Lessons Learned for Vets

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After serving 21 years in the US Army, Deon Myers retired and landed a supervisory role shortly thereafter at Raytheon. Within a year at his new company, he learned the facility was closing, and he would be transferred to a new location. Not willing to add a significant amount of time to his commute, Deon leaned back into LinkedIn and accepted a new position that better fit the needs of his family. Deon is a great example of someone who went from no prior LinkedIn knowledge or usage to someone who has become a master on the platform and used it to land 2 fantastic positions. 

In 2015, Deon sat down with his family to decide where they would like to live once he retired. His primary focus was accommodating his wife’s career, living in an area that would provide him job opportunity with competitive pay and finding job satisfaction. For a few years before retirement, Deon had the mindset that he would just land a job by having a “veteran” status. A lightbulb went off during a networking event for him, and he realized he needed a real plan with a specific focus. Thankfully he started his planning process early and still had plenty of time to research and explore options. During this time, he participated in TAP and began to learn about the various resources available to transitioning service members. He gained certifications, attended webinars, conducted informational interviews and started learning about LinkedIn. 

Having no previous social media experience and a background in security, Deon approached LinkedIn with caution. After he learned that LinkedIn is a professional platform that is designed to promote the user through strategic networking and help users grow in their career or find new job opportunities, Deon knew he needed to take advantage of the platform. He researched no less than 10 approaches to mastering LinkedIn and took the best information from each to start building his profile. 

Deon credits his success on LinkedIn to creating content and tagging people in his posts. He takes the approach of strategically tagging individuals that will find his content relevant. Using his posts to demonstrate his knowledge, Deon has grown his network to 1000+ connections – many of whom are recruiters and hiring managers. Although Deon is happily employed, he continues to stay active on LinkedIn to grow his network and help other transitioning service members find success after the military. Deon offers a list of his most influential connections and how their knowledge or organizations propelled him forward. Like many veterans, Deon admits that the transition is a journey that doesn’t end with a job acceptance. LinkedIn continues to be a platform where Deon learns information on how to be successful in the civilian sector. 

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear Deon speak on additional lessons learned during his transition. 

As we approach the end of Season 2 of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we want to hear from you! Please give us your feedback and input for our next season by completing a short survey at tinyurl.com/ll4vsurvey

You can connect with Deon on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/deonmyers/

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On this week’s podcast, we celebrate our 100th episode by recapping some of the most common and important military transition lessons that our guest speakers have shared over the past 99 episodes. We welcome 7 previous guests on this episode to speak on a key issue they either talked about in their episode or have since focused on as their career has progressed.

✩ Gregory Austin: Season 1, Episode 11. As USAF retiree, Greg planned over 10 years for his transition. His methodical approach gave him the confidence and skills he needed for his next career. One approach Greg used for his transition was conducting his own SWOT analysis. Whether you plan 10 years or 10 months for your transition, Greg’s methodologies can help you. 

✩ Don Gleason: Season 1, Episode 52. Don retired from the USAF and is now a certified John Maxwell coach, business owner and co-founder of the Military Transition Roundtable. Don reflects on his interactions with service members through the Military Transition Roundtable and encourages every service member to find a mentor or coach to help identify their focus.

✩ Matthew Langseth: Season 1, Episode 7. After serving in both the Army and Army National Guard, Matt retired and has learned the art of networking. Finding mentors through American Corporate Partners and networking through Vets2Industry, Matt has become a positive voice in the transition space. 

✩ Adam Braatz: Season 1, Episode 19. After serving a diverse military career in music, public affairs and as a military training instructor, Adam recently published a book on how to leverage LinkedIn for the military transition. Adam encourages everyone to ☑ Optimize your LI profile. ☑ Organically develop your network. ☑ Create content. 

✩ Peter Cline: Season 1, Episode 44. Co-founder of Boots to Books, Peter uses his experience in the US Army to help others research education and certification opportunities before leaving the military. Boots to Books offers a wealth of resources for transitioning service members, veterans and their families to gain competitive education and employment opportunities. 

✩ Chris Dreisbach: Season 1, Episode 25. After retiring from the US Air Force, Chris had multiple job offers. Accepting what he thought was a dream job quickly turned into a nightmare. Chris shares his lessons learned on how money can’t buy happiness, not getting hung up on loyalty and being unafraid to walk away from a job that is not working.

