KBR is an equal opportunity
employer and a drug-free workplace.
KBR
Government
and Infrastructure
MAY 06
OFF THE MARKET!
Thomas Merryman, USMC, Avionics Technician
(E-4)
What resources did you use to prepare your
resume and plan your job search? Transition
assistance classes, online networking, recruiting
services
What resources did you use to get interviews (job
boards, recruiting services, job fairs, newspaper,
etc.)? Job boards and recruiting services
Which resource led to the interview that got you
the job? Bradley-Morris recruiting service
What factor led the company to make you an
offer? My technical abilities and interviewing skills
What other advice would you give to military
members searching for a new career? Use as many
avenues of approach as possible
Lee N. Thompson, USN, CTI, CTM, SK (PO-2)
What resources did you use to prepare your
resume and plan your job search? Family Service
Centers, various online resume posting and job
search sites, temp agencies
What resources did you use to get interviews (job
boards, recruiting services, job fairs, newspaper,
etc.)? Temp agencies, resume posting
Which resource led to the interview that got you
the job? Resume posted at MilitaryResumes.com
What factor led the company to make you an
offer? Detailed electronics technical knowledge
What other advice would you give to military
members searching for a new career? Take full
advantage of the Family Service Centers
3
Demonstrating your value
Advice for potential pharmaceutical
sales reps (and other job seekers!)
by LISA ALEXANDER
hinking about starting your career as a pharmaceutical sales representative (PSR) when you separate
from the military? Many transitioning military personnel are interested in pharmaceutical sales careers, and
many of them think that they can land that job easily.
What’s the real story?
Although many pharmaceutical sales recruiters devote
a good deal of time to military recruiting, they do so
with a hefty dose of skepticism. Military personnel
bring much to the table in this field and many have
impressive track records of success in the field.
However, they also have some baggage. Do they really
want to work in sales, or are they just mouthing the
words? Have they given this option serious thought, or
are they simply interviewing on a whim? How much do
they actually know about the job?
Before you even think about walking into an interview
for this type of job, you will need to learn what a PSR
does before you meet with a recruiter and/or hiring
manager. By merely stating that you want to be a PSR
and thinking that you will make a good one, you are
asking the employer to accept too much risk in hiring
you. However, if you know what a successful PSR does
and the traits and skills that contribute to that success,
you will be able to cite similar personal successes and
attributes. This strengthens your position that you will
have a successful impact on the company’s bottom line.
T
You are decreasing the employer’s risk and increasing
your chances of employment.
What can you do to increase the likelihood of landing
a pharmaceutical sales job? Research what a PSR job is,
what sales reps do, and what makes them successful.
Read books on sales and selling. Research information
about drug companies. Find local PSR organizations, call
their members, and ask for information about the field.
Ask a working PSR for a face-to-face meeting, perhaps
over coffee. Treat the meeting like a formal interview:
show up professionally dressed and on time. Bring your
resume and ask the rep to share it with his or her manager. Or ask to accompany him or her on some sales
calls. This learning experience called a preceptorship —
definitely list it on your resume.
Emphasize all relevant science and communication
course work and leadership abilities on your resume. Use
your training and accomplishments in persuasiveness to
prove that you can convince people to do things. Do not
be boring. Use animation and storytelling when you
answer interview questions.
Stand out. Be personable, friendly and likable.
Always close your correspondence or meeting by confidently asking for the interview, the offer, or the job.
And, of course, demonstrate your follow-up skills with
timely and professional communication.
Lisa Alexander is director of recruiting with PharmaDiversity
and author of PharmRepSelect.
4
MAY 06
Oooh! Pick me! Pick me!
Getting noticed by hiring authorities
D
ear Readers,
Once you are confident that your resume is ready for
employers to review, how do you get that resume in front
of hiring authorities? What can you do to get your polished resume read? That’s the subject of this issue of
Civilian Job News, and our contributors have provided
great insight into networking, job fairs, job boards,
recruiters, classified ads and other means of marketing
yourself to companies that are hiring.
PUBLISHER’S
LETTER
According to most research, networking still leads all
categories as the most effective means to win interviews
for job seekers. Having somebody vouch for you, cutting
through a company’s red tape and bureaucracy to introduce you to a hiring authority, certainly can expedite
the hiring process. So, keeping tabs with friends and
associates who leave the military before you might help
with your job search. Staying abreast of the news, especially the business sector, can alert you to companies
growing, moving to your area, or expanding and is a
great way to learn about new opportunities. Getting to
know someone within these organizations and developing a relationship can foster a networking opportunity
for you, too.
Using a recruiting company, particularly one that specializes in placing military job seekers, is a great way of
tapping into a network already developed. Searching job
boards and posting your resume on a job board is free
and is a good way of being discovered by employers or
recruiters who subscribe to these sites. Sending resumes
to companies via postal mail — now considered oldschool — can still be effective, yet it’s often more costly than other methods. Attending job fairs, particularly
ones held on or near military installations, can be a very
effective way of meeting company representatives faceto-face (valuable, even if it is just a brief conversation)
and getting your resume to a company for which you
would like to work.
Read more about job fairs and check the military jobs
fair schedule on page 15 in this and every issue of
Civilian Job News. Also, see what’s working for others
who have successfully made the transition from military
service to the civilian work force by reviewing our “Off
the Market!” success stories on pages 2 and 10.
Let us hear from you. Job seekers, we want to publish
your success story, too. Employers and TAP managers,
tell us about your experiences with the military labor
pool preparing for their transition from military to civilian. Send your questions, comments, concerns, ideas,
and anecdotes to [email protected]
— GEORGE R. BERNLOEHR, JR.
