In years past, the
unmanned field has drawn a lot of retired military vets into its ranks. This
has a lot to do with both the kind of work being done, and the fact that many
unmanned contracts required some level of military involvement. Having
connections within, and ability to liaison with, members of the military was
considered a plus—and security clearances were certainly deemed beneficial.
In the last year,
we’ve seen more of a shift away from this symbiotic relationship between the
military and the unmanned and robotics industry. This is partially because
there are simply less unmanned contracts within the military these days. But
there are absolutely still those within the industry who covet that military
experience. Which means for some vets transitioning out of the military, the
unmanned and robotics field can still serve as a great new career path to
pursue.
So long as you know
how to make that transition happen.
Know
Your Strengths
One of the biggest things I see some of my ex-military
clients struggling with is how to qualify their military experience in a way
that translates into civilian work. Even vets who were valued and high ranking
in their fields can sometimes have difficulty putting their experience into
terms that mean something to hiring managers outside the military.
For instance, telling a hiring manager you ran a
multi-million dollar mission and oversaw 4,000 soldiers and contractors won’t
actually translate into real-world experience—all that hiring manager is going
to gather is that you have limited experience with hands-on management. Your
typical commercial employer needs to know you can personally and directly
inspire, motivate, and guide 15 employees… or 3. So structure your resume in a
way that highlights your direct management experience, showing how your skills
could translate into managing a small team. For instance, instead of saying,
“Ran a multi-million dollar mission and oversaw 4,000 soldiers and
contractors,” say, “Directed a team of 15 tactical specialists through the oversight
of a multi-million dollar project involving over 4,000 soldiers and
contactors.”
The key is in recognizing that it’s not about past job
titles or rank, it’s about the skills you gained along the way. You need to be
able to identify the strengths you acquired in service, and then know how to
apply those to the skills required for any number of jobs outside the military.
Use
Your Network
So much of finding a job these days is about networking, and
there is perhaps no stronger network than the one formed between service men
and women. Working with a quality recruiter can help you to get your resume in
front of hiring managers, but former friends and co-workers from the military
can provide invaluable references and recommendations.
Update
Your Resume
The resume you used while in the military will be
practically useless to you in the civilian job hunt. While the military prefers
precision and detailed lists, hiring managers outside the military are far more
interested in being wooed. You need to find a way to present you experience in
a powerful and impactful way, so that in just a few seconds of review, the
hiring manage gains an idea of who you are and what you can offer, and has been
“sold” enough on your capabilities to want to bring you in for an interview.
That “selling” really is part of it, and it may be something
you want to consider hiring a professional to help you to do.
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