Managing chaos during the job search process- By Kevin K. Dean

No one wants to create more chaos and stress in their own lives but job searches inherently cause stress. It’s ironic that a process to minimize stress actually causes more. Here are a few brief tips based on people’s experience who recently received job offers:

Don’t think “outside the box”- forget all the cheesy management titles about cheese and parachutes and focus on what works and that’s creating relationships and building value. If you hand your cover letter to a friend do they get excited and wonder why you don’t work in their office or do they smile and say that’s a nice cover letter. A cover letter should get a hiring manager excited enough to get off Pinterest and over to the managers desk with your letter in hand.

Buzzwords- No term has caused more paper to get recycled in the waste paper bin other than possibly “let’s decide this by committee”. If people actually responded like robots to buzzwords then every viral video would just be people using buzzwords. Video’s go viral because they’re short and have a powerful message like the Ice Bucket challenge unless you’re a cute kitten in which case this rule doesn’t apply. Everyone loves kittens but you’re not going to fill a resume with kitten pictures so leave the buzzwords where they belong and let your resume be brief but powerful.

Networking, Networking, networking- People today suffer from MIOO or Massive Information Overload Online. Requesting someone on LinkedIn, sending an email and follow up cards are important pieces of a job search but ultimately a live human being makes the hiring decision. Do you share a common passion, are in you in a social group or a volunteer group where a manager would know you from and personally vouch for your work ethic?

Learn to use Concrete- Instead of using Buzzwords create sections in your cover letter that show concrete of examples of skills that will bring value to a potential employer. I tell everyone crafting a cover letter use the following format: cite a transferable skill and then provide a high quality concrete example of the skill from a previous position.

Build real and lasting and relationships, create a cover letter and resume that build excitements and provide concrete examples of high quality work. The new economy has seen a job market that shifts rapidly so get some outside help from a professional head hunter or a human resources professional and learn to move forward with confidence.

how to find a job as a veteran



Persistence

 Two major veteran reports came out this week and both show that veterans are struggling to find jobs, keep jobs and that they need more assistance with transition to the workforce. The first study was done by the respected USC school of Social work that works with veterans found that 80% of veterans leave the military without a job. This trend is particularly disturbing in light of the recently revamped transition process for those people leaving the service.


The second study was by the highly prestigious Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families. The University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families study found that more than 65% of veterans leave their first civilian job within 2 years and that the jobs don’t match their military skills sets. The combination of these factors is well known in the veteran’s community and while the studies are helpful for policy makers veterans needs help in these critical areas. Here are three takeaways that any veteran can use immediately to help with a job search.



1. Hire a professional.



2. Talk to everybody



3. Be persistent



Hire a professional because everyone looking for a job in today’s tight job market should use a staffing and recruiting professional to review their cover letter and resume. When a pipe bursts in your house you call a plumber because he has the tools and expertise to fix the problem in a reasonable time frame. Well recruiters are the plumbers of the job world because they see a lot of resumes and they know what companies are looking for and what to avoid. A good example is the objective section on a resume. This outdated piece of resume advice almost always states the person wants to work in specific career field instead of showing how the person’s skills can add value to a company. An updated resume is a powerful tool in today’s ultra-competitive job market.


A 2010 survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 70% of jobs are found by networking. Most high quality jobs are found by recommendations and by effectively using a network. Keep a list of the people you have contacted and use Facebook and LinkedIn to contact all your family friends and coworkers and ask everyone for one referral. Sitting at a computer filling out the millionth job application gets tiring but cross referencing the contacts from your LinkedIn network with employers that are likely to hire you is likely to have far better results. Create a rubric for the job search that has the name of the company, how the job lead was found, and who was contacted and add a column for veteran contacts. Maintain the rubric and keep track of which companies you hear back from because this will give an idea of what type of employer is interested in your skill set and you can specifically target this type of employer.

