Civilian Work Force - The Job Hunt

Dateline: December 97

The Background

When I Retired from the Navy in 1984, I was woefully unprepared for life in the "real world". After 21 years of relative security, I felt scared, inadequate, and confused. I accepted a job which was underpaid and for which I was vastly over qualified because I did not possess the resources, information, or confidence in my own skills and knowledge to try for the better jobs. As I've moved up the corporate ladder, I've acquired useful and valuable experience working with several companies. One of the functions of my job today is to interview some of the new job applicants and to review their resumes. I would like to share some of this information with you in hopes that it makes your transition to civilian life a little easier.

Writing a Resume

Before beginning your resume, it is a good idea to gather information about the Skills and Qualifications required by the position you are seeking. This will help you to determine whether the requirements of the job tie in with your military background and prior experience. Check your local library and take out some books on choosing a new career. Visit with your career counselor prior to separation and ask him or her for some help in identifying career paths which draw on your background and expertise. You may chose to have your resume professionally prepared. You can also have your resume Evaluated at very reasonable cost.

Preferences vary, however, this is the resume style I use and it is also the style preferred by civil service organizations and government contractors. As you organize your resume remember to keep in mind the needs of the employer who will be reading it. JobWeb has a Guide to Resume Writing which contains some useful information for writing a resume. If you are seeking jobs in different skill areas, consider writing a separate resume for each one.

Section 1. Objective/Goals State your work preferences, preferred geographical location/s (do not make this too narrow), and career goals. This section should be brief, clearly stated and relate to the skills and experience documented in your resume.

Section 2. Education and Technical knowledge List your education/schools and technical information. Use Key words and bullets. List all systems and equipment your qualified for including skills received during on-the-job training. List your technical and administrative skills in the order of importance, as they relate to the position your seeking.

Section 3. Experience Summary List your work experience in reverse chronological order, emphasizing those aspects which relate to the job your seeking and de-emphasizing or omitting those that are not relevant. Avoid passive sentences and use active verbs as much as possible. For Example:

April 1988 to Present - Currently serving as a Senior Field Engineer for C-CUBED Corporation. Provides on scene liaison between Naval Space and Warfare Center (SPAWAR) and RESUPSHIP Savannah as the SPAWAR representative for turnover of the MHC-51 communication spaces by Intermarine USA (IMUSA) to the navy. Duties include inspection of Communication spaces, cabling and equipment for compliance with the NAVSEA Ship's Specification manual, discussion and resolution of deficiencies and problem areas, provides technical information as required to aid RESUPSHIP Savannah, NAVSEA and SPAWAR in analyzing Shipbuilder and contractor provided information, assist RESUPSHIP Savannah Test and Trials Director in developing test schedules, oversees and insures proper installation of complete communications package on board each MHC (six hulls to date), Assists RESUPSHIP and Intermarine USA in the conduct of all related communications testing and operation, participates at sea in Builder and Acceptance Trials and performs maintenance and operational testing for the INSERV board. Insures proper delivery of all equipment, parts, mounts and cables and all other logistic items and insures quality control. Provides technical assistance to each crew in turn. Performs maintenance, troubleshooting, alignment and repair as needed to ensure that all communications equipment remains in highest state of operational readiness.

Section 4. Special Qualifications/Skills or Additional Information This is the section where you can list those skills, qualifications, hobbies, and outside activities that don't quite fit in elsewhere. Do not list skills or qualifications here that do not apply to the position. If applying for a job as an electronics engineer for example:

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS:

Diving Officer   (Do not list)
CMS Custodian (Do not list)
Navy Instructor (LIst)
Qualified TEMPEST Inspector (List)
Communications Facilities Technical Control Supervisor (List)
Familiar with Computer Operational/Programming (List)
In DOS, Baslc, HTML, JAVA, XENIX
and operation/organization of RAN/LAN
Networks
Familiar with following computer programs: (List)
Windows:  Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, WordPerfect, 
Dbase III+ Adobe and various others.
Macintosh: Word,  Excel, Adobe illustrator, More, 
Mini-CAD, Hyper Card and various others.
Provides:-Counseling and support for recovering (Do not List)
addicts and alcoholics and provides assistance to the 
Federal Prison System in the areas of rehabilitation 
and recovery. 

Section 5. Personal Data Here you would list your age, marital status, security clearance, height and weight.

The most important thing to remember is that your resume represents you. Don't sell yourself short. Be positive, highlight your strengths and assets. Keep your resume concise. If you have less than six years of experience one page should be sufficient. You should use two pages for six or more years experience. Absolutely, do not use more than 3 pages. Check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar and then recheck it again. A poorly written resume is a definite turn-off to an employer.

The Interview

Once again let me reemphasize "You are selling yourself." If you present yourself to your interviewer as an unattractive package, he will never open the box to see what is inside. While it is not necessary to wear a suit and tie to an interview unless your trying out for a management position, don't show up in dungarees and T-shirt. A neatly groomed appearance is important to your prospective employer. It indicates that your job performance will also be neat and tidy. A good haircut (does not have to be military style), creased slacks, pressed short sleeve shirt, and shined shoes
will go a long way towards making that good first impression.

As in your resume, you should come across as a positive "Can Do" individual. Stress that your looking for a position with upward mobility and intend to put forth a positive effort with the company in order to achieve that goal. As much as possible, "do not" set limitations or absolutes that the company must comply with. Be pleasant, smile, and show enthusiasm for the job and for the company's product/s. Do not volunteer information such as, "I'm going through a messy divorce right now." Be prompt, show up on time.

Start preparing for your transition into CIVLANT at least six months prior to separation. Make the rounds, talk to your career counselor, start ginning up that resume. Avoid the "Headhunters" unless your willing to pay a sizable fee for a job that is usually in another area and probably doesn't pay as well as one you could locate for yourself. There are some excellant resources on the internet pertaining to resume writing and interviews. One of the Best of these, Archeus contains articles, a service guide, and a list of books. For those of you nearing this significant change in your life, I wish you success.

Until next week, I bid you "Fair Winds and Following Seas."

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