Career transitions can be times of great excitement and enthusiasm. New possibilities and beginnings. The chance to start anew, to explore previously unexplored options, meet new challenges head on, and apply skills and experiences in a new direction. But they can also be frustrating, anxiety-ridden, disappointing processes that leave one uninspired, demotivated, and dejected. For transitioning military veterans, far too frequently, early attempts at finding work in the civilian world are marked by the latter. Quite simply, it’s not a fun or successful process for most.
Why is this the case? Well, for starters, applying for jobs (for anyone) typically sucks. It often involves trying to fit a square peg into a defined circular hole, where one trolls the job boards and company websites looking not for a specific and well-defined opportunity, but rather attempting to find “something I might like.” And unfortunately, the perfect match rarely presents itself. And yet, we get close enough and decide to apply. “Well, I could do that,” is typically the launching point for many a job application. But it’s a decision point that typically leads to the frustration mentioned above.
But the bigger issue is not really the likely lack of specific focus for veterans. Like their civilian counterparts, the really problem lies in the “apply to posted positions” practice. The fact is, throwing your resume out to 50 or 100 jobs posted on job boards is rarely the best way to land a job. Trust me, for every job listed, you are likely throwing yourself pretty much anonymously into the mix with dozens, if not hundreds of others. More than anything, it’s because when faced with dozens of applications for a single posted position, HR professionals aren’t looking for a good fit, they are looking for the perfect (or nearly perfect) fit. And they can afford to do that, because they have an overabundance of applicants. Chances are that of all the applicants, could you do the job? Probably so, because you have the work ethic, the background, and the motivation that all comes from your military service. But are you the perfect fit? Probably not…It’s often a simple numbers game.
So, what can you do to get a better look within organizations? One of the most overlooked aspects of career transitions (by anyone, but certainly for veterans) is the establishment of yourself as a “thought leader” within a community. Don’t be a walking resume, your job titles, accomplishments, and years of experience the only thing for organizations and leaders to assess. Don’t think your military experience, as impressive and relevant as you believe it to be (and it truly may be), speak for itself. Why? Because chances are, you won’t get the job. Military experience is, at best, a bonus to employers, not a primary factor in hiring decisions.
But if you begin to exert yourself as a thoughtful, insights-driven (and producing) leader in your field, you start to stand out above the myriad resumes that land on that HR recruiter’s virtual desk. You begin to translate your military jargon and experiences into language and application more closely suited for the civilian workplace (or a organization’s culture).
So, take advantage of the tools at your disposal. Stop viewing LinkedIn as merely an online resume receptacle. It’s a community, and the sooner you immerse yourself in the community aspects of it (and in a strategic way, i.e., not like your Facebook, Instagram, or other more socially focused sites), the quicker you’ll start to be a real contributor in your chosen (or desired) field. The sooner recruiters will, when they inevitably pull up your profile, start to recognize that you are more than simply typical, that you bring to the table something more than their usual suspects.
Get involved in industry discussions. Join groups (beyond just the veterans groups, which unfortunately, tend to breed a lot of complaining, venting, and frustrations….all valid, but hardly helpful when one is trying to build a new personal brand that will attract civilian employers). Start interacting with other professionals in your new or desired field(s), interjecting your own thoughts, perspectives, and experiences into the on-going discussions. Ask thoughtful and thought-provoking questions of others. Identify some leaders and contributors in your desired industry and geographic region and ask to meet up for coffee or over Skype for a 15-minute conversation. Inquire about their backgrounds, their paths to their roles, and trends in the industry. Ask about upcoming jobs they might know about, either with their organization or others. Don’t wait for the jobs to be posted to find out about them!
If you as a veteran leader, not merely a “job-seeker,” establish yourself as an active member of a community (professionally and personally), you’ll begin to make connections with other thought leaders, with business leaders and hiring managers. You’ll identify (and learn to apply) the civilian language need to demonstrate your hard-earned experience and its applicability outside of the military. You’ll become one of those who stand out amidst the sea of applicants when you apply for posted positions. And most importantly, you’ll be identified as a leading candidate before jobs get posted. Combine that with the work ethic, team strengths, and agility that you developed serving your country, and then you’ll truly have a leg up on the competition.