George Bernloehr is a former naval aviation maintenance duty
officer who dedicated 20 years to the US Navy. He got his start
as a military placement specialist when he joined BradleyMorris, Inc., in 1999 and has served as a candidate recruiter,
branch manager and regional operations manager. In February
2005, he moved into the director of operations role at
MilitaryResumes.com.
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Publisher
George Bernloehr
Managing Editor / Art Director
Kate Siegel
Senior Contributing Editor
Tom Wolfe
Contributing Editors
Barbara Adams
Janet Farley
Associate Editor
Director of Technology
Anthony Morris
Don Nowak
Director of Marketing
Senior Account Executive
Account Executives
Bill Scott
Shelley Conklin
Ryan Haight
Aileen Kolb
Marla Smith
Civilian Job News is published bi-monthly by:
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1825 Barrett Lakes Blvd., Suite 300
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Reproduction or use without permission of any editorial
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Subscription rate: $12 per year (6 issues). To subscribe,
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©2006 Civilian Job News. All rights reserved.
MAY 06
5
After the resume –
6 steps to your new job
by JANET FARLEY
Contributing Editor
ou have spent untold hours perfecting your resume to the best of your
abilities. For the moment, at least, you
consider it finished. In the background,
you hear angels singing while the rain
clouds recede. A ray of brilliant sunshine
illuminates the four corners of your
resume and you feel that the perfect job
is almost yours for the taking.
It’s a nice moment, but it doesn’t last.
Before you know it, the angels stop
singing. The sun disappears and it starts
to rain again. Reality has returned, and
you hear your own voice wondering out
loud … now what do I do?!
As you may suspect, crafting a killer
resume alone will not land you the job of
your dreams. It will certainly help, but it
doesn’t put you across the finish line.
Now it is time to create your own selfmarketing campaign and kick-start it into
high gear.
Y
Know what you have to offer
an employer
You will be in a better position
to market your skills and abilities if you
know what they are in the first place. Go
back to your resume and review it. Spend
some time in your memories, adding to
your current knowledge base. What are
your strengths and weaknesses? Of which
accomplishments are you most proud?
How did you handle past difficulties on
the job? Develop a rich supply of examples from your professional background to
draw upon. Potential employers like to
know as much as possible about you
before they consider offering you a job.
1
Identify your existing and
potential network
It is not what you know but
who you know. Like it or not, there is
more than a grain of truth to that old
cliché. Chances are you already know a
lot of people. Some of them may be better placed to help you than others, but do
not neglect any of them, because genuine
influence and power aren’t limited by job
titles or to high ranks. Tap into the
power of your existing network and foster
its continued growth as you go along.
Strengthen your network by giving back
to it as well. Without a doubt, networking is the key to the success of your job
search. It is the center around which
everything revolves. Give it the emphasis
it deserves.
2
Create a basic sales pitch
Advertising sells products, and
it can help you out as well. As an
important part of your overall marketing
campaign, create a basic five-minute
sales pitch with you as the highlight.
Your “commercial” is a tool that you can
use anytime, anywhere, that can be
shortened or lengthened depending upon
the circumstances. It should not be a
memorized spiel in a monotone voice. To
3
be most effective, it should come across
to the listener as relevant and natural
sounding.
Create opportunities
Ideally, you want to create
opportunities that lead you to job
interviews. However, do not neglect the
value of informational interviews with
employers or others who can help you.
Consider volunteering some of your time
to worthwhile organizations. Others who
share your interests will do the same, and
they could be instrumental in leading you
to possibilities.
4
It is time to create your own
self-marketing campaign.
Join professional and trade associations
within your career field. You could open
up a world of available job openings that
never make it to the newspaper or company website. Opportunities to network
and to use your sales pitch can spring up
when you least expect them. You simply
have to keep your eyes open.
Follow up your leads
Follow-up is one of the most
important aspects of any job
search. Surprisingly, it is also one of the
areas most neglected. Closure is a good
thing, and the onus is on you! Following
up is easy. It could mean sending a
thank-you letter to an employer after an
employment or informational interview.
It could mean a brief telephone call
thanking a colleague who gave you a lead
on a job opening. It could mean contacting an employer after a rejection to ask
for some constructive criticism — maybe
your job search strategy needs revising.
Aside from being the right course of
action, following up affords you an additional opportunity to further develop
that all-important network.
5
Revise your strategy as needed
In the course of positioning
6
yourself for a job, you will find
that some strategies work well while others fail to produce results. As you work
through your own process, throw out
what does not work and pay more attention to what does.
After your resume is completed, put
your job search campaign into action.
Make it work for you, and you’ll hear the
angels singing again in no time!
Janet Farley, Ed.M., has worked as a career
consultant for over 12 years servicing both the
Department of Defense and private industry.
She is the author of the Military-to-Civilian
Career Transition Guide (Jist, Inc. 2004) and
Jobs and the Military Spouse, 2nd Ed. (Impact
Publications, 2004). She is the “JobTalk”
career columnist for the Stars and Stripes
newspaper. E-mail questions and/or comments
to [email protected].
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job seekers
A free online recruiting network that offers a simple, effective
way to present your knowledge and skills to potential employers.
We also provide extensive resources for transition assistance when
exiting the military as well as for veterans seeking a career change.
employers
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6
MAY 06
The hardest part of
gettin’ there is goin’
by BILL WILLIAMS & TOM WOLFE
bout to jump on that train called
“The Job Hunt”? Wonder what you
might be getting yourself into? Will it
arrive on time? Will the destination
justify the effort to get there? Your
travel guides — first Bill Williams, a
national business consultant, then CJN’s
senior contributing editor, career coach
Tom Wolfe (in italics) — share their
thoughts about this trip and offer suggestions to make the journey a little
smoother.
