Steven Mathews ⋅ Spring, TX The Boeing Company ⋅ 40 years experience

You are probably like many people: very qualified, but you do not know how to market yourself effectively. I have helped over 100 people in the past 6+ years in that situation. With diligent work on their part and my free coaching, they acquired geat jobs in 2-4 weeks. slmathews99@gmail.com

Emanuel Carpenter ⋅ Alpharetta, GA SDR Master Class ⋅ 20 years experience

Steven - Without knowing your whole situation, it is difficult to say what may be preventing you from finding a job that pays more than minimum wage. It would be interesting to know what type of job you are looking for, what city you are targeting, and what skills you bring to the table to obtain the job you want.

For example, at my age, I probably couldn't get a job as a big city police officer with these old knees and given the fact that someone half my age would be willing to take half the pay. Plus I live an hour away from a major city, so there are fewer opportunities where I am located.

If you're not getting interviews, it might be your resume. Or you may need to make some connections at job fairs or on LinkedIn. If you're getting interviews but no offers, it might mean you need some coaching on what to say.

Sure ageism exists. However, there could be other factors affecting the challenges you are facing.

Hope this helps.

Jodie Prieto-Rodriguez ⋅ Pittsburgh, PA Allegheny Health Network- Highmark Health ⋅ 21 years experience

Good Afternoon Chief:

In my last year of service; I found myself attending TAPS classes (transition assistance program) with a like-minded Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman. We attended that classes with the expectation that our Evals would be sufficient to write our resumes...boy were we wrong. The TAPS program taught us to de-jargonize our resumes; change the writing from past perfect to present perfect tense; provide bullet summaries of how our knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSAs') were used in real life work situations; list certifications, skills, and hobbies to humanize and make the resume stand out. I had never used a cover letter (CL) for a job application. The process was foreign to me; however, I quickly learned that the CL is a narrative on how you came to know of the position; why you are interested in the position; what value you can add to the position, and perhaps an example of how you positively impacted an organization in a similar role. I changed my resume and CL and began receiving call backs to interviews. I credit TAPS with helping me remarket myself to potential employers.

There are more factors that come into play, i.e., the interview, interview suit, timing of the interview, job availability etc... however, I believe that resume and CL are key items that get the foot in the door.

I would asks what type of positions you have been applying for? The Senior Chief and I always joked we could be better officers than most of the officers we knew. We figured we have the degree, experience, and possess organizational and strategic planning that most executive positions would want.... we were right. The SCPO and I applied to executive positions in risk management, operations, quality, compliance, and even marketing and we both found rewarding employment. In our career searches we realized that too many enlisted sell themselves short looking for a comparable position they had in the service. We found however, that there are few comparable positions, other than organizational leadership and operations. The major difference between a CPO and manager/director is collateral/special duties. Most civilians I know have flat out stated that they would never take on the amount of collaterals that we do; they simply don't get paid for that much work. We as Senior NCOs' are well versed in collaterals and have gained many skills that our civilians counterparts either don't posses, or don't do as well.i,e, public speaking, cross cultural communication, diverse team management, event planning for 1k+ attendees, lean planning, emergency management, project management, federal/state agency communication, and depending on your rate... much more. For example; I was an Army Medic (Corpsman). I served in Infantry, Artillery, Aviation (FMF), corrections, military police, specialty clinics, family practice, emergency response teams, postal operations administrator, safety, watch commander, quality/compliance control, and many more positions. As you are well aware, all of the aforementioned positions require skills that most of us possess, yet struggle to articulate.

Lastly, my SCPO friend and I checked each other's CLA and resumes'. We has our leadership and buddies look at the documents. On a fluke I asked a veteran buddy of mine at the DHS to look at my resume; as I was applying to positions similar to his. His handed me his resume for homework. I was surprised and asked why. He stated that it really does no good asking other blind people how to find the way home... he was spot on. Little details that civilians look at made a huge difference in how seriously I was taken.

I hope my advice helps. I wish you the best CPO

Gerald Mannikarote ⋅ Houston, TX dMann Training Technologies ⋅ 20 years experience

Sorry to hear about your situation, Sir. With your service, this shouldn't be the situation. Unfortunately, the reality is sometimes it is difficult to find a job. I had been laid off at one time and looking for a job became my full time job.
May I suggest you consider starting your own business? Look for communities, like Toastmasters, or your church, for example, where you can meet people. Find out if they need services that you have expertise in. You may just be able to start your own consulting business.
I hope this helps.
Warm regards,
Jerry