With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to focus on what military veterans need to know about the process of interviewing for jobs. According to 2015 data in The Wall Street Journal, the most recent group of veterans faces a higher jobless rate than previous groups, which makes knowing how to nail your interview particularly important.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this year that these “Gulf War-era II veterans” — who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time since 9/11 — had a 7.2 percent unemployment rate in 2014. Among these jobless veterans, over half (59 percent) were 45 and older. Since older job seekers may already face discrimination from employers, veterans of a certain age may experience a double-whammy.
“The vast majority — read nearly all — veterans and transitioning warfighters have never interviewed for a job,” says Tony Palm, who has spent over 12 years as a full life cycle recruiter in both agency and corporate arenas. “So while figuring out the other components of a job search, the whole idea of sitting for an interview can make the most battle-hardened warrior tremble. Although the military has done much to improve the Transition Assistance Program since the passing of the [Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act], interviewing still remains the biggest challenge veterans face in getting hired.”
To help improve your chance for a successful job interview as a candidate who is a military veteran, consider these tips:
Conduct extensive research on the organization’s culture. Transitioning veterans, long accustomed to military culture, often overlook organizational culture, according to Palm. “Those that do not interview with an eye toward culture do so blindly, ignoring what motivated them during their military career: what an organization does and how they do it,” Palm says. Former Marine Corps officer Steve Gera calls this technique “gathering intelligence.” “Create an intelligence report on the company, people and location you are interviewing,” says Gera, who interviewed and transitioned into the National Football League as a coach with the San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns and now consults for sports teams and technology companies. “This will increase your comfort level with being outside of the military apparatus. Treat it like an operation. Know the quarterly earnings report, know the backgrounds of those you’re preparing to meet, and drive by the interview location beforehand.”
Reach out to other veterans who have successfully transitioned. One of your greatest resources may be other veterans who have landed a job through mastering the interview process. Palm suggests tapping your internal network to identify other vets who have made the transition to a civilian job, and request that they give you a mock interview with typical questions that you might be asked. As part of your preparation, you can review lists together of tough interview questions and typical interview mistakes to avoid. Practice answering the questions as if you are in an actual interview, steering clear of common errors that trip up many interviewees.
Transfer your language into “corporate speak.” Tara A. Goodfellow, who has experience working with veteran clients in her role as managing director of Athena Educational Consultants, believes the biggest challenge veterans face in an interview situation is transferring their language into corporate speak, so that those without military experience can understand what veteran candidates are trying to communicate. Since most interviews are situation-focused, interviewees need to be able to explain to their potential employer how their role in the military can help the hiring manager. Remember, your goal in the interview is to emphasize to your potential employer what’s in it for them. “I’m always amazed at the saturation of acronyms when I’m constructing a military-to-civilian resume,” Goodfellow says. “Oftentimes, I need to ask for their review so I can decode things. The goal is to state a veteran’s tasks and accomplishments in a manner that will transition easily into, say, corporate banking.”
Veteran Ryan Guina, who has worked for Fortune 500 companies and also runs a website called The Military Wallet focused on military and veterans’ benefits and transitioning from military to civilian life, offers these additional tips:
— Spell terms out in civilian language. Instead of saying, “I was a company-level or battalion-level commander,” say, “I led an organization of 200 people or 500 people.”
— Translate military ranks into equivalent civilian job titles. For example, a senior field grade officer might be equivalent to a CEO; a company grade officer might be an operations officer, and a senior noncommissioned officer might be a division supervisor.
— Remember that acronyms aren’t welcome in interviews. The military uses many acronyms, but they rarely translate from one branch of service to another, much less from the military world to the civilian world. Craft your interview answers to avoid the use of acronyms. If you must include an acronym, explain what it is, why it was important and the impact your involvement had on the mission.
Determine how your military experience translates to civilian work. While it may not be obvious at first, there’s likely a lot that you’ve done on the job in the military that can help you land the position you want as a veteran candidate. Joanie Connell, who has worked as a career coach with The Honor Foundation helping retiring Navy SEALs transition to civilian work, found that many SEALs were “surprisingly unaware” of how much of their SEAL experience was relevant to the workplace. Her advice is to spend some time before your interview thinking about how your military experience translates to civilian work. “You can practice by looking at job descriptions and seeing how your experience has prepared you for that,” Connell says. “For example, making decisions under pressure, being aware of your surroundings, working well in a team and formulating a strategy are all very important skills in the workplace.”
Robin Madell has spent over two decades as a corporate writer, journalist, and communications consultant on business, leadership and career issues. She serves as a copywriter, speechwriter and ghostwriter for executives and entrepreneurs across diverse industries, including finance, technology, health care, law, real estate, advertising and marketing. Robin has interviewed over 1,000 thought leaders around the globe and has won 20 awards for editorial excellence. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association in both New York and San Francisco, and contributed to the book “Be Your Own Mentor: Strategies from Top Women on the Secrets of Success,” published by Random House. Robin is also the author of “Surviving Your Thirties: Americans Talk About Life After 30” and co-author of “The Strong Principles: Career Success.” Connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter: @robinmadell.
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4 Interview Tips for Veterans originally appeared on usnews.com