There are more than likely full of crap. I am an active duty O-5 in the Navy with a Master’s degree (and a Naval Academy undergraduate degree) nearing retirement and I cannot get hired. I have applied to the airlines, headhunters, and companies all over the country and nothing has been heard back. I even applied to Walamart under their “100,000” vets to employees program and they called me back and wanted to hire me as a cashier. What vet is going to want to work as a min wage worker? This is just a media ploy like Walmart’s program.
Commander, I fully sympathize. Vets with warfighting skills are regarded with a cold eye by business types who mostly never served.
Found this out myself right after Vietnam. Thank G-d, I eventually got back in & served until age 62.
Anyway, not too sure that OIF/OEF combat vets will fit in with the metrosexual culture of baristas & their typical customers.
FWIW a cup of joe from my own coffeemaker is cheap, bracing, & from what I’ve heard much better tasting than the expensive burned s*** they peddle at Starbucks.
Thank you for your service, Go Navy!, and good luck.
Have you ever thought of starting your own business? We did and it put a lot of people to work, It was hard at first, but paid off in many way as time went on. We did it
for 22 years, after retiring from the AF.
Have patience. I won’t ask why a retiring O-5 is looking at Walmart for employment ...but here’s my advice from my post service job searching as a disabled Vet from 12 years ago:
-Take your medical records and register with the VA on day 1. Although I was a Line of Duty medical discharge you’d be surprise what some Vets claim for a disability. That will provide at least a +5 for Fed hiring.
-Put your resume’ in to USAJOBS. The +5 for Vet and +5 for disability will help. Disabled vets have first preference. This is how I was eventually hired following my 3+ yr. VA Voc Rehab. It was a horrible GS-9 job but it put me in the system and reactivated my clearance which led to much better opportunities.
-Register at both Dice.com and ClearanceJobs.com. Use your clearance as the qualifier, then your qualifications. Most companies filling clearance positions prefer to train-up so applicants need only approximate job skills. Look for sucky duty stations. Those will have higher turnovers hence openings. You only need to get in. Once in you shop around for a better position. This works and works well! You must get used to picking your next ‘duty station’.
-Don’t be too fussy on job positions. Cliche’ yes but it has to be said.
-Look to Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq’s about to get an expansion of State and DoD contracts. State jobs are nice (good living quarters, bennies, etc) but the pay sucks compared to DoD contracts.
-Be flexible. As an O5 your organizational and management skills are tops vs. most private sector and entry level applicants. You’ve worked with people and in situations which have no civilian equivalent. Private sector companies and Federal contractors hire ex-military for this very reason.
-Be persistent. It took me a year and a half and ~150 applications to get a job via USAJOBS. Once I got in the cleared job field I’ve been able to pick my jobs ever since.
Best of luck! Hope to see you soon.