The Interview
How to apply using a resume and cover letter
Top ten Resume tips
Why a Cover Letter is necessary
The Interview
How to find available positions
Finding companies that are hiring for the position you want can be a daunting task. TerminalLeave.com recommends that you do some research to find companies in your area that offer the position that you would like (a simple google.com search should do the trick) or locally focused job sites such as jobing.com. Once you know the company names, go to each of their websites or call each company to see if they are hiring for your desired position. Other ways to find available positions are to use search engines, look in the Classifieds section of your local news paper (check in both large news papers and small newspapers and check the newspaper websites), craigslist.org, or in many cases, if you are a college graduate, the Career Services Center at your college or university will still be available to you.
How to apply using an application process
Depending on the job position, you may not need a resume, in which case you only need to fill out an application. There are a few ways in which you can do this. Many companies will have their applications for employment on their website for you to download and fill out, other companies require you to come into the office and fill it out. Others have the applications available to pick up and for you to fill out and bring back at your convenience. Choose whichever way suits you best, but if you decide to fill the application out at the company, be sure to bring the following information with you:
Name, address, phone number and supervisor’s name for all previous jobs
Dates of employment
Three (3) business and personal references including their company and contact information. It is important that you call each person to let them know that you will be using their name as a reference.
The names and addresses of all of the schools that you have attended
Filling out the application
Be sure to fill out the application entirely. (do not leave anything blank)
Take your time and be sure to check your spelling.
In the Job Description section, list the activities you did in the military in layman’s terms, meaning, do not use acronyms or military words when describing the work you did.
Read the job description and qualifications and try to match your experiences in the military to each one (or as many as you can).
For example – if the job calls for Customer Service Skills and you worked as a Personnel Administrator in the military, describe the job as “Used customer service skills to ensure military personnel received the proper benefits and answered any questions they had regarding salary, benefits, moving, policy changes, etc.”
Find out the person who is responsible for hiring the position you seek. Find out that person's position’s name, title and direct phone number. Two to three days after submitting your application follow up with that person and let them know that you are interested in the position and that you have submitted your resume.
The Interview
The interview is a great time for you to get to meet your potential employer (and for him/her to meet you). The interview will determine whether or not you are a good fit for the position and for the company. This will be your potential employer’s first impression of you, so you will want to put your best foot forward.
Below are some tips to help you prepare for and during the interview:
Preparation:
1. Know the position for which you are interviewing.
2. Be familiar with what they are looking for in a candidate.
3. Be aware of how your work experience will benefit the company.
4. Research the company. For example, visit their website and know what they do, how do they do it and who are their competitors.
5. Come prepared with two to three questions about the company and your potential position. Many of your questions may be answered during the interview. However, there will usually be time at the end of the interview when they will ask you if you have any questions. It is important to ask at least one question.
6. Be prepared with some of your “strengths and weaknesses”.
7. Bring a typed list of your references and their contact information.
8. Dress appropriately. Both male and female applicants should be well groomed and dressed in suits. This is strongly advised.
9. Be on time (10 minutes early is best).
10. Smile and make eye contact when you shake the interviewer’s hand.
11. Speak clearly (do not mumble).
12. If you are really interested in the job, let the interviewer know that.
13. Ask what the next steps are in the hiring process. Be enthusiastic.
14. Write a thank you note and mail it the same day as the interview. Although you can also write an e-mail thank you note, we recommend a handwritten note. BE SURE TO CHECK SPELLING AND GRAMMER.
15. Follow up with the interviewer in a few days, if you have not heard from him/her.
How to apply using a resume and cover letter
Many positions will require you to submit a resume and cover letter in order to be considered for the position. Keep in mind that your resume and cover letter are your potential employer’s first impression of you. You want it to be eye catching, accurate, concise and relevant to the job you are applying for.
Terminal Leave’s top ten resume musts are below. Please use them as a guide to help you put your best foot forward.
