Good Afternoon All,
While I am the Veteran of the Army, I am seeking advice on how to help my sister. My sister has worked various retail and food industry positions throughout her life and is looking to move into a different career. What can I do to try to help her make that transition, her struggle reminds me of what most of our Veterans experience when we transition out of the military. What advice can you give me to give her? What are some things we can focus on in her resume? Her resume needs help as well. I would appreciate any advice, suggestions, or tips you can give me to help.
Thanks,
Janelle
Answers
Thanks everyone for your time, responses, and advice!
Janelle: A lot of great advice here (I also recommend working via temporary agencies). If she is evaluating her skills, resume etc. all on her own, a book you may wish to check out from your local public library is "What Color is my Parachute?" This book is updated every few years and is a compilation with multiple authors - a great resource for anyone in their career search. Best of Luck!
Janelle, as always people on the forum give great advice. The one thing that sticks out for me is to develop a gap analysis. Simply put what skills and experience does she have that will transfer to her desired position and then what are the missing pieces. Being honest with herself is important. Pick two to three of the missing pieces and work on those first. I agree with others that she may be able to pick some of these up by working with a temp agency. She may also be able to get training at the local workforce development organization.
Good luck.
Hi Janelle, I really agree with Tammy, A good temp agency can really help you get "a foot in" to some better jobs. I would also always advice anyone to make sure they are proficient in MS Office products. Regardless of what your job is, that will always help you do it better. Good luck!
Morning! I am big on education. When I needed to make a major career shift I had to go back to school. Take her to the local university or community college and speak with an advisor. They will help guide her through financial aid programs and help her discover a new path. It's never to late to start school. I'm started taking classes at 24, I finished my masters at 40. I have a whole new career that I truly love. Good luck
Hello, Janelle -- Thank you for your service in the US Army -- and for being a great sister. It sounds to me like your sister has been extremely dedicated and hardworking. Both are great attributes that any employer would be looking for in a new employee. I'd recommend that she interview with a reputable temporary agency. A reputable temporary agency will interview her, provide her with a variety of employment options, provide tips on updating her resume, and many temp agencies offer training programs to upgrade her skills (i.e., Office, Excel, etc.). She can also move around with different assigned companies while remaining an employee of one company -- the temporary agency -- which shows employment continuity. Frequently, companies will hire their temporary employees. This is just one approach that she may find beneficial. Good luck!
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