Veteran's Career Fair

On Tuesday afternoon, the 16th of July, 2013, I had an opportunity to accompany 5 of my coworkers to a career fair at the Earl Brown
Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

Our mission was to offer assistance to veterans who were at the fair and preparing to separate and transition into the civilian sector.  Most needed help with their resumes, or to brush up on their interviewing skills, and generally get help on their road to new employment.

I was honored to be a part of this group, and offer assistance to our veterans here in the state of Minnesota, and I was especially honored that General Mills would trust me to represent their brand at an event of this size.  (The author began working at GMI in June of 2013).

All of the Veterans I worked with were in the same boat.  They had a great story and a solid history of service excellence to their nation.  What they needed some help with was translation.

Most veterans don't think twice about how they list their experience.  They faithfully enter the information on their resume and expect that every prospective employer will be impressed with their accomplishments.  And you know what?  If they could speak Military, they would be!  The problem is, most civilian employers, especially here in the upper midwest, simply don't speak that language.

Some common problems were using acronyms.  We have a LOT of acronyms in the service.  Civilians don't know them.  Always spell them out, and more often than not, you will need to explain them as well. Additionally, most service members have a wealth of experience that is spread out across a broad range of different areas.  The key to obtaining that new job as a "business analyst" is to focus on those experiences which will highlight the SM's aptitude for that particular position.

Last but not least, you absolutely HAVE to change your cover letter and tailor it specifically to each position for which you are applying.  Additionally, unless you are only applying to one specific job within a career field, you should probably tailor the experience on your resume to the position you are applying for as well.  Think about it like this:  If you are applying for a job as a finance specialist in a business analyst field, they are probably not going to give two hoots about your experiences driving a truck.  The key is to tailor your resume and focus on those experiences which will accentuate your level of knowledge within the career field.  And don't be afraid to list your course focus from the college you might be attending!  Letting a potential employer know that you are currently enrolled and focused on learning the specific career field you are interested in lets them know that you are actively working toward your goal.

I am excited for all our veterans who attended this event, and I am hopeful for their chances at obtaining their dream job.  I can't wait to hear back from the folks I worked with about their search!