Cyril Reif ⋅ Mckinney, TX Sun Microsystems ⋅ 41 years experience

I would add that many companies prefer to hire into staff positions and then promote into management after they have had first hand experience with your performance and capabilities....try applying for staff positions rather than only management.

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

Dear Jared,

With respect to Federal employment, some positions do require a degree but many others do not, and instead focus on experience or certifications Some (but not all) job announcements may allow degrees as a substitute for experience.

As an example, the job announcement for Supervisory Security Specialist at www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/411163400, specifically states, "Education is not substitutable for specialized experience for this grade level." The job announcement goes on to include "Obtain and/or maintain a Security Fundamentals Professional Certification (SFPC) & Security Program Integration Professional Certification (SPIPC)." You can find more information on the certifications at www.cdse.edu/certification/sped_what.html.

Unlike their civilian counterparts, Federal résumés can often be 7-10 pages in length when including "Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities" (KSAs.) Please contact me if you need more info on Federal résumés. I am not an SME on Federal résumé writing, but I am very familiar with the concept and format.

For civilian jobs, you may already be doing this – but if not, research a company's product or services, and the description they use for the open position, then tailor your cover letter and résumé to show the potential employer how well you fit-in with the position and the company.

The ACP AdvisorNet has many Advisors who are subject matter experts (SMEs) on résumés and cover letters. Ask them to review yours and to provide suggestions on format, content, or any other way to improve it.

As a follow-up to the LinkedIn advice provided by Advisor- Adrivel Ruiz, look for Security-related Groups that match your profile or interests. Join them and try to connect with other members who share your interests. Also, you can use the advanced search feature to conduct other searches by company name or by job title.

Many thanks for your service, and good luck with your job search!

Sincerely,
Bob Jurasek

Karin Reidy ⋅ Bethesda, MD AmLaw 100 firm ⋅ 25 years experience

This sounds pretty basic but your cover letter needs to be spectacular. I see on various sites that the cover letter is either "dead" or that recruiters don't read them. This simply isn't true. (Sure some companies may not bother but they are foolish because SO much can be learned from the cover letter.) First give a very brief introduction and then get right into why you want to work for that particular company. Read their website to see what kind of place it is and you can extrapolate the tone of the place, the characteristics of the successful people and how you can add value to their mission. This is not always easy to do but it is well worth it. Also keep it short. Do not waste any space repeating what they can read on your resume. Obviously do not make any errors (typographical or grammatical). Make sure your resume is error free as well. I hired top law students, from top law schools for years and it was simply astonishing how often I threw applications in the "circular file" for ridiculous and avoidable errors. One example was a phone number with too few numbers - hard to call that person in for an interview! Proof these documents many many many many times. I am happy to help you with your applications if you would like. Please just let me know.
Your service is greatly appreciated!!

Jared Bailey ⋅ Mc Cordsville, IN U.S. Army Reserve, Specialist ⋅ 8 years served

I am unaware of any professional associations here in Indianapolis although I know there must be many.
I do use linked-in but not as much as I used to. What do I ask a complete stranger who doesn't know my work ethic and talents from Joe Next door.
I do believe networking is a large problem for me, same as having a personal life, I never get out and mingle to meet new people, I don't have time. The only new people I meet is on the job. Any suggestions there?

Janey McCarthy ⋅ Pikesville, MD Retex Retail Technology Consortium ⋅ 25 years experience

Jared, IF your assumption is correct, I would demonstrate my intention to get a degree by enrolling in a degree program and taking at least one on-line course, which is directly related to the work you're applying for. Best to you!