Top Ten Resume Tips
1. Include all relevant contact information: Name, Address, Phone Number and E-mail
*A word about e-mail. Be sure to use an appropriate e-mail address. If your personal e-mail address is something like cutiepie@gmail.com, consider creating a new account for your job search.
2. Update your objective for every job that you apply for. Try to make it relevant to the specific qualities that you are looking for in a job as well as what that specific company is looking for in a candidate.
3. List your experience starting with your most recent position. If majority of your work experience has been in your particular service, then break it out according to your different positions and responsibilities. Treat each job that you held in the military as a separate job with unique requirements, responsibilities and accomplishments.
4. Read the job description and qualifications and try to match your experiences in the military to each one (or as many as you can).
5. Use bullet points and short sentences to describe your work experience.
6. Use action verbs to begin each bullet point on your resume. For example, instead of: “I worked with a team to negotiate defense contracts.” You could say: “Negotiated defense contracts in a team environment.” Other good action verbs are: motivated, initiated, activated, created, directed, discovered, communicated, engineered and launched.
7. Emphasize your accomplishments in each position. What were your greatest accomplishments and how will they translate into success in the job you are applying for.
8. Be sure to back up your statements with data, if possible. Instead of “Increased productivity by streamlining processes” say “Increased productivity by 40% in one year by streamlining processes”. Or instead of “Responsible for supply purchases” you could say “Responsible for purchasing approximately $100,000 in supplies, monthly”.
9. Use familiar terms. Be sure to list the activities you did in the military in layman’s terms, meaning, do not use acronyms or military words when describing the work your responsibilities.
10. PROOF READ, PROOF READ, PROOF READ
Why is a Cover Letter is necessary?
For one thing, many companies won’t even look at a resume that does not have a cover letter, but more importantly, it can show a potential employer how your military skills can easily translate into their civilian job qualifications and rolls. A cover letter is an opportunity for you to explain why you are the best person for the job and how your experience will benefit their company.
It is important for you to update your cover letter for each position that you are applying for. Try incorporating some of the wording in the job description into your cover letter. Every job is unique, and therefore it requires a unique cover letter. We are not suggesting that you need to rewrite your cover letter for each job, but you should take some extra time to ensure it is relevant to each job you apply for.
Some other important cover letter tips are: Keep it short (3-4 paragraphs/less than one page), write it in proper business letter format, highlight some of your accomplishments in the military or in school, address it to a specific person (if possible) and make sure there are not any spelling or grammatical errors.
A good way to end your cover letter is to ask for the opportunity to meet with the potential employer. Let them know that you will be following up in 3 days (for example) and be sure to follow through!
The Interview
The interview is a great time for you to get to meet your potential employer (and for them to meet you) to determine whether or not you are a good fit for the position and for the company. Up to this point, they only know you by your resume, so you will want to put your best foot forward. Below are some tips to help you prepare for and during the interview.
Preparation:
1. Know the position you are interviewing for.
2. Be familiar with what they are looking for in a candidate.
3. Know how your work experience will benefit the company.
4. Research the company (go on their website – what do they do, how do they do it, who are their competitors).
5. Prepare 2-5 questions about the company and the position (Some of your questions will probably be answered during the interview, but there will usually be time at the end of the interview when they will ask you if you have any questions – always ask at least one question).
6. Be prepared with some “strengths and weaknesses”.
7. Bring a typed list of your references and their contact information.
8. Dress nice (suit and tie for men & suit for women, in most cases) and be well groomed (hair, nails, cleanly shaven (men), etc.).
9. Be on time (5 minutes early is best).
10. Smile and make eye contact when you shake the interviewers hand.
11. Speak clearly (do not mumble).
12. If you are really interested in the job, let the interviewer know that.
13. Ask what the next steps are in the hiring process.
14. Write a thank you note and mail it the same day (you can also write an e-mail thank you note, but we recommend a handwritten note.) BE SURE TO CHECK SPELLING AND GRAMMAR.
15. Follow up with the interviewer in a few days, if you have not heard from him/her.