Persistence according to the Oxford dictionaries is “the continued or prolonged existence of something”. I work with a lot of veterans and it’s a common complaint that employers don’t value military service. Here are the links to each local,state and federal agency that directly helps veterans find employment:

Locate and contact the veteran’s rep within the Federal Department of Labor. http://www.servicelocator.org/
Locate and contact State Veteran’s representative. http://www.longtermcarelink.net/ref_list_state_county_veterans_service_officers.htm
Locate and contact county level veteran’s representative. http://nacvso.org/find-a-service-officer/


Most employer surveys show that that they just don’t understand military service because they haven’t served and don’t speak the same language. It’s crucial to meet with the people who are on the front lines helping veterans find and keep jobs such as the county veteran representative, the state veteran’s agency, and the local department of labor veteran’s rep and to stay focused and positive.

Scholarships for Military Children Program

The Defense Commissary Agency business partners and others are in the 12th year of awarding scholarships and in 2012 more than 600 scholarships were awarded for a total of a million dollars.

Only dependent unmarried children under age 23 of active duty personnel, reserve/guard and retired military members, or survivors of service members who died while on active duty or survivors of individuals who died while receiving retired pay from the military, may apply for a scholarship.

Recipient must be enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in a four-year undergraduate college or university or students attending a community college must be enrolled in a program of studies designed to allow the student to transfer directly into a four-year program accredited in the U. S. They must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 basis. The minimum GPA requirement applies to both high school and college students.

The scholarship provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees and other related expenses For more information please see: http://www.militaryscholar.org/sfmc/application.html

Is a certificate program worth it?

The National Center for Education Statistics shows that the growth of higher education in many sectors is slowing down yet the growth of college level certificates has risen dramatically over the last decade. Many cite the need of skilled workers in fields where the knowledge base is changing rapidly such as technology and healthcare.

Research shows that certificates can have a lot of value both academically and economically. For example, research by The Georgetown University Center on the Education and the Workforce shows that workers can earn over a quarter million more dollars over their lifetime by earning a certificate and 20% more than workers with only a high school diploma(1). Recently the State of Virginia released the earnings of the state’s public college graduates and the data showed that those with post-baccalaureate certificates actually earned more than those a master’s degree (2).

The value of a certificate much like a 4 year degree still requires a detailed analysis because it’s dependent on the need of employers. Some fields like Paralegals have a gold standard such as the American Bar Association Accreditation however in many career fields there’s no clear standard. Some fields such as healthcare have more certificates than there are job titles and conversely the return on investment is less than a more technical field such as Aviation or engineering(1). The key is to look long term at both investment and academic goals. Research shows that completing a certificate can enhance thier chances of completing a college degree because it acts a stepping stone towards completion and enhances earning power even if the college degree isn’t finished.

Name recognition plays a powerful role and high quality colleges offer a variety of certificate options. Cornell offers over 20 certificates online through their program at http://www.ecornell.com and Harvard University offers online certificates through their extension studies school that may count towards a degree later at http://www.extension.harvard.edu/degrees-certificates. Public universities are just starting to get into the awarding of certificates which has traditionally been frowned upon by academia. Some public colleges that are leaders in distance education such as SUNY Empire State College are offering an ever increasing variety of certificates at http://www.esc.edu/degrees-programs/graduate-certificates/veterans-services/ .

1. http://cew.georgetown.edu/certificates/

2. http://research.schev.edu/eom/opportunity01_report.asp

Scholarship for Military and veterans

The deadline of January 5th is rapidly approaching for the Department of Homeland Security’s Scholarship. The scholarship is for students who believe their degree program supports the DHS mission of securing the country and preserving our freedoms. The student must be enrolled in a major or concentration in any of the following areas:

Advanced Data Analysis and Visualization
Biological Threats and Countermeasures
Border Security
Chemical Threats and Countermeasures
Communications and Interoperability
Community, Commerce and Infrastructure Resilience
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response
Food and Agriculture Security
Human Factors
Immigration Studies
Infrastructure Protection
Maritime and Port Security
Natural Disasters and Related Geophysical Studies
Risk, Economics, and Decision Sciences
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Transportation Security

For more information please go directly to the website at: http://www.orau.gov/dhsed/

Military Spouse Benefits Updates

Military Spouse Education Benefits Program Reopens but Restricted


D.O.D announced that the MyCAA program will start taking new enrollments on Oct. 25th, 2010. There have been some major changes to the program since its inception with DOD reducing the tuition amount, only approving up to an AS degree, and restricting the program to junior enlisted/ officer spouses.

