Welcome to "The Hired Veteran". I write about my experience as a veteran and the job search. My hope is that my adventures in job hunting help veterans find purpose and meaningful employment after they leave the uniform. Please reach out to me and share your thoughts on what you think of the site!
Cheers,
Tommy
This blog and site has languished for almost two years. Granted that was March 2020 and we all know how things have been since then.
The United States Marine Corps is respected worldwide as an expeditionary fighting force, the likes of which the world has never seen, but also (and perhaps more importantly) the Corps is one of the foremost authorities in professionalism, leadership, and personal development techniques. Many young men and women (including myself back in 2011), stepped on the yellow footprints of a Marine Corps Recruit Depot and began a lifelong change of perspective.
There is a saying that if you don’t control your own time someone will control it for you. While I wholly believe in this saying I am not going to try and give you some new time management strategy. There are plenty of experts out there who can do that way better than I can.
I know what all three people who read this are asking? Is the blog back, are there plans for new posts, what has been going on for the past couple years while the blog has languished in un-updated horror? Well, some of those are yes, some are maybe, some are I am not sure.
Again, this is not to say you cannot be proud, you cannot wear your service like a badge of honor, but the moment that service creates a feeling of superiority between you and the rest of the population it becomes a problem.
If you are one of probably four people that read this blog you may notice something. The “Hire Me” link is missing from the main page. Which means exactly what you think it means. I finally found a job! I took a position with an e-commerce marketing and brand management firm and I am just over 30 days in.
On Tuesday of next week I will be speaking on a panel put on by Pride Global called “Veterans in the Workforce” (click link to register). I will be speaking from the perspective of the veteran job seeker and I am honored to be able to provide my views on what that has been like.
While driving from Vermont back home to Boulder last week I stopped to take a nap in a truck stop in Indiana. I walked my two dogs, who were making the journey with me, and settled into the front seat for a quick siesta. An hour later my alarm went off (it was midday), and I turned the key to get back on the road only to hear simply a “click”.
There is no shortage of advice for military veterans who are transitioning from the armed forces into the civilian world about the need to develop a network in the cities and professions they’re moving into. From helping to get their first job to meeting people with specialized skills or who have information about opportunities, the benefits of having a well-developed network are easy to grasp, yet many of the transitioning veterans I talk with struggle to get this process started.
