When exiting the military, one of the biggest fears you might have is not finding a job right away. After all, just because you’re not in the military anymore doesn’t mean that your bills stop. In fact, because you might have to start paying for things like health insurance and rent where you didn’t before, the bill may even increase! Don’t panic!

So how long, exactly, will it take to find a job? That depends on a number of factors:

• When did you start to apply? It’s a good idea to begin applying for positions that are open months in advance. This is especially true for federal jobs. Most applications will ask you when you can start, and an employer that is happy with you will gladly wait in most cases. Don’t wait unti lyou’re totally out of the military to begin the job hunt!

• What kinds of jobs do you want? If you’re seeking a career that has few job openings, it will undoubtedly take long to find a job. This varies from state to state. Also, keep in mind that certain jobs simply take longer to get because the paperwork before you can state is grueling. Federal jobs, for example, often require clearnces and aptitude tests, which can take a long time.
  

• Do you have a knock-out resume and cover letter? No matter what type of job you want, your resume and cover letter will be your potential employer’s first impression of you. It will take much longer to find a job if these documents are boring and generic, filled with mistakes, and hard to read. If necessary, hire a professional resume writer to help you revise your resume and cover letter so you’re the leader of the pack for any job to which you apply.

• Where are you moving?  Before you make a final decision about where to live, check out the job opertunities available in that area, as well as the unemployment rate. Many find it more difficult to find jobs in rural areas simply because there’s not a lot of selection in fields that are desirable. It depends on you and your career dreams.

And what are the “best” jobs? Again, that depends on a number of factors. The best jobs are ones that keep the employees happy, healthy, and financially stable. These jobs vary from state to state, but some of the top jobs current which you may want to consider if you’re making the military transition, include:

• Operations or Intelligence Analyst
• Network Systems Manager
• Field Service Engineer
• Opterations Manager Logistics
• Senior Training Manager
• Comptroller
• Construction Manager
• Contacts Adminstrator
• Engineering Manager
• Human Resources Manager
• Instructor in Military College
• Instumentation/Calibration Technician
• Labor Relations Manager
• Plant Manager
• Railroad Conductor
• Recruiter
• Security Manager
• Transportation Engineers
• Traffic Manager
• Warehouse Supervisor

Source: CNN’s Money Magazine (read more here)

The bottom line? When you leave the military, have a sound financial plan so that you can take the time you need to find a job that will truely make you happy.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 at 12:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.