✩ Ray Jokie: Season 1, Episode 38. Ray opens up on his struggles with depression, suicidal thoughts and extended unemployment after retiring from a career in the US Air Force. Many transitioning service members and veterans have similar experiences and Ray shares resources of support.

As your host, I have had the privilege of sharing in your victories and struggles. One lesson I want to reemphasize is YOUR job to make sure your target audience – your potential employer – understands how you can add value to their organization. You must translate the skills you learned in the military on your resume, LinkedIn profile and in your interview. 

Need a mentor or want to grow your network? Explore:

✔ American Corporate Partners: https://www.acp-usa.org/

✔ Military Transition Roundtable: https://www.militarytransitionroundtable.com/

✔ K.E.Y Mentor Group: https://thekeymentors.com/

✔ Vets2Industry: https://vets2industry.org/

Check out Boots to Books at: https://www.boots2books.com/

Order your copy of LinkedIn Mastery for Veterans and Transitioning Service Members at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ7Y2HCH

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After serving a career in security forces, Brian Arrington retired from the United States Air Force ready for a new challenge. Landing a role with Wells Fargo as a business consultant right after retirement, Brian’s successful transition is a testament to his hard work and determination. In 2019, Brian launched Vets2Industry, a non-profit dedicated to serving service members and their families. Today, Brian is the Director of Military Programs and Recruiting for Military Hiring Accelerator. 

The far-reaching impact of Vets2Industry is a product of Brian’s own transition. Rewind back to March of 2018 when Brian stumbled upon a website called LinkedIn. His first connection led him to Centurion Military Alliance. From there, he connected with mentors who helped him navigate the transition beyond the TAP curriculum. Like many veterans who have transitioned before him, Brian thought his veteran status and leadership experience would be enough to land a role as a marketing manager – a position that required a background in marketing which Brian didn’t possess. Through informational interviews, Brian realized that the skills he developed in the military would translate well to a consultant role. Intentional, consistent networking led him to a recruiter from Wells Fargo who was eager to hire a veteran for a business consultant role. 

When asked what his biggest challenge has been since leaving the military, Brian is quick to reply that an obstacle he faces now and faced while transitioning is not having a vast knowledge of companies. He tells a story about attending his first career fair and only going to the Amazon table because it was the one company he had heard of before. Recounting this story to others, he says lots of transitioning service members approach job fairs this way. He encourages everyone to visit all the tables, engage with the recruiters, learn about opportunities and build connections. Every organization has infrastructure, projects, operations and facilities.

The idea for Vets2Industry began early in Brian’s transition. Realizing that TAP wasn’t enough and learning independently that there are over 40K VSOs, Brian wondered how many airmen he had failed as an NCO with his lack of awareness for the free resources beyond TAP. Over 100,000+ military-affiliated people have been served through resources offered by Vets2Industry. Their monthly networking events attract recruiters from all industries, and the webinars cover topics like salary negotiation, resume writing, TSP rollover, life insurance and budgeting. Every VSO featured on the website has been vetted. For those who would like to gain valuable skills, increase their marketability and strengthen their resumes, Vets2Industry needs volunteers. 

As the Director of Military Programs and Recruiting at Military Hiring Accelerator, Brian Arrington focuses his attention on finding great paying positions across the country for the military community. Brian oversees sourcing and runs the organization’s SkillBridge program. 

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip from Brian on how to rock your next networking event with Vets2Industry.

You can connect with Brian on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianarrington933/

Explore Vets2Industry resources at https://vets2industry.org/

Browse the jobs board at Military Hiring Accelerator at https://www.militaryaccelerator.com/

Connect with Brian about SkillBridge, internships and open positions by emailing him at [email protected]. Don’t forget to mention that you learned about Military Hiring Accelerator on this podcast!

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After serving 4 years in the US Army as an officer in the medical service corps, Dr. Destinee Prete transitioned to earn a doctorate in industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology, a field dedicated to finding data-backed solutions to human problems in work and other organizational settings. She has held various positions that have helped transitioning service members and veterans. Not only is she the co-founder of We2AreVets, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to honoring and recognizing women veterans, but she is also a full-time I/O psychology practitioner and the CEO of PG Strategies Group. 

