I recently posted an article on the launch of a new weapon is the transitioning military job seekers’ arsenal – www.militarytobusinessmentor.com. Earlier this month, M2B founder Tom Pappas, former Army officer and current business leader, blogged about the fundamentals of the civilian hiring process. His article, Understand the New Hire Process: the Business Recruitment Process Explained for Veterans, is a step-back from the military resume and job search minutia that bloggers (myself included) tend to (justifiably) hype up. Before diving into the depths of personal branding, keywords, networking, social media, and interviewing techniques, it is important to understand the basics of the corporate hiring process – the who, what, and why.

Pappas stresses that the hiring process is just that – a sequential process. There are many players involved and wickets to get through. While the process has a whole cast of supporting characters (mainly HR and recruiters), the hiring manger owns it, and getting to him or her should be the military job seeker’s ultimate goal. With regards to this, Pappas states:

…One of the most fundamental principles of marketing is understanding the needs of your customer. This is the *buyer* of the product you are selling – You. In the job hiring process the ultimate *buyer* is the hiring manager. It is the person who will be your future manager – the person you will be reporting to, as we say in the military. He or she will make the final decision if you are the right fit for the open position. But they usually don’t make this decision alone. And they are usually helped in the hiring process by several individuals…

So realize you must impress the hiring team, but it is the hiring manager’s opinion that ultimately matters. It’s a well-known fact that most jobs are landed via networking. Why? Because networking will often get you a direct line to the hiring manger. Military placement specialists, like the team at Bradley-Morris, Inc. – the nation’s leader in sourcing and placing military talent, are a great resource. They advocate for and network on behalf of military job seekers everyday, lining up interviews for eligible candidates with these elusive yet powerful decision-makers.

Before scouring your network for job opportunities and preparing or investing in a professional military résumé, take a step back and understand why it’s important to do so. Then sell yourself I terms of the knowledge, skills, and abilities the buyer is looking for.

For more information on professional military resume writing services, please visit http://www.militaryresumes.com

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