In the military, did you have one boss who liked you? Appreciated your work? Talked to you about your performance or prospects? Ranked you pretty highly against your peers? In military life, we call that person your boss. Out here in Job Hunt Land, we call that person a mentor.
That’s right, veteran, you have had mentorship. You might not recognize it because you have watched “Caddyshack” so many times that you think mentorship comes from an old guy in plaid pants on the golf course. Or from a wannabe guru. So you got that going for you.
In a military transition, that is not how mentorship works anymore. It is more of an iron-sharpens-iron kind of thing. You are a quality worker, and you can be as useful to your mentor as they are to you.
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Who Mentors Veterans?
A modern mentor for a military job seeker can be a past boss, but the mentor can also be a former subordinate who has been working in the civilian world for a few years. A mentor can come from highly rated veteran service organizations. A lot of mentorship can come from a paid career coach.
So many mentors are available, the problem for most transitioning active-duty service members and military veterans is not how to find a mentor. Instead, their problem is not knowing the rules.
- How do you interact with a mentor in a way that yields real job prospects for you and real benefit for them?
- How do you identify someone who understands where military experience meets market demand?
- How do you find someone who can tell you where you are going wrong and what you need to do to fix it?
This is where we come in.
Free Master Class: How to Find the Career Mentor You Need on the Job Hunt
Our newest free master class, Iron Sharpens Iron: How to Find the Career Mentor You Need on the Job Hunt, is set to start Thursday, July 17, at 4 p.m. Eastern. Sign up today!
In this 60-minute class, you will learn:
- What they mean by “mentorship” during the veteran job hunt and how it can help you get a better job offer.
- When and how to approach past bosses and mentors in a way that will not be an imposition on them but will benefit you both.
- How to signal that you would welcome frank and honest instruction on how you appear to hiring managers.
- Where to find all the hidden sources of mentorship available to veterans and spouses on the job hunt, especially in Fortune 500 companies.
- How to shape and conduct your meetings with a formal mentor for optimal benefit to both parties.
- How to act on advice in a way that spurs even more opportunities.
- How to identify a certified career coach who can help with your transition.
Finding a helpful, committed mentor during your job hunt and learning how to conduct the relationship professionally are enviable skills. Sign up today and learn everything to know at our mentorship master class and cut months off your job hunt.
Find the Right Veteran Job
Whether you want to polish your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Subscribe to Military.com to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox.
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