Although Dr. Prete’s transition from the military was several years ago, her experiences during that time launched her toward a career path dedicated to supporting the military community with special focus on women veterans. After giving birth to twins and juggling a dual-military family dynamic, Dr. Prete decided to separate to focus on advancing her education and caring for her twins. Her first job post-military was serving as a career counselor for TAP, a role she credits to fueling her passion for serving beyond the uniform. During this time, she made the decision to dedicate the research for her degree’s required dissertation to the field of transitioning. 

While still pursuing her education and working in various roles, Dr. Prete had the opportunity to interact with thousands of service members. Although the transition journey is unique for each person, one commonality that Dr. Prete observed was how much pressure people put on the first job out of uniform. This is still true today. People want the job to do everything for them; provide financially, be a resume builder, have an impressive title, serve as a built-in family and satisfy their passion. Instead of focusing only on the job, Dr. Prete encourages transitioning service members to explore various opportunities and network. The transition is much more than finding a job.

When Dr. Prete started her research, she found that there was no usable data on the veteran transition experience. Pulling demographic data as a foundation, she observed that women are emerging as the fastest growing group of veterans. She conducted a multiple case study with particular attention given to the post-9/11 women veteran experience. 4 themes emerged from the data:

☑Many women veterans took a non-traditional transition route, meaning they did not pursue education, entrepreneurship, or a job right away.

☑Many women felt a loss in identity once they hung up the uniform.

☑Many women did not feel recognized while serving and experience the same as a veteran. As a result, some women do not self-identify as a veteran.

☑The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) needs a revision that is more inclusive to females.

Her research led her to launch We2AreVets, an organization dedicated to honoring, empowering and recognizing women veterans. Additionally, she seeks to educate and inform organizations, institutions and other entities working with women vets to better support them. 

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip from Dr. Prete.

You can connect with Dr. Prete at https://www.linkedin.com/in/destinee-prete/

Explore We2AreVets by visiting https://www.we2arevets.org/

Review Dr. Prete’s research at https://www.proquest.com/openview/988ed18ab444c5340817cee196438b39/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

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After a career in the US Coast Guard, Jason Heering retired from an overseas location which added an extra layer of complexity to his transition. Throughout his military career, he served in several positions related to facility and construction project management. As he weighed his options closer to retirement, Jason made the decision to accept a role with the federal government. Hired as the Deputy Director of Facility Maintenance for the US Space Force at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Jason reflects on navigating the federal job application process.

Jason’s last duty station was in El Salvador, and it was there that he and his family lived during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jason began teleworking during the pandemic and took advantage of virtual networking and informational interviews while working from home. Learning about Vets2Industry during the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), Jason connected with various mentors who gave him career advice. While Jason categorizes himself as an introvert, he successfully built new relationships through networking and always followed up with a personalized thank-you note as a token of his appreciation. 

Two questions that often get mentioned on this podcast are “What do I want to do after the military?” and “What is my why?” While the two are related, they are separate questions. Reflecting on his transition, Jason admits he wasn’t ready to answer, “What is my why?” After taking a few personality tests and reflecting on the results, Jason decided it wasn’t the right time to change career paths and fell back on the skills he had developed during his service. 

Transitioning is a process that should start months, if not years, in advance and needs to include asking and answering those two questions. With enough time, it’s possible to take advantage of education benefits while serving to reskill or upskill. Additionally, it’s important to look at all the factors when considering your next career. For many service members, family plays an important role in determining salary needs and job location. 

Jason applied to 20 jobs both in the private sector and in the federal government. He successfully navigated the federal job process and landed several interviews. With each federal resume he created, he pulled bullets that matched the job description from a master list that included all his positions and accomplishments. Jason was ultimately hired for a role under a Direct Hire Authority (DHA). In this scenario, Jason was selected through a resume review without an interview. As a first-time federal government employee, Jason took the opportunity to negotiate his salary and annual leave hours.

Jason encourages people interested in a federal job to take advantage of the HR representative information located at the bottom of each job announcement. Search for people on LinkedIn with federal jobs and start networking. 

Recently, Jason joined the Air Force’s Civilian Leadership Development School’s book club. The program is still relatively new but has already inspired Jason with its first three books. He encourages everyone to continue learning and gaining new perspectives through reading. His recommendation list includes:

What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Crucial Conversations by multiple authors

Make Your Bed by Admiral William McRaven

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip from Jason. 

