I start terminal leave in January of 2025 and come out of a leadership position on November 24. My retirement date is April 2025. I have a BA in Communications and a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communications. I also host a podcast and do other events for the veteran community. I am looking to transition into the Communications and Media industry. Any help would be much appreciated.
Answers
Hello Justin,
My suggestion would be to first decide what kind of communication role you are looking for in what kind of company.
1. Is it a company whose primarily focus is communication (Ipsos, CNN, NYT, etc.) ?
2. Is it a company that distributes information through channels (Netflix, Google, Meta, etc.)
3. is it a company that wants to communicate something, which is pretty much everyone else. What industry do you prefer since it will be shaping the kind of communication you might be doing.
Then, select the companies you would like to work for, see what roles they have that interests you (not necessarily open ones), find people who work there and reach out to them (on LinkedIn or through friends). Ask them what they do every day. You might think you want the job, but it might not be what you think.
Decide what you want to do and what you do not want to do. Then, see if the companies you selected are still the ones you want to focus on. Then look for jobs there.
I also suggest you look into ACP Mentorship program. There are people who can help you think through your preferences and decide what long term career fits your life.
Good luck.
Lyena
I've added links to information under these sections of my EE webpage that you might find useful:
https://eehot.com/ee.html#networking
Get one year FREE LinkedIn premium as a Veteran:
https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/programs/veterans/premiumform
Add #opentowork to your LinkedIn profile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP0m9Cwk9js
https://eehot.com/ee.html#mentoring
Go to BLS.gov to find salaries positions and job titles:
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.t01.htm
Do job searches using keywords.
https://eehot.com/ee.html#jobs commercial job searches
https://eehot.com/ee.html#gjobs Fed Gov job searches
Create a basic resume template
https://eehot.com/ee.html#resumes
LinkedIn Tutorial - Using the Resume Builder tool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUUPuSaM6O8
For each job, create a targeted version of your resume that highlights how your experience & training meet the employers requirements.
If necessary, add training:
https://eehot.com/ee.html#training
Job Search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Jobs%3A+Communications+and+Media+location%3A+Little+Rock%2C+Ar.
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