Find Groups
Perform a group search on keywords to find veteran and industry groups. Use keywords like, “military veterans,” “hiring veterans,” or terms relevant to your industry. Use the Advanced link next to the search box to search by more filters.

When you join an open group, clicking Join Group will automatically add you to that group. Closed groups are designated by a padlock icon next to their description. When you click Join Group for a closed group, your request is sent to the group manager who will approve or deny it. This is good reason to have your profile filled out completely to show that you qualify as a member of the closed group.

Contribute to the Conversation
Listen, learn and contribute to group discussions. If you’re new to a group, read what others are discussing to get a feel for it. When you have something to contribute, add a comment to a discussion. Or Like a discussion to show you appreciate their post. Share relevant discussions with others on LinkedIn.

Start your own discussions, ask questions, offer advice, etc., to establish your presence and expertise. This will help you make valuable connections while you build your personal brand. Invite group members to join your network by clicking their profile image, then clicking their name to go to their profile and either connect, get introduced, or send them an InMail (depending on their degree of connection to you – 2nd, 3rd, or Group).

Once you join a group, you will receive the group’s digest emails, which help you keep up with the group’s discussions. You can set the frequency of these emails by going to your Settings, clicking Groups, Companies & Applications at the bottom left, and clicking “Set the frequency of group digest emails.” These can be set to daily, weekly, or none.

Another perk of groups is that many of them have a Jobs tab in the group menu. This is where recruiters share jobs they’ve paid to post on LinkedIn, and where anyone can post a Job Discussion. Remember to check out the Jobs Discussions in each group, not just their general Discussions.

Use Your Group Connections
Be sure to connect with individuals you meet in a group. Invite them to join your network as mentioned earlier, and message them privately to continue the conversation. You can do this by clicking More under their discussion and then clicking Reply Privately, or by clicking Reply Privately under someone’s comment.

Find more information about a group by clicking the More tab in the group menu, and then clicking Group Profile or Group Statistics in the drop-down list. Groups are one of the best resources of information and relevant connections that LinkedIn offers, so be sure to join and participate in them as much as possible.

Reference:
Want more tips for using LinkedIn effectively in your job search? Check out Corporate Gray’s new book, Social Media and Your Job Search: A Guide for Military Members in Career Transition.

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Paul Jackson, a software engineer at Pitney Bowes, recently decided to use LinkedIn to find candidates for an opening they needed to fill. Although not a recruiter himself, he was in a better position to search for appropriate candidates as he knew exactly what the job entailed.

So Paul upgraded his LinkedIn account for improved search results, and after a day of searching he had found about 25 candidates for the company recruiter to contact. A side lesson here to job seekers is to not focus only on connecting with recruiters and hiring managers at a company — anyone working at that company can be a source for job opportunities.

After his search, Paul shared with us some of his initial observations about using LinkedIn that job seekers could benefit from:

• The search needs to find you. Keywords matter, as does having worked for a company that is prestigious enough for a recruiter to include it in their search filters.

• A well-organized profile matters. It should be treated like a resume.

• The way you look in your picture matters. Are you slumped in a chair wearing a t-shirt with a silly slogan, or do you have a professional looking photo?

• The recommendations you have, and more importantly, the caliber of people recommending you, make a huge impression. Someone who is now CTO of a firm that says you are the best XYZ he/she ever worked with makes an impact.

• What people endorse you for is a strong indicator of what you specialize in. The fact that people are willing to endorse you is important.

• Make endorsements specific. Many of the endorsements on candidate profiles are generic (planning, team-building, Air Force). If you have experience with specific technologies (Oracle, Linux) or disciplines (regression analysis, predictive analytics, business intelligence) it gives a better understanding of your experience. It is okay to keep the general ones, but adding specific skills could help, especially if you’re interested in non-military opportunities.

• Not staying in a job long and skipping around can be detrimental to even a well-tailored profile. Employers would like the person they hire to stay for a long time.

Recruiters out there with more LinkedIn tips for candidates, please send an email to Karin@CorporateGray.com so we can share your perspective with job seekers as well.