You can connect with Jason at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-heering/

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With a US Navy career spanning 21 years, including 9 years serving active duty and 12 years in the US Navy Reserve, Saquonna Duncan shares her transition story and lessons learned along the way. Saquonna served in different roles during her military career, and it was her position as a career counselor that inspired her to start Advancing by Bounds, an organization dedicated to supporting transitioning service members as well as educating employers on how to target and recruit military and veteran candidates. Her path hasn’t been straightforward or easy, and she candidly shares mistakes she made along the way in hopes of helping others.

Saquonna earned her bachelor’s degree in criminology using Tuition Assistance. Toward the end of her degree, she completed an internship with the California Juvenile Justice Department with a dream of being a juvenile detention officer in New Orleans. Leaving active duty, she moved her family to Louisiana to start her next chapter. Saquonna failed to research the labor market and was shocked by how little her dream job paid compared to what she was earning in the military. Leaving the military can have serious financial implications for some, and a person must do a thorough financial analysis of their situation before leaving to better understand what they need to make at their next position. 

Networking her way to a new role in HR with a law firm, she was set to begin her first day on the day Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Evacuating to Atlanta, she used a temp agency to land a role at Cox Communications in their legal department. Looking back, Saquonna regrets not negotiating a higher salary when her role became permanent. 

While working at Cox, Saquonna served as a reservist and deployed to various locations worldwide. On one deployment, she learned project management skills and was excited at the thought of pursuing project management in the civilian sector. Saquonna admits she didn’t pursue her passion and returned to the safety and routine of her previous position. During her 14 years at Cox, Saquonna continued learning new skills. In fact, she used her GI Bill to earn an MBA and was disappointed that her newly acquired degree did nothing to help her get promoted.

Her realization that a degree alone wasn’t enough to land a better role led her to start her organization, Advancing by Bounds. She counsels transitioning service members that a degree should be paired with actionable experience. Whether a person learns skills through volunteer work, an internship or programs like SkillBridge, employers want to see experience to back up the book knowledge.

At Advancing by Bounds, military veterans and recently separated reservists and guardsmen can access career counseling. Saquonna gives each client personalized service to include Career Mapping. Her goal is to help people do the hard work to find out what they like and what might be a good job to showcase their skills. While it’s unreasonable to expect every person to love their job, she believes that a person should look for work that has likeable tasks. Career Mapping is a starting point, and at Advancing by Bounds, a person can also receive support in other areas like interviewing and learning how to upskill or reskill. 

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip from Saquonna.

You can connect with Saquonna at https://www.linkedin.com/in/saquonnaduncan/

Explore Advancing by Bounds at www.advancingbybounds.com

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On this episode, James Felts shares his struggles and victories finding purpose, meaning and fulfilling work post-military. His career in the US Army encompassed time served as a national guardsman, reservist and active-duty officer. Having gone through 4 transitions, James shares his wisdom and lessons learned through the valleys and peaks of his post-military career path. 

James started his career in the US Army as a commissioned officer. Separating after his initial enlistment, he became a state trooper and learned quickly that law enforcement was not a good fit. Working in roles that were far below his capabilities, he rejoined the US Army and served as a national guardsman and reservist. Today, he is a real estate agent and the Co-Founder of JTF–214, where he co-hosts the Lounge with Legends show on YouTube and helps businesses market themselves through the power of storytelling. 

Transition is going to happen for everyone. James believes it’s the transformation that so many service members find challenging. Just like many veterans, James has also come to the realization that transformation is a long journey – one that he is still excited to be on.

James urges everyone to carefully consider their options after the military and to ask yourself the hard questions of what you want to do and who you want to be. Looking back on his transitions, he admits he didn’t always make changes for the right reasons. In some cases, he took the path of least resistance. In other situations, he didn’t come up with a plan until he was already in the moment.

Reading books and learning from other perspectives has helped James along his life journey. In this episode, he mentions several authors, including Ryan Holiday. James has found the words of these influential authors to resonate with him and help him organize his path forward. 

Although some may want to carry their line of work in the military to the civilian sector, others may want a fresh start. James encourages everyone to take advantage of SkillBridge, internships and volunteer work as avenues to new career fields. 

