This article is sponsored by USAA.
If you are a veteran job seeker interested in landing your dream civilian job, here are four helpful tips to becoming as competitive as possible for those jobs you are most interested in and qualified for:
1. Identify Career Opportunities
With the Military Skills Translator and Personality Assessment Tool on the USAA Career Center, you can identify opportunities that match your skills and interests. The skills translator will identify careers that might align well with your military work history while the personality assessment will identify career paths that you might be most interested in based on your tendencies and personal interests, regardless of your technical qualifications. If you are looking for a career change, the personality assessment might reveal possibilities you have not previously considered. Use the tool here.
2. Join Talent Networks
Sponsored: Complete your profile on the USAA Talent Network and sign up to receive job alerts for the job families you are most interested in.
When a job is posted under a job family you have selected, you will be notified by email. Joining the USAA Talent Networks is a way to stay informed about newly advertised career opportunities. You must join the talent network for each job family you are interested in; joining the talent network for human resources will not subscribe you to notifications for new IT job postings.
3. Target Your Resume
Provide an easy-to-understand overview of your knowledge, skills and abilities, using key language found in the description and requirements of the job. It is important for a recruiter reading your resume to determine whether you meet the qualifications of the job, as stated in the job posting. You, the resume writer, must do the hard work of translating your military experience into something relevant to the unique requirements of each job you apply for.
4. Apply Early
It is common for several hundred candidates to apply for a single position. Be one of the first by applying within the first day or two. Always have a resume nearly ready to submit, then make it a priority to put the finishing touches on it and apply for the job the same day you see it advertised.
Following these four tips can help qualified veteran job seekers become highly competitive candidates in their search for a new civilian career.
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