A
Be known as one of “America’s Finest.”
Special Agents
We have opportunities for Special Agents from a broad range of educational
disciplines and professions. However, the FBI has special needs for candidates
with critical skills among the following areas: Computer Science or IT,
Engineering, Foreign Counterintelligence, Information Systems Security,
Military Intelligence, Physical Sciences, and Accounting/Financial
Management.
Foreign Language skills are an especially critical need for the FBI, particularly if
you hold a Bachelor’s degree in any subject area and have a native fluency in
any of the following: Arabic, Chinese (all dialects), Farsi/Persian, Hebrew,
Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Pashtu, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and
Vietnamese.
To qualify for the FBI Special Agent position, you must possess a four-year
college degree plus three years of professional work experience, be available
for assignment anywhere in the FBI’s jurisdiction, be between the ages of 23
and 36, and be in excellent physical condition with the ability to pass a rigorous
physical fitness test.
Professional Support Staff
When disaster strikes in the United States, the FBI takes action. Men and
women across this great country – from teams like Rapid Start and Forensic
Response, to the many professionals involved in gathering critical information –
are mobilized to solve criminal cases. Crime scene specialists, laboratory technicians, fingerprint experts, language specialists, and many others are the
members of the FBI’s Professional Support staff.
Whatever your background or expertise, whether you are a lawyer or a chemist,
an administrative assistant or file clerk, you can apply your skills in the important cause. You can help improve the safety and security of our country, our
cities, our towns, our people, by working with the FBI.
To learn more about these and other opportunities,
please visit our Web site for complete details.
Positions added daily.
www.fbijobs.com
You must be a U.S. citizen and consent to a complete background investigation,
drug test, and polygraph as a prerequisite for employment. Only those candidates determined to be best qualified will be contacted to proceed in the
selection process.
The FBI is an equal opportunity employer.
FBI … at work in the community.
and the company is looking for the
strongest candidates.
So few interviews and job offers result
from this approach that you have better
things to do with your time. Should you
even bother with a classified ad response
campaign? I say no, with one exception:
when you are only targeting one very specific geographic location. In that case,
you cannot afford to ignore any possible
sources of leads.
T
N
I
PO
ER NT
T
N
COU POI
Treat your job search as a job
Build an action plan, and break it down
into daily and weekly tasks. Set regular
hours and set weekly goals, such as meeting with subject matter experts, networking, interviews, etc. Target specific companies, do the research and learn which
companies appear to be good fits for you.
Use the Internet to find information
about employers that will help you present yourself in the appropriate manner.
Use job boards, classified ads, recruiters,
network, meet new people, and ask for
advice. Avoid the question, “Are you hiring?” until later in the process, when you
can tell that they like what they see.
Doing a job search is indeed a full-time
job. However, what about the job you
already have? Who do you work for now?
Who is writing those paychecks? Loyalty,
commitment, ethical behavior, work ethic
— those are some of the traits that make
military personnel attractive to civilian
employers. Avoid putting yourself in a
position where you end up defeating that
positive stereotype.
Evenings? Weekends? Leave periods?
Think about this. Even though your current employer knows you are looking for a
job, he allows you to stay employed, continues to pay you, and even provides transition assistance! This will never happen
again! Don’t abuse the hospitality.
Interview preparation
You beat the odds and landed an interview. Now what? Prepare for that interview, and then prepare some more! You
want to be current about happenings
within the company. Go to their web site
and read their press releases. Prepare
some questions related to the press
releases. Keep in mind that once you get
beyond the HR department, the people
who will interview you are very busy and
not necessarily very good at interviewing
— therefore it is even more important for
you to come off as polished and prepared.
Interview preparation is all about
knowledge — knowledge of the company,
of the position, and of yourself. In addition to your visit to the company’s web
site, spend some time on the web sites of
their competitors. “Google” the company
name to see what the buzz is. Check out
sites like wetfeet.com, the Motley Fool, and
the Wall Street Journal. Get smart! Do
more than the norm — and more than
your competition for the job is likely to do.
Most importantly, have the self-knowledge
in place that will allow you to present
yourself in such a way that the interviewer has no trouble picturing you doing that
job successfully and happily.
Attacking the ads
In an attempt to get the most out of
responding to classified ads and job board
postings, many people rush out on
Saturday evening to get the first editions
of the Sunday newspaper. These same
eager beavers rip through the classifieds,
identify job ads that fit into their target
market, and rush to the post office that
same night with cover letters and
resumes in an attempt to make sure their
envelopes are at or near the top of the
pile. The early bird catches the worm,
right? Wrong!
Monday and Tuesday will be the heaviest day for mail responses and the days
when the least amount of attention is
paid to incoming mail. Better to have
your letter arrive mid- to late-week when
the screeners will have more time to consider your information. Rarely will a hiring or interviewing decision be made in
the first few days following the placement of an ad. The process takes time,
Talking it out
Rehearse. Out loud — not in your
head. Take the time to write down the
answers to likely questions.
Then
rehearse. Talk to a mirror if you have to,
but rehearse your answers out loud. You
might be surprised how your responses
sound when spoken aloud. Sometimes
not so good. I promise, if you can keep a
straight face when rehearsing interviews
with your spouse or a good friend, you’ll
win the day.