So, stop acting like the masses of job applicants out there. You’ve made a military career out of doing what others would not, going the extra mile, and excelling in your field. But don’t rest on your laurels, choosing instead to apply these same attributes to making yourself stand out not merely as a veteran, but more importantly as a thought leader who also happens to have the bonus of being a veteran. Improvise, adapt, and overcome. That’s the name of the game, right?
Dr. Trevor Nagle is an Executive Coach & Consultant with Stewart Leadership. A 14-year veteran of both the U. S. Army and Navy, he writes and researches veterans issues, and regularly speaks about veterans’ transitions and workplace effectiveness. Visit www.stewartleadership.com to learn more and follow him on LinkedIn and twitter @IOPsychDoc.
Aspects of military culture and experience are invaluable for nearly everyone who has experienced it. And certainly it is a boon for the society in which we live; to have a proportion of our population with personal exposure to and experience in the military is critical for shaping the direction of our country’s leadership (and it’s fantastic to see the numbers of Congressional leaders with military experience has ticked up slightly in the past decade).
Too often veterans do not fully comprehend that taking their experience from their uniformed days into the civilian world simply doesn’t translate well, and by “well,” I mean “easily.” Oh, I can tell you with great pride that as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive (CTI) I supported national and fleet consumers in the collection, analysis, and exploiting of Top Secret COMINT in support of airborne, shipborne, and land-based strategic and tactical consumers. Sounds impressive and quite honestly, more than a little cool (and it was!). But unless I’m applying for a job at the National Security Agency (or another such federal agency), a lot of that description means little.
Often, I hear veterans complain that despite organizations claiming to be “veteran-friendly,” they were not offered a job there. This sentiment points to a real misunderstanding of what “veteran-friendly” hiring practices mean, and ultimately, I would argue, the accountability for that messaging falls to organizations. Having talked with many an HR leader about their veteran hiring philosophies, practices, and policies, it’s clear to me that virtually nowhere do these initiatives mean that candidates without the requisite skill set will be hired simply because they are military veterans. Yet, in the minds of many veterans, this isn’t so clear.
In the last point, I focused on skill set and expertise as the thresholds for determining suitability of hire. Here, though, I’d like to mention cultural fit. To be honest, understanding, and yes, adapting to, the cultural differences of military service and the civilian work world can be a real challenge for veterans. While this isn’t the article to be talking about all the rather stark cultural differences between the two worlds, veterans often perceive mixed messages relating to civilian work places to which they’ve applied or are considering applying. Again, part of the responsibility for misunderstandings in this regard lies with the veterans, but organizations need to be explicitly clear on what their culture is, what their expectations for new hires (veteran or others) is for assimilating into the culture, what their culture is not, and why it’s important for all candidates to have a clear picture of their culture. Now, in the highly competitive recruiting world with its marketing influences, there’s often the tendency to up-sell the positive attributes of one’s organizational culture without providing a true sense of the types of individuals who both thrive within it and who may struggle there. Let’s face it, a highly hierarchical, top-down, bureaucratic organization may not be a good fit for individualistic, entrepreneurial types. Or a start-up tech company may not be a great cultural fit for someone craving stability, clear lines of authority, or more traditional management preferences.
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of solid and proactive onboarding…and the extent to which many organization fail to build this into all their new hire assimilation efforts. But nowhere is this more critical, I would suggest, than with veteran hires. In a multi-year study, my own research into veterans integration and re-integration efforts has shown that some of the most challenging aspects of joining (or rejoining, in the case of deployed Reservists) include: a) a lost sense of purpose, b) a missing sense of community, and c) a lack of career guidance. And equally importantly, know that onboarding is not just for new employees, but also for returning reservists and National Guard personnel following combat deployments!
Whereas I started out by saying that generalizations that all veterans are highly motivated, highly skilled, highly competent leaders and team players are dangerous, organizations should understand that many military veterans are indeed all of these things. They’ve demonstrated an ability to get the job done, to do what it takes, to innovate, lead, and self-direct. And as a part of the long-term onboarding, organizations would be well served to put into place short-term evaluations of potential for new veteran hires (one could argue this should really be done for everyone, but we know this is not the case in most organizations). Communicate your plans for the growth and promotion of veteran hires, and be explicit. This doesn’t mean promising them unrealistic opportunities, but it does mean articulate where, when, and how you see their potential within your organization expanding. And don’t just tell them your ideas. Listen, too, to their own thoughts, desires, goals, and vision. See where they match…where they do, run with it. Where the two diverge, talk about it. Taking a personal approach to their development will go far in building organizational loyalty in veterans long used to placing their organizational needs above their own.
