Returning back to civilian life is not what I expected!
I’m out of the service now two years and still haven’t been able to find permanent employment. My biggest challenge is being able show or convince employers that my military experience and skills has a useful value in the corporate world. Not much need for a weapons mechanic in the civilian world I guess! I’ve been relying on temporary manual labor jobs to make it only to land back into my parents basement apartment. There’s no structure in my day to day life right now which is an experience I’m not used too. I know people tend to grow a conscious for veterans around memorial day but ’m not looking for a job offer out of pity. I just want to know how I can get decent paying full time job that I can rely on financially to get my life back on track.
Try jobs USA it's a government website they hire veterans. Actually veterans take priority over civilian or non military
Look at the job postings on the VA web page. Also, the DAV has job postings on their web page. The DAV is having an on-line Career Day on 17 May 16 and its free. By the way, you control the structure in your day. Get up and move as if your were still in the military. Exercise 2-3 three days a week. Volunteer for something. People who have positions volunteer in the community. Forget the "job out of pity" nonsense. You need a job. Reality is hitting you in the face. Don't be too proud to go ask for one. Talk to everyone that you meet. Attend college career days. Have your updated resume or CV with you at all times. Keep yourself well groomed and ready to go. (By the way, I am retired Navy so I understand.) Winning always starts in your head. Remain positive, focused, and prepared. Do your best, then trust God with the rest.
Hi Lloyd, I am sorry to hear you haven't found the right civilian position yet. Suggest you upload your current resume or take a few mins to fill out your profile more in the MYINFO section here, then I and other jobcasers can better suggest some optoins/connections/leads/advice. Also- if you upload a picture, Jobcase puts a flag on every Veteran's profile to make it easier for Veteran-friendly employers to identify you.
Do me a favor and drop me a line (click on my pick and hit 'contact fred" button) once your profile has a bit to it and I'll noodle on it for some ideas. Hang in there, unfortunately your experience isn't yours alone - either for veterans or anyone else for that matter. I know that doesnt help much but employment status in this economy isn't nearly as rosy as the Govt stats would have you believe..
Fred
Lloyd, you are a veteran and you have my utmost respect. I'm sure you already know that your veteran status gives a company tax breaks should they hire you. Decide what YOU want. You want the regimentation of a 9 to 5 job? Great, then you need to decide in what industry. Go to job fairs and look around. The recruiters there are company cheerleaders but you can get an idea of where you might want to settle. Also consider your future goals when choosing your civilian career. Where you are now (a basement apartment) might not be where you are in five years (the penthouse suite) so you might want to consider a place that will allow you to spread your wings. I want to thank you for your service; you've done something I never could and I am in awe.
look for job fairs in your area. employers usually promote veteran hiring around Memorial Day.
Lloyd try to focus on Skills rather than job titles when your updating resume. I never served but I would think Leadership, Communication, Teamwork, Organization skills rank high in military work life and very valuable to employers. Make sure you use specific examples where you uses one or more of these skills throughout your service career.
I spent 25 years in the Army...and I've mostly been unemployed ever since. They are sup[posed to give veterans priority when hiring, but no one ever does. Good luck to you. I'm still sending out resumes, but no one ever answers or phones me for an interview. I have a bachelor's degree. I have writing awards, photography awards, etc. and still unemployed. I send out approx 60 to 80 resumes every month!!!
Lloyd, check out some of the defense contractors. They tend to value military experience since the military is their main customer. They also help with additional job training skills in the event you want to grow professionally. You may also need to revise your resume to show that the skills you have are transferable. I've seen in many cases where people re-intering the civilian world don't revise their resumes so that non-military hiring folks can see the transferable skills. There are several people or companies that can help with that. Give that a shot (no pun intended) Best of luck!
I know how you feel. You should get a CDL and truck drive that's steady income. There's companies that will hire you locally. I was in the Army. I know how it feels man.
Lloyd,
Thank you for your service sir.
Your mechanic skills could be leveraged to other mechanic jobs.
I was thinking about automotive or even airplanes and if retraining is the issue I'd recommend checking with the VA or the various schools to see what could be done to help with the cost.
I wish you all the best.