THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 18, 1996 TAG: 9603160241
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CONNIE SLOANE BROWN, SPECIAL TO BUSINESS WEEKLY
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Entering the civilian workforce is a challenging task for most people leaving the military in Hampton Roads.
About 165,000 men and women nationwide have left the U.S. Navy since 1989 in a drawdown still underway. By the year 2000, Navy forecasts call for 395,000 personnel in uniform - 208,000 fewer than in 1989.
Veterans are entering a world saturated with equally or better qualified candidates downsized from civilian jobs. But the outlook isn't bleak.
Planning a job marketing campaign is half the battle in making a successful career transition. First you must set priorities by asking which is most important to you: money, job satisfaction or location. Prioritizing will give an effective direction to your marketing strategy.
If money is the motivating factor, look for companies that offer the highest salaries. There are various methods that could give you this type of information.
Every company has a budget and it includes various salary levels. Contact the company's human resources department and explain that you are conducting research and you would like to know what they budget for the positions you're interested in.
If human resources isn't cooperative, try the comptroller. They might be more willing to give you the figures.
If job satisfaction is the most important factor, it may require setting up informational interviews with professionals in the fields that interest you.
These interviews can give you information about current opportunities and whether your qualifications would fit.
Try contacting a manager in the company or the person in charge of hiring. Explain that you're conducting research and would like his or her expert opinion in a few areas. Go in not as a job seeker, but as a researcher seeking advice and information.
If geographic location is the most important factor, that places certain restrictions on you unless you know what employment opportunities exist in the location you like. It's best to be flexible about where you want to live.
Returning to your hometown appears normal, but if home has few good jobs, you might struggle to find decent pay. You might end up relocating anyway to find a better work.
Remember you have a product to market and sell. The product is yourself, your skills and your qualifications. Your strategic weapon is your mind. MEMO: Connie Sloane Brown of Virginia Beach, a career consultant, is the
author of Job Hunting Civilian Style.
by CNB