Professor teaching from the blackboard. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

If you are looking for a career that offers zen-like tranquility, it may be time to pull out the sewing machine — or the drill press.

Well, tranquility may not necessarily be what you get with a drill press, but their operators reportedly have one of the lowest-stress jobs in the nation. Along with seamstresses and eight other occupations, drill press operators made the cut on the 2013 list of least stressful jobs, according to CareerCast.com. Continue Reading

There is no doubt in my mind that the job market is tough overall and even tougher for newly transitioning veterans. You would be hard pressed not to find blog after blog and LinkedIn post after post that identifies the reasons why the market is so tough for our Nation’s Heroes. There is no shortage of people identifying what the Government can do or what companies can do to help our veterans.

Social media is an ever growing, ever changing, powerful tool for a job seeker. When I present a workshop on How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search to transitioning military members, every month I have to tweak my presentation to keep up with the changes to the social media sites, such as Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter.

But one thing stays constant in my presentations — the reason to leverage social media in your job search is to:
1. Get noticed, 2. Build connections, and 3. Find opportunities.

If you are a veteran looking ahead to your next career move, there are some steps you can take to prepare for it.  The following post offers them to assist you with transitioning into a civilian career.

One of the first questions to cross a transitioning veteran’s mind is when is the best time to begin their career search. In most cases, the right answer is approximately 18 months from the date you plan to begin your next career. Based on that timeline, you can use the following checklist as a guide to ensure you are doing everything possible to prepare for your transition.

Every year in November, job seekers get discouraged that no-one is hiring and stop their search activities until January. Is this you?

Make the last two months of the year work for you, instead of against you.

Step 1: Review all your marketing materials and update them.

Use a clear head and mind to review your resume, social media profiles, cover letters, and email signatures.
* does each portray you as the best match for the job you are seeking?
* are you demonstrating your past successes in terms of your future goals?
* would you hire you?

Who better to pick the brain of than Pete Johnson of Northeast Florida’s “WorkSource” for advice on veterans’ employment matters and insight into the Navy’s Transition Assistance Program (aka “TAP”). Regarding military transitions, Johnson says, “I’m living them daily!” His average day consists of a barrage of calls and emails from transitioning service members and veterans seeking either transition or employment assistance. Counseling these clients one-on-one is his true passion.