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According to the press release on prweb.com, this website is “a custom built, content rich database that not only translates military jobs and experiences into more familiar terminology, or ‘civilian speak,’ but transposes the information in a professional resume that will attract the attention of civilian hiring managers.”

How it works:

After creating a free account at https://resumeengine.org, you’ll input your military background through a secure application that helps translate your experience into qualifications and strengths civilian HR professionals understand.

The process steps you through filling out your education, military job (including job-specific responsibilities), specialized training, personal skills, and awards (done by clicking on ribbons you have earned). You can also add a personal summary and civilian work history.

After you’ve saved each section, you can review your resume to make sure everything necessary is included. Each section can be edited as needed.

When done reviewing, you’re provided a resume and business card in both PDF and Word formats. With these tools, the website states that “you will be better equipped to promote yourself to prospective employers.” The resume this tool produces is nicely formatted and ready to be shared.

Career Assistance

The website also offers career advice. Sign up to receive their emails and you will also be sent a series of 6 weekly interview tips “to help you present yourself and your abilities effectively throughout the entire job search process,” according to the website. The emails include practical tips on topics such as:

1) Improving your cover letter
2) Opening doors through social networking
3) Choosing appropriate interview attire
4) Improving your interview skills
5) Refining your elevator pitch
6) Using the right body language

Give it a Try

You have valuable skills and experience from your military service, but it’s a challenge to describe your skills in a way that will make your talents clear to potential employers. This tool addresses that issue and goes a step further in formatting those skills into a professional-looking resume. Visit the Personal Branding Resume Engine website for more information and to try it out.

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Here are some tips on how to make your Linkedin profile more professional, effective, and searchable:

• Create a descriptive Headline that reflects your goals and personal brand. Use keywords here for search-ability, and make sure it includes what your target audience is looking for. The headline and photo are the first things people see in your profile, so use those 120 characters wisely to make your headline count.

• Include a photo to add credibility and give others a deeper sense of connection to your online presence. Your photo doesn’t have to be taken professionally, but it should be a good headshot with a clean background that shows your professional side. Keep in mind that your photo will not only be seen when someone views your profile, but in many other places on Linkedin, such as next to endorsements and recommendations, your posted discussions, comments, and more.

• Edit your public profile URL, which is the web address that points to your Linkedin profile. Linkedin assigns this URL when you create your account, but it contains random characters after your name that you should clean up. While in edit profile mode, click the Edit link next to your Linkedin URL. To the right you will see options for customizing your public profile. Below those options there is a link to “Customize your public profile URL.” Click that link to remove the random characters so it ends with your name. This makes the URL look cleaner and more recognizable when sharing the link on your resume, in your email signature, on your transitioning business cards, etc.

• Use the Summary to highlight your strengths. This section is your 30-second elevator pitch. Describe your accomplishments and what you bring to the table. Use keywords important in your career field that recruiters would likely be searching for. The Specialties part of your summary is a place to list keywords that are your strengths. Include transferable skills you acquired from your military service (e.g. leadership, team work, strong work ethic, decision making in adverse conditions) that transfer across disciplines, especially if you are starting on a new career path. Keep your summary short and sweet, no more than 2-3 paragraphs.

• Include your location in your profile. If you are planning to relocate, you should put your desired location, not where you live now. Often recruiters will filter their candidate search by zip code, and you don’t want your current location to exclude you from their search if it is not where you plan to stay.

• List all of your current and past employers and education. It’s helpful to have your resume handy to help you complete the Experience and Education sections. Include your top keywords in the job titles, and load the work descriptions with keywords that describe your skills and accomplishments. If a past job has nothing to do with your current career field, list it with a short description, using those transferable skills to describe your duties and responsibilities. Listing all your past employers and education will help you find connections and build your network.

• Add words and phrases in the Skills & Expertise section that are relevant to your career field. List the skills that are your strengths, since other users will be endorsing the skills you list here. Check the profiles of colleagues and those in your career field to get ideas on what skills and keywords to use throughout your profile. Also check the Skills & Expertise link under the More tab to search on a specific skill and get more information related to it.

