Greetings and wishing everyone well. I would like to chat or consult with someone that can help me get into the workforce development field. For the last two years I been working as a transitions specialist and have provided countless of career advised for after the service. Its is a field that I really enjoy and would like to take it to the next level. Any help? Mentors or ideas?
Thank you
Answers
Getting straight into workforce development will be tough if you don't know anyone to get you into a corporation. The back door in is to take a pay cut and get into your local state workforce development contractor every state is run differently, so check with your local workforce agency.
From here you'll be directly working with corporate clients such as myself www.ictower.com and once you start networking over a period of time, you'll be able to land a workforce development role. Having a SHRM CP or SCP certification will certainly give you an advantage over your competition.
If you struggle getting started call me in Houston, 832-763-0928.
Here's an important point I'll provide -- plus you can find some related advice in articles I've published on this site -- plus more at 212-careers.com (a lot of hard-hitting advice for veterans there). Here's my #1 thought for you: make sure your resume (and practiced interview responses) focus on specific accomplishments from your experiences providing career advice. What were the Challenges, your Actions, the Results (there's a C-A-R Mini Story presentation on 212-careers)?
You might try connecting with an outplacement firm and try to get started that way. There are several. This is a quick online search.
Here are the top outplacement firms in the US:
Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) ...
RiseSmart. ...
Right Management. ...
The Global Outplacement Alliance (GOA) ...
VelvetJobs. ...
Mercer. ...
Challenger Grey.

As an ACP AdvisorNet staff member, I assist in monitoring and building the ACP AdvisorNet community.
Hi Joel,
Thanks for your question! If you haven't already, I would suggest you reach out to Advisors on the community feature of ACP AdvisorNet (https://acp-advisornet.org/community/advisors). It is a great way to connect directly with advisors and other veterans who have the experience and perspective you're looking for.
Next, you should see if there is anyone within your own personal network that works in a workforce development role. Reach out to them, ask them if they'd be willing to chat about their job with you and how they got their start. Informational interviews like that can be a great way to get insight into the field you're looking into. If you need tips on how to conduct an informational interview, check out this article: https://www.livecareer.com/career/advice/interview/informational-interviewing
Hope this helps!
Best Regards,
Evan from ACP
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