Unless you plan to present your resume in person, you will need a concise cover letter to accompany your resume. The goal of a cover letter is not to rehash the resume, but rather to build rapport and convey interest. You can accomplish this by describing what you know about the company and how you believe you would make a great fit. Follow these guidelines when writing an effective cover letter.

• Make sure the heading and font on your cover letter matches the heading and font on your resume.
• Be concise. Two to three brief paragraphs are enough. Don’t over do it.
• Customize your cover letter for each prospective employer. If possible, include the name of the intended recipient, his or her title, and the company’s name.
• Write with the reader in mind. Focus on character traits pertinent to the job description and company mission. Build rapport by establishing commonality.
• Answer the question, “Why should I hire you?”
• Ask for an interview and let the reader know when you will follow-up (give it a week or so). Thank the reader for his or her attention.
• Have several “advisers” proofread and edit your work before sending it off.

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Filed under: Military Job Seeker Advice, Military Resumes

The Professional Association of Resume Writers brought a job search strategy development resource to my attention in their November 2008 newsletter that I would like to share with you. In an article entitled Resources, Diane Burns of Career Marketing Techniques outlines an assessment tool available to career seekers which may be especially helpful to those who are transitioning from one career to another. She says:

“The Occupational Information Network (O*Net) program is the nation’s primary source of occupational information with a database containing information on hundreds of standardized and occupation-specific descriptors. The database, which is available to the public at no cost, is continually updated by surveying a broad range of workers from each occupation. The database also provides the basis for Career Exploration Tools, a set of valuable assessment instruments for workers and students looking to find or change careers. The Occupation Information Network is being developed under sponsorship of the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration.”

The O*Net website allows you to search occupations by keyword, high growth industries, career clusters, and more.  Let’s say that I served as a Logistics Manager in the Army with an MOS of 92A. If I type “Logistics Manager” into the keyword field, the top 3 relevant occupations - Logistician, Storage and Distribution Manger, and Transportation Manager - are the search result.  If I click on “Logistician”, it gives me a detailed description of the occupation in terms of knowledge (in this case knowledge of production processes, costs, transportation, clerical procedures, etc.), skills (service orientation, time management, etc.), abilities (inductive and deductive reasoning for example), work activities, work context, job zone (the experience, training, and education needed), work styles, interests, work values, wages and employment trends (national or by state).

The value  of this tool is three-fold:

1. It allows you to pinpoint the civilian job title that most closely matches your military experience and interests and therefore target your job search.
2. It doesn’t only give you a template for breaking down your experience into terms civilian hiring authorities can understand, it also provides insight into the skills and work styles they are actually looking for.  (These are things we do for our customers at MilitaryResumes.com on a regular basis.)
3. You can research “cross-walk” occupations and pull together a plan for transitioning into another field.

Visit the O*Net Resource Center’s homepage at www.onetcenter.org.

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Filed under: Military Career Transition, Military Job Seeker Advice, Military to Civilian Career Coaching

Military.com recently posted a “Real Transition Story” that accurately reflects a chief concern of many of the transitioning military job seekers I come in contact with on a daily basis. Of particular note is the following comment:

“I think the most difficult part of transitioning is putting military experience into civilian terms. Civilians don’t understand what a NCOIC is or how important it is to manage a squadron munitions account. Moreover, transitioning to the civilian work force oftentimes requires making a profit. We all know that military units don’t have to do that, they simply have to stay within their budgets.”

The entire blog post can be found at http://transitionstories.military.com/2008/10/do-not-give-up.html?ESRC=careers-b.nl

The author’s insight into the civilian workforce (profits-driven) vs. the military (driven by budgets) is spot on. At companies actively seeking out and hiring military-experienced talent through military-to-civilian recruiters, the biggest complaint doesn’t seem to be the lack of experience in driving profits. Rather, it seems to be the military’s general lack of understanding when it comes to just how important the bottom-line is.

So here is how I propose military job seekers overcome this obstacle: Remember that the civilian world is seeking employees who can not only make them money, but save them money and time and/or increase efficiency. Savings in money, time, materials and manpower; increased production and efficiency; quality assurance; and safety all contribute towards the bottom-line.