• Add sections to your profile by clicking the list of recommended sections that appear to the right when in edit mode. Select sections that will help round out your profile based on your background. For example, you should add the Organizations section if you are a member of professional organizations, and add the Certifications section if you’ve earned special training, etc. If you’ve performed volunteer work, be sure to add the Volunteering & Causes section to your profile.

• Ask for recommendations from people in your Linkedin network. Click Recommendations under the Profile tab, or hover over the triangle next to Edit Profile and click “Ask to be recommended.” A good rule of thumb is to have 2-3 recommendations from managers, supervisors, colleagues, etc., from each job listed in the employment section of your profile. Also get recommendations from those you’ve done volunteer work for. Be sure to give recommendations to colleagues or classmates that you’ve worked with and respect. Giving and reciprocating recommendations goes a long way toward building relationships.

• Add links in your profile to relevant videos, images, or documents, such as your resume, a presentation you created, or a paper you wrote. You first need to upload the file to a free application, such as Box.com, Google Presentations, or SlideShare.net. This gives the document a URL where it can be accessed. Then, in the profile edit mode of Linkedin, click the icon that looks like a square and plus sign. Add a link to your resume in your summary section (note, if you have multiple resumes, be sure to name them clearly so a recruiter will know which to download).

• Change the order of sections in your profile as appropriate using the up-down arrow icon. Click and drag the arrow icon of the section you want rearranged to move it up or down the list. This allows you to place your most relevant sections at the top of your profile.

• List your interests in the Additional Info section. Listing hobbies, sports, activities, etc. will show a personal side and help others see what you might have in common outside of business. This is a good section to check when doing research before a job interview. Finding a common interest with the interviewer helps to break the ice and may help you stand out.

Share Your Profile
Now that your profile is complete and effective, share it with others, especially recruiters. Add your public profile URL to your resume, email signature, transition business cards, etc. Also save your Linkedin profile as a PDF file to attach to emails or print out and include with your job applications. Hover over the triangle next to Edit and click on Export to PDF in the drop down box.

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About the Author
Karin Durkee is Director of Social Media at Corporate Gray, a company specializing in Military to Civilian Employment Services (www.CorporateGray.com).
Additional resource: Lisa Carroll, Director of Carroll Quality Alliance (www.carrollquality.com).

A franchise is a business model whose rules and procedures have been trademarked so that others can invest in the franchise and provide that same product or service again and again. Today franchising in the U.S. alone is a trillion dollar business!

Is Franchising Right for You?

Certain skills and character traits are necessary for starting and running a successful franchise. You should have a willingness to work hard, take prudent risks, and have the discipline to carefully follow ALL of the franchise rules.

Your ability to interact well with people is crucial, as many franchised businesses are based on people relations. If you consistently have good relationships with your leadership and fellow military colleagues, you probably have the people skills it takes to be a positive and effective franchise boss.

Do you have a support system in place? Recognize that starting a franchise is not a 40-hour-a-week proposition. Make sure that your family and supporters are on board and understand the demands on your time that a new business requires.

Which Franchise?

Once you’ve decided that franchising is right for you, the next question is which franchise? There are literally thousands to choose from. Some require a relatively small investment and a modest amount of operating capital; others cost in excess of a million dollars! Some franchises are service based, while others are product based.

You should buy a franchise in an industry that you will enjoy for the next 10-15 years, and you should have an aptitude for the service or product being offered through the franchise. Determine your interests and the types of businesses you might really enjoy.

Resources to Help You Choose Wisely

You can get individual assistance in selecting a franchise from FranNet.com. Their consultants will work with you on a one-on-one basis to help you select a franchise that best meets your needs.

Entrepreneur.com is a resource for those researching franchise opportunities. Click here to see their 2013 ranking of America’s top franchising opportunities. This site also lists the top new, top global, and fastest growing franchises.

Other helpful resources for gathering information about franchises are FranchiseSolutions.com and Franchise.org. These sites allow you to search for franchises by investment, industry and location.

Once you’ve narrowed the field of franchises, visit the franchise website to get more information about the business. For instance, the Snap-on Tools website describes background about the company, tells why you’d want to own a Snap-on franchise, and explains the investment information. You are also highly encouraged to connect with owners of the franchise via Linkedin to get their opinion and insights.

