Tom Arnaiz, CISA, CISSP ⋅ Richmond, VA IBM ⋅ 12 years experience

LT, my client is the DOD and I and have seen many folks transition over from military to civilian positions within this specific program. What kind of jobs are you seeking? If there is anything that I can do to help and support you please feel free to reach out to me.

Wayne Watson ⋅ Oklahoma City, OK ⋅ 17 years experience

I have been hired every time through USA jobs. The secret is this, your resume keywords need to meet or matchup against the listing keywords, to get you through the computer for a "real" look by HR. Sometime the terms you use in your resume are just different than the job description keywords in the listing but both sides are saying the same thing. It's all keywords in government hiring as long as it's truthful use the suggested keywords. Also spell stuff completely out versus using acronyms. Don't say IT, say Information Technology. A computer is reading your initial resume....if you don't have enough keyword points you won't be referred....

Timothy Strickland ⋅ Frederick, MD Defense Health Agency ⋅ 10 years experience

Thanks. I looked into the contracting world a few years ago. The only thing that made me shy away was the seemingly lack of job security. I spoke with some of the large DC consulting firms. However, my impression was that once the contract was up you were out of a job. If I may ask, what was your experience?

Sean Ashe ⋅ Middletown, NY Morgan Stanley ⋅ 5 years experience

Hi LT Strickland,
My situation was different given the nature of my service as enlisted, but similar in the sense that I found the transition from military to gov't civilian to be a difficult one. I worked in a mixed environment of joint military personnel as well as civilians around the GS12-GS14 level. I had a number of years of experience in a relatively high level intelligence shop, and as my separation date approached I found a job posting at my agency, for my job, in the same location. I figured that I would be a shoe-in given I was currently running the shop I would have returned to work in, so you can imagine my surprise when it didn't pan out. The same went for most everything I applied to afterwards, even when I stepped down the level of seniority of the positions I was applying to, and targeted more generic positions.

It wasn't that I lacked the skillsets or motivation to perform in these roles, as I was later told there are simply very rigid requirements for a given GS position, sometimes including a requirement for several years at the GS 'rank' below the one you're applying to. These rigid requirements were less of an issue in the contracting world. I ultimately got hired by a contractor who operated one of the systems I used as an analyst, thanks in part I'm sure to my security clearance, but also that I only had to prove I knew what I was doing to get an interview or two. There were fewer hard and fast 'time in service' or degree-related requirements to keep me out. It was also a 'GS-13 equivalent' spot, which would've qualified me to move to a similar billet in a real GS position later had I wanted to.

From that first civilian job, I was able to bounce into a few more, all with great pay/benes. It also set me up with the experience I needed to fully transition to civilian employment closer to my home in NYC, but it could've easily translated into a good application package for a federal position.

Short version? Check similar jobs in the contracting space, keep up your connections, and don't be discouraged by a few unanswered apps at USAjobs.

--SA

Timothy Strickland ⋅ Frederick, MD Defense Health Agency ⋅ 10 years experience

Thanks. That's pretty much what I suspected. I've applied for several positions via USA JOBS but to no avail. I'll dig around and see if I can find the transition specialist. Thanks again.