As many of you know, I love adventure. Whether donning a wingsuit and soaring over the Utah canyons, scuba diving in search of sharks, eels, and shipwrecks, taking a month to solo backpack across multiple national parks, or whitewater canoeing the lakes and wild rivers of Northern Saskatchewan, I’m down for it!
As we have moved into the New Year, several of my colleagues confided in my that instead of resolutions, they were focusing their year around one term, one concept that would drive their actions, decisions, and reactions. And so, in 2018, my word is “Adventure.” But it’s not what you’re probably thinking…So, let me explain.
So, when I use the term “adventure,” I’m really simply talking about learning to be a better, stronger, more effective person (a leader) by identifying one’s own boundaries, one’s own comfort zone, and then taking deliberate steps to push those boundaries a bit further than you’ve previously done. Because when we challenge ourselves, whether it’s physically, mentally, emotionally, or intellectually, that’s where growth happens. Combine that with personal and deliberate practiced reflection, and real development as a leader is not only possible, but it’s unavoidable.
If you’re not a reader (or no longer a reader), perhaps your adventure for the year will be engaging in a commitment to read one book a month (Cosmopolitan and Sport Illustrated don’t count). If you’re a tv-dinner kind of diner, perhaps taking an evening cooking class or just picking up a new cookbook and resolving to try every recipe by the end of the year. Perhaps your adventure is simply to do more reflective contemplation than you’ve done in the past, or trying yoga for the first time. And maybe, just maybe, 2018 will be the year you’ll join me in the sky for your first skydive, or under the sea for your first foray into scuba. Perhaps it’s tagging along on an overnight camping trip along the Pacific coastline, sleeping under the stars for the very first time…I’m happy to show you that kind of adventure, as well!
For me, 2017 was another year of transition. We felt pretty settled into our new life on the West Coast, which was itself a fantastic new start for JoDee and me. And it gave me the opportunity to think about what the next chapter of my professional life would hold. Nearly 6 years of full-time academic focus, teaching and running a graduate program, had been incredibly fulfilling and unexpectedly enriching, but my heart itched to return to the practice of I/O psychology. And so, as the school year progressed, I began evaluating the path I’d take. When I met the incredible team at Stewart Leadership, the choice was obvious. The talent there, the approach they take to executive coaching and consulting, as well as their vibrant, positive, and authentic personalities, made the choice to join their team an easy one. And I couldn’t be happier, particularly as I look forward to 2018 and beyond. So, thank you to the entire team at Stewart Leadership, in particular Daniel, Peter, John, Taura, and Heather. You all are amazing, and I’m thrilled to be along for this collaborative adventure!
Last but not least on the professional front, my time serving in the United States Navy came to a close in 2017. In total, my thirteen years of military service were both incredibly valuable to me personally and were experiences of constant learning and development. As a young infantry scout, I learned incredible leadership lessons from the best leaders I’ve ever had, but I also learned about teamwork, perseverance in the face of adversity, endurance, and the value of dedicated followership. When I transitioned to the Navy in the mid-90s, my years as a Russian linguist were marked by a discovery of the joys of continuous learning, camaraderie (particularly with the aircrews with whom I flew over Korea and off the Russian Far East), cultural awareness (living abroad in Japan and Russia was invaluable in that regard), and the balancing of work-life demands (particularly as a new parent). And finally, as a Human Resources Officer in the Reserves, I was inspired by the top-notch talents and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good that my fellow Navy officers demonstrated at every turn. I learned a ton about the Navy’s Expeditionary community, an aspect of the military that I’d never really known before, but that is incredible in its capabilities, mission, and talent.
My own continued pursuit of personal adventures remained a fire in need of stoking this year. The skydiving highlights included nearly 100 total jumps (sigh…down from 2015 & 2016, but fun nonetheless), including10 wingsuit flights (another first!) and fantastic opportunities to dive into the canyons and red rocks of Moab, Utah. In August, I took advantage of a Navy trip to Guam to add scuba open water certification to my adventure repertoire, and that led to more incredible dives late in the year in the blue waters off Maui! In addition, JoDee and I continued seeking out many great hikes in the hills, valleys, and along the coastline of gorgeous Sonoma County. So, adventure…..Check! (And many more to come in 2018!)
Adventure Leadership 