Especially for Veterans

As a military veteran, you should be aware of the International Franchise Association (IFA) program called VetFran mentioned at the beginning of this article. This program offers financial incentives to veterans seeking to become franchise small-business owners. VetFran has scores of franchisors that have agreed to provide qualified veterans with financial incentives not otherwise available to franchise investors.

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You may have little or no business experience, but that should not dissuade you from considering an entrepreneurial option to employment. If you have the right combination of skills, some great ideas, and the necessary drive to be an entrepreneur, you should consider working for yourself. Approximately 4.5 million veterans currently own their own businesses, which represents nearly 18 percent of all businesses in the United States. Many veterans become successful entrepreneurs.

Resources

Although the majority of business start-ups fail within the first five years, for those that try again, over 80% are successful. There are a wealth of resources offered by government agencies and nonprofit organizations – most focused on training, counseling, and finance – to assist veterans in establishing their own business. These programs and services can significantly increase the probability of success among veteran entrepreneurs.

The following websites and programs are designed specifically for entrepreneurial veterans:

The Veterans Corporation
Office of Veterans Business Development (SBA)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VetBiz)
Center for Veterans Enterprise
VetFriends
Veterans Employment and Training Center

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) offers cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities resulting from their military service. The EBV is designed to open the door to business ownership for veterans by 1) developing skills in the many steps and activities associated with launching and growing a small business, and by 2) helping them leverage programs and services for veterans and people with disabilities in a way that furthers their entrepreneurial success.

Entrepreneurial Skills

You can take self-assessments to determine if your abilities and skills are entrepreneurial. The Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Assessment are two of the tools for assessing career interests. Both of these tools are accessible through the military’s transition assistance program.

If you decide to go into business for yourself, make sure you choose the right business for your particular skills, abilities, motivation, and interests. Visit the Small Business Administration (SBA) website for information on all aspects of starting your own business. Also visit the SBA website’s section on free online courses for starting a business.

An online course that is highly recommended by the SBA is titled “Starting My Own Business: Entrepreneurial Education” and is presented by MyOwnBusiness.org.

Franchises

One way to go into business for yourself is to purchase the rights to use a franchise and become a franchisee. Many military veterans have become successful franchisees for a variety of reasons, but mainly because they work hard and follow the rules. In fact, a franchise is a business model whose rules and procedures have been trademarked so that others can invest in the franchise and provide that same product or service again and again.

When choosing a franchise, make sure you have an interest in and aptitude for the service or product being offered through the franchise, and that you understand and will carefully follow ALL of the franchise rules.

Read the article Quick Tips on Transitioning to a Franchise for resources and information about choosing the right franchise for you. If you are considering a franchise opportunity, I encourage you to connect on Linkedin.com with other owners of that franchise to get their opinion and insights.

The International Franchise Association (IFA) has a program called VetFran that offers financial incentives to veterans seeking to become franchise small-business owners. Learn more about the program at www.vetfran.com.

SDVOSBs

If you receive a disability rating of from 0 to 100 by the Department of Veterans Affairs upon leaving the service, you can apply to have your business certified as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). This designation enables your business to be awarded federal contracts on a sole-source basis if certain conditions are met. For more information about SDVOSBs, visit the Contracting section of the SBA website.

If you think owning your own business is right for you, be sure to use the many resources mentioned above to assist you in your venture. The hard work, dedication, and numerous other skills you exhibited in the military will serve you well in turning your entrepreneurial dream into a successful veteran-owned business.

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A new book by Emily King called Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans helps employers do all three. It analyzes cultural differences between military and civilian organizations to help employers effectively integrate veterans into the civilian workplace.

Field Tested provides tools for employers to succeed in three critical areas of retention among military hires:
-  Anticipating and heading off challenges related to the military-to-civilian transition.
-  Gaining maximum leverage from the strengths brought by military service members.
-  Positioning veteran hires for continued success within their organizations.