Practice makes perfect, but do you
really want to come across as perfect in
the interview? I totally agree with the
importance of rehearsing the answers —
in writing, at the mirror, in front of the
video camera, and at the mercy of your
friends. However, a few days before the
interview, put away all of your notes and
hit the pause button on that part of your
brain. The last thing you want to do in an
interview is come across as rehearsed, or
as someone who has memorized all the
MAY 06
7
answers. What if they throw you a curve
ball and change the test?
Controlling the interview
Don’t waste your time gaining control
of the interview — you have more important things to do. Your goal in the interview is to do well enough to cause the
process to go to the next phase, which
could be additional interviews or a job
offer. Make a good impression by being
prepared. It’s quite alright to admit that
you’re nervous, that you’re not used to
this interviewing experience. That makes
you human and credible and you might
generate a little empathy.
Not so fast. I believe that one of your
goals should be control. You want to control the outcome, correct? At the beginning of an interview, the interviewer is
looking for reasons to reject you. One of
your goals is to avoid this rejection. The
reasons for doing so will have very little to
do with your qualifications for the job —
your resume would never have generated
the interview if that were the case.
Here’s what matters: personality and
communication. At the end of the session,
does the interviewer see you in the job,
doing it well, with a smile on your face?
Does the interviewer know you are sincerely interested in going to the next step?
Does the interviewer like you? Sure, you
can control the first two — so do it! As to
likability, that either happens or it does
not, so don’t worry about it.
The tracks may seem a little rough at
first, but there’s no need to jump off at
the next station. You’ll pick up speed and
things tend to level off as you get closer
to your goal. Keep in mind the line from
a country-western song, “The hardest part
of gettin’ there is goin’.” Figure out where
you want to go, plan your trip, pack
accordingly, and get on
board!
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MAY 06
9
10
MAY 06
Finding Uncle Harry: Creating nepotism for you
by TOM WOLFE
Senior Contributing Editor
etting interviews is all about contacts. A powerful contact within an
organization is your best bet to getting
your foot in the door.
Although for most people Uncle Harry
is a euphemism for the inside contact
they are attempting to develop, some of
us have an actual Uncle Harry. Make a
list of family members or close personal
friends who hold influential positions in
companies that are of interest to you.
The word “influential” is critical. Having
the Vice President of Operations looking
out for you is altogether different from
your cousin Vinny who handles security
at the front gate.
Depending on your relationship, in
addition to making the right connection
for you, he can give you insights on both
the position and also the person who will
be interviewing you. Remember, Uncle
Harry is doing you a favor, so make sure
you are well prepared because your performance will reflect back on him.
G
Is he looking for you?
The Internet, an option that barely
existed 10 years ago, is one of the most
powerful tools available to a job seeker.
With all those potential Uncle Harrys
floating out there in cyberspace, selectivity is the key to success when using the
Internet as an interview generation tool.
Although services like Careerbuilder.com,
Monster.com, Headhunter.com, and
HotJobs.com are well-known resources, a
service that specifically targets your community, such as MilitaryResumes.com, is
used by employers who will be much more
receptive to your posting or inquiry.
Recruitment advertising, also known as
the want ads and the classifieds, is the
most traditional method of finding your
Uncle Harry. Although tedious, it is a relatively easy approach to take. One of the
best reasons for using the classifieds is
for a very specific geographic job search.
If you must live in Chicago, then pay
attention to the classifieds in the Sunday
Chicago Tribune. In addition to the specific ads, see which companies are buying
the most overall column inches. Whether
or not you are qualified for the positions
listed, a lot of advertising indicates
growth, growth means opportunity, and
that suggests there are probably opportunities available beyond the ones you see.
As with the Internet, selectivity is important. Your best bet is a publication targeted to your demographics or area of
expertise (like Civilian Job News!).
Work your network
Another tried-and-true method of finding Uncle Harry is networking. Six degrees
of separation (like the party game “Six
Degrees of Kevin Bacon”) is the unproven
theory that anyone on earth can be connected to any other person on the planet
through a chain of acquaintances with no
more than five intermediaries. First proposed in 1929 by the Hungarian writer
Frigyes Karinthy in a short story called
“Chains,” this theory explains why networking can be such a powerful job-hunting tool.
C3
CAREER
COACH’S
CORNER
A word of caution, however; as effective as networking can be, it has a downside. A tremendous amount of work is
required to make it pay off. You must
constantly ask people for help, make
phone calls to people that do not know
you, overcome the feeling that you are
imposing, and find yourself bumping up
against closed doors. To increase your
odds of success, focus on communities
that are likely to be receptive to your
requests for assistance.
Consider joining your school’s alumni
association and start participating in
alumni events in your city or the cities in
which you would like to live. Attend
those networking breakfasts and cocktail
parties! Most colleges and universities
also offer their alumni some sort of postgraduation career guidance and counseling. Depending on the extent of programs
offered, these services may be free or a
subscription may be required. Whether
it’s through a formal transition assistance
program or an informal chat over coffee,
you could run into your Uncle Harry.
Professional societies and trade associations offer a similar avenue of approach.
Groups such as the Military Officers
Association, the Retired Enlisted Association, the Non-commissioned Officers
Association, the Navy League, the
Association of the US Army, Vietnam
Veterans of America, and AMVETS have
three-fold value. One, they might offer a
career transition program. Two, they
probably sponsor regularly scheduled
conferences, fairs, meetings, or social
events. And, three, their membership
shares a common bond with you.
Get an agent
A professional, experienced recruiter
could be your Uncle Harry, too. Placement
companies, also known as employment
agencies, headhunters, or search firms,
establish and maintain relationships with
hundreds of companies. They will be
aware of openings that exist in their client
companies and can strongly influence
interview activity within them.
