Career success isn't about being insincere. It isn't about knowing high-ranking military people. It isn't about being a high-level officer. It often comes down to how you treat people.
You are probably richer than you know. If you have served in the military long enough to make senior chief, master chief, first sergeant, master sergeant, platoon sergeant or anything else in the E-7 to E-9 range, you may have a secret bank account you have been paying into for years -- and probably know nothing about.
I once attended a retirement ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia, and sat next to a retired master chief and his wife. He shared that when he retired from the Navy a couple of years earlier, he had a job waiting for him. His wife told me he had, in fact, three job offers.
Statistically, he is one of the lucky few, since only one in four veterans have a job offer before they leave the service.
"The job didn't come from a friend or anything," he said. "It came from a guy I worked for on the waterfront, like, 15 years ago. Once I put that I retired on LinkedIn, he reached out and asked if I would be interested in this [job]."
He was still incredulous. As if it was some kind of miracle that a job would come to him in this indirect way. As if everyone else got their jobs from their uncle. As if he had somehow tapped into the lottery without ever buying a ticket.
The Senior Enlisted Bank Account
I was not incredulous. This is exactly how it happens for so many senior enlisted and senior officers. It is not a miracle. It is not by chance. It is not nepotism. This is the secret bank account you have been paying into for 15, 20 or 25 years. It is the International Bank of Networking.
Yes, networking. It is not something you think you do, yet you made your deposits every damn day of deployment. Every time you brought an ancient engine back to life. Every time you covered someone's change of quarters, or CQ, shift. Every time you were selected to take over the responsibilities of someone of a higher rank. Every time you picked up a soldier or a sailor from the hospital (or the police station). Every time your skills and knowledge proved you were one of the subject-matter experts of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force.
Every time you delivered more than what was required without being supervised, you were building your professional reputation. That matters so much during transition. You thought you were just doing your duty. You thought you were just doing your job. But you were unknowingly paying into that mysterious bank account.
People remember your kindness and professionalism, and they want to work with you again on the outside. Not everyone has your reputation.
How Does the Senior Enlisted Bank Account Pay Off?
How does it pay off for senior enlisted? The closer you are to living in a fleet concentration area like Norfolk or San Diego, or near a major base, or in the Washington, D.C., area (a huge hub for defense contractors), the more likely it is to result in a request for an interview or a job offer.
It's a little harder to make a withdrawal if you want to live in an area far away from your network, or if you plan to work in a field that has nothing to do with defense or government. But you will probably find some kind of veterans service organization to help in your area if you let them know you are present. Sometimes, it is enough to run into another veteran who remembers what it means to be one of the good guys -- they can always tell.
As a transitioning senior enlisted member, you still must do all the work of transition. That is what we are here for at the Veteran Employment Project. We deliver the master-level skills you need to know to quietly make your availability known in the right way. If you are having trouble landing that first job after transition, we are also here to provide some free one-on-one coaching to help you figure out what you need to do next.
The International Bank of Networking is something you have been paying into during your entire career. People notice. And now it is time for your professional reputation to help you find your next high-impact job.
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