How To Use Your Military Experience To Master The Interview

Are you transitioning from a military career to the civilian workforce? Congratulations on your decision! While the transition may seem daunting, your military experience has equipped you with valuable skills and attributes that can lead to success in the civilian job market. By effectively leveraging your military experience during interviews, you can impress potential employers and secure a rewarding civilian career.

Understand Your Marketable Skills

Before attending an interview, take the time to identify your marketable skills. Think about the tasks you performed and the responsibilities you held during your military service. Consider the specific technical skills you acquired, such as operating specialized equipment or systems. Also, reflect on the soft skills you developed, such as leadership, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving.

During the interview, emphasize these skills as they can effectively demonstrate your ability to excel in various work environments. Highlight specific examples from your military experience where you utilized these skills and achieved success. Utilize your military background to differentiate yourself from other candidates and show employers the unique value you can bring to their organization.

Heroes Get Hired: How To Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview

by Michelle Tillis Lederman (Kindle Edition)

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2047 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	183 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

Translate Your Military Jargon

While your military experience is valuable, it is essential to communicate effectively with civilian employers. Many military terms and acronyms are unfamiliar to civilians, so it is crucial to translate your military jargon into civilian language during interviews.

Before the interview, create a list of common military terms or acronyms used in your previous role. Then, come up with civilian equivalents for each term. This will help you explain your military experience in a way that employers can understand. Avoid overwhelming them with technical details and jargon. Instead, focus on conveying the essence of your accomplishments, responsibilities, and skills in terms that resonate with civilian employers.

Showcase Leadership and Problem-Solving Abilities

Military experience often equips individuals with strong leadership and problem-solving skills. These are qualities highly sought after by employers from various industries. During the interview, highlight instances where you demonstrated effective leadership or problem-solving abilities.

Describe situations where you successfully managed a team or led a project to achieve objectives. Discuss challenging scenarios that required quick thinking, adaptability, and resourcefulness to overcome obstacles. Employers appreciate candidates who can analyze complex situations, make sound decisions, and inspire others to success.

Emphasize Adaptability and Resilience

Adaptability and resilience are two crucial traits developed through military service. Civilian employers value individuals who can quickly adapt to new environments, handle pressure, and bounce back from setbacks. Your military experience likely provided numerous opportunities for you to demonstrate these traits.

Share stories during the interview that illustrate your adaptability and resilience. Discuss situations where you encountered unexpected challenges or changes and successfully adjusted your approach to achieve positive outcomes. Employers want to see that you can thrive in dynamic work environments and possess the mental fortitude to persevere in the face of adversity.

Research the Company and Industry

Prior to your interview, research the company and industry you are applying to. Understand their core values, mission, and recent developments. By demonstrating knowledge about the organization and industry, you convey your enthusiasm and commitment.

Furthermore, when researching the company, identify areas where your military experience aligns with their needs or goals. This knowledge allows you to tailor your responses during the interview to showcase your relevance and value to the organization.

Practice, Practice, Practice

As with any interview, practice is essential. Develop responses to common interview questions and rehearse them aloud. Pay attention to your tone, body language, and overall delivery.

Consider seeking assistance from career counselors or mentors experienced with military-to-civilian transitions. They can offer guidance, conduct mock interviews, and provide valuable feedback.

Mastering the interview as a military veteran requires understanding and effectively communicating your transferable skills, showcasing your leadership and problem-solving abilities, emphasizing your adaptability and resilience, researching the company, and practicing your interview skills. By utilizing these techniques, you can leverage your military experience to impress potential employers and secure a successful civilian career.

Heroes Get Hired: How To Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview

by Michelle Tillis Lederman (Kindle Edition)

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2047 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	183 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

“Our returning troops and their family members can offer an extraordinary combination of leadership, dedication and technical expertise in today’s civilian workplace. The information and advice contained in this book is designed to prepare our service members to successfully make the transition from active-duty service to a meaningful job here at home.” --Michael E. O’Neill, Chairman, Citigroup Inc.,First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, 1969-1971

Going back to work after being in the military can be a daunting yet rewarding experience. As a veteran re-entering the workforce or looking to change jobs, you may face a unique set of challenges as you become accustomed to civilian situations, expectations, and demands. Your recent experiences may be very different from those of the average civilian candidate. This is part of your advantage and what sets you apart from other candidates, but it also can contribute to these unique challenges.

As you go through the job-interview process, you may need to learn to align yourself with new protocols, environments, and codes of behavior. You may also be learning to adapt to civilian life with certain physical or invisible difficulties, such as hearing loss, that are the result of your military service.

In Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview, author Michelle Tillis Lederman addresses the particular issues, questions, fears, and mental roadblocks that you as a veteran may encounter as you re-enter the civilian workforce, and how you can overcome these challenges to acquire the skills you need to excel at the interview process. Featuring contributions from IAVA and MSCCN, this free book sheds light on the specific strengths and competitive advantages that you as a veteran bring to the civilian workforce, and how you can make sure to communicate these qualities to a recruiter or potential employer.

The enhanced edition features a video message from Medal of Honor Recipient Col. Jack Jacobs, Ret., and 20 videos that demonstrate best conduct during the interview process.

It’s time to put aside any fears you may have and land your next job!