No placement firm can satisfy the
needs of every individual. Many are geographically specific, others focus on a
particular industry segment or category
of job, still others focus on a specific population, such as enlisted technicians,
junior military officers, retirees, aviators,
or nuclear training. They are best when
used as a supplement to, not a replacement for, your overall plan. Watch out
for placement companies that restrict
your search, and do not work with one
that requires you to sign a contract or
forces you to use them exclusively or asks
you to pay a fee.
Everyone has access to several Uncle
Harrys. Some you know already and some
you will have to work hard to find, but
once identified, your Uncle Harry will do
much in the way of helping you turn
interest into interviews.
Tom Wolfe, a senior partner at Career Development Corp., a military-to-civilian transition
company based in Alexandria, Va., has been
providing career guidance to military personnel
since 1978. He served for six years as a surface
warfare officer in the Navy. Use the “Ask the
Coach” feature at www.civilianjobnews.com to
get his feedback for your questions.
Used with permission of the author.
OFF THE MARKET!
Gregory F. Gallardo, USN, Intelligence (Commander/O-5)
What resources did you use to prepare your resume and plan your job search? I
started writing a resume over a year before I retired, as I was taking retirement
seminars, and have kept it current for the past 7 years. I have a master’s degree
in writing, so I think that I was able to put something together that expressed my
purpose. I also showed it to a lot of people, notably a friend who is a corporate
recruiter, for suggestions. The position that I’m leaving required me to review
many resumes, so I got some ideas from seeing what caught my attention.
What resources did you use to get interviews (job boards, recruiting services, job
fairs, newspaper, etc)? I used all of those things, but I think the most successful
tactic this time was diligently using job boards. I availed myself of the utility of
many job boards, commercial (Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com) and specialized
(MilitaryResumes.com, and an alumni association-sponsored job board)
Which resource led to the interview that got you the job? I found the job I’m
going to through hirediversity.com.
What factor led the company to make you an offer? Three factors, I believe:
Extensive management experience, both of personnel and Program Management;
domain knowledge of a wide swath of the Intelligence Community, and an active
security clearance. My first post-military job was with Northrop Grumman, where
they hired me based on my arcane domain knowledge and clearance. My last tour
was as a systems integrator at the (now) National GeoSpatial-Intelligence Agency.
The company had a contract to do the same thing. I found that job purely through
networking, a friend of a co-worker hooked me up — all military or ex-military,
by the way.
MAY 06
11
Hiring conferences
continued from page 1
view with a particular company will be
receiving in-depth information about the
company, the job(s) available, the compensation range and benefit information,
and the person(s) who will be conducting
the interviews on Day Two. Each candidate attends one of these briefings for
each company they are scheduled to interview with on Day Two. Based on the candidate’s skills and flexibility, he/she may
be selected to interview with anywhere
from one to 10 different companies.
Interview Day
Day Two is a whirlwind of activity. The
client companies all arrived at the hotel
the night before or early on the event
morning and have a packet of information on each candidate they will be interviewing during the day. The number of
interviews per company depends upon
the length of the interviews (30 minutes
to one hour) and the client’s preferences.
The typical company attends the event
knowing the number of positions they
plan to fill, and has a plan in place to
conduct more in-depth follow-up interviews with the selected candidates in the
weeks following the conference. Knowing
that there will be competition for the
candidates, most companies act with a
sense of urgency in scheduling (through
their recruiting company representative)
follow-up interviews.
It is a standard practice for the companies to invite the candidates they’ve
selected for a site visit to the facility
where the candidate would be working
and/or to the corporate headquarters
location. These visits will generally be
scheduled anywhere from a day or two
after the conference to up to two or three
weeks later. While both client and candidate are responsible for their own travel
and hotel arrangements for the hiring
conference itself, it is commonplace that
the client company will pick up the tab
for all secondary interviews.
SunSource, headquartered in Addison, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago),
has been a leader in industrial and mobile fluid power distribution for
the past 70 years. As a national parts and equipment distributor with
local presence, SunSource has a unique and dominant position as a
full-service resource for the industrial and mobile, OEM and MRO
industries. We distribute a broad range of components representing
over 250 quality manufacturers. Along with high quality products,
we provide a commitment to high quality customer service and technically sound, cost-effective solutions, which include system design and
application engineering, technical training, engineered fabrication,
repair service, contract maintenance and on-site services management.
SunSource has over 50 locations across the United States and Canada
with major operations in a number of states including Alabama,
Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas.
We are currently looking for qualified applicants
for the following positions:
Account Managers:
Responsible for selling SunSource’s fluid power products and related
services. This includes an 18 month on-the-job training program.
Customer Service Representatives:
Responsible for providing the highest degree of customer service,
including: processing of customer requests for price and delivery
information, order process management; as well as the ability to
orchestrate internal resources (e.g., technical support and quote
department) to meet customer needs.
Technicians:
Technicians are expected to perform all functional duties relating to
trouble shooting, testing, repair, and assembly.
Andy Puent, US Army-Armor, Captain (center), interviews with Eric Sorenson (left) and
Shannon Carlay of Tyco-Healthcare during a Bradley-Morris hiring conference.
Candidates are scheduled to interview
throughout Day Two. Clients are located
in different suites throughout the hotel,
and large events may have in excess of 50
different corporations in attendance.
At the end of Interview Day, usually
5:00 or 6:00PM, the candidates complete
one final step. The key activity during
check-out is scheduling a time with a
member of the recruiting staff to receive
the results from each of their interviews
the following day via telephone.
