Careers and Continuing Education Spring 2016

Spring 2016

|

CHOOSING THE RIGHT DEGREE page 3

UNDERSTANDING THE TRANSITION

RESOURCES page 18

POST-9/11 GI BILL page 14

YOUR GUIDE To Employment Opportunities and Higher Education

2 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

Published by:

MILITARY NEWSPAPERS OF VIRGINIA 150 W. Brambleton Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510 757.222.3990 Fax 757.853.1634

PUBLISHER Laura Baxter

MNV EDITOR/ DESIGNER Rebecca Hastings

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tricia Lieurance

DESIGNERS Susan Cofer Allyson Garner Kyle Raymer

G H J K L M

How do I know which degree is right for me after the military?

What the GRE really means for veterans Retirement – Understand your career options Helping veterans earn training for full-time civilian careers 5 tips to master your ďŹ rst phone interview 3 reasons why a tough job interview is better for you

ADVERTISING 757.222.3990 sales@militarynews.com

EDITIORIAL 757.322.2865 rebecca.hastings @pilotonline.com

EN EF EH EI EJ EL

How to present your military traits in an interview How to proofread your resume Know your beneďŹ ts with the GI Bill Transition info for Sailors, commanders, & spouses Find the school that’s right for you Transition resources from your local FFSC

The contents of this special section are not necessarily the ofďŹ cial views of or endorsed by the U.S. government, the DOD, the DoT or the U.S. Coast Guard. Opinions of contributing writers do not necessarily reect the opinions of Military Newspapers of Virginia or The FlagshipÂŽ. The availability of these newspapers and the appearance of advertising in these publications, including any inserts or supplements, do not constitute endorsement by the federal government, the DOD, the DoT, the U.S. Coast Guard or Military Newspapers of Virginia of products or services advertised. Military Newspapers of Virginia is a private ďŹ rm in no way connected to the Department of Defense or United States Coast Guard.

SPRING 2016 | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | CCE 3

How do I know which

is right for me after the military?

By Michael Ingram | FedsHireVets.gov/GIJobs. com — For most veterans, separating from military service means a change in career.

While a few job fields have direct civilian equivalents, in most cases the veteran will find his work duties will change in the civilian workforce.

Sorry folks, there is no Bachelor of Science in Infantry Studies, nor a master’s degree in Line Handling. The skills you learned in the military will always be present, but the civilian world will require an entirely new training evolution.

So how do you choose a degree after your military experience?

A good place to start is lopping off majors that you know for certain that you have no interest in. Keep an open mind in fields you may not be familiar with, but get rid of the majors that are clearly a bad fit for your interests and goals.

Hate math? You’ll probably want to steer clear of engineering.

Grossed out by bodily fluids? Health sciences is not for you.

Hard-core atheist? Theology may not be your thing.

Once you’ve crossed off some definite “no” majors, consider the driving factors of your career choice. For some people, the financial security of a high-paying job is paramount.

For others, it’s all about job satisfaction.

Chances are, you’ll find that both will factor into your choice.

Luckily, there are a number of tools available to help you with your decision. One great resource is the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) (www.bls.gov/ooh/) provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The OOH includes hard data on the long-term employment prospects of hundreds of occupations, as well as a description of the job responsibilities, pay and comparable occupations.

Once you’ve narrowed down the list of majors to fields you find potentially interesting, it may be wise to consider the practicality of the major. Military experience may give you a leg up in an industry related to your rate, MOS or AFSC. For example, a boatswains mate’s experience is more likely to be com-

patible with a degree in marine engineering than a degree in the culinary arts.

This is doubly true if your prospective school awards transfer credits for military training. Depending on the school, a significant amount of prerequisites and in-major requirements can be waived by providing a list of completed military courses, including basic training. Always make sure to work with a military friendly school and request your Joint Services Transcript (JST).