Although not every job is going to be a passion project, it should be fulfilling in some way and showcase your skillset. You can always pivot and change course. James has found satisfaction as a co-owner of JTF–214 with Marty Martinez. Together, they use the Donald Miller concept of the power of storytelling to market businesses effectively. 

James discusses the similarities of his method of marketing to a jobseeker marketing themselves to an employer. With just 3-4 seconds to make a positive impression, it’s critical to have a clear message. Whether it’s a company using social media to advertise or a transitioning service member using LinkedIn to network, the content must be concise, clear and solution driven. Focus on how you can add value to a company. How can you solve their problem? How can you save them money? How can you make them money? Position yourself as the solution.  

Hope is not a plan. Relying on fate is not a plan. Take time to ask yourself what you want to do and develop goals that align with your dream. Take action and results will follow. And remember you can always pivot and change.

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip on how James persevered through his struggles to get back on track. 

You can connect with James at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesfelts/

Catch the latest Lounge with Legends podcast at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOson3sHtsIqNgHCZ_a7_gw

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When Adam Getz first joined the military, his plan was to finish his initial enlistment as an Army musician and separate. As his roles changed within the military, Adam decided to serve for 20 years with the goal of having a second career in the private sector.  Adam earned an MBA, PMP and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications to prepare him for his next career in project management. When Adam left the military4/2021, he spent a year as a Senior Project Manager in pharmaceutical contract manufacturing. Today, he is a Senior Project Manager in Supply Chain Operations at Indiana University Health. 

Adam finished his MBA earlier in his Army career. Once he focused on becoming a project manager, he completed his PMP and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt closer to retirement. Adam used a full 24 months to prepare for his transition by attending TAP classes, leveraging LinkedIn and networking . 

After using The 20-Minute Networking Meeting book as a guide on how to conduct an informational interview, Adam conducted close to 100 interviews. With each conversation, Adam learned more about project management in the private sector, gained new mentors and ultimately confirmed that he did want to pursue project management. His interactions helped him to translate his Army skills to industry standard terminology. As an introvert, networking did not come naturally to Adam. At first, he felt like he was imposing on people but then realized after a few informational interviews that people are eager to help. 

 Adam reflects on the differences of project management between the military and the private sector. Because rank is not a factor in his current position, it’s not always obvious how to get something accomplished. The job of a project manager is to lead cross-functional teams as an individual contributor and yet influence people to meet deadlines and finish projects. Building relationships and having expert knowledge are keys to being a successful project manager.

Adam discusses how asking questions has earned him respect with coworkers and supervisors in his post-military roles. He learned that people are eager to help and asking questions builds teamwork, relationships and rapport. Adam encourages veterans to check their ego and stay humble. While some people will show appreciation toward a veteran, others are indifferent.

When job searching, many roles do not post a salary range.  Adam discusses how his informational interviews and mentors gained through LinkedIn helped him uncover a desired salary range based on his background and skills. 

Adam and Lori end the podcast discussing leaving jobs in the private sector, sometimes even in the first year. While Adam acknowledges that finding a job that you are passionate about is ideal, it’s not realistic for everybody. He instead encourages people to find jobs that match their skillsets and ones they enjoy in some capacity. When a job isn’t right for you, it’s okay to find something that is a better fit. Sometimes you have to make a change to move forward. 

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip on struggles and surprises Adam has encountered during his first 18 months out of uniform.

You can connect with Adam at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcgetz/

Explore The 20-Minute Networking Meeting book by clicking here.

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After spending 20 years as a US Navy Flight Officer, David Nava was ready for a new challenge. He started preparing for his transition four years in advance with a goal of landing a role in project management. After earning his MBA, PMP, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Scrum Master certification, David realized he did not want to be a project manager. A mentor introduced Salesforce (SF) to him, and he immediately began utilizing their free resources. After gaining hands-on experience through volunteering and using the DoD SkillBridge program, he landed an internship which led to a full-time role as a Solutions Architect. Even if you have no interest in the tech industry, keep listening. Dave shares his wisdom on how to define your military skills, translate them to an employer and find career fulfillment. 