The client companies, meanwhile, sit
down for an in-depth feedback session
with a representative from the recruiting
firm and identify candidates they are
interested in pursuing for employment.
The recruiting firm will compile all of this
information and have it ready the next
morning, when the candidates begin
their scheduled calls.
What happens next?
The events following the completion of
the hiring conference, when all parties
have gone their separate ways, tend to be
less structured.
The format for site visits vary widely.
Some companies may have one interview
scheduled with the candidate’s potential
boss, while others may have a series of
interviews scheduled with multiple
people in the decision-making process.
Either way, your recruiter will prepare
you for what to expect. After the followup interviews are complete, the clients
will choose whether or not to make offers
of employment, usually within a very
short period of time, as quickly as one or
two days.
Your recruiter will guide you through
this entire process, answering any questions you may have. Following their recommendations, you’ll be able to make the
most of your hiring conference attendance. Good luck!
Craig Griffin is a Principal/VP at BradleyMorris, Inc. (BMI), the largest military-focused
placement firm in the United States. Griffin, a
graduate of Furman University and a former US
Army officer and aviator in the 101st Airborne,
runs Officer programs for BMI. He can be
reached at [email protected].
Warehouse Associates:
Performing daily functions such as receiving, pick/packing, shipping,
cycle-counting and light mechanical duties.
Please send your resume to:
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 630-317-1003
Mail: 2301 Windsor Ct., Addison, IL 60101
If you have any further questions, please contact
Lisa Rasmussen at 630-317-2720
Visit us at www.sun-source.com
12
MAY 06
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• Can I get support after I get my business started?
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continued from page 1
It is also important to understand
that while a company exhibiting at a
business fair or an employer with whom
you are chatting at a social gathering
may have job openings, they may not
match your skills and abilities. Let the
person know you will be submitting a
resume anyway, just in case something
else comes open. Remember, it is all
about getting to know them and getting
them to know you. Use this personal
contact to leverage your position for the
next job opening.
Open houses
A company open house is similar to
other job fairs, except it is generally
sponsored and hosted by a single company looking to fill multiple positions.
Another difference is that the company
generally has key department managers
on hand to help with applicant screening. That means you acquire a prime
opportunity to bypass the gatekeepers
and talk with people who will actually
be doing the hiring. In addition, most
open houses are held on-site at the
company’s main corporate facility,
which gives you the ability to check out
the company and the work atmosphere
all at once.
Prepare for an open house by learning
what you can about the company before
you visit. Arm yourself with pertinent
questions and tailor your appearance for
the occasion. Look and sound as if you
either already work there or are a natural to fit into the company atmosphere.
Friends, family & neighbors
Interacting with everyone you know is
probably the most valuable, and most
underrated, means of finding job openings. These “hidden” jobs have not yet
been advertised with a placement
agency or in the local newspaper — and
probably will not be. The postal carrier,
the plumber and the hygienist in your
dentist’s office all have other lives and
associate with other people. Hair stylists and barbers are great sources
because they talk to people all day long.
CEOs, personnel managers and business
owners all get their hair cut some time,
and they make small talk while they’re
doing it.
Tell everyone you know that you are
about to transition from the military
and are looking for work. Ask them if
they know anyone who is hiring. It only
takes one person to vouch for you with
a friend, and the good word they put in
may be the one that tips the balance in
your favor.
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MAY 06
13
Make a similar list of all the groups
and organizations to which you belong,
or have been thinking about joining.
Places like Rotary Club meetings, the
Lions Club and other service oriented
organizations provide a wealth of community information. They are ready to
welcome new members, and getting
involved in the community is the best
way to find out what’s happening.
Other options include church or other
groups, the local food bank, humane
society – anywhere that people meet for
shared goals and social interaction.
When you really begin digging, it
becomes apparent that there are many
more jobs in any community than are
ever advertised in the want ads or
placed with an agency. There is certainly no harm in perusing the classifieds
and gleaning what you can from them,
but do not stop there. In reality, only a
small percentage of the actual job openings available are advertised in traditional print media.
When you are looking for work, your
first job is marketing yourself. The best
way to do that is by networking through
every resource at your disposal.
Barbara Adams, president & CEO of CareerPro
Global, the parent company of www.careerpro
plus.com, has been a member of the careers
community for the past 16 years and holds three
prestigious industry certifications. Barbara’s
team of certified professional and federal writers
assist thousands of veterans applying for and
gaining federal employment each year. E-mail
questions to [email protected].
Today’s preparation determines
tomorrow’s achievement
by JOEL WEISS
nterviews are important steps to getting the job you want. They are the
windows to your future. It may be luck
or an unusual event that generates the
interview, but preparation and planning
play a vital role in the process.
What makes you tick? You should
know what kind of work you really want
to do so that you can focus on getting
that job or one as close as possible to it.
Remember that happiness in your job
equals future success. Money certainly
counts in seeking gainful employment,
but if you don’t like what you do, you
could wind up finding each day to be a
chore. George Burns once said, “I don’t
care what you do for a living. If you
love it, you are a success.”
You will have an edge in your search
because military personnel are recognized for being well-trained, disciplined, persistent, reliable and goal-oriented. Your background has made you
a strong candidate, and you have credentials to prove your value to the corporate world. For example, you know
what impact morale, good and bad, can
have on an organization. Often businesses do not fully understand that
I
concept, and having someone in their
company who does can be a real asset.
Reflect on what you really would like
to do and what you are qualified to do.
Sometimes they are the same and, if so,
you are fortunate — your road ahead
should be easier to follow. If, however,
you want to do something for which
you are not qualified, what can you do?
