Judy Navarrete, SPHR, an accomplished HR manager, contacted me at Military Resumes to express her interest in sharing her vast human resources and operations management experience and insight into the business world with military job seekers.  Her observations are food for thought as you reflect on your own military experience (and how it applies to corporate America) when preparing your military resume or for an interview. You may be familiar with her now famed writing through a series she authored for MilitarytoCivilian entitled “Leadership Basics.” In Leadership Basics and her latest article, “Shut Up and Listen,” she draws on her conversations with a poised and well-respected Marine Corps Staff Sergeant, who she has come to know very well, to craft informative lessons of her own.

Shut Up and Listen

We are all familiar with the saying “communication is key” and understand the importance of communication.  But I recently came to understand just how important communication is when I came across a metaphor that likened communication between a leader and his or her subordinate to the relationship between spouses.  The metaphor proposed the question, “If you had a spouse and you didn’t talk to him/her for weeks or months, how long do you think the marriage would last?”  Similarly, leaders who fail to effectively communicate with their subordinates or peers risk disintegrating their working relationships.

Early on in our conversations, a Marine Corps Staff Sergeant for whom I have a great deal of respect explained to me his understanding of communication.  Surprisingly, his biggest influence was not the USMC, but his mother.  She happened to be the wife of a serviceman and degreed in psychology.  His mother and experiences taught him that communication must always be civil.  One should never communicate argumentatively.  When emotions rise, it’s best to say nothing. He said, so long as people can constructively communicate their concerns and actively listen to one another, most issues can be resolved through understanding.

As part of military training, servicemen are taught the keys to communication.  Knowing how to communicate helps develop trust. They learn to communicate clearly and recognize that each individual sees things from a different point of view.  They learn to be open and honest, accept the feelings of others, ask questions, and listen without interruptions.  Sometimes communication is not about speaking or thinking about what to say.  But rather, communication is listening and being attentive to what the other person is trying to convey through words and actions.

“How to Be a Better Listener” by Sherman K. Okum, Nation’s Business, August 1975, and “Building a Professional Image: Improving Listening Behavior” by Philip Morgan and Kent Baker, Supervisory Management, November 1995, mark the traits of a poor listener as tunes out, is easily distracted, over stimulated, seeks arguments, and judges delivery.  Conversely, the traits of a good listener are fights distractions, interprets color words and doesn’t get hung up on them, finds what’s in it for me, holds eye contact, skips over delivery errors, and listens for central ideas.

At a previous employer of mine, the operations manager and department manager were constantly at odds.  After hour-long debates, the operations manager would complain to me that the department manager would not implement his new processes or set team expectations.  Later in the day, the department manager would complain that the operations manager refused to support his method of implementing new processes and would not agree to the expectations he had set for his team.  Ironically, both of them wanted the same things.  I asked each of them, “Have you talked to him about it?”  Of course each responded, “Yes.  We talked for hours, but I wasn’t being heard.”  In this case, their dysfunctional relationship was due to poor listening skills and, unfortunately, resulted in loss of talent for the organization.

To the civilian workforce, the loss of talent is difficult to bear as projects are delayed and recruitment costs rise.  Similarly, if too many servicemen and servicewomen leave the service when leadership fails to listen to their concerns, missions may not succeed and other detrimental affects may occur.

Much can be learned and communicated through listening.

Judy Navarrete, SPHR is an accomplished HR manager, whose experience extends to non-profit, for-profit, privately-owned, and Fortune 500 companies.  She actively pursues to facilitate former military personnel transitions to civilian careers, as well as educate and promote the hiring and placement of military-experienced talent into viable, honorable positions with established companies. Judy can be reached at jnavarretesphr@yahoo.com.

Read the first article in the series.

Read the second article in the series.

Read the third article in the series.

Read the fourth article in the series.

