Alan J. Zell ⋅ Portland, OR Attitudes for Selling ⋅ 29 years experience

Lee, While it is often said that "all business is the same", it ain't! Yes, there are commalities but each business or type of business has its ideocyncrasies hence how to analyze a business one has to know the ideocyncracies of one's prospective clients aka "niching" one's services to prospective clients' businesses. It could be called being adept at adapting what one does to what the client does, how they do it and, why they do it that way.

The task is not to fit the client into a business theory but to adapt the theories to fit the client . . the latter being throwing the dart and then drawing the circles.

Understand that many business ownere/managers are afraid that the changes offered will cause their business to do things that will be detrimental to the business.

Having been the victim of business analyists as well as following them into some businesses, the advice had to do with controlling expenses . . however, the analyst did not take into consideration that all controllable expenses, when controlled end up being anti-sales decisions.

I've seen in both wholesale and retail business where the suggestions were to cut commissions and or territories or get rid of them are replace them with people who did not know both what they were selling or how their customers used/sold what the salesman was selling. The end result was that sales went down, down, down.

So, being a business analyst calls for being, as I have said, being adept at adpating.

Ravi Kallianpur ⋅ Hammond, LA Louisiana State University ⋅ 28 years experience

Hi Lee,

Firstly, a sincere thank you for your services to the nation; very few have a good understanding of the sacrifices you and your family have made.

You may be aware of this initiative by JPMorgan, but in case you are not here is some info and a specific link to the initiative at the bottom of this post.

J.P. Morgan U.S. Military Veterans Internship Program
J.P. Morgan’s Military Veterans Internship Program (U.S.) is a national initiative, supporting the transition of military personnel and veterans into the financial services and corporate sector. Military values complement J.P. Morgan’s business principles — dedication, determination and service; the program allows interns to demonstrate these while cultivating new skills and gaining tangible experience and exposure to the industry. J.P. Morgan is committed to helping those who serve and the internship program is just one of the many ways we’re achieving this.

During the 9-week internship, participants will join a specified group and work on projects supporting a business. While internships are not intended to lead to full time employment, participants will be exposed to various areas of the bank and given the chance to build their network.

Interns will be able to:
Gain firsthand experience and exposure to financial service and corporate careers
Learn new technical skills and how to apply prior experience to a corporate environment
Demonstrate their skills and abilities to hiring managers, Expand their professional network
Learn more:
http://careers.jpmorgan.com/student/jpmorgan/careers/military/us

In addition the County of Los Angeles also a program supporting internships. Here is a link to their information: http://dhrdcap.co.la.ca.us/veterans/Veteran%20Intern.htm . Info below.

The Veterans’ Internship Program (VIP) was launched on May 16, 2007 on a motion brought in by Supervisors Don Knabe and Michael D. Antonovich and approved unanimously by all Board members. The program is administered by the County of Los Angeles Department of Human Resources and provides paid internships for qualified veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States. The internships were designed to afford veterans with on-the-job training and work experience with the County of Los Angeles that will enable them to effectively compete for permanent County jobs.

Depending on the job, veterans can be hired for a 12 to 24 month on-the-job training program in the following specialties:
• Administrative Support
• Crafts Support
• Heavy Maintenance and Operational Support
• Information Technology Support
• Office and Clerical Support
• Technical Support

Veteran Interns will receive the following benefits:
Competitive salary during the internship
Medical and dental benefits
Technical job training and guidance on workplace behavior, competencies, individual
responsibilities and development of occupational skill sets
Eligibility to compete for permanent County positions upon successful completion of program

Eligibility Requirements
There is no experience required for this program. Eligible VIP applicants are veterans who have been discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States under honorable conditions. Discharged veterans must possess a valid DD214, Certificate of Discharge or Separation from Active Duty or other official documents issued by the branch of service.

Peter Scilla ⋅ Lancaster, PA Johnson & Johnson ⋅ 45 years experience

Lee,
Firstly, thank you for your service. Your military and educational achievements should position you well for your desired career. Two areas you could focus on are Supply Chain and Information Management.

Consulting may be a good way for you to break in to the private sector and provide greater exposure to varied types of opportunities. There are many ERP and Businesses Analytics companies that supplement their workforce with consultants. SAP is one of the big organizations that use this approach for large and small projects. Try searching on consulting SAP, ERP or Business Analytics for potential leads.

I agree with focusing your resume on achievements and would include challenges that you faced in delivering these. Additionally, highlight how you demonstrated organizational, collaborative, leadership and of course analytical skills.

If you have not done so, join LinkedIn and review both group and individual profiles that fit your areas of interest to get ideas on how to tailor your profile.

Consider joining A.P.I.C.S. There are local and student chapters which provide good networking opportunities.

I would be happy to discuss your situation directly if you would like.

Good luck and keep a positive approach.

Pete Scilla

Michael Sirmon ⋅ Springfield, MO MD-Kinney ⋅ 30 years experience

Lee, great question. The good news for you is that you are near Houston which is the heart oil and gas industry which is typically a good avenue for entry level analysis individuals. I know right now the industry is dipping a little due to the low cost of oil but am confident this is a short term situation and businesses are continually looking for good talent. With the challenges you have already mentioned I would change the focus of my search from business analysis to data analysis. This would open more doors for you and would allow your talents and abilities to move you to the appropriate level. It will require patience on your part but I believe you will find the challenge to be worth the effort.

My biggest challenge transitioning out was to show a connection between my military experience and the civilian world. I never figured out how to do it effectively on a resume or in an interview but did find the military work ethic helped me stand out and quickly move up once I landed a job in the workplace.