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1.5. Private Industry
Employment in the private sector is much less prescriptive than the federal or other government sectors. The most prominent obstacle you are likely to face will be in learning how to translate your experience in a way that makes you look attractive to a future employer. That means it is imperative that you do your research, understand the company, and pay particular attention to what a job description indicates the company is looking for and targeting your resume for that specific position. Not an easy task but in today's economy, only those whose resumes make it to the "top of the pile" will likely be the ones sought out for an interview.
While most companies will tell you to apply online, some companies provide additional assistance during the recruitment and application process for veterans.
- The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) recently released The Veterans Strategic Analysis and Research Tool (V-START) provides users the ability to explore and analyze publicly-available data on veteran employment, education, and demographic information. Additional data may be overlaid to help answer the questions veterans, employers, and service providers face in their post-military transition. Learn about V-START.
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce partnered with Toyota to develop some "personal branding" materials for veterans. Personal Branding Guides are available as examples for a number of different military careers.
Private industry is much more than "corporate America." It also includes nonprofit organizations and veteran service organizations two industries often overlooked during the employment search.
- Idealist is a website dedicated to connecting people with job opportunities, internships and volunteer opportunities, and more in the nonprofit sector.
- VetJobs provides a list of niche job sites to assist those who know the type of job or industry they are seeking, including the nonprofit industry.