Be the Expert

What does being an expert have to do with leadership?  Think about it, and the answer becomes apparent.  Why would anyone follow a leader unless they found some value in doing so?  Most people follow a leader because he or she is an expert, or a champion in his or her field.  An expert is defined as a person with knowledge specific to a field of work.  An expert is a person with extensive knowledge or ability based on research, experience, or occupation in a particular area of study.  Not just anyone who practices fervently will become an expert.  Marie-Line Germain found 16 behavioral dimensions found in experts.  Some of these traits include: knowledge that is specific to his or her field of work, the ability to assess a work related situation’s importance, the capacity for self improvement, deduction, drive, and self confidence.  These behavioral traits are consistently held by all experts, whether he or she is an expert marksman, musician, lawyer, or business leader.    

I have witnessed leaders and managers from various organizations successfully transition into new roles with minimal difficulty.  Not because management and leadership is the same everywhere, but because these leaders were able to adapt to new environments.  They were able to pull from past experiences and use their behavioral dimensions to gain new expertise.  Many military and former military leaders also hold these behavioral traits.

Individuals transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce will find that businesses can benefit from the military’s method of creating experts.  The Marines Corps’ method of developing leaders and experts begins with boot camp, is followed by real-world experience, and further refined by guidance from tenured Marines.  During training, Marines are tested and, in some cases, qualification is required.  In contrast, civilian businesses tend to train by informing employees and opt out of testing at the end of training sessions.  I suppose we, as business leaders, refrain from testing and qualification requirements for fear of being sued or having our employment practices challenged.  It could be that our training and testing methods are not as developed as the military’s.  So the aforementioned behavioral traits, as well as skills in team cohesion, encouragement and coaching techniques, organization, and discipline, can provide transitioning military-experienced job seekers a firm foundation for civilian leadership roles. 

However, military leaders contemplating a career change may examine where their expertise truly lies.  Some may realize that their desire and passion is to continue to hone their military expertise and nurture those serving our country.  A career in the military is a fine choice as it reinforces strengths and this country needs expert marksmen, staff sergeants, trainers, and other military professionals.  The decision to stay in the service is a difficult one, since many military careers place strain on families.  But realize there are also civilian professions that cause equal strain on family time.  Lawyers, doctors, salespersons, entertainers, etc. all have extreme demands made on their time.  These challenges compromise their family ties and require much dedication and discipline to their trade.  Military careers are not alone in this.  Therefore, in choosing a profession, one needs to look inward and determine which career is best for them and whether or not they are willing to make the sacrifices required to become an expert in their field… even if it means leaving others behind.   

Judy Navarrete, SPHR, the author of this series, Leadership Basics, is a Human Resources Manager.  She has over 14 years experience in strategic management.  As such, she has extensive experience in understanding the needs of managers and businesses with respect to staffing and leadership performance.  She has worked in the private sector and union and non-union environments, both for profit companies and not-for-profit organizations.  Her understanding of military training and leadership comes from her conversations and interaction with a Staff Sergeant of the US Marine Corps.  This is the last article in the series of her contributions to MilitarytoCivilian.com.  This Staff Sergeant will deploy soon, with his team of Marines.  Once his tour is completed, he will most likely re-enlist.

• Atwater, California
• Dublin, California
• Herlong, California
• Victorville, California
• Tucson, Arizona

A 15-17% recruitment bonus will be paid to selectees who meet the recruitment bonus criteria. For more details on Federal Bureau of Prisons employment opportunities, keyword search www.usajobs.gov for the following announcement number: bop-n-0007-001.

For professional military resume and military-to-federal resume writing services, please contact the experts at Military Resumes.

www.MilitaryResumes.com

Read the first article in the series.

Read the second article in the series.

Read the third article in the series.

Composure 

Composure is a serene, self-controlled state of mind; calmness and tranquility, despite the hysteria.  What does one’s state of mind have to do with leadership?  Everything!  A leader is expected to make well thought-out decisions.  Logical decisions are hard to make with a hysterical and unfocused mind.  To make good decisions, one must maintain composure in high stress situations.  This takes practice, experience, and a cool disposition.

Cool is a state of mind.  Because Marines must maintain composure in all circumstances, they immediately start training to focus their minds as they prepare for their first inspection.  Many are still in “civilian mode”, but gradually gain confidence.  Once they claim the title of Marine, they are prepared and confident for the inspection.  Throughout the remainder of their training, which is continuous, they are placed in stressful situations that test their physical and mental aptitude.  It is through this continuous training and exposure to high pressure situations that they endure and are able to maintain calm while mayhem and disorder surrounds them. 

