Robert Jurasek ⋅ Hollywood, FL Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ⋅ 45 years experience

Dear Peter,

If you are interested in Federal employment, go to www.usajobs.gov > select “Federal Employees” as this often includes applicants with Veteran’s preference > click on Advanced Search > click on Location and enter Saint Louis, Missouri > scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Search Jobs.

The search returned 159 job announcements for the St Louis area. While many of the announcements will not apply to you, some might be of interest, like the one for Counter Intelligence Officer at the National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency (NGA).

By creating an account on USAJOBS.gov, you can save multiple job search engines and receive daily emails with newly posted job announcements. Please remember that federal résumés are often six to eight pages long. Feel Free to contact me if you need more info.

Thank you for your service and good luck with your job search!

Sincerely,
Bob Jurasek

John (Casey) Roach ⋅ Greenwich, CT Merrill Lynch ⋅ 45 years experience

If you would like me to try and render some thought, please send me your CV so I can understand where your naval experience may be appreciated. Were you in combat; where and when? I was an intelligence officer as well albeit during the Vietnam era. I served in Korea..

Susana Moraga ⋅ Hayward, CA California State University East Bay ⋅ 20 years experience

Peter,
Thank you for your service, and yes through that you have significant experience

I wonder if part of your problem could be the way you discuss your qualifications. It sounds like you are getting interviews but not the job.
For many employers, you need to specifically use the language in their field, you may be successful in doing this on your resume but not the interview. You need to sound like you are already a part of the organization and describe your experience in their language.
The degrees allow you to compete, but don't make you competitive, you need to discuss both on resume and in interviews how you have used the skills you have that the employer wants.
Have you joined relevant LinkedIn Groups and done professionally networking? Your online presence is also important.
Best,

Marc Julius ⋅ Wayne, NJ TVG, Inc. ⋅ 30 years experience

One large firm with offices in your area apparently gives special consideration to veterans, and your background fits what they are looking for. The company is Fidelity Investments. Go to their website and click on career opportunities. Good luck.

Kit Lancaster ⋅ Chicago, IL GCG Financial ⋅ 5 years experience

What do you want to do? If you where to write a civilian MOS what would it be? Do you have constraints, limits or a focus for your search? What organizations and networks do you have exposure? Do you have a recuiting or placement company working for you?
Thank You
Kit

Peter Kozelka ⋅ Oak Park, IL U.S. Navy, Lieutenant ⋅ 10 years served

That would certainly be the case if the problem is with me interviewing. Actually, ever time I have had an interview, I have made it to the final round. My problem is more that I can not find any company willing to interview me.
Peter

FB Zgorski ⋅ Los Angeles, CA U.S. Army, Captain ⋅ 6 years served

Create a USA jobs account with more than one version, an admin, security , logistic.. etc. using your VRA status, send it all over the US for advertised federal jobs. When your resume is referred to various positions, interview even if you do not want to relocate. This was my strategy after the military. Went from WG2 to GS 11 in 4 in 4 years. Being able to relocate was significant in being promoted and trying new positions.

Chuck Burger ⋅ King Of Prussia, PA Lockheed Martin ⋅ 47 years experience

Peter, first off, thank you for your service of course!

While not initially able to weave your specific experience as an intelligence officer with your educational background into a specific recommendation, the easy advice to offer is that you should beat a path directly to the door of Boeing there in St. Louis. They and any other Aerospace and Defense (A&D) companies are prime territory for veterans seeking transition to the civilian workforce. If geographical preference is wide open, the opportunities are almost endless, especially if you can add the USG and related support contractor positions available in and around D.C. The same USG and support contactors can offer opportunities nationwide as well. Those support contractors include the likes of Booze, Allen, Hamilton (BAH), CACI International Inc. (CACI), Rand, and Tecolote Research, Inc. (TRI) to name a few. One related outfit is actually veteran owned and operates in basically the same space. They are SNA Software LLC which is a veteran-owned company with corporate offices in Orlando, Florida and strategically located offices in San Carlos, CA, Denver, CO, and Washington, DC.

I would caution placing too much emphasis solely on the educational side of your portfolio. While it certainly is invaluable, multiple related degrees, assuming the Bachelor's from Georgetown is also finance related and non-technical in nature, is limited in the overall evaluation equation. As example, what I generally see in many job posting requirements state something like “10 years of experience with a BS, 8 years with a Masters…”I am being general but I am certain you understand.

Peter, I hope this information can kick start a revamped search resulting in a position worthy of your experience and education.