It’s important to remember that experience does not have to be limiting. There is nothing stopping a separating artilleryman from pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, assuming he or she can re-acclimate to an occupational speech volume that does not startle the animals. Instead, experience can be an opportunity, a leg up to avoid some of the pitfalls of starting at “entry level.” Interested in jobs for veterans? Check out our job board for HOT JOBS and current openings.

Above all, stay flexible! Perhaps the field that you thought was a perfect fit turns out to be a nightmare. Perhaps you thought you hated math or English or history, but you enjoyed an elective course. If done early enough, a change of major can be done with little to no delay to graduation date. Even if a change slows down graduation by a semester, that setback is minor compared to decades in an occupation that does not suit your needs.

As a transitioning veteran, your situational awareness and flexibility will be an asset when applied to your post-military training evolution – note: your classmates will have no idea what this means. Just as in military service, planning, attention to detail, and a willingness to work hard will improve your chances to find the major and veteran career that will be the best fit for your needs.

You want to go back to school, that much you know. But there could be a lot more you don’t know about finding a college than you realize. The education content section specifically for veterans will help guide you through your school selection process, making sure you don’t miss critical deadlines or choose a school that doesn’t offer the full range of education benefits you’ve earned.

4 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

What the

really means for veterans

By Hudson Saffell | FedsHireVets.gov / GIJobs.com – A lot of mystery seeps into conversations about the infamous Graduate Record Examination (GRE) – conversations that mostly funnel into further mystery and individual wonderment. Thankfully, in reality, all the GRE requires of a test-taker is preparation – something veterans are rather keen on, conveniently so.

That said, no amount of preparation – the week, day or night prior to taking the GRE exam – will suffice. It is simply not possible. Unless you are equipped with a photographic memory, the GRE requires lengthy preparation, like training for a deployment. In order to complete training you must first orientate yourself to the task at hand. Here you will find out what the GRE really means for you as an undergrad.

Twice now I’ve taken the GRE exam; I realized afterr the first go-around that I hadn’t come close to prep-ut ping the way I should have. But the nice thing abou the GRE is that you can take it again, again, and overr

again.

The negative side is that it costs a money.

VA reimbursement for the test m is i shaky at best. Currently, for every exam you elect the Post-9/11 GI Bill e to t pay for, you’ll lose an entire month of benefits, while the good ol’ Montgomery GI Bill only deducts the cost of the exam (perhaps the only upshot of the MGIB nowadays). The GRE runs upwards of $200, or, in other words, highway robbery (not including travel, study guides, etc.). For further advice on skirting the GRE fee with VA benefits, visit this VA site. But if you’ve chosen the Post-9/11 (which is the wiser choice for higher education), it’ll actually save you money by footing the bill out of your own pocket.

The GRE is often an unwaiverable requirement for graduate schooling (although for many schools it’s just a check in the box). Of course, you don’t want to do poorly on the exam – the importance of your scores vary depending on your field of study and how competitive the school is – but generally speaking, graduate applications are not about how well you did on the GRE; instead, they are weighed

in letters of recommendation (ensure you give anyone writing you a letter of recommendation a heads-up long in advance), your writing sample, and your statement of purpose/intent. Take extra care with these requirements.

Now to the nuts and bolts of prepping: Since most of us spend a considerable amount of downtime on the net, make the most of it. There are several free GRE practice apps that you can download to your iPhone.

The Arcadia Prep GRE app is multifunctional, covering all the bases, while other applications centralize on quantitative reasoning, i.e. math, or vocabulary, like the MIT-crafted IntelliVocab. A popular, all-encompassing prepping method is through Magoosh, which, for $80, offers 200 video lessons, 1,000 practice questions, three practice tests and a score predictor.

All things considered, if you’re looking to further your higher educational goals, such as the Adonis of pedagogy: the Ph.D., then creating a rigid schedule of studying for the GRE – training the brain to master each wicket of its respective study – is essential.

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6 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

10.+0'

By MC1 Theodore Green | The Flagship – Sailors can expect to navigate a sea of new career options after the recent approval of the DOD overhaul of the military retirement system.