While in transitional leadership roles, I would often vent to a trusted confidant, a Marine Corps Staff Sergeant, in response to a range of tense situations at work… from major customer complaints that put business at risk to personnel issues.  Whenever I felt distracted and uncertain of what to do, I lost my composure.  Fortunately, the aftermath took place after business hours, out of employees’ view.  In each case, the first (and sometimes only) thing this Staff Sergeant would tell me to do was, “relax  … and calm down”.  He did not tell me how to solve my problems, but simply suggested, “just think about it”.  It is only with a calm and composed mind that a leader can think clearly and objectively.  Once the mind is calm, answers appear.  In some cases, the answer is to do nothing and just let the words or actions go unanswered. 

In business, it is critical that a leader maintain composure.  Employees who witness their leader or manager “lose it” can be adversely affected.  Today, such behavior could result in a hostile work environment claim or loss of creativity and productivity due to employees’ fear of a backlash.  Anyone can learn to develop composure and calmness.  Like anything, it takes practice.  First, realize that your actions are motivated by feelings, and those feelings are the result of thoughts running through your head at a given point in time.  To maintain a calm exterior, gain some insight into your habitual thoughts.  Empty your mind of the negative and self-defeating thoughts and fill it with positive views and constructive ideas.  Experience with high stress situations in general also helps.  When feeling pressed on all sides, reflect on similar challenges you were able to overcome.  Say to yourself, “if I could rise up and overcome xyz, then I can surely solve this problem”.

When a crisis arises, what thoughts run through your head?

 Judy Navarre, SPHR, the author of this series, leadership basics, is a Human Resources Manager.  She has over 14 years of experience in strategic management.  She has extensive experience in understanding the needs of managers and businesses with respect to staffing and leadership performance.  She has worked in the private sector and union and non-union environments, both for profit companies and not-for-profit organizations.  Her understanding of military training and leadership comes from her conversations and interaction with a Staff Sergeant of the U.S. Marine Corps.  For more information regarding the information contained in this article, you may contact her at jnavarretesphr@yahoo.com.

Read the first article in the series.

Read the second article in the series.

Encouragement

How do you get a team to perform at its best? How do you get normal people to perform superhuman feats?  For answers to these burning questions, look to the United States Marine Corps.  Marines train young high school kids to become leaders by the age of 22 and are often expected to set the stage for the remainder of the armed forces.  Therefore, who better to teach us about the art of motivation?  If the Marine Corps is able to encourage a high school graduate to risk his or her life to accomplish superhuman feats, then we, as managers, can learn to motivate persons with advanced education to accomplish less risky goals.

I have heard talk of the methods the military uses to motivate and encourage service-members.  It is the perception of most civilians that military personnel are motivated through intimidation.  We often see the screaming Staff Sergeant portrayed on the movie screen, humiliating recruits and dolling out harsh punishment to encourage conformance to standards.  In the real-world, this management style is outdated.  Intimidated employees are less creative; less self-directed. In dictatorial environments, employees pay less attention to safety, produce products of poorer quality, use less innovation, possess low morale, and are generally outperformed by employees who are encouraged to participate in the decision-making process.  Leading leadership books tell us that employees need managers to listen, recognize, and appreciate their contributions.  Those companies able to create this atmosphere are usually the most productive and profitable.

So how is this dichotomy – the (perceived) hostile military motivational techniques versus encouragement methods that actually work – reconciled?  I asked a Marine Corps Staff Sergeant for clarification.  What we civilians think is a hostile, degrading environment may simply be a part of military conditioning and training.  Marines are conditioned to withstand a great deal of stress under intense circumstances. If, during training, they are not exposed to hostile environments (such as someone screaming at them), then they would not be conditioned to handle a combat situation.  This conditioning to stress should not be confused with encouragement.

