Henry ("Dr. Hank") Stevens ⋅ Fort Lauderdale, FL Human Resources Quality Assurance, LLC (Now Retired) ⋅ 50 years experience

ASSUMING that you are exploring your TALENTS and not just your experience and education, have you looked into healthcare human resources? If you need help identifying your TALENTS, contact me off-channel for some help (free). hlstevens42@gmail.com

Dr. Hank

Gay Catania ⋅ Erie, PA Times Publishing Company & my own HR Consulting Business ⋅ 35 years experience

First and foremost, thank you for your service. You certainly have an impressive background that can easily transfer to the public sector. Unfortunately, most HR "Manager" jobs these days are simply glorified administrative assistants and not true HR professionals and that is more than likely the reason you have been experiencing the "over qualified" responses to job interests you have had. Another issue that pops into my mind is that HR in the public sector is far different than in the military because in the public sector you have to follow all the employment regulations that you do not have to in the military. And, there are quite a lot of them. My suggestion to you on that is that you research and get training in federal, state and local employment related laws that must be followed in the public sector. Then list such on your resume and mention in interviews that you are up to speed on this. Focus on how your military HR background is a huge plus in understanding government regulations as this is most important in employment compliance issues. I am proud to say that any of my clients had me actually help them prepare for federal compliance audits in many areas outside of HR simply because I was able to read and properly interpret government regulations. So, this is important to highlight, both in positions within an organization or as a consultant. I have 35 years experience in upper level HR management, 25 being an independent HR consultant. When I started the consulting most smaller employers still needed employee handbooks, written job descriptions, policies on HR processes, government compliance, such as affirmative action, etc. When those that wanted those services were set up I would often continue to serve as these clients' HR professional, helping with corrective actions, government compliance etc. If you do a good job as a consultant you often work your way out of the need for your services and based on other factors, such as economic slowdowns, etc. the types of services you offer need to be changed up a bit. For example, once most HR departments in town were up and running smoothly at my clients I started to focus on training. I did some training on my own and then fortunately established a relationship with an organization that did all sorts of training, except HR. They allowed me to use their facility to conduct my training (huge cost savings) and even advertised my training to their contacts. I advertised them to my contacts. My recommendations for you is to join a SHRM HR group in your area. That will put you in contact with other HR professionals in your area who can serve as mentors and advise as to HR openings in the area as well. This will be a valuable resource to you whether you are looking for a HR position or branching out into HR consulting. I found that smaller companies, under 200 employees, usually utilize HR as a member of the management team, thus creating more exciting projects than just the administrative role. It may not come at first, but it could be an opening for you to offer to handle higher level projects once they get to know you and your capabilities. Once you have a foot in the door it is easier to showcase exactly what level you are capable of performing at. Smaller companies might appreciate your risk management skills as well and have you handle their fleets, related insurances, etc. Make sure this is highlighted on your resume. If there is anything else I can help you with please do not hesitate to contact me. Best wishes for great success in your future endeavors.