At some point in their transitional period, veterans will have to switch off some of the things that readily identify them as veterans.
This isn't because people don't want to hire veterans or that military service is a turn-off to potential employers; in fact, just the opposite is true. Many companies seek out veterans because of the positive perceptions of their work ethic and leadership abilities, among other reasons.
Veterans have to get the job before they can display those better qualities, though. The way the civilian job-search world works just doesn't mesh well with some habits of military life. Here are a few examples.
1. Using Written Jargon.
There are many, many areas where the military's descriptions of things will make so little sense to a civilian that even context clues can't help them form a clue of what is being said. This goes double for Navy-speak, because the other branches have no idea what the Navy is saying most of the time.
For example, I was not sent to 1CTCS as a 3V0X3 between 03MAR03 and 05MAY05, I was a combat camera operator with the 1st Combat Camera Squadron between March 2003 and May 2005. Many civilian human resources professionals will want to help veterans, but no one can do that after reading this on a resume.
2. Using Spoken Jargon.
Speaking in milspeak is just as bad as writing it in your resume. You're there to make an impression on an interviewer, and while military bearing and professionalism are good things, you don't want to seem like you can't leave your past behind. You're trying to be part of a new team, and businesses want someone who will integrate into their existing team.
This is not to say that you shouldn't use these terms at all. There's a good chance that 90% of veterans reading this have responded to a request with "roger that" within the past year. Once in a while, that actually makes civilians smile. But your job interview should not be filled with an alphabet soup of acronyms and radio lingo.
3. Telling Sea Stories.
At least, for a while. While describing your liberty exploits in Thailand or Korea may be the best stories for you to tell your military buddies, telling your potential new co-workers at Penetrode Software, LLC may not have the effect you want. Same goes for any gruesome war stories, no matter how big of a hero you are at the end. And definitely don't use these stories to answer interview questions.
If you really are dying to tell your new co-workers about how heroic and/or silly you are, that's what happy hour is for. Once you already have the job and any probationary period has passed, you'll be able to tell them. After a few drinks, you might even show them. But at least you'll already have a job.
4. Wearing Uniform Items to the Interview.
Dress blues look great, there's no doubt about it, but you are trying to impress upon an interviewer that you are ready to come into work as a professional civilian now. So even if you're allowed to wear uniforms to the interview, don't.
Get a civilian suit and have it tailored to you, if possible. And make sure you get shoes for it; don't wear your corfams.
-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.
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