Encouragement is the act of soliciting a desired behavior through positive input.  Encouragement is done to uplift one’s spirit.  So, despite the stereotypes we see in the movies, we must conclude that there must be something else that drives Marines to excel.  Degradation destroys motivation and unmotivated employees or Marines do not succeed. Throughout my interaction with this Staff Sergeant, I have never heard a negative comment.  Rather, he always speaks of positive behaviors and outcomes, and this in turn makes me want to see defects and change my behavior.  I imagine that with his staff, he is the same way.  So ask yourself, “Have I been more receptive to change when scolded?” I am willing to bet you are more apt to change when someone enlightens you in a positive way.

The Staff Sergeant encourages his staff through the following: 1) allowing time for rest and relaxation and considering their life needs as a reward for their outstanding efforts and service; 2) providing a positive recommendation for a promotion or pay grade increase when possible; 3) recommending outstanding performers for medals or awards; and 4) by telling them that they are doing a good job.

In the military, a leader does not necessarily have to “budget” rewards or recognition or apply incentives “fairly and consistently” throughout the workforce.  He or she does not have the ability to increase pay as many of us in civilian business leadership do.  He or she does not worry about being limited by a certain number of rewards.  The rewards and medals are handled by the individual tasked with managing them.  When the Staff Sergeant told me this, I thought to myself, “What a novel idea!”  Why is it that, in business, we think we should “budget” employee rewards and recognition? Why don’t we consider it as a “cost of doing business”?  Why is it that, when sales plummet, we begin to ask, “What can we cut out?”  The answer is almost always training, holiday parties, incentive programs… We forget that people are people.  We forget that people have needs.  We forget that people have the need to be recognized, appreciated, and rewarded.  We forget that people …who are recognized, appreciated, and rewarded, perform… many times at superhuman levels.  We forget that sometimes all that a person really needs is that medal of recognition, additional time off to care for their personal and familial needs, a “good word” to set them up for their next opportunity or pay increase …and at the very least, to hear, “Job well done”.

So in a sense, military leadership differs from civilian leadership.  It is my belief that in some ways, military leadership is more advanced than that of civilians.  We civilians stand to benefit from the concept that rewards, recognition, and encouragement are essential to doing business rather than an “expense” to be minimized during poor economic times.

——

Judy Navarre, SPHR, the author of this series, leadership basics, is a Human Resources Manager.   She has over 14 years of experience in strategic management and extensive experience in understanding the needs of managers and businesses with respect to staffing and leadership performance.  She has worked in the private sector, union and non-union environments, and for profit companies and not-for-profit organizations.  Her understanding of military training and leadership comes from her conversations with a Staff Sergeant of the U.S. Marine Corps.  This Staff Sergeant’s team is deploying in April of 2010.  Your prayers and encouragement are appreciated and needed.  For more information regarding the information contained in this article, you may contact her at jnavarretesphr@yahoo.com.

Training to Read the Signs

I was destined for a location on an unfamiliar military base, in a hurry and desperately attempting to recall the directions given to me by a Untied States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant. But because I was only partially paying attention, I could not recall his instructions and quickly became lost.  When I called him in a panic, he calmly asked me to describe my whereabouts.   I was, as I explained, in the middle of the road, facing the ocean, with a building to my right and a parking lot to the left.  He instructed me to look at the building, read the surrounding signs, then look at the parking lot and read the surrounding signs. “The signs will describe the building or place and, most likely, its purpose; read the signs and pay attention to your surroundings,” he calmly stated. 

 As an experienced trainer, the Staff Sergeant opted for teaching me the way versus showing me, or asking me to merely follow him.   Although the destination was a quick left, right, another right, then a left into the parking structure, he asked me to turn off my radio and to give him my full attention as he guided me to the destination.  At each turn he instructed me to read the signs, see the markers (buildings) and reminded me as to what his initial instructions were.  Once I reached the destination, he took me back to where I started and guided me through the route, explaining again, the signs and markers.  Because it is my nature to ask silly questions, in an attempt to be charming, I would ask, “Why not go right (instead of left)?” etc.  Rather than lose his patience, as it was getting late and we had been through the route four times, he calmly guided me to the right and showed me where the road ended.  Then he asked me to read the building signs and markers as an indication as to where I was.   I admired his patience through this exercise; at no time did he raise his voice or lose his composure.  Most importantly, although I have not returned to that location in over five months, I am certain that I can recall the directions and would be able to explain to someone else how to get there.