The U.S. Uniformed Services Blended Retirement System takes effect Jan. 1, 2018, and gives Sailors a greater individual responsibility in securing their financial future.

The Fleet and Family Readiness Centers (FFRC) of Hampton Roads plans to educate Sailors about these new changes by offering town hall-style events, educational videos, leadership briefings, classroom seminars, and one-on-one counseling to all fleet and shore commands in the Hampton Roads area, ensuring the widest dissemination over the next two years.

“This is an exciting time,” FFRC MidAtlantic Education Training Supervisor Karen Melvin said.

Finalized marketing campaign and curriculum materials have not yet been released by the DOD. Sailors can expect their local FFSC to offer the new training soon.

“I anticipate we will do a lot of wardroom and chief’s mess briefs, in addition to enlisted briefs, to give a basic overview, but what people are really going to be interested in are the workshops and one-onone counseling,” Melvin said.

Melvin added the FFSC’s main focus will be to help determine what will be best for the individual Sailor based on their unique life situation and their goals for the future.

But just what do all these changes mean for Sailors?

The new plan offers a blended system of accounts and pensions that is set to replace the current traditional retirement system – which pays out only after a minimum of 20 years of service.

“I think the big thing that we see is obviously people are going to have more options earlier in their career,” Melvin said.

The modernized plan is built to accumulate retirement savings regardless of time served through the addition of a 401(k) style investment option. This option combines automatic and matching For more info, contact your local FFSC personal financial manager by visiting http://1. usa.gov/1KsYATH.

contributions, giving Sailors a choice of making the Navy a career or leaving the service, while still securing an investment in their future.

“When you’re 18, nobody will ever tell you the power of time and money,” Melvin said. “This puts people in a better situation earlier in life. It also encourages people to invest now and not wait. Let’s start thinking about your future when you’re young as opposed to when you’re in your thirties and are like, ‘well I don’t know if I want to stay in the Navy for the rest of my life.’”

For the first time, Sailors with as little as three years of service, would leave the Navy with some type of retirement benefits as opposed to the traditional all-ornothing approach.

Broken down, the blended system has many appealing elements.

“With the new blended retirement system, one of the biggest highlights is that you’re going to be automatically enrolled into TSP, and not only that, but for the first time the [Navy] is going to give matching funds. They’ve never done that in the past,” Melvin said.

New Sailors entering service will have 1 percent of their basic pay automatically withdrawn from their paycheck and deposited into a thrift savings plan (TSP) ac-

count after completing their first 60 days of service. They will then have the option of adjusting the amount they contribute.

After reaching three years of service the Navy will begin matching a Sailor’s contribution up to 5 percent of their base pay, another first.

Money in the savings plan will not be available without tax penalties before age 59.5. In addition, any money contributed while in a tax-free zone will remain tax free as a Sailor begins to withdraw benefits. “[This plan] is really putting us on par with civilian organizations,” Melvin said.

“So many civilian companies now automatically enroll their employees into a 401(k) on day one of work. Investing means you’re not going to get your benefits until you’ve worked there for a certain amount of years, and this is the same, you’ve got to be there for at least three years.”

To curb a possible exodus of valuable mid-career leaders, the Navy will offer compensation incentives for those with 12 years of service electing to serve an additional four years, while still offering the promise of a healthy monthly lifetime annuity for those who chose to stay Navy until retirement.

The 20-year retirement pensions will remain for all, but only at a reduced rate of

Understand your career options

40 percent of a three year average of the Sailor’s base pay at retirement, compared to the 50 percent average currently offered.

Anyone enlisting after Jan. 1, 2018, will be automatically enrolled in the new blended system.

Sailors who entered service after Jan. 1, 2006, with 12 years or less, and anyone signing up in the next 24 months can choose to receive the traditional 20-year retirement pension or opt into the new 401(k)-style blended system.

This means those who are midway through their career may have to wrestle with some tough financial decisions before 2018, but they’re not alone. The FFSC’s doors are open to anyone looking to discuss their individualized plan with one of their highly trained personal financial management staff members.

