I am not sure if this is the correct location, however....
I retired from active duty with the US Coast Guard back in 2008 and took a position at CG Headquarters essentially doing the same type of work I was doing just before I retired; contingency planning. My background is varied but essentially covers anything maritime related; security, counter-terrorism, shipping etc. Several of these positions also utilized business and systems analysis experience which apply to the BA world of work on the "outside" but again, all the experience is military related. Despite applying for low level BA positions, or even PM positions, to get that start in the corporate side of things, I am hearing things like "military expereince isn't as good as corporate" or "we don't have the type of structured environment you are used to."
I have several professional certifications and enough education to more than cover those requirements but I can't seem to get past the "you have no experience" idea or even when going for an entry-level position, "you have no corporate experience but are overqualified due to work history."
I guess the question here is, how does a person relay to a company that no, I don't need a miltary structured environment in order to function and in fact prefer to work in a more relaxed atmosphere and/or why companies out there see military experience as less valuable than corporate? I can't change my work history.
Thanks
Lynne,
Avoid companies that believe your military experience is somehow inferior to corporate experience. These hiring managers and companies are apparently very unaware and naive about what military experience can bring to the table. It's almost always an immediate plus in the leadership and project management column. If they can't see that, then you won't be happy working there.
Company culture is however important. So the comment that they may have a more unstructured environment than you are used to is a valid concern. To over come this, I suggest you get some start-up or small business experience under you belt. These are the most unstructured organizations. It shows that you can work in that kind of environment and that you can adapt to the culture.
When it comes to start-ups, they are typically resource constrained. So you can often find a company where they might benefit from your skillset and volunteer your skills part-time (maybe 10 hours per week). This will help you get the experience you need and also help with career networking. If you are in an area where few start-ups exist, don't dismay. Most start-up roles can be done remotely anyway.
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