I have used this example of training at work several times.  Employees need verbal instruction, but signage as a reminder is just as important.  Reminders to turn off equipment and lights, work safely, keep isles clean, do not enter, etc. are necessary.  One of the best run tortilla manufacturers in Los Angeles, Mission Foods, has signs all over its shop.  The signs indicate everything from performance, safety and productivity to reminders as to how they should behave.  Umberto, a plant manager, was cited as being the best manager in the US and he ran their best operating plant.  He attributed this to his employee relations skills and communication efforts, the signs and continuous training.  Many leading companies use shop boards to post performance metrics.  Performance metrics are signs that let employees know how the department or company is doing on key measurements such as safety, quality, productivity, etc.  In other words, it tells them ‘where they are’.  This brings to mind the old adage, ‘to get to where you are going, you have to know where you are’.  So to know where you are, you must read the signs.  Then, you can decide what you need to do next.

I also used this experience to relay a training model to a tenured staff.  Conventional wisdom dictates that telling or showing equates to training.  A trainer who simply shows or tells his or her training material to the intended audience, without real learning objectives, may end up wondering why a trainee’s performance is lagging.  Telling or showing someone what to do is an insufficient training model.  The model the Staff Sergeant used speaks volumes about the patience and communication and training skills he learned while in the service.  At no time did he degrade me or lose patience with me, which is important as a trainer.  He simply guided me through the correct method, over and over again, until I committed the process to memory.  He showed me the cons of not following directions, and going down the wrong path.  At the end of his instruction, he explained to me his motivational purpose, which was for me to truly learn my way around base.  The idea is that if a person does the same thing over and over and over again, it eventually becomes habit or an automatic response. 

Lastly, this military model of training demonstrates the patience and clarity of communication (instruction) required to train another person.  The Staff Sergeant engaged me in the learning process.  Employee involvement is key to effective employee training. Employees attending training may be preoccupied with their own thoughts and problems. Some may be willing to learn and some may not be.  There are those who are open to new ideas and others who resist.  When the trainer puts himself in the employees’ shoes and shows them what they stand to gain, it helps ensure training success.  In our Staff Sergeant’s example, by showing me the way and illustrating the gain (to be independent in his absence), he was using effective, transferable methods of training.

Key management traits to pull from this article are patience and the importance of clear instructions and signs when training others.  The service teaches servicemen and women how to focus and deal with challenges and calmly teach others to read signs, follow instruction and reach their destinations. Training, through repetition and practice, is a great way to ensure the lesson sticks.  And no matter where you are, whether it’s at work or on base, there will always be signs to train and guide you.

Judy Navarrete, SPHR, the author of this series, leadership basics, is a Human Resources Manager.   She has over 14 years experience in strategic management and extensive experience in understanding the needs of managers and businesses with respect to staffing and leadership performance.  She has worked in the private sector, union and non-union environments, both for profit companies and not-for-profit organizations.  Her understanding of military training and leadership comes from her conversations and interaction with a Staff Sergeant of the US Marine Corps. For more information regarding the information contained in this article, you may contact her at jnavarretesphr@yahoo.com.

Leadership Basics

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent” – Douglas MacArthur

When I was asked to transition from HR Manager to Operations Manager, I confidently accepted the challenge.  Despite having prepared myself with a degree in business, countless leadership books and over 14 years of experience in the field, what I found most helpful was the counsel and example of a Marine Staff Sergeant, who exemplified the qualities of a true leader.  It was with his simplistic counsel and basic instruction that I was able to endure a year of leading a group of individuals through drastic change.

My hope is that through this series of articles, the principles shared will serve as an insightful example of how military service and the training received therein translates to the business world.

