Top "8 Things" Tip #5: Get to Know the Work, Not Just The Idea of the Work

      This one may sound odd....so let me explain.  The idea of being an accountant, a graphic designer, a production supervisor, a teacher, a marketing manager, a park ranger, a police officer, a politician or an advertising executive, etc may all sound sexy and exciting to you.  

As you think about what it is you think you want to do, it is important to dream a little bit....maybe 

even create a list of these occupations that seem to draw your attention...BUT the next important 

step that people often overlook is to really envision and imagine the types of tasks you will likely 

have to do each day working in each of these jobs.  The key here is to really understand the work, 

NOT just the idea of the work. 

I'll give you an example:

If you are thinking about wanting to be a park ranger because you love the outdoors, that is 

definitely a great start; but take it a step further.  As far as job tasks you may have to perform you 

might be expected to enforce laws, clean up trash and bathrooms, conduct interpretive 

presentations for visitors, do trail maintenance, "man" the desk at a visitor center and work on 

evenings and weekends. At first glance, this job may sound great and may really touch on an 

interest area of loving the outdoors, but maybe you don't really want to be a "cop" or be away from 

your family all summer or on weekends, or only have seasonal work, since most jobs are not full 

time. This is what I mean when I say, you need to really understand the work.

If you don’t have a really solid understanding of what the work is for each of the potential job 

fields/careers that you have listed, then do RESEARCH. This thing called "the world wide web" or 

"internet" is a great source and a perfect place to start. Search for professional organizations that 

may apply to the career field you are interested in and reach out to members of these organizations.  

Tell them what you think you are interested in doing, and ask them lots of questions about what 

they really do on a daily basis. If you are truly interested in learning, they will typically be willing to 

help. It's not like you are asking them for a job (nor should you!), but you never know where things 

can lead. 

Grow your network and continue to network your butt off! You can never do it enough. Get on

ISABRD (for you Academy graduates, http://www.isabrd.com), go to your school alumni websites or 

go to alumni happy hours if the area you live in has them.  LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com)is also a 

place to connect and find people, since you can search by companies, job titles, or cities, etc. Read 

job listings on sites like www.monster.com, or www.indeed.com or any local jobs sites and see what 

types of tasks and responsibilities the posting says you should expect to do in the role. It is not 

enough to just read about a type of job and conjure up in your mind what you think the work is. 

Find someone who is actually doing it and ask them lots questions. Then be honest with yourself 

about whether you think this type of career could be a good fit.

Find fellow veterans and JMOs who have already made the transition, and I am sure they will be 

very willing to help you...if you approach them in the right way (ie, with respect and not just saying I 

want a job like yours). Remember, people will be more likely to help if you are interested in their 

career field, as opposed to just wanting them to give you a job.  In this economy, good jobs are not 
easy to come by, you will have to do work. 

If you truly understand the work and not just the idea of the work, you will have a much better 

chance of putting yourself on a career path that could be a good fit.  Trust me on this one, as I 

have made this mistake myself by falling in love with the "idea of a job." If you look at my LinkedIn 

profile, you can probably figure out pretty quickly which job wasn't a good fit for me as a result of 

me not doing enough research.  Please learn from my mistakes and you will save yourself a lot of 

time, wasted energy and maybe even money.

Enjoy the search,

Greg

Top "8 Things" Tip #4: Strongly Consider Graduate School

Sorry it has taken me a few weeks to get to this next post....my day job has been keeping me busy.

I spoke to this topic of business school in an earlier post (See post on Tip #2).  If you even think that you want to enter the business world, I highly recommend going back to school full-time to get an MBA. Whether you want to be an operations leader, a marketing manager or even a small business owner or an entrepeneur, going back to school to solidify your business acumen can never hurt you.  It will strengthen your resume and can often give you opportunities that you would not have with only a BA or BS. When I worked at P&G, the majority of Associate Brand Managers that were hired into Marketing, all came from business school.  (If you have other career interests outside of business, look into what graduate school can enable as well. Maybe you have an interest in working outdoors, so a Masters in Forestry might be of interest.  Maybe you want to be a politician or work for a non-profit...a Masters in Public Administration could also be helpful. In all cases,  research what opportunities in your field of interest an advanced degree might enable).

Now...back to B-School....the other advantage of going to business school full-time is that it will give you more time and opportunity to really explore career opportunities, while you are still in school.  You will have the ability to take advantage of internships and network with other students.  I really recommend going back to school if you have a strong geographical preference, because it gets you back to where you want to be quickly AND gives you the opportunity to make yourself a part of the community.  The other benefit is that it will help you re-civilianize yourself...as you can get more accustomed to life outside of the military and a more typical social life.

The last reason I mention school is that most of you who have served post 9/11 , should have school benefits to utilize.  You will have to do your own research on the Post 911 GI Bill (http://www.gibill.va.gov/benefits/post_911_gibill/index.html),  but it would be a shame to not utilize this wonderful benefit that the government offers you for your service. If you are married with kids, I know it may sound more difficult to become a full-time student, but find a way to make it happen. You may have to downsize, or be poor for a few years....but in the end, I guarantee that this will be worth it. If you can’t convince your wife, send me an e-mail….I will help you convince her, as this is one of the bigger regrets that I personally had when I think about my transition.

I did end up getting my MBA, but it took me 3 1/2 years part-time to complete and it was a GRIND...especially when I did most of it with a newborn in the house. I was also 5 years into my career, by the time I started school. Trust me, if you can make it happen, before you settle into a full-time job, a mortgage payment, etc....I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend it.

Best of luck in your search...more posts will be coming soon!