MilitaryStars Blog

Career Expo: Bringing Our Best to Baltimore

I'm proud to say that tomorrow is our biggest Baltimore show ever, with employers from absolutely everywhere, including a larger healthcare industry presence, several state agencies, and other companies looking to hire as far away as Boston and California!  No matter what you want to do or where you want to do it, we sincerely hope you find something great and believe we have positioned you very well to do so.  Thanks to everybody calling in and success!

Headline News Features Transition & Top Careers

Saw this on Headline News' Robin & Company this morning: a nice video clip on career advice for transitioning military.  The topic is really making the big-time!  This feature was done in partnership with Money Magazine; here's the accompanying article with additional details on their top 20 civilian careers.  I welcome you to match up this list with the employer list for any of our events - you will see a lot of similarities!  Their #1 pick, for example (Intelligence Analyst)?  Lockheed Martin is recruiting for them at almost all of our events, as are other regular clients including the DIA.  This is great exposure for transition issues, and I'm happy to say that the reporting reflects much of what we do every day here!       

Careers for Veterans Wounded in Action

Great piece from the Houston Chronicle website on a recent DoD job fair at Fort Sam Houston for service disabled veterans.  The more people helping these men and women find rewarding civilian careers, the better - from employers to event organizers to facility reps and all points in between.  Our event in Baltimore this Friday will once again feature the help of the national VFW in providing transportation for veterans from area hospitals; Kiewit and the TSA, both mentioned in the link, will be joining us there as well. 

Veterans Protect the Wilderness

OK, it doesn't get much more outside-the-box than this - so of course I think it's tremendous.  Washington state - whose recent veteran anti-discrimination law is working its way through approval - has created a Veterans Conservation Corps for transitioning military interested in helping preserve the Northwest wilderness.  Current opportunities are volunteer, but further legislation could create education stipends for transitioning military to study environmental restoration.  It feels really good to read a story about the military, and the environment, without any of the usual expectations - hope you enjoy it, and have a great week.          

Switching Industries: Preparing For a Whole New Career

I frequently encourage all of you to give equal time to career paths you may never have considered before.  I hear everything in response from "I don't care what I do, I just want to make a better living" to "But ___ is all I know how to do".  Both are totally reasonable responses grounded in completely different points of view.  No matter what you think now about switching to a completely new career path, you can do it, and here's some great pointers from CNN/Money magazine to help you do it right.  These examples apply equally well for your first civilian job, especially the need to quantify your accomplishments!  

Revisiting Jeremy Staat's Mission: NFL to USMC

NFL player-turned-Marine Jeremy Staat is all over the news today!  I wrote about him right here almost exactly one year ago - and, in a surprising instance of restrained fandom, didn't mention that he played for the Steelers.   That's part of the point, though - absolutely everyone can and should cheer for him now, along with every single one of his new teammates.   

More Employers Than Ever Coming to Job Fairs

Whether you never went to college, never will, currently are, or someday may, I want you to direct your attention strictly to the following paragraphs.  From MSN Money:

"Employers are coming to job and internship fairs in record numbers," says Matt Berndt, the director of career services at the College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin. Almost all the companies that responded (94.9%) plan to send representatives to career fairs to market their organization (64%) and meet students in informal settings (44.7%).

The companies that anticipate hiring increases cited growth as a major reason, but also attrition and a work force close to retirement age.

No matter what, that means more opportunities for you - employers are making the commitment to be there, so always be willing to do the same and see what can happen!

Underrated Relocation Options

Having recently checked out what states across the country are doing to help their veterans, I thought it was only right to point us all to some ways to help ourselves.  You're going to hear a lot about relocation from me and from employers.  Everybody who works here has uprooted themselves in one way or another, and believe me, even if part of you is saying you can't, you can!  Waiting for someone to make you a specific offer and place, though, is only going to stress you out more and probably make you less willing to move on - the pressure of the "perfect situation".  Far better to start thinking for yourself about different locales with a range of possibilities - like these low-cost cities with great job prospects.  I've driven through the part of Arkansas pictured, and it is gorgeous country.  Give it all a good look and have a great week!   

Military Career Assistance in Ohio

Here's some fantastic information (via the News-Herald) on the Ohio Transition Assistance Program, run by the state and already really making a difference for area veterans.  The young woman featured in the link had to overcome a great deal before settling into her new career (fallout from Hurricane Katrina left her living at a campground), but you never hear her complain once.  Also included are great examples of her learning how to apply her military skills to the civilian workforce - and realizing how much she was capable of.  Instructive and inspirational!

Virginia Veterans' New DOT Careers

Our Mid-Atlantic Regional event will be at the end of this month in Baltimore (we're regional, you see, like the NCAA tournament... large-scale events featuring the best of the best!).  It was great to see this feature today from Virginia's WHSV on career oppportunities at the Virginia DOT for transitioning veterans.  Video included - nice!  DOT careers can pay handsomely but getting your foot in the door can be tough; good for another state DOT to give veterans a better chance.  Resisting urge to make "pave the way" comment...