Preparation and Organization

What is immediately noticed about a Marine Staff Sergeant is his meticulous attention to preparation and organization.  While reviewing their living quarters, one observes the meticulous detail that goes into putting everything in its place and in perfect order.  All personal items are clean, un-smudged, clothing folded and tidy -equally spaced.  The room is furnished with exactly what a Marine needs to conduct his day to day business, maybe more, but never less.  The equipment that will be used for training is staged for rapid retrieval in the morning.  The expectation for Marines is that they are always prepared.  The Staff Sergeant pays careful attention to his own preparedness, from personal hygiene to equipment.  As a leader, he to set the example for his staff.  For example, if his team began training at 8:00 am, he arrived one to two hours earlier to ensure the location and materials were prepared and ready upon their arrival.  As he prepares for a day’s work, he is never rushed, but calmly flows through his daily rituals and carefully selects and packs his tools and equipment, leaving plenty of time to arrive at his destination and lay out the day’s materials in wait for his staff.

Too many times in business we meet managers who are not prepared for work.  They may arrive late or barely in time for the shift’s start.  By doing this, they leave little time to prepare and subsequently instruct the shift employees on the day’s plan.  Managers who arrive in automobiles that need washing or in wrinkled clothing appear to be disorganized.  Once a manager is viewed as disorganized and ill prepared, the staff begins to mistrust him or her since people need to see a manager or leader as a well put together, prepared and calm individual.  As managers, we need to take this example of discipline to self care and preparation to heart.  This example begins with our own personal organization at home.  At home, our residence should be kempt and our busines attire needs to be organized, clean and prepared for the week ahead.  Those managers who have brief cases and homework need to ready it by their doorway so as not to forget it on their way to work.   In all of the businesses I have worked in, whether Fortune 500, Service 100 or family-owned business, the basic expectations of a good manager were: be well organized, have a clean and neat personal presentation, arrive to work ahead of staff and be prepared for the day’s work.

In the book, Heroes and Hero Worship (1841), Carlyle identified the talents, skills and physical characteristics of men who rose to power. In Galton’s (1869) Hereditary Genius, he examined leadership qualities in the families of powerful men. After showing that the numbers of eminent relatives dropped off when moving from first degree to second degree relatives, Galton concluded that leadership was inherited. In other words, leaders were born, not developed.  The Marine Corps and some business schools will tell you otherwise.  However, this series of articles will share the similarities between Marine Corps discipline and leadership preparedness training and practical management principals and practice.

Judy Navarrete, SPHR, the author of this series, leadership basics, is an Operations Manager of a progressive woman-owned, woman-run, custom drapery and bedding manufacturer.   Her employer is the largest workroom for custom bedding products with over $16 million in annual sales.  She began her employment at SK Textile, Inc. as a Human Resources Manager and has over 14 years of experience in strategic management.  Her employment record includes: Cintas, Corp., ConAgra Foods, Woods Equipment Company and American Film Institute.  As such, Judy has extensive experience in understanding the needs of managers and businesses with respect to staffing and leadership performance.  She has worked in the private sector, union and non-union environments, both for profit companies and not-for-profit organizations.  Her understanding of military training and leadership comes from her conversations and interaction with a United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant. You may contact Judy at jnavarretesphr@yahoo.com.

The method behind the madness:

• A lot of interviewers open with it as an icebreaker or because they’re still getting organized, but they all use it to get a sense what you think is important.
• Many interviewers want to see how articulate and confident you are to determine what type of impression you would make on the people with whom you would come into contact on the job. 

The wrong response:

• DO NOT, under any circumstances, ask, “What do you want to know?” This tells the interviewer that you are unprepared for the interview and, potentially, the job. Have a plan and rehearse it.
• Avoid rambling, recapping your life story, or digging into ancient work history or personal matters. Understand that, as harsh as this may sound, the interviewer really doesn’t want to know about you as a person. Not yet anyway.

The correct response:

• The interviewer wants to know that you can do the job, fit into the team, are ambitious and accomplished in your prior positions, and how can you help their organization. Start with your most recent experience and explain why you are well qualified for the position. Sell what the buyer is buying.
• Hiring managers don’t want to look unprepared by reading your military resume in front of you, so provide them some topics to ask you about. Properly answered, this question can put you in the driver’s seat and steer the interview in a positive direction.
• Be brief – offer two or three interesting things that may be useful to the interviewer. Your answer should take about one minute.

Rather than dread this question, embrace it. Prepare an answer and practice it. With a well-planned strategy, it allows you to set the tone for the rest of the interview, setting you up to answer the questions you most want to answer.