Dave discusses how volunteering not only helped him test-drive different roles within Salesforce but also gave him work experience to leverage with his soft skills, education and training. While informational interviews hold immeasurable value, volunteering is a way to determine what role best fits your goals and personality. Just three months into a year-long free SF program for transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses, Dave volunteered for FourBlock using his skills as a Salesforce Systems Administrator. Wanting to learn faster, he also reached out to Merivis and began volunteering for them as a SF Consultant. 

The SF Military program provides free certification, courses and training vouchers to the military community. To get started a person signs up for a free profile and chooses one of 18 learning paths. After completing the guided learning path through Trailhead, a course voucher and eventually a certification voucher are issued. To date, Dave has earned 14 Salesforce certifications and has paid $0. He believes his certifications were more than enough to establish him in the SF ecosystem and be successful in his roles. Providing not only certifications, SF has also built a community of 40,000 like-minded individuals from the military that form a powerful support network. 

The Salesforce Hiring Alliance is a partnership that includes 300+ companies that guarantee a first-round interview for military trailblazers that have earned at least 1 certification. This opportunity is a great way to get your foot in the door and provides instant relationships. 

When David was preparing to leave the military and the field of aviation, he knew he would need to leverage his soft skills while he was learning new hard skills. He believes the military community can be successful in any environment given their ability to learn quickly, adapt to various situations and pivot when necessary. He challenges people to not overlook their work ethic, flexibility and critical thinking skills when writing their resume and during the interview process.

Each week, David offers Trailblazer office hours for the military community. Current SF employees, in a variety of roles, are interviewed by David with a goal of providing collaborative mentoring to a large audience. It’s a great place to start researching SF and the positions available. Plus, the office hours are recorded and housed on David’s YouTube channel. 

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip on personal branding. 

You can connect with Dave at https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-nava-awesome-engineer/

Explore Salesforce military certification programs at https://veterans.force.com/s/

Follow Dave on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNoZ2zfPdwFEXSbNQ47WVg

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This week, I will be leading you through a solo episode focused on career fair and networking event success strategies. Preparation before the event will give you confidence during the event and increase your chances of success after the event. Whether events are in person or virtual, my tips and tricks will set you up for success.

Before the Event 

Ø Prepare a results-focused resume that showcases your unique value. Your resume should be targeted to a specific industry. 

Ø Find out what companies are attending the event. 

Ø Research the companies and their openings. Do an analysis of each company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. 

Ø Focus on 5 companies. You may need to adjust your resume for each company. 

Ø Pre-register online if offered.

Ø Prepare questions you will ask employers. Think through how you will start conversations. 

Day of Event

Ø Bring plenty of copies of your resume. Remember you may have different resumes for each targeted company. 

Ø Dress to impress. Do not wear your military uniform. You want the employer to see you as a potential employee, not a service member. Dress as though you are interviewing. For some roles, a 3-piece suit is expected. In other positions, a collared shirt and a pair of slacks are appropriate. A good rule is to dress a notch above what you would wear every day on the job. 

Ø If you are attending a virtual event, consider your background. The area visible in the camera should be free of clutter. Choose a quiet area. 

Ø Meet the recruiter for each of your targeted companies. Get their name, business card and connect with them on LinkedIn at the event or shortly after. Ask your prepared questions and let them know your unique value proposition. Be respectful of their time. 

Ø Even though you are targeting certain organizations, network with all recruiters and be open to new possibilities. 

Ø You should leave the event with contact information, notes and details about your new contacts, company information, a better sense of your options and confidence. 

Ø Remember it’s unlikely you will be offered an interview or a job at a career fair. In most cases, the recruiter may look at your resume and ask you to apply online. 

After the Event

Ø Follow up with all recruiters through LinkedIn, voice mail or email. Thank them for their time and sharing information with you about the organization. 

Ø Create a focused resume for each role and apply. Follow up again with the recruiter and let them know you applied. 

Ø Take time to ask yourself what went well and what areas need improvement for the next event.

The purpose of creating your networking value proposition is to start a conversation with a potential employer. It’s an opportunity to explain to someone who you are and how you can add value to their organization. Keep your proposition relevant to the company you are targeting. Focus on where you are going, not where you have been. For example, you will want to avoid introducing yourself with your title in the military. Only talk about where you have been with how it relates to where you are going. Remember to smile and make eye contact. 

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip on mistakes made at career fairs and networking events and questions you NEVER want to ask at an event. 

Download a FREE worksheet at https://www.nextforvets.com/.

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