December tends to be a cool and quiet month for job seekers, but January is when hiring heats up in the civilian world. It’s also the month transitioning military and job-seeking spouses realize they need to get a civilian job this calendar year. Not someday. Not next year. Right now. Uh oh.
We’re coming to the rescue with our newest transition master class: New Year, New Career. After working with more than 16,000 transitioning veterans and spouses at the Veteran Employment Project, we know there are three master-level problems every transitioning military member, job-seeking veteran, or military spouse must solve if they want to land a job.
1. I Don’t Know Where To Start
When you have spent most or all of your adult life in the military, it’s understandable to be confused about what to do next. The possibilities can be overwhelming. Do you start with the Transition Assistance Program (TAP)? Do you start with a career quiz? Do you tweak your resume, jump on LinkedIn, or endlessly scroll job listings?
In this segment of the new master class, we provide our step-by-step monthly guide to success with every step in the right order. Follow it and you will gain confidence that you are heading in the right direction, at the right time, to get the right job for you.
2. I Don’t Know How To Network In a Way That Feels Good
Most transitioning service members dread networking. You may have heard that most people — civilian and military — get job offers via their network. But the thought of asking people you know for a job may make you feel a little sick.
No worries. We would never encourage you to network in an inauthentic way. Instead, in this segment of the class, you will learn how networking really works for the military, and the easy way to get the referrals and interviews you need to land a job you want.
3. I Don’t Know What Training I Need Or How To Pay For It
One of the great things about military service is how many training opportunities are available in every field. But how to choose one area of study? And how do you pay for it?
In this part of the class, we will work with one of our favorite GI Bill experts from Western Governors University. We will identify the strongest career paths for you and how you can combine free programs with your GI Bill benefits to get the training you need now.
As a bonus, our expert has offered to stay for an additional session to answer your most difficult GI Bill questions.
The new year is the most powerful time to start your transition. Make the most of the time you have with our master-level insights, strategies and step-by-step plans. Sign up for our FREE master class TODAY.
Jacey Eckhart is Military.com's transition master coach. She is a certified professional career coach and military sociologist who helps military members get their first civilian jobs by offering career-level Master Classes through our Veteran Employment Project and on her website, SeniorMilitaryTransition.com. Reach her at Jacey.Eckhart@Monster.com.
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Transitioning military, veterans and spouses may be qualified for the job, but they are missing the secrets of civilian hiring. Find out everything you need to know with our FREE master class series, including our next class. You can view previous classes in our video library. Questions for Jacey? Visit our Facebook page.