Cover Photo by RDNE Stock project
We spoke with Tara Carlidge, Recruiting Manager at Citi and former Personnel Officer in the U.S. Army, to ask her about what most companies think about translating seniority level for veterans to the corporate/civilian world. Here’s what we learned:
To start, education and experience level are always valued and considered. Companies also value the leadership traits that you bring to the organization, so if you were at a seniority level in the military, your leadership skills are taken into account and valued. Proven success in leadership increases your chances of being hired for a senior-level position where you will be directing multiple people and working on multiple projects at a time.
That being said, if you don’t have direct experience to the role you’re coming into, it’s OK to take a junior role. This can be helpful to you and your future in the company because it gives you the opportunity to build the basic skills to set you up for success. After all, this could lead to promotions within the organization, because you can use this time to prove yourself – working hard and learning the company’s systems to become better at your job and get promoted at a faster rate.
How to Be Flexible While Looking for Civilian Roles was originally published on WayUp (March, 2021)
Looking at Civilian Job Descriptions
Look at the job description and assess the qualifications. See if you have a background in the field and/or the skill sets required for the role. This requires some research, as you may not be familiar with exactly what skills are needed for which role.
Next, see if the roles/skill sets are required or just preferred. Usually, companies separate their “must have” requirements from their “nice to have” requirements in a job description. Don’t be scared off by the “preferred” list of qualifications, as those are often less stringent and can be learned on the job.
Network with people within the company as well — especially someone who has been on the team you’re applying for, or who has been in the role before. By doing that, you can learn the difference between what was really necessary for the job and what you can learn on the job. Plus, that person may end up advocating for you to the hiring manager or recruiter — they can make the case for you (on the inside) as to what you can bring to the table and how you can be an asset to the team. Networking also shows your interest in the role and allows you to show enough of the qualified skills that the company may be willing to take a chance on you.
Most importantly, rarely does a candidate have all of the skills required or preferred for the job. So if you don’t meet all of the criteria, you should consider applying for the job anyway. Companies are looking for candidates who meet most of the criteria but don’t expect that each candidate will meet them all. Don’t feel like you have to tick every box!
Tips For Veterans When Reading Civilian Job Descriptions was originally published on WayUp (March, 2021)
Highlighting Skills to Match Civilian Roles
There are roles within the military that directly correlate to roles in civilian companies. Some are obviously, like investigation roles. Or, for example, Tara was an Adjutant General in the Army, which directly translates into Human Resources. Other examples include cybersecurity functions (in fact, Citi has lots of veterans who work in their cybersecurity department!) The point being: many military roles are not singular to the military – they exist in the civilian sector as well. Think about how your role in the military could translate into the civilian world, even if it’s only certain aspects that are in common.
You can also use your background experience as a foundation for the role you’re applying for. If you have a computer science background, engineering background, technology background, etc. you can incorporate these skills into assets that you can bring to the role. Additionally, if you have experience in communications and public relations, such as communicating and negotiating with locals while on deployment, you can use that experience to apply for public relations, contract negotiations and sales jobs.
The key to all of this is: translate your skills and experiences into terms that are easy for the recruiter to understand, so that you are more likely to get the job.
Ways for Veterans to Highlight Skills To Match Civilian Roles was originally published on WayUp (March, 2021)