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Do you have any great books about the transition, or transition resources?

Veteran

Matt Glynn Agoura Hills, CA

Hello everyone, I thought I’d experiment with this forum and start a discussion about books and other resources (free or otherwise) for veterans that are newly separated/retired from the military or going through the process. Please post here any websites, books, etc that relate to interviews, the military to corporate transition, etc.

My most valuable resource by far has been a book called “PCS to Corporate America” by the military headhunter Cameron-Brooks. CB has a very specific system for placing their candidates with employers, but I think that most of their points in the book are universal for transitioning military in search of corporate jobs. For example, there’s an entire chapter devoted to what you should wear to an interview, down to the exact kind of socks you should wear (keep in mind this is written for veterans looking to enter the corporate world in some kind of a managerial role). There’s also a wealth of information about how to translate your military experience into corporate speak. I chose not to pursue CB as my “agent” for my job search, but I think their book is an excellent overview for the process.

The book is $20, and it’s a good investment. Here’s the website:

http://www.cameron-brooks.com/difference_book.html

Anyone else have any suggestions? What’s worked and what hasn’t?

30 July 2011 12 replies Military to Civilian Transition

Answers

Veteran

Dali Rivera Abingdon, MD

A great program I went to is called Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) and another one called Veteran-Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneuship (V-WISE) that help people who own a business or who want to start a business with free resources and training.

Applications are being taken right now, but if you miss the deadline for the school you want to participate through, they can try to send you to a different university that is doing the program this year or wait until next year. The application process is very easy.

This is open to ALL veterans with or without a disability rating and who are reserve, national guard and active duty as well as veterans. The program has a sister program that is for family members as well. It is free due to generous private funding.

After I graduated from the EBV program, I got a free mentor paid for by them (an ACP mentor), several lawyers (pro-bono) for a year for patents, copyrights, filing my LLC and drafting contracts for me, and I have gotten so many new networks of people who have helped me so far with my business. There are many other things I was able to do and that have happened to me since I graduated from both of these programs and I highly recommend them to you if you don't want to work for someone else.

http://whitman.syr.edu/ebv/

http://whitman.syr.edu/vwise/

Feel free to ask me more questions about it if you are interested.

Dali

9 August 2011 Helpful answer

Advisor

Stephanie Wolcott New York, NY

Hire Heroes USA www.hireheroesusa.org

Recruit Military http://recruitmilitary.com/

Vet Jobs http://www.vetjobs.com/

Millicruit http://www.veteranscareerfair.com/

US Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov/

Helmets to Hardhats http://helmetstohardhats.org/

Career Advice (Resume, Wardrobe suggestions, Pay etc)
GI Jobs Pay-Calculations, Resume & Career Tips, Wardrobe Suggestions http://www.gijobs.com/default.aspx

The Ladders http://www.theladders.com/
Platform to connect with employees and recruiters, Resume, Career Advisor
Membership required (free)

Priority Two http://www.ptwo.org/
Employment transition Job-search-skills, Evening-Courses

Jung Typology Test http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
List of occupations and educational institutions that are suitable for personality are determined with the help of a test.

Networking for Veterans
Google for Veterans http://www.googleforveterans.com/

Transitions

Career One Step Military transition • http://www.careeronestop.org/

Military to Civilian Occupation Translator Explains the civilian equivalent of a military position
http://www.military.com/skills-translator/mos-translator
www.online.onetcenter.org/crosswalk

8 February 2012 Helpful answer

Advisor

Deb Humphreys Avila Beach, CA

William Bridges has a classic, Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes. The model applies to veterans who find ways to "let go," take time just to hang out and discover who they are today, reframe personal vision, and respect the transferable skills. I provide no cost transition coaching to returning veterans to guide through this process.

Veteran

bob carr Vienna, VA

and 2 years later , where are you now? what worked for you

Advisor

William Orr Greenwood, IN

I'm reading the "What Color is your Parachute" and "Navy Blue (or Army Green) to Corporate Gray" (also known as the Military to Civilian Transition Guide)...both are fantastic books.

"48 Days to the Work You Love" is also one to consider.

I also found "How to Write a Killer LinkedIn Profile", which might be important since a great majority of employers will look at your profile at some point during the hiring process.

Veteran

James Harper Cave Creek, AZ

I have always loved, What color is my parachute and the Arizona Veterans Employment Assitance Office...Great help on revamping my resume when I needed it.

James

Advisor

Cliff Sullivan Largo, FL

www.score.org has a Veterans Fast Launch Initiative along with many free business resources. On line and in person mentoring at no charge.

Advisor

Bryan Wolfe Atlanta, GA

I really like "First 90 Days" - Watkins, Harvard Business Review.

Advisor

Chad Storlie Saint Augustine, FL

Please try "Combat Leader to Corporate Leader" and "Battlefield to Business Success". The website is www.CombatToCorporate.com. I also have a 5 page career transition checklist if you email me.

Veteran

Brandon Hohm Hermosa Beach, CA

Matt,
The CB book didn't help with my transition. It had a few good tips, but nothing was better than talking with other military about their transition. This is your key resource and the connections you build will hopefully lead to a few job opportunities.

I now recruit military and graduates for my company. The major companies quickly went away from military head hunters in 2008 because they were simply too expensive. Major companies have their choice of candidates with the current job market and can fill their quotas easily through online applications and local/academic job fairs.

Of my friends who got jobs on their own, the ones that got the best jobs got them from 1) cold calling/applying to several companies
2) Ladders.com
3) Network contacts

I firmly believe people are your best resource.

Veteran

scott pittman

For anyone considering Civilian or Military contracting this web site is great. its free with limited access or $30 for 60 months. the listings are world wide and are updated regularly.

http://www.icaonline.us

Veteran

Matt Glynn Agoura Hills, CA

Another great job search website, specifically tailored to companies that pledge to support veterans and members of the Guard/Reserve. Maybe the best I've seen in that category. I noticed that ACP is linked from their site as well!

http://employerpartnership.org/

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