The military spouse career advancement program is a Department of Defense (D.O.D) program that pays for associate’s degrees, certifications and licensure programs leading to employment in portable careers.

Only spouses of an active duty Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine service member, or activated Reserve member in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, or O1-O2 is eligible. There is a maximum amount of $4,000 per spouses with a $2,000 a year cap on funds.

To get started the spouse must establish an account at https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa.The spouse must have an established and approved career goal and have an approved degree program.

To apply for the program a spouse must call a military OneSource consultant at 1-800-342-9647 to create a career plan and academic goal. The program only covers tuition up and it does not cover fees and other costs.

The program is sponsored by the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy and the program is designed to decrease the stress of Permanent Change of Duty Stations (PCS) on military families.

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FINRA Certification Spouse Scholarship

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation's Military Spouse Fellowship offers free training each year to spouses of active-duty or retired Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Army or Air National Guard or reserve component servicemembers.
Fellowships are awarded by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and spouses can earn the Accredited Financial Counselor™ certificate. The program covers the enrollment fee, study materials, webinar study sessions and two attempts at each examination for the two required courses.
Interested spouses should have an interest in financial education, be able to complete 400-2000 practicum hours, and have the time to study online for the exam.

The Accredited Financial Counselor™ certificate requires the coursework, two exams and the practicum to be completed in order to be certified.

The program started in 2006 and is a partnership with Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) and the National Military Family Association (NMFA). After accreditation spouses provide services as financial counselors at variety of settings in both the U.S and overseas.

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is the largest foundation in the United States dedicated to investor education

Currently the scholarship is closed however spouses can sign up for an alert of when the program opens up for next year at: http://www.militaryfamily.org/get-info/support-family/spouse-employment/financial-counselor-fellowships.html

References:
http://www.saveandinvest.org/Military/SpouseFellowships/index.htm
http://www.finrafoundation.org/sai/index.htm
http://www.militaryfamily.org/get-info/support-family/spouse-employment/financial-counselor-fellowship-faqs.html
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The Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships

The Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships program is sponsored by the National Military Family Association and the scholarship of up to $1,000 is awarded to spouses of Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve, Retirees, and Survivors. The scholarship can be used for tuition, fees, and room and board for any of the following programs:

 GED or ESL
 Vocational training
 Professional certification
 Post-secondary
 Graduate school
 In-class or on-line
 Full-time or part-time

The program opens for enrollment for 2011 on December 1st and enrollment will be open until January. The scholarship is only for a year and must be reapplied for each following year.

For more information please sign up for the email news alert letter from The National Military Family Association at: http://www.militaryfamily.org/publications/enewsletters/enewsletter-sign-up-1.html

References:
http://www.militaryfamily.org/
http://www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/military-spouse-scholarships/
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New Tax Laws for Military Spouses

Military Spouses can keep their home state for tax filing purposes, regardless of where the family is stationed. The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act says the non-military spouse can now retain the same home state of record/state of residence as the military spouse, as long as the non-military spouse’s sole reason for leaving that state was due to a permanent change of station (PCS) for the military spouse. For more information contact the Base Jag/legal office.


References:
http://www.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?id=123181621
http://www.military.com/finance/taxes/tt/military-spouse-residency-relief-act-and-state-taxes.html
http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/kb/state-taxes/state-issues/1274.html

Why you shouldnt switch G.I bills

The post 9/11 G.I bill also known as the Webb G.I bill will roll out in august of this year and has some enhanced benefits. The first benefit is that the new G.I bill will cover tuition at state colleges and still pay the individual the basic Housing Allowance at the rate of an E-5. This is a wonderful benefit however if you have the old G.I bill and your going to online classes or your living at home it may not behoove you to switch and heres why.


