Sam Miller ⋅ Houston, TX Hewlett Packard ⋅ 25 years experience

They should do some kind of work, if anything, in the transition period, as opposed to sitting around doing nothing waiting for the perfect job opportunity. Especially if they don't have enough resource to sustain them in their low period. Or attend school. A hiring company will pay attention to positive accomplishments during lean times.

Robert Lee ⋅ Holtsville, NY Verizon ⋅ 17 years experience

Tom suggested toastmasters. Just join. Public speaking will set you apart from the other candidates and accelerate your professional career in many ways!

This worked for me:

1) Invest in a certified resume writer. Let a professional that writes resumes for a living do it. Tons of resume writing services out there, so, research and go with your gut instinct during the selection process. The service can be expensive, but, you get what you pay for. The final product will really depend on: 1) the content that you provide 2) how well you synergize with the writer.

2) Practice, practice and keep practicing for competency based interviews. Tons of free practice questions on the web. Quantify/explain your achievements in civilian terms.

3) Practice your pitch. You never know when and where you might run into a hiring manager. So, smile and be nice to everyone.

4) STAY in shape!

5) http://www.greatday.com/ Start your morning out on a positive note. This is still the first site that opens when I fire up the internet at home. I read the daily message before the news, checking e-mails, etc.

6) Keep a journal. If you have an idea. Write it down.

7) Get the below...

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Before I ETS`d, I would have

1) Asked as many Non/commissioned officers to write me a short personal letter of recommendation. (Why? Keep the original and provide copies to the hiring manager at the end of an interview)

2) Somehow, remained in contact. (LinkedIn was not very popular in 2000)

Tom Cal, CFA ⋅ San Francisco, CA Army Veteran, Investment Manager ⋅ 25 years experience

A few quick ideas: Volunteer (see volunteermatch.org), exercise (join a gym, running club, hiking club, etc.), do something fun, learn how to "network", learn something new, take a class, read a book, get a mentor, mentor a peer, practice public speaking in a supportive environment (toastmasters.org), ....

David Limato ⋅ Fremont, CA Hewlett Packard ⋅ 15 years experience

In addition to all the fine answers above, pass this on.

-Your next job is not the job for the rest of your life.
-Anything is better than nothing.
-Once you get that first job, it is much easier to find your next job.

I have found LinkedIn to be the most valuable resource for networking and job opportunities.

Joe Paschall ⋅ Madison, AL nLogic, LLC ⋅ 26 years experience

In addition all of the above, I would add that someone who has been getting no bites at all is either using the wrong bait or fishing in the wrong hole. In either case, they need to examine both their approach and their expectations. Many transitioners assume incorrectly that they can transition to a position at the same level of management that they had in the military. Because the military offers management opportunity well beyond what would be offered in corporate America, this is a bad expectation. An Army/Marine 21 yr old 2ndLt manages 40 personnel while his civilian counterpart may make more money yet manages only 2-3 (if that). When a CPT/Capt gets out, he may have been managing a company of 125 personnel yet his experience level (4-7 yrs post-college) would certainly not qualify him to manage a Division in Corporate America. A LTC/LtCol may have managed a Bn of 1000 personnel yet when he transitions at 20 years he cannot expect to walk into a CEO position. The great experience we get in the military can provide us with false expectations that need to be adjusted. One can find a great entry-level position out here that might pay better than one made as a Lt or Sgt. Shape your expectations.

Mark Tegtmeyer ⋅ Denton, TX PepsiCo - Frito Lay ⋅ 11 years experience

Firsthand, I know how frustrating it can be. Lots of advice:

1) See Jerry Millar's message. Network. In person. Constantly. Build a support network of professionals and peers because you're going to need it. If you've just left the military, chances are you're no where near the friends you've had while in the service and you're going to be fairly alone and isolated. Take the opportunity to build a support network that can help you. Look for Job Seeker Support Groups and join them, you'll find out you're not the only one out there. If none are available, once or twice a week go meet for coffee with any professional or peer you can. Some are not going to be in your field, and that's okay. The point is to talk professionally with them. You'll start to identify the best people to meet with, but you'll have had tons of practice talking. And tips can come from anywhere. Don't become physically isolated because it will drain your morale. Coaching and other activities can keep your 'sense of purpose' up while you're doing your job search.

2) You're not alone (see no. 1). It's easy to feel isolated when you see everyone else working, but there are so many other job seekers out there. Many have your same background and others from the civilian sector might be perfect matches for the jobs you're applying for too. Guess what? They're not getting interviews either. There are a lot of job hunters out there. I don't mean that as a discouragement. Understand that it may not be you or your resume that's the problem. There may be 10 or 50 applicants for that job you applied to.

3) Stop taking advice (sort of). I was told so many different ways and formats to do my resume in. I constantly felt that maybe my resume was in the wrong format and spent days rewriting it constantly. A couple rejections more and then I'd rewrite it again. And again. And again. There are millions of companies out there and each is going to have their own quirks. Once you've gotten some good solid advice, stick with it and feel good about it. Give it 2-3 months before you dramatically change it. Use the time instead to actually look for positions instead of thinking about what you're doing wrong.

4) Directly to your question, yes this country owes a great deal to our Veterans. But it may not come. You're probably not going to get a job based on your military service alone. My own company has hired a lot of veterans, but it took us a long time to get here and understand the skill sets we bring to the table. And every hiring site within a company may operate independently. Just like the military, at the very top of our organization we have a dedicated advocate for veterans, but as it goes down to each level, it gets watered down. The lowest levels sometimes don't know about it, or aren't strong advocates for it. Sometimes, you have an HR person that is under an avalanche of job applicants. Sometimes, as much as they want to help you as a veteran, they still have 50 other applicants to look at as well.

Bottom line, don't give up. Job seeking is a hard test of your inner strength. The job will come, just focus on the support that you need to get you there.

Jerry Millar ⋅ Seattle, WA ⋅ 14 years experience

Network, network, and NETWORK! The corporate world is a full contact sport and there is not a resume out there that can fully substitute a gregarious person with a firm handshake. Most of my successful “first interviews" have been while attending charity events, coaching youth sports, and/or engaging in other things I am passionate about. Aside from getting involved in organization, leverage your alumni (school or military) and find a mentor. When I wanted to move laterally in banking/finance a few years back, I would google my university and specific management titles like "managing director" or "SVP" to find alumni that could help me break into that segment; now I just use LinkedIn. Reach out, bribe them with coffee or guilt them =) There is hardly a reasonable vet out there that won't spend 10-15 minutes with a fellow vet to help him or her along the way, I used to tell people that pushed back, "you are going to drink coffee this week anyway, why not drink it for free?"

Hope that helps,

Jerry