By CAREEREALISM Staff
When you meet Anthony Dineen, he looks like your typical fun-loving college junior. He’s confident, all smiles and the twinkle in his eye tells you he knows how to have fun. That’s why both myself and his fellow interns at CAREEREALISM were more than a little surprised to learn he had enlisted and served in Iraq in order to pay for college.
Anthony is one of thousands of the young men and women who have risked their life overseas. Yet, what many people do not understand is how these individuals return home with their perspective on things like college and work, profoundly altered. In fact, for some, integrating into the civilian workforce after duty is not an easy task. As his manager, I can tell you Anthony hasn’t had that problem. So, we asked him to share with us his thoughts on how an experience like serving as a Marine in the war at such a young age has made him a different, and perhaps, better student and future employee.
Do you think you are getting more out of your college experience as a result of your time in Iraq?
In a broad sense, yes. I think I am getting much more out of college after my deployment. I went through seven months not knowing if I was going to get another chance to be a college student again. Now that I got that chance, I’m enjoying every experience that much more. Also, the small things don’t bother me as much anymore.
Did your interests/priorities change when you came back?
They changed a few times. I had no idea what I wanted to do before I deployed. When I was there I thought I wanted to be an English Major, and now I have settled into my Political Science degree and I am really enjoying it.
Has your motivation and work ethic changed, and how, after coming back from Iraq?
The work ethic has always been there for me. I have always gotten things done when they needed to get done. I have always been a driven individual, but once I came back I had an altered idea about life. When I think about getting through some work, or applying to a job, or just about anything, I think to myself “what’s the worst thing that can happen?” It certainly won’t put my life in danger when I apply for an internship or some other event, so I go at it with a full steam. If I get turned down, or I don’t get the best grade in the class, I might be disappointed but it certainly won’t hurt my feelings. Life goes on.
How do you envision your time would have been spent, had you stayed?
I most likely would have changed majors a few times and possibly ended up with something I might’ve regretted. But who’s to say that?
Do you see joining the Marine Corps as a chance to better your career opportunities?
Yes, the Marines are just like any other social networking facility that you can think of but 100 times better. The guys I know would do anything for me and I for them, so if I ask them to possibly help me with a career move they won’t just make an effort, they will do everything in their power to help me out. Also, being able to put the United States Marine Corps on your resume is huge. That one line says more things about an applicant than any other one liner I can think of. I am telling a possible employer that I have leadership traits, my commitment is a given, I can function properly in a group setting; I am competent, honest, dependable, etc. The list goes on. These are traits that are imbedded into all U.S. Marines.
Where do you see yourself going after graduation, and how do you think that your previous choices will help you in the long run?
I am hoping to become a field agent with the FBI. I would also love to work with the DEA or work as a U.S. Marshall. Joining the U.S. Military obviously helps with the application process to the federal agencies, or even work with a company like Raytheon that works with the government, but in the long run I am counting on what I have done in school to get me to where I want to go.
What type of skills did you learn that you believe may help you in finding a job that’s right for you?
This is a complicated subject to explain, but I’ll give it a shot. My Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) is 0311. I’m a grunt, or an infantryman. The skills I learned in the Marines are all combat-related. The infantry doesn’t teach computer skills, or other specialty skills that can be transferred over to the civilian world. What I did gain besides the warfare related aspects are things like perseverance, determination, loyalty, tact, dependability. My education from UNH along with these traits will help get me to where I want to be.
Do you think you will run into any difficulties finding a job with your background or do you think it will be easier?
Well that question has been asked before, and not to me but to veterans after unpopular wars like the Vietnam War, and Congress passed legislation protecting veterans against job discrimination. So an employer can’t turn me down solely on the fact that I am a veteran. Besides that I would think that having this type of background would only beneficial in finding a job.
Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choices over again? i.e. cost benefit analysis, or did the means justify the end in the changes you’ve experienced.
I am very proud of what I have done for my country and I don’t regret the choices I have made with my military career. I didn’t choose to enlist just so I could put it on my resume; I wanted to serve my country. I do wish there was a way to not loose so much time on my degree but that wasn’t possible at the time.
Name 1-2 things you would like to say to someone that is facing the decisions you had to make about not going to college right away. Or rather, any words of wisdom?
Words of wisdom… keep your nose to the grindstone and just get it done. My life has many different aspects to it and gets pretty complicated at times, so for someone else in the same boat, I would tell them to keep at it and to not give up. There’s going to be many times when you just want to quit and go home. The reality is that you have to look at it in terms of the long run. If you think you can’t go on anymore, if you hit one of those bad times, pretend you made it through and years have gone by. I’ll bet you could easily laugh about whatever is troubling you now over a drink with your friends. I do this to put things into perspective and it makes things a lot easier for me. Try it out, it might work for you too.By CAREEREALISM Staff
When you meet Anthony Dineen, he looks like your typical fun-loving college junior. He’s confident, all smiles and the twinkle in his eye tells you he knows how to have fun. That’s why both myself and his fellow interns at CAREEREALISM were more than a little surprised to learn he had enlisted and served in Iraq in order to pay for college.