Let’s say a soldier just got out and wants to go to community college for two years first and that soldier hypothetically lives in Utica N.Y. If the soldier waits until August to attend college using the new G.I Bill he would receive a BAH of just over $800 as the table below based upon the government BAH rates illustrates.
http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/bah.html



If however the soldier used the older G.I bill and was attending full time and used the old G.I bill they would receive $1073 however they would have to pay tuition. Although most states school waive tuition for veterans so they would theoretically receive more money.
http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_BILL_INFO/rates/CH30/ch30rates080108.htm



Veterans who are making the decision to stay with the old G.I bill or switch to the new G.I bill should conduct their own research to make an informed decision as to which program benefits them the most. Here is a link to the most current and up to date information regarding the two programs.

http://www.military.com/money-for-school/gi-bill/guidance-for-choosing-between-gi-bill-programs

Veterans, Guard and Reserve -how to earn a college degree

As military academic advisor for the last decade I wanted to point out some resources for veterans.

For those still in the Guard or Reserves there a few options to earn a college degree.

The first is to check with your unit and see what State funded Tuition Assistance programs are available. If you’re in the Army National Guard and you need more information the following website has the points of contact for all the states regarding education http://www.virtualarmory.com/education/ArngPOC/


If you’re in the Air National Guard and not eligible for state TA program then there is second option and that is to take advantage of the free Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Program. All training in the Air Force is accredited by the CCAF which is a regionally accredited college. Any member who is a skill level 5 or higher can attain there degree for free.The main point of contact for this program is the base level education office and you will have combine this with the third method to attain the general education requirements for the degree.


The third method to earn a college level degree whether your a Veteran, Army or Air Guard or Reserve from any branch is the college level testing program. The Department of Defense pays for CLEP, Excelsior, and DANTES exams for all active, Guard and Reserves. These exams are free and don’t count against you if you fail them. Veterans will have to pay for the exams but can take them on some bases at reduced cost if thier retirees.

You can transfer them for free into a CCAF for general education requirements or anyone whether veteran or active/gaurd may transfer about 99% of a bachelors or associates using the free exam program at a college such as www.excelsior.edu.

There are fees to transfer in all the credits to Excelsior College for a college degree .It is about $750 for an associate and $1300 for a bachelor’s degree however you can use GI bill benefits to cover that cost.

To find the nearest DOD sponsored testing site please go to www.dantes.doded.mil/Dantes_web/apps/tes...testcenterlookup.asp


Another important place to check regarding what educational benefits are available is the military.com website at http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits/. This website lays out state by state what exact benefits are available for veterans including education.

Good Luck.

GI Bill

I had to laugh when I heard on the news that DOD was against the new GI bill being proposed in congress because it would cause more people to leave the service rather than re-enlist. “Defense officials said GI Bill benefits are an important recruiting benefit, but making the program too generous could hurt, rather than help, the services (1)” This is a blatantly false argument that sounds good but isn’t tempered in reality.

The GI bill is known as a benefit, in other words, it’s not an entitlement like food and water or pay. The GI bill is used and quite successfully, as recruitment tool and some would argue it is hands down the Army’s premier recruitment tool. Especially when you consider that, the Active Duty GI Bill when combined with an added kicker (these are monetary add-ons from the army) a soldier will currently get 72,000 for use towards college (2).

The other half of the argument that just does not wash with reality is that Active duty Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coasties, Airmen and Guard members all get 100% free college while on active duty. So how would money for college after you get out help people who already have college degrees? If anything, this is the real argument for not increasing the benefit, because people just wont need it.

According to the 2006 American Community Survey by the U.S Census Bureau for men that complete a bachelors degree make 23,731 dollars more per year on average than those with only a Highschool degree(3). Every person in uniform is entitled to a college education, its that simple. If you swear into branch and give up your freedom to serve the country then the least you should earn is the right to an education.


1. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/07/military_gibill_opposition_070731w/

2. http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/acs-08.pdf

3. http://education.military.com/money-for-school/gi-bill/gi-bill-kicker