The following letter is authored by Evan Guzman. Evan is a nationally recognized leader with over two decades of experience in strategic corporate development, employment marketing & branding. As former Global Head of Military Programs and Engagement for Verizon; Evan’s responsibilities included creation, development, implementation, and oversight of Verizon’s new military engagement program and national branding efforts. Evan’s passion and experience has led Verizon to receive the #1 ranking on the Best For Vets list for two consecutive years by Military Times Edge Magazine. In addition, Evan’s individual efforts have been recognized by former President George W. Bush & former First Lady Michelle Obama, the White House-Joining Forces, Department of Defense, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and many other reputable establishments.
Dear Transitioning Service Members & Military Spouses,
First, It is important for you to know how much I appreciate your service to our country. I’d like to express my gratitude by sharing my personal thoughts and information to better equip you during your career transition and job search. Oh, and don’t forget about the hyperlinks provided.
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I’ll start off by saying that your transition is going to be a different kind of challenge. The type of challenge that will require a reliable and effective resource. People. After a long career in recruiting and hiring veterans, I’ve heard it all. “I am not sure what I want to do”, “I don’t know anyone outside of the military”, “I applied to hundreds of jobs”, “I attended a dozen hiring and networking events”, or “I never heard back about that job!” It no longer has to be this way.
What if I told you that there is a digital platform that was specifically designed to accelerate your career transition success? Would that grab your attention? It should, because your transition is not going to be easy and will require some reinforcements.
Around 80% of jobs are not posted online. This is referred to as the “hidden jobs market”. Those who find jobs in this hidden market are individuals who effectively network with other people. The other 20% of jobs that are posted online, will be a maze of confusion and fierce competition with multitudes of candidates already ahead of you. I found that even setting up early job alerts does not improve your chances. However, mentoring and networking will.
In 2015, I wrote an article titled 3 Top Tips for Service Members Entering the Civilian Job Market. In this article I emphasized the importance of preparing and the value of networking. While it still holds true today, I wrote that article before I heard and piloted a new digital platform called Veterati. Otherwise, I would have titled it 4 Top Tips. This platform is truly a force multiplier and I want to ensure you leverage this resources to your advantage.
So, What is Veterati?
Veterati is the only digital mentorship and career networking platform exclusively for transitioning service members, veterans & military spouses. During your transition you will be plagued with questions. Veterati helps you connect with the right people to find answers to common questions related to employment, education and entrepreneurship. This is achieved by automatically connecting you with business professionals in various industries, companies, and others with expertise in many areas. It all happens through personal conversations using your mobile phones. In other words, Veterati helps you prepare and network at the same time. Keep that in mind.
So, How does Veterati Work?
It takes 2 minutes to sign up using your LinkedIn account. If you don’t have an account yet, find out more about a free LinkedIn Premium Account for Veterans. Once you are signed up you can begin to preview potential mentors and book one-hour sessions with them in an instant.
Once you book a session you can sync it up to your calendar. Prior to your scheduled session you will receive text messages to confirm and prep for your mentorship conversation. When the time of your scheduled session begins Veterati will call your phone and automatically connect you with your mentor at no cost. It is that easy. Here is a great article on Militarydotcom that will provide more details for you.
So, How will Veterati Help Me With My Transition and Job Search?
Veterati empowers you to take charge of your transition by offering you a way to connect with people who volunteer their time to be your mentor. Mentors help you figure things out to make informed decisions. Mentors prepare you for hiring events, interviews, resumes, and so much more. Here is the best part… Mentors are people who can help you tap into the hidden jobs market, and expand your social network by referring you to others they know. Boom! This is part of how you network-to-get-work.
One last thing, Veterati mentors are also grateful Americans who are committed to your success and who want to say more than “Thank you for your service”. Some will even do the mentor-dance if they help you land a job.
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