Maybe more education or an entry-level
job will lead you to the job you really
want. Many times people do not know
what they want to do, but they know
what they like and they know their
skills. Consider your strengths and
weaknesses and how they can translate
into a career.
Many students do not know what
they want to study in school and therefore pick some general courses. After
school or the military, they find work
in a company that has a need for their
general background, and some discover
that they really like what they are
doing. This is important, as finding the
work you love leads to personal fulfillment. If you cannot be clear in terms
of a specific job, at least identify the
kind of industry or company that interests you. Talk to people who do what
you think you might want to do. Take
one step at a time and try to be as
focused as you can. Knowing your likes
and dislikes and strengths and weaknesses will help keep you on track.
Zeroing in on the job that you want
(or think you want) will lead you to
research specific industries or even
identify companies. This will help to
narrow your job search and produce
better results.
Do your homework. Learn what you
can about the industries and companies
you see in your future — the Internet
is a powerful tool. When you are interviewed, your knowledge of the company should be impressive. Researching
their history, successes, failures, sales,
profits, growth, etc., will also help you
to ask good questions. The right preparation for the right job will affect the
rest of your life.
Joel Weiss is a seasoned executive with
more than 50 years of experience in the Air
Force and business. He holds a BS and an
MBA from Rutgers University. A public
speaker and writer, Joel lives in Ada, Mich.
He is the author of How to get from Cubicle
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The Quotable Manager (Gibbs Smith, 2006).
Contact him at [email protected].
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MAY 06
Optimize your chances for business success
by BILL WILLIAMS
ntrepreneurs are faced with a dizzying array of
opportunities, even if they have a pretty good idea
of what kind of business interests them. Estimates on
available franchises vary, but there are thousands, and
new ones enter the market every day. Likewise, the confusion for the franchises is also high. Popular ones
receive hundreds of requests for information every week
— far too many to process. They do not want to be
unresponsive, but they are ill-prepared to field every
request. Understandably, many franchises have outsourced the pre-qualification process to consultants to
ensure they are working only with the best-qualified and
most interested candidates.
Working with a franchise consultant can raise your
visibility and credibility. A franchise consultant understands what types of candidates are attractive to the
franchises and is duty-bound to provide the best ones.
Allowing a consultant to introduce you ensures that the
franchise views you as pre-qualified. In essence, you are
moved to the front of the queue.
Because franchise consultants are paid by the companies they represent, there is never a cost for their consulting, research and recommendations. While other
broker models — such as real estate, mortgages and traditional business brokers — have a built-in price tag,
using a franchise consultant is truly a zero-cost option.
You will pay the same as if you did all the research and
handled all the communications yourself.
The consultant actually serves two masters, you and
the franchise, and he or she can only be successful if he
does a good job for both.
The consultant’s commitment to you is to present topnotch franchises that match your needs and have suc-
E
cessful track records, excellent
training and support, an opportunity for equity growth, and
any other characteristics that
are important to you. This is
possible because the franchises
he represents have disclosed
significant details about their
opportunities, and the consultant has the best and most upto-date details.
His commitment to the franchise is to present only the
best, most qualified and interested franchisee candidates.
The more information you can
provide to the consultant,
including details concerning
your current business, employment, financial status,
family commitments, and time constraints, the better he
can represent you. The franchise consultant will treat
your information with the strictest confidence and will
only provide it to franchises in which you have
expressed an interest.
While the consultant should be very knowledgeable on
each franchise in his portfolio, he cannot (due to sheer
volume) be an expert on any one company. His objective is to eventually put you in touch with franchises in
which you are interested. Do not begin the process
unless this is also your objective. Be ready to turn what
may have been a life-long dream into a short-term reality. Speaking directly with the franchise is indeed the
best way to get all your questions answered and should
enable you — through a short conversation — to validate or discount each opportunity.
One of the most valuable services a franchise consultant can
provide is to make you aware of
opportunities you may never
have thought of or found on
your own. Yes, the consultant
should identify franchises that
meet your original goals, but he
may also present horizonexpanding opportunities. Even
if you begin with a very specific
concept, keep an open mind.
A franchise consultant can do
many things for you, but convincing you that running your
own business is the right thing
to do is not one of them. He can
and should help you understand
the both the chances for success and the risks of franchising, but only you can determine if the time is right.
He cannot and should not try to accelerate the process
beyond your comfort level. Decide that you are ready to
own a business first — even if you have no idea what
that business should be — and then contact a consultant. You can proceed with confidence that the consultant will do everything possible to meet your objectives,
with complete confidentiality – all at no cost to you.
An affiliate of the world’s largest franchise consulting network, with more than 25 years experience, The Franchise Answer,
Inc., provides no-cost assistance to entrepreneurs nationwide,
helping them identify franchise business opportunities that
match their interests, backgrounds, and financial means.
Contact Bill at 770-973-0878 or 866-407-7775 or bw@
thefranchiseanwerinc.com.
MAY 06
15
Job Fairs: The power “meet & greet” event
ob fairs held on or near military bases
are a great way for military members
to meet representatives from hiring companies. Even if it is a brief conversation,
you get the opportunity to speak with a
representative whose entire day has been
dedicated to meeting solid prospects for
positions available within their organization.
Donna Gladu, a recruiter with Eagan,
McAllister Associates, Inc., said, “We
received about 10 resumes that we forwarded immediately to our hiring managers for positions” after attending a
JobZone job fair near NAS Patuxtent
River, Md. Fred Childress of USIS said he
calls in six to eight job seekers he meets
at each military job fair for interviews
and, over the past couple of years, has
hired 10 to 12 job seekers who he originally met through military job fairs.
