MilitaryStars Blog

Transition Tip of the Week-- Resumes

Hello all, this is Todd Hecht- Managing Partner of MilitaryStars. My business partner Curtis Hagens and myself have been getting out of the office and traveling to our Military Hiring events across the country over the past few months. As you all know, prior to the MilitaryStars Career Expo's, we conduct and employer panel and information seminar covering Resume Writing, Interviewing and general job search tips. Each and every time we seem to run into the same questions over and over about writing a military resume. So i decided that each week I am going to post a "Tip of the Week" to see if we can add just one more tool to your job search tool box. Please feel free to forward these tips to your fellow service members and if they haven't already encourage them to register to receive the free updates from us on Military Transitions at http://www.militarystars.com/blog. 

This Weeks Tip of the week is on the battle between using an Objective Statement or a Summary of Expertise. While both of these methods have their place, I am going to break it down for you to help you know when to use each:

Objective Statements, can sometimes limit you to the position you are listing. I always recommend only using an OS when you are applying for a specific position on a companies web site or when you are bringing a paper copy of your resume to a specific interview (in which case you will want to list the position you are interviewing for).

A Summary of Expertise on the other hand is a tried and true way to get your resume more coverage and hopefully make it a viral marketing piece on your behalf. What I mean here is that in the age of on-line Job Boards and large corporate internal web sites, it is imperative that your resume is applicable to many positions at once. Utilizing the SOE will NOT limit you to just one position, if a hiring manager or recruiter comes across your resume and feels you may be a fit for another department they will be more apt to forward you on vice blowing past you to the next candidate because your Objective Statement says "Project Manager" instead of "Program Manager" or "Maintenance Supervisor" instead of "Lead Technician"

Well there you have it, the first "Tip of the Week" from me, please feel free to respond via the MilitaryStars Blog and I will be more than happy to answer any of your questions. Until next week..

Todd Hecht, Managing Partner- MilitaryStars, LLC

Military and Veterans: Get Hired Tomorrow in San Diego!

We love coming to San Diego and our Western Regional Hiring Event tomorrow is no exception!  Every one of our events is full of possibility - a job seeker I recently spoke with told me the following: 

"I should have sent this e-mail weeks ago thanking you for and Military Stars for your help with veterans. I recently attended the DC Expo and landed my dream job with an outstanding company as an Account Executive ( JK Moving & Storage). Until i had attended your Expo, I had been on 20-plus interviews with no opportunities in sight. I really appreciate what you guys do! Thanks again for making a difference for our Veterans!"

You may hear about events like this and wonder if this can happen - I know many people do because I get asked about it.  The above is just one of many stories of success to show you that it can and to remind you that we are the military job seeker's biggest fans!  Thanks and best of luck. 

 

Military Aid Groups' Top '09 Priorities

36 organizations dedicated to current and former veterans met yesterday for a roundtable discussion headed by the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.  That's quite a lot of discussing to be had, but they reached a consensus on their top five priorities for 2009 - one of which was easing the transition from military to civilian life.  We were not one of these organizations mentioned, but it is great to see that they place our number one priority so highly as well.  As we always say, it's great to talk about making big ideas happen, but our calling is in working tirelessly to make them a reality for every veteran job seeker.   

Employers Who Know Are Hiring Military

You can read anywhere you want about the economy - that's not what we do here!  This editorial (Las Vegas Sun) makes an impassioned case for the veteran in today's market.  Thing is, I've been reading this same "no jobs for veterans" stuff for years, in high-rolling economic times and otherwise.  What I never get to read along with it, for some reason, is mention of the fact that companies like ours are out there doing something about it every day!  Consider this a refresher - for four years running, private corporations and government agencies are traveling nationwide with us three times a month because they have open positions and want military to get them!  I don't know why that's considered less newsworthy or powerful than stories of struggle that send a negative message. 

A retired Marine general is quoted in the link stating that "there have to be incentives for employers" to hire military.  When you attend one of our events as a job seeker, you meet with employers who already know what the incentives are, from personality traits to cost savings.  If you are an employer who doesn't know what these incentives can do for your organization, get on board today!          

Business-to-Veteran-Business

Great information here from Chris Hale, GM of GI Jobs and president of the National Veteran-Owned Businesses Association.  Mr. Hale brings the experience of both of his titles to a point-by-point pitch to corporate America on why it's wise to make business-to-business orders with veteran-owned companies.  As he points out, the federal government requires a percentage of these orders to be made with service-disabled veteran suppliers, an idea that any military-friendly employer would do well to consider.  Hope you find it useful - have a great week!  

Military Wanted to Run Franchises

Aside from having a pretty funny title, this article from the Orlando Sentinel does a nice job spotlighting why veterans are so good at running their own franchises, and how many programs are now in place to cut ownership fees and other costs for military looking to get in the game.  Our sales team reminds corporate America every day that our events are a one-stop solution for all their hiring needs.  That's true for your needs as a job seeker, too!  Franchise options, educational options, and careers with the best of the private and public sector all await at a MilitaryStars event!  

Military and Veterans: Get Hired Tomorrow in Los Angeles!

We are thrilled to be returning to LA tomorrow - the staff at the event site, the Crowne Plaza, apparently speaks 11 languages collectively, and the hotel is situated right beside the major freeways for all traveling to be there!  Whether you want to work on rocket engines or water systems, in Long Beach or overseas, opportunities await from elite employers who have made the commitment to hire military! We appreciate your commitment to be there and wish you success.

Inspiring Army Event For Injured Veterans

The Army's Installation Management Command recently brought over 200 injured Soldiers to Myrtle Beach for a transition conference called H-3, or "Heal, Help, Hire".  The Soldiers profiled have varying injuries that don't get a lot of attention, like back and foot problems that can end their military careers.  The conference pointed them toward careers in the federal government, specifically mentioning MilitaryStars clients the FBI and the Border Patrol.  Colleges were present to provide the alternative of working on one's education.  One attendee stated she wished that everyone in a Warrior Transition Unit could attend an event like this... come to a MilitaryStars event, and you will!  Hope it inspires you - have a great week!   

Veteran Hiring On Many Minds

Interesting read here on veterans' transition into the civilian workforce as a "hot topic".  We say around here that every day is Veterans Day for us; similarly, a lot more people might be talking about careers for veterans now, while we're proud to make it our life's work.  To the advocates who state that more should be done to help enlisted service members as they transition, that is precisely the reason we were founded!  Advocacy groups play an important role in bringing attention to the need for good careers for veterans - once that message is out there, we are ready to work for exactly that cause.

Military and Veterans: Get Hired Tomorrow Coast to Coast!

We've got a team on the ground on the Atlantic and one on the Pacific for our Jacksonville and San Francisco events tomorrow!  Lockheed Martin is with us at both locales.  Joining them on both coasts are brand-name companies, companies known in the right circles as the best at what they do, and government organizations from the neighborhood to the federal level.  Thanks as always to all of you who made the commitment to join us at part of this doubleheader!  You are the best at what you do and we set out to demonstrate it to corporate America every day.  Best of luck!