1. Myth: All government jobs are in Washington, DC.

Fact: Only 15% of federal jobs are actually in DC…

2. Myth: Federal government salaries are low.

Fact: Actually, government salaries have risen faster and higher than private sector salaries. In most cases you will find they are very competitive. In fact, it’s been reported from 2000 to 2008, the pay for federal civilian employees skyrocketed 57%, while the pay for workers in the private sector grew by only 31%. And the White House recently proposed a 1.4% pay increase for federal employees.

3. Myth: To get into the federal government you have to be connected…

Fact: If that was the case, then the government wouldn’t currently have over 60,000 job openings worldwide. Don’t you think the people that know the current government workforce would have networked their way in if that was the case? Networking always helps…

4. Myth: The government is not hiring for what I do.

Fact: The OPM (Office of Personnel Management) uses a classification of 21 occupational groups and families for all GS (General Schedule) positions…. there are literally hundreds of job titles.

5. Myth: The federal government is one huge bureaucracy.

Fact: The Government is made up of several entities. Each of the over 300 departments and agencies operates as their own stand alone “corporation” within a network of agencies designed to serve the best interest of America. Some do operate more efficiently than others, and are more progressive than others. Based on your agency research, consider 3-5 agencies you would like to further explore.

6. Myth: All federal jobs are posted on usajobs.gov.

Fact: Only about 70% are on usajobs.gov. Many jobs are on each federal agency website. And some are not posted on the sites at all.

7. Myth: The federal hiring process is so long and complicated.

Fact: The federal hiring process differs from private sector hiring, and federal resume writing is different. But the process does not have to be long. There are programs, tips, and opportunities that drastically speed up the process…

To these 7 myths, I would like to add an 8th.

8. Myth: If I apply to enough federal jobs using my standard military resume, something will stick.

Fact: As Houston stated in myth #7, federal resume writing, especially federal military resume writing, is different. Federal military resumes must be carefully key-worded. Unfortunately, this is a little known fact among veterans seeking federal employment. As a federal job search trainer, I know this to be true. I hear the same story time and time again: “I’ve been applying for federal jobs for 6 months and haven’t received a response.” But there is good news; this doesn’t have to be your fate. Consider hiring the professionals at MilitaryResumes.com. Our professional military resume writers are experts are targeting federal military resumes using federal resume writing processes that produce results.

1. Sales
2. CPA
3. Tax
4. Business Development
5. Marketing
6. Controller
7. Healthcare
8. Human Resources
9. Insurance
10. Software
11. Manufacturing
12. Finance
13. Retail
14. CFO
15. Medical Device
16. Pharmaceutical
17. Sales Manager
18. Software Sales
19. Financial Advisor
20. Pharmacist
21. Medical
22. Supply Chain
23. SAP
24. Accounting
25. Medical Sales
26. Account Executive
27. Audit
28. Tax Manager
29. Food
30. Engineer
31. Recruiter
32. Product Manager
33. Construction
34. Manager
35. Project Manager
36. Oracle
37. HVAC
38. Java
39. Operations
40. Director
41. Inside Sales
42. Hospital
43. Attorney
44. Call Center
45. SEC
46. Packaging
47. Pharmacy
48. Physician
49. Outsourcing
50. International Tax
51. Logistics
52. Deloitte
53. FAS 109
54. Compliance
55. SAAS
56. Real Estate
57. Electrical Engineer
58. Nurse
59. SEC Reporting
60. Security
61. Technology
62. Storage
63. Energy
64. ERP
65. Aerospace
66. Procurement
67. Private Equity
68. RN
69. Business Intelligence
70. Compensation
71. Cisco
72. C++
73. Engineering
74. Mechanical Engineer
75. Ikon
76. CPG
77. Chemical
78. ADP
79. Bank
80. Banking
81. Mortgage
82. Financial Services
83. IT
84. Business Analyst
85. Advertising
86. Accountant
87. KPMG
88. Product Development
89. Wealth Management
90. Transportation
91. Sales Engineer
92. Internal Audit
93. Benefits
94. BPO
95. Litigation
96. Lean
97. Series 7
98. Telecommunications
99. Government
100. CRM