DAILY JOB TIP: Out of the Military, and into the Fryer (Literally!)
Currently I am working with a 40-year old client who left the military about a year ago as an Electronics Technician. His plan was to go back to school under the GI Bill, and live off his monthly stipend. When he had trouble with one of his classes all his plans fell apart. He lost his full-time student status, and consequently most of his stipend. He’s struggling to find work now, and started applying at fast food restaurants. Fortunately or Unfortunately, fast food restaurants will not even call him in for an interview. They see his background in electronics, and they wonder how long they could possibly keep him happy in a fast food job.
As I worked with him, I let him know that a 40-year old with an electronics background and military service should not be applying for fast food jobs. He should be leveraging his network and finding positions where he will be intellectually stimulated and socially comfortable. He completely agreed.
Create a good resume, network-network-network, and target your job search.
These are the steps that most Career Coaches will recommend, and for good reason…they work! We know statistically that 80% of jobs come from networking. We also know that only 10%-20% of job hunters find employment through the large job boards. Why is that? When a large company posts a position to a job board, then anyone who can hit a submit button can and will apply. Recruiters could literally be getting thousands of resumes per posting, and they can only physically go through a finite amount of resumes. Chances are they will find their ideal candidate within the first 50 submissions. The others don’t even get considered. Yet, this is the primary job search method that most job hunters employ. Why employ a strategy 100% of the time which yields results less than 20% of the time?
Network-network-network….get out there.
If you are unemployed, then go to one or two different networking events each week. If you are employed, you need to still build your network for the next time you need to find a job. How? Find career networking groups – church groups, trade groups, and even career fairs. If you are introverted, then use the web – LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. These sites are excellent in building networks. If you’re nervous about networking, then know one thing. Most people want to help, but they won’t help unless you ask.
The time is now…
If my client had been networking during the time he was serving our country, he would have a large network of people to help him in his job search. He probably could have contacted his vast network to find an electronics position much quicker. So, is your networking sizzling, or are you planning to work the fast food fryer?
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Jay Markunas is a Career Coach who knows the power networking, and along with his partner, Angela Loëb, will be hosting the session “Out of Your Comfort Zone” at the upcoming Career Connects Event on January 29th.
Through his company, Great Occupations, Jay helps job seekers and career shifters by offering The Job Search Boot Camp webinar, Find a Career You Love tele-coaching event, career & job coaching services, and career-related products. Each 1st & 3rd Saturday, he & Angela host The Job Search Boot Camp Show – which also available on iTunes.
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Tags: Career, Career Connects Event, career transition, Find your passion, Great Occupations, job search, Job Search Boot Camp, military, The Job Search Boot Camp Show