With this in mind try to list quantifiable accomplishments that show a track record of above average performance on your resume.

The following is an example of an impressive, quantifiable accomplishment:

“Saved Navy $X and decreased training time by 2 weeks by re-designing and combining 3 separate classes while maintaining comprehensive course material.”

Always state the impact first and then the accomplishment.

The same principle applies to interviews. When interviewing, convey the fact that you understand the company’s need to increase profits and tell them how you are poised to make that happen. Of course, avoid military jargon.  Speak to and write about your experiences in terms your grandmother could understand.  But keep in mind that success in quantifiable terms is the most universal language of all in the corporate world.

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Filed under: Interviewing, Military Job Seeker Advice, Military Resumes

When pulling together a winning resume, military performance evaluations make great resources. Provided a relatively successful military career, they are abundant in quantifiable accomplishments, glowing remarks from senior raters, and awards. But they should be just one of many resources you rely upon – not THE resource. Performance evaluations are snapshots in time and their content often lacks proper context. Furthermore, commonly used benchmarks of success in the military tend to raise a few eyebrows in the “real world”. Make use of your evaluations, smartly, by avoiding these common pitfalls:

• Is your resume laden with the passive phrase “responsible for”? How about the term “oversaw”? These are examples of language abused in military performance reports and inherently in military resumes. To a civilian they read, “stood idly by while others worked”. Replace passive language with active language (i.e. “directed”, “managed”, “spearheaded”, etc.).
• Do the phrase or phrases similar to “incident-free” and “without loss of life or equipment” appear in your accomplishments? In the military, this is a testament to your attention to detail and risk management abilities. However, to a civilian employer, this is your job and one such incident would signify that you no longer have one. Along these same lines, rethink the phrase “with 100% accountability”.
• I often see operational readiness rates listed in military resumes. A typical accomplishment referencing an operational readiness rate looks like this: “Managed a $X million (insert any logistics, flying, or maintenance program) with a 98% operational readiness rate.” This may leave the average civilian wondering what an operational readiness rate is. Or worse, it may leave them wondering why you failed to hit the 100% mark. The remedy is simple – explain operational readiness in terms of reliability and quality control and tack “well above the (insert Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force) average (or standard) of 92%” to the end of the statement.
• Avoid military-specific jargon and acronyms which hinder resume flow. If referencing a military-specific system, be sure to explain it using universal technical terms. “Maintained the Blue Force Tracker System” is better stated as: “Subject matter expert for the Blue Force Tracker System, consisting of a computer, a satellite antenna, and a GPS receiver. It locates friendly platforms on a computer’s terrain-map, giving commanders information about their forces and how best to use them.”

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Filed under: Military Job Seeker Advice, Military Resumes

“Who you know” does make a difference, even for federal and government contractor jobs.   The first step in landing a Federal Job is networking. A supervisor in an agency of interest is the ultimate contact and here is why:

• He/she can tell you when they are hiring.
• He/she can hire you directly, if they have the authority to do so.
• He/she can hire you non-competitively if they are able to take advantage of the Veteran’s Hiring Programs.

But what if you don’t know a supervisor?  First, ask your inner circle who they know in the Federal government and, if possible, for their contact information.  Contact them via email to introduce yourself and tell them about your objectives and interests.  Establish a writing friendship by asking about their job and agency.  Ask them for ideas on career opportunities and who else they might know in their agency or others.

Second, write to or call an HR specialist to ask a question.  You might be surprised at how much you insight you gain into your resume, upcoming announcements, job fairs, and more.  Finally, never miss an opportunity to go to a job fair.  Agencies that attend are serious about meeting you.  Go prepared with a “sticky” job fair resume and dress the part.

This is the first post in my series on Federal Jobs. Let me know your feedback at The Inbox link on the upper left navigation, or leave a comment.

Jessica

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Filed under: Federal Resumes, Military Job Seeker Advice, Networking, Steps to a Federal Job