Emily King is a nationally recognized expert on the transition from military service to civilian employment. She has worked extensively with veterans and civilian hiring organizations and is a frequent speaker at industry events including SHRM and ASTD.

For more information about this book, click here to visit the publisher’s website.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has developed an online Veterans Employment Toolkit (www.va.gov/vetsinworkplace) to help managers, HR professionals, and EAP providers support employees who are Veterans or members of the Reserve or National Guard.

Employer Resources
The online Toolkit provides information about:
-  The value Veterans bring to the workplace
-  Material describing the military experience and culture
-  Common challenges Veterans may experience in readjusting to civilian life and how to support individuals in that transition
-  General communication tips for managers and supervisors
-  How to support members in the Reserve and National Guard

Veteran Resources
The Veterans Employment Toolkit also includes resources for Veterans looking to obtain employment and how they can make important career decisions and excel in the workplace.

If you have any questions or feedback about the Toolkit, please contact Sara Landes at sara.landes@va.gov.

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Cesar has tested experience and proven methods to help veterans transition effectively. He believes TAP classes are not enough to support a successful transition into the civilian workforce. “It takes months to train civilians to become basic military professionals. Then when it is time to transition out of the military, the requirement is only one week. This is not enough instruction and time to ensure an effective transition.”

The numerous moves throughout a military service member’s career can cause barriers to the military spouse’s job search, as can be seen in the 26 percent military spouse unemployment rate. However, along with many resources that exist for military spouse job seekers, there are ways to turn these barriers into positives, or at least minimize their impact on a transitioning military spouse’s job search.

Explain Gaps in Employment
If you have gaps in your employment due to your military service member’s frequent relocation or deployment, be sure to explain these gaps to employers. Gaps are understandable to an employer if they know your situation, so be open about the sacrifices you’ve made for your military service member’s career and our country. If your military service member is leaving the service, you could mention this in your cover letter so the prospective employer won’t have the concern of you being relocated again.

Include Community Service
Fill the employment gaps on your resume with any volunteer services that you performed on base or in the community. Describe your volunteer work in business terms, being specific about the skills you used and the numbers involved (e.g. – organized and implemented a fundraising event involving 400 people and raising $15,000 for families in need).

Emphasize Your Military Experience
As a military spouse, you have experience with military terminology and the military culture. Include this on your resume and in your cover letter, as appropriate, for the job you are targeting. This is especially useful if you will be seeking employment with a company that works closely with the military, e.g. a defense contractor, government agency, or a company with military clients.

Use Social Media
As we tell all our job seekers, get connected using Linkedin (we can’t say it enough)! Not only are recruiters using Linkedin to find candidates, but it’s also a great resource for support and mentorship. Search on keywords such as “military spouse jobs” and “military spouse network” to find and join spouse groups. By participating in group discussions you will gain information and support from those in your similar situation and open doors to possible job opportunities.

Research the Fastest Growing Industries
If you are considering a career change, research the fastest growing industries to see if any are a good match for your interests and/or skills. A list of the fastest growing occupations to the year 2018 is found in this chart developed by the U.S. Department of Labor. It includes the significant training/education needed for each occupation. The employment projections chart confirms what we know is the major trend for the best jobs of the future – they all require greater investments in education and training.

Consider More Education/Training
There is currently a wide-spread effort by schools to accommodate active-duty service members, veterans, and their spouses. Consider getting a certificate or degree for the career you are targeting. A recent survey by The Army Times on Best Schools for Vets 2013 provides annual rankings of colleges doing the most for military veterans (and spouses!). The lists include the top 4-year colleges, online-nontraditional colleges, 2-year colleges, and career and technical colleges.

Military spouses tend to have valuable skills and characteristics (independence, flexibility, selflessness, patriotism, leadership) from the military way of life that set them apart from most civilians. Okay, I might be a bit biased being a military spouse myself, but I think your strengths should be emphasized and your service to our country should be made an asset in the job search.

About the Author: Karin Durkee is a military spouse whose husband retired after 22 years of service. She is the Social Media Director for Corporate Gray and enjoys presenting workshops to local Washington, D.C. military installations on Using Social Media in Your Job Search.

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