J
“We received about 10
resumes that we forwarded
immediately to our hiring
managers for positions.”
– Donna Gladu, recruiter
with individuals representing companies
that are hiring.
Dress for an interview, bring plenty of
resumes, and put your best foot forward
as you meet and greet company representatives and learn about different organizations and available opportunities
straight from company representatives at
these events.
A list of job fairs being conducted during
late spring and early summer of 2006 at or
near military bases is below. For an updated list, check www.civilianjobnews.com or
with your base Transition Assistance Program Manager.
TAP managers, if we overlooked your
base or did not include a job fair being
conducted at or near your installation,
please post it at our web site, or call
866-266-5292.
Companies choose to attend these
events for a variety of reasons. Some may
be in search of a particular skill set that
military candidates have to offer while
others know the military is simply a great
resource for finding quality candidates.
For you, the job seeker, this is a rare
opportunity for you to meet face-to-face
NOTE: Events are listed chronologically, then alphabetically by state within the same day.
Details about the location appear in italics after the sponsor.
Date
18 Apr
Location ..............................................Sponsor
NAS Patuxtent River, MD............................JobZone
Parris Island, SC..............................................MCCS
19 Apr
USMC Base 29 Palms ..................................FSC : Building #1004
Ft. Stewart, GA................................................ACAP Job Fair
20 Apr
Camp Pendleton, CA....................................Marine and Family Services
MacDill AFB, FL ..............................................FL Department of Labor
21 Apr
Ft. Carson, CO ................................................ACAP Job Fair
26 Apr
Ft. Leavenworth, KS......................................ACAP Job Fair
27 Apr
Ft. Walton Beach, FL ....................................FL Employer Advisory Council (FEAC) & FSC
NW Florida Fairgrounds, 1958 Lewis Turner
Blvd.
George Bernloehr of MilitaryResumes.com meets with two Navy Hospital Corpsmen at the
Pensacola Job Fair in February.
Hampton, VA ..................................................Armed Forces Job Fair : Peninsula
28 Apr
Ft. Drum, NY ....................................................ACAP & MORE
02 May
Ft. Gordon, GA................................................DOL/ACAP
Washington, DC ............................................MOAA/TOPS
03 May
Columbus, GA ................................................NCOA
04 May
Ft. Benning, GA ..............................................AUSA Job Fair
10 May
Ft. Hood, TX ....................................................ACAP Job Fair – Public Service Careers Job
Fair
11 May
Washington, DC ............................................SACC
MCAS Cherry Point, NC ..............................Marine and Family Services
Oak Harbor, WA..............................................FSC : Elks Lodge, 155 NE Ernst St.
12 May
Offutt AFB, NE ................................................Offutt Family Support Center
17 May
Korea: Camp Walker, USA & USAF ..........MORE
18 May
Pensacola, FL ..................................................FFSC
Ft. Bliss, TX........................................................AUSA/ACAP Job Fair
Korea: Camp Humphreys, USA & USAF (AM)..............................MORE
Korea: Camp OSAN Air Base, USA & USAF (PM) ........................MORE
18-20 May
Japan: Marine Corps Base Camp SD Butler, Okinawa ............FSC
19 May
Ft. Carson, CO ................................................ACAP Job Fair
Korea: Camp Casey, USA & USAF ............MORE
20 May
Korea: Yongsan Military Community, USA & USAF..................MORE
22 May
Charlottesville, VA ........................................JobZone
24 May
MCAS Yuma ....................................................FSC
25 May
Miami, FL..........................................................US Coast Guard, Southern Command
Vet Center, Firefighters Memorial Building
06 Jun
Dahlgren, VA ..................................................JobZone
08 Jun
Ft. Drum, NY ....................................................MORE ..........................
09 Jun
NAS Patuxtent River, MD............................JobZone ....................
14 Jun
Ft. Hood, TX ....................................................ACAP Job Fair
16 Jun
Ft. Carson, CO ................................................ACAP Job Fair
Offutt AFB, NE ................................................Offutt Family Support Center
22 Jun
Ft. McPherson, GA ........................................ACAP & ACS
ClearanceJobs.com is the leading online job board for security-cleared military
personnel who are transitioning to civilian employment. We list thousands of
open security clearance jobs from top defense industry employers. And because
cleared professionals manage the site with robust security systems, your privacy
is protected. Registering is fast, easy, and FREE.
S e c u r e y o u r f u t u r e — Vi s i t w w w. C l e a r a n c e J o b s . c o m / c j t o d a y !
©2006 Dice Inc.
WWW.CLEARANCEJOBS.COM/CJ
MAY 06
16
Welcoming
Outstanding Nurses
at Bon Secours
At Bon Secours, we welcome your commitment to supporting the welfare of patients. And,
we support you with an environment that helps you achieve a healthy work-life balance.
Memorial Regional Medical Center
Critical Care, Surgical Services, Emergency Department, Medical/Surgical
Richmond Community Hospital
Emergency Room, ICU, Medical/Surgical, Behavioral Health, Case Management,
Quality Management
St. Francis Medical Center
Critical Care, Labor & Delivery, Surgical Services, Emergency Department,
Medical/Surgical (Orthopedics)
St. Mary’s Hospital
Surgical Services, Critical Care, Medical/Surgical
For more information about benefits and to apply online,
please visit our website BonSecours.com
Equal Opportunity Employer.
www.bonsecours.com
MEMORIAL REGIONAL
RICHMOND COMMUNITY
ST. FRANCIS
ST. MARY’S