Three career tips for service to civilian job hunting

By: Tony Doster, Entrepreneur and Career Transition Coach

1. Networking

The first activity for anyone in a career transition is to create a network of friends, (former) co-workers, service unit members, family and others to support them.

This network serves as a "first alert" to positions which may be available, works to introduce the job seeker to their acquaintances (who also have "feelers" about pending job openings), and provides advice and accountability.

It doesn't have to be approached as a "woe is me" process, but rather one of confidence and willing to also assist those who are helping you.

2. Resume

This is often made out to be a more difficult process that it has to be. In fact, there are many available applications available to create well-constructed resumes.

Joining LinkedIn.com and entering in your job history, will give you access to thousands of job openings that allow your LinkedIn profile to substitute as your resume.

Going the traditional paper route? Clear layouts, no misspellings, having the relevant skill sets, educational achievements, clear job titles and complete work history listed can also make the difference in a successful application.

3. Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

There's nothing more discouraging for a job seeker than to send out dozens of resumes only to never get a response.

Many organizations use an ATS to scan for keywords and other attributes which filters out unqualified applicants.

If your resume can't get past these mechanical evaluations, then there is little chance of an interview.

Jobscan.co provides a free resume scan tool helping you build a resume with the best chance at getting that interview.