Guest Post: Debunking Myths of Breaking into Private Job Sectors

Today's post comes from Emma, who has been super sweet to work with. Below you can learn more about her and I really hope you enjoy her post. :)

Emma is a mid 20-something year old with a passion for life, love, fitness, and helping others. She loves to be active and get involved in as many sport and community activities as possible. Emma is currently studying to become a Career & Life Coach, and loves to network with people from around the world! Check out Emma’s blog at http://smileasithappens.blogspot.com/! 

Debunking the Myths of Breaking into Private Sector Jobs

While being an active military member can be stressful, there can be great comfort in the life and occupation you know. This may be part of the reason that many military personnel find it frightening to begin looking for a job in the private sector when they are thinking of retiring. Unfortunately, many myths about job seeking perpetuate this fear. Let’s take a look at some of these myths and begin debunking them with the truth about finding a job in the private sector:

Myth #1: No companies actively seek military veterans as employees.

Truth: Actually, a military career trains people like yourself in ways that can be valuable throughout a lifetime – offering skills and experiences that are unique and desirable. Many employers recognize this and actively search for military veterans to fill open positions. Several government incentive programs also encourage companies to hire veterans. On VeteranJobListings.com, companies seeking to hire military veterans post job listings for free, and veterans can easily apply to jobs without even creating an online account.

Myth #2: Employers don’t care about applicants.

Truth: Although there may be large numbers of applicants for a very few number of positions, employers understand the importance of finding and hiring top talent. In order to attract the best potential employees, many companies have simplified the application process by using electronic platforms such as JIBE, a company specializing in mobile recruiting. These tech-savvy companies that use JIBE make it easier for applicants to both upload their application materials and apply for jobs right from their smartphone or tablet!

Myth #3: You will be more likely to get a job if you apply for many of them.

Truth: Answering every help-wanted ad you see will not help you acquire the job that best suits you. In fact, you may be wasting your time by applying to so many jobs that you cannot properly research companies and positions in order to target those positions you find the most interesting. Instead, focus your time and efforts on looking for positions that you are both qualified for, and that you would actually like doing! Sometimes jobs aren’t always listed, so make sure to network and get involved with different companies in any way you can – the more connections you have, the more likely you are to hear about an opening early on.

Myth #4: If you have a service-related disability, no one will want to hire you.

Truth: Many programs exist to assist disabled veterans, and several of these directly assist with employment and job searching. The U.S. Department of Veterans even has on-the-job training programs available along with other rehabilitation opportunities such as on-the-job training, case management, counseling services, and more.

Transitioning to a private sector job can be a stressful situation if you aren’t armed with the correct information. Before you begin to think about your next steps after you leave the military, make sure you know the real myths out there, and the truths for each of them. Thank you for your service and sacrifice in protecting our country, and now it’s time for you to get out there and do something else you want to do for you.