Anthony is one of thousands of the young men and women who have risked their life overseas. Yet, what many people do not understand is how these individuals return home with their perspective on things like college and work, profoundly altered. In fact, for some, integrating into the civilian workforce after duty is not an easy task. As his manager, I can tell you Anthony hasn’t had that problem. So, we asked him to share with us his thoughts on how an experience like serving as a Marine in the war at such a young age has made him a different, and perhaps, better student and future employee.
Do you think you are getting more out of your college experience as a result of your time in Iraq?
In a broad sense, yes. I think I am getting much more out of college after my deployment. I went through seven months not knowing if I was going to get another chance to be a college student again. Now that I got that chance, I’m enjoying every experience that much more. Also, the small things don’t bother me as much anymore.
Did your interests/priorities change when you came back?
They changed a few times. I had no idea what I wanted to do before I deployed. When I was there I thought I wanted to be an English Major, and now I have settled into my Political Science degree and I am really enjoying it.
Has your motivation and work ethic changed, and how, after coming back from Iraq?
The work ethic has always been there for me. I have always gotten things done when they needed to get done. I have always been a driven individual, but once I came back I had an altered idea about life. When I think about getting through some work, or applying to a job, or just about anything, I think to myself “what’s the worst thing that can happen?” It certainly won’t put my life in danger when I apply for an internship or some other event, so I go at it with a full steam. If I get turned down, or I don’t get the best grade in the class, I might be disappointed but it certainly won’t hurt my feelings. Life goes on.
How do you envision your time would have been spent, had you stayed?
I most likely would have changed majors a few times and possibly ended up with something I might’ve regretted. But who’s to say that?
Do you see joining the Marine Corps as a chance to better your career opportunities?
Yes, the Marines are just like any other social networking facility that you can think of but 100 times better. The guys I know would do anything for me and I for them, so if I ask them to possibly help me with a career move they won’t just make an effort, they will do everything in their power to help me out. Also, being able to put the United States Marine Corps on your resume is huge. That one line says more things about an applicant than any other one liner I can think of. I am telling a possible employer that I have leadership traits, my commitment is a given, I can function properly in a group setting; I am competent, honest, dependable, etc. The list goes on. These are traits that are imbedded into all U.S. Marines.
Where do you see yourself going after graduation, and how do you think that your previous choices will help you in the long run?
I am hoping to become a field agent with the FBI. I would also love to work with the DEA or work as a U.S. Marshall. Joining the U.S. Military obviously helps with the application process to the federal agencies, or even work with a company like Raytheon that works with the government, but in the long run I am counting on what I have done in school to get me to where I want to go.
What type of skills did you learn that you believe may help you in finding a job that’s right for you?
This is a complicated subject to explain, but I’ll give it a shot. My Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) is 0311. I’m a grunt, or an infantryman. The skills I learned in the Marines are all combat-related. The infantry doesn’t teach computer skills, or other specialty skills that can be transferred over to the civilian world. What I did gain besides the warfare related aspects are things like perseverance, determination, loyalty, tact, dependability. My education from UNH along with these traits will help get me to where I want to be.
Do you think you will run into any difficulties finding a job with your background or do you think it will be easier?
Well that question has been asked before, and not to me but to veterans after unpopular wars like the Vietnam War, and Congress passed legislation protecting veterans against job discrimination. So an employer can’t turn me down solely on the fact that I am a veteran. Besides that I would think that having this type of background would only beneficial in finding a job.
Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choices over again? i.e. cost benefit analysis, or did the means justify the end in the changes you’ve experienced.
I am very proud of what I have done for my country and I don’t regret the choices I have made with my military career. I didn’t choose to enlist just so I could put it on my resume; I wanted to serve my country. I do wish there was a way to not loose so much time on my degree but that wasn’t possible at the time.
Name 1-2 things you would like to say to someone that is facing the decisions you had to make about not going to college right away. Or rather, any words of wisdom?
Words of wisdom… keep your nose to the grindstone and just get it done. My life has many different aspects to it and gets pretty complicated at times, so for someone else in the same boat, I would tell them to keep at it and to not give up. There’s going to be many times when you just want to quit and go home. The reality is that you have to look at it in terms of the long run. If you think you can’t go on anymore, if you hit one of those bad times, pretend you made it through and years have gone by. I’ll bet you could easily laugh about whatever is troubling you now over a drink with your friends. I do this to put things into perspective and it makes things a lot easier for me. Try it out, it might work for you too.
Bigstock
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Featured
