With an estimated 185,000 Service Members due to reenter the civilian workforce in 2009, many Internal Recruiters are seeing extremely non-traditional, Veteran resumes hitting their desks. And while many of these resumes can be rather cryptic, there is a growing body of knowledge in terms of translating military experience into resume-speak. Furthermore, many hiring organizations have developed their own aptitude in terms of understanding ‘likeness of work’ and some have even instituted customized training programs geared at transferring military knowledge to specific roles within the company. A perfect example is that of Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company that actively recruits departing Navy members who have graduated from the Navy Nuclear Power Program. In this regard, significant progress has been made, both on the side of the military as well as private industry.
However, speaking from my own personal experience (gained as a result of leaving Marine Corps active duty in mid-1999, as well as assisting disabled veterans at the VA Hospital in Atlanta, GA with their newfound career searches), I believe the greatest risk a departing Service Member faces is the notion of military bearing. Marines, in particular, have a difficult time leaving their military bearing at the door, mainly because it is an integral part of what makes a Marine who he or she is. It is ingrained from the first moment you step on the yellow footprints at Paris Island . . . and throughout your career.
So what exactly is military bearing? The responses would be varied, but most would be in the way of acting with honor, dignity, self-discipline, tact, etc. A perfect example of military bearing would include the full realm of Kevin Bacon’s conduct through the HBO documentary, “Taking Chance.” There are moments where we can see Bacon’s internal torment when facing Chance’s family upon escorting his body to them, however he maintains his military bearing as a testament to not only his honor of the Marine Corps, but also to Chance himself, as well as his Mother and Father. In fact, Bacon is so dedicated to Chance that even cracking a smile is heavily calculated under the circumstances.
The problem is that acting with military bearing during an interview is that it can be interpreted by the untrained eye as a tendency to be “overly robotic” or “personality-less.” To someone who hasn’t served, this type of behavior can often be judged incorrectly. The paradox is that the Service Member may be exhibiting the highest level of respect for the interviewer, however the interviewer may perceive this as being disrespectful or “guarded”, “stoic”, or “as if they are hiding something.”
If I can convey anything to my fellow Recruiters today, it’s that education frees the mind . . . and simply digesting the fact, that years of maintaining military bearing in difficult situations is not a quality easily disregarded for a 1-hr interview, will open your mind to what the candidate may be feeling. Sprinkle in the fact that the candidate is likely quite nervous, and their most natural inclination will be to maintain their military bearing as a way to overcome this emotion. A way for the interviewer to break down that barrier is to simply state that you would like to get to know the candidate personally, and while it may be difficult, you’d like them to relax their military bearing and open up as best they can. This simple act takes less than 10 seconds and can shift the entire aura of the conversation into one where you can truly gauge fit. Good luck!
Josh:
Well done and very sound advice. Ex-military candidates make excellent employees. Work ethic alone is a bonus.
As a former soldier, one of the services I’ve been able to help with in our organization is translating military resumes for hiring managers. For many they don’t understand the jargon, the terminology, understanding differencs between EM’s, NCO’s, and Officers, etc.
We have always benefitted by hiring former service men and women, even a Marine or two
Josh,
Thanks for your post. I find this article very interesting as I am also a former Marine, and I currently assist transitioning veterans who are seeking new careers throughout Corporate America. We at Bradley-Morris, Inc. help introduce employers to the military-experienced talent pool via our recruiting services, and in the process, we offer veterans free assistance with resume writing, company research, and interviewing techniques.
The main interviewing advice we give to military job seekers is 1.) Translate your experience into civilian terms and 2.) stay away from military jargon (whether writing your resume or during the interview). Related to this, I also have faith that your military training has taught you when to put on your Drill Instructor Cap and when to relax and be more open. As such, we remind military job seekers to adjust to the demeanor of the interviewer, and / or the position. Some companies prefer to recruit level-headed individuals. Production companies, for instance, want someone who can stay focused during the demanding process-oriented environment in a production facility. On the other hand, candidates for sales roles must adjust their “bearing” to highlight their personality and people-skills.
In short, if you stay away from the “yes sir”s and “no sir”s after every statement, and customize your delivery for the specific position, you will do well. Above all, relax and be cognizant of who is interviewing you.
I’ve helped hundreds of civilian companies recruit military candidates for their civilian positions and have rarely if ever heard a negative comment regarding our candidates’ military bearing.
Thanks again for bringing always appreciated attention to the value of military job seekers in Corporate America!
Semper Fi,
Justin
Justin Henderson
Bradley-Morris, Inc. (BMI)
http://www.Bradley-Morris.com
Delivering Military-Experienced Talent to America’s Top Companies
Employer blog: http://www.HireMilitary.com
Military job seeker blog: http://www.MilitarytoCivilian.com
Josh,
Great insight as ususal! Educate, educate – learn about your candidates background, environment, skill sets, educational experience, what leadership training is about in the service, etc.
I would also encourage recruiters to break the framework they have in their heads of what the “military” member is about from the media. Tap into the abilities of the disabled Veteran and don’t look at the physical impairment OR non-apparent impairment as who THEY are! Look beyond.
Angela Guidroz
Recruitment Manager, Military Sourcing and Strategy
Sodexo
Talent Acquisition Group
T: 225 627 5525
Mb: 225 333 2837
F: 225 627 4473
angela.guidroz@sodexo.com
In my 12 years in startups running business operations and partaking in recruiting and hiring, I have had great experience with two veterans. One who served in Kuwait conflict and one from several rounds in Iraq. Fortunately, both took some software development training while serving and later quickly hopped into school to get official degrees. They were definitely great employees and stories we heard from them were very educational. We sure had an opportunity to taste the MREs… not something I would want to consume for more than a week.
That all said, author of the article is correct, it is up to YOU to set the tone. But it is also up to the candidate to do his best to put their resume and efforts into proverbial “DMZ”. Best ones will adapt and their character and maturity will help them be great team members.
Josh,
I am a recently separated Army officer and veteran and agree very much with what you said. I am currently an HR manager and have implemented several hiring practices (dealing with ACAP, veteran employment groups, etc.) to help increase veteran recruitment. I think the hardest innitial step for many separating vets is translating their military skills into civilian terms. The accomplishments and responsibility of many young men and women far exceed that of their civiilan counterparts, but they can struggle sometimes to get that across to prospective employers. What advice would you give current vets on the job market on how to brand themselves and their abilities/accomplishments to maximize their appeal to employers?
In short, if you stay away from the “yes sir”s and “no sir”s after every statement, and customize your delivery for the specific position, you will do well. Above all, relax and be cognizant of who is interviewing you.Good Luck
Rather actually! As a former soldier, one of the services I’ve been able to help with in our organization is translating military resumes for hiring managers. For many they don’t understand the jargon, the terminology, understanding differencs between EM’s, NCO’s, and Officers, etc.
The interesting information, the tonic on a note! Great insight as ususal! Educate, educate – learn about your candidates background, environment, skill sets, educational experience, what leadership training is about in the service, etc.
The accomplishments and responsibility of many young men and women far exceed that of their civiilan counterparts, but they can struggle sometimes to get that across to prospective employers..GooD luck!