Do you know when the job market heats up for transitioning military members? Right now. In September. I can feel it in the air, can't you? After the summer lull, things are heating up in defense and government. Contracts are pending. Folks are on the move. The excitement is now.
This is where the magic happens in hiring -- especially for transitioning military members. Autumn is the essential time for every military job hunter in "postseason play," which includes every job hunter who separated or retired from the military last spring or summer.
Hiring Is Seasonal
The season of hiring is something most new veterans miss. While civilians think the new year starts on Jan. 1, the new year for military job hunters begins on Sept. 15. As a job hunter, you need to picture the next eight weeks running like a turkey with its head cut off until Thanksgiving -- when hiring goes quiet again until Jan. 15.
Very, very quiet.
It is an essential job-hunting skill to think of hiring as seasonal. Like college football. Like soccer. Like cross country and marching band. Like postseason play in Major League Baseball. Hiring happens during a certain season, and then it is over again.
What Can You Do to Get Ready?
As the transition master coach for Military.com, I can tell you what your competition is doing to get ready: They are tweaking their resumes. They are scrolling endlessly through job listings. They are doing hundreds of one-click applications.
They are, in fact, in front of their laptops at home right now scrolling LinkedIn, then seeing all the other people announcing their new jobs -- and freaking out. So they take a break, check the box scores and proceed to lose 14 hours to Instagram and YouTube shorts.
They don't know it, but this is not how you play the game if you want to get a job. This is how you play the game if you want to complain to your spouse how hard you are looking for a job.
Actually, that is pretty harsh. What I mean to say is that these are the behaviors of veterans who are frustrated because they don't know what they are doing wrong. They are trying so hard to do everything right. And it isn't working.
Our Newest Veteran Jobs Master Class
I can help you with that. Knowing what you are going through and how essential it is to get a job now, I designed our newest FREE master class, "The Postseason Job Hunt: The Essential Playbook for the Hottest Job Market of the Year" live on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 4 p.m. Eastern.
In just 60 minutes, you will learn the seven essential skills you need to jump ahead of the competition, land those interviews and score a job offer.
The seasonal nature of hiring is not a problem. It is a major advantage to all of you on the job hunt. Sign up for our FREE master class today, and I will train you how to improve your performance and get the winning job offer you deserve.
Find the Right Veteran Job
Whether you want to polish your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Subscribe to Military.com to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox.