“I think it’s really about weighing your options, how long you want to stay in, which is going to be financially better for you?” Melvin said. “You need to sit down and do the math, and we can help.”

FFRC already offers over 22 financial education courses for military members and their families, including money and credit management; strategies for car buying; and tips for developing a saving and investing plan.

SPRING 2016 | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | CCE 7

Helping veterans earn

10.+0'

for full-time civilian careers

Service meembers who will be leaving the military soon and those who have an interest in information technology or business careers can visit www. wforce.org/ veterans/ programoverview and www. prudential. com/veterans.

Today, veterans are returning to civilian life by the tens of thousands, eager to apply their highly refined talents in sustainable careers. Yet, national employment numbers reflect the challenges veterans face in pursuit of this goal. The September Bureau of Labor Statistcs unemployment rate for Gulf War Era II veterans decreased to 5 percent, which is the same for both men and women.

Overall unemployment for all veterans over 18 years old is at 4.3 percent – 4.1 percent for men and 5.9 percent for women. Overall unemployment stands at 5.1 percent. The only segment where veteran unemployment is worse than general population unemployment is women veterans – 5.9 percent vs. 5 percent. The improvement in veteran unemployment suggests veteran hiring programs implemented by companies such as Prudential are having a real impact helping service members transition to civilian employment.

Throughout its long history, Prudential has had a deep appreciation for the service and sacrifices of veterans. In 2010, the company established The Office of Veterans Initiatives to help prepare military service members and their spouses for meaningful careers. Headed by Chuck Sevola, a former communications officer in the Army and staffed by veterans, Veterans Initiatives works to strengthen relationships with corporations, nonprofit organizations and government agencies so they can collectively provide educational and employment opportunities to veterans and their families.

“Veterans bring significant value to the workforce, including practiced leadership skills, discipline, the ability to perform in stressful situations, and a solid work ethic,” Sevola said. “We recognize the sacrifices made every day by these men and women and believe their experience and leadership can only make our company stronger.”

Veterans Initiatives established VETalent, a partnership between Prudential and Workforce Opportunity Services, a nonprofit organization that helps companies build strong talent pipelines through unique work-study programs.

VETalent, a nine-month work-study program, prepares veterans and spouses of active-duty service members for careers in information technology, sales and business operations. Participants receive extensive job training and classroom work followed by on-the-job training to qualify for full-time career opportunities with Prudential or other companies.

When the VETalent members graduate from the program, they work as fulltime consultants for Prudential, after which time they become eligible for fulltime employment offers from the company. To date, Prudential has hired 88 veterans and spouses from VETalent and another 192 have been hired by other companies. In addition, another 40 veterans and military spouses are in active programs at Prudential and other 82 are in programs with other companies, helping to earn the company the recognition of “Top 100 Military Friendly Employers” and “Best for Vets” for six consecutive years.

Since its inception in 2010, VETalent has expanded to additional Prudential sites in Dubuque, Iowa, with Northeast Iowa Community College; Dresher-Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania, with Penn State-Abington University; Jacksonville, Florida, with the University of North Florida; Hartford-Shelton, Connecticut, with Western Connecticut State University; Roseland-Newark, New Jersey, with Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology; and El Paso, Texas, with El Paso Community College. The program also has been implemented by 26 other companies across 20 additional locations.

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8 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

Brandpoint – The path to professional success often begins with a phone interview.

Ninety-two percent of HR managers rely on phone interviews to narrow down the pool of job applicants, and 88 percent say that a first impression on a phone interview is a key indicator of whether or not a candidate is right for the job, according to research from TracFone.

For those looking to secure their first professional job, rejoin the workforce or climb the professional ladder, the importance of phone etiquette cannot be understated. To master the phone interview, follow these five tips: Speak clearly. Speaking in a clear, confident voice eliminates potential for miscommunication and provides a positive tone to the call. Be sure to sound upbeat and enthusiastic during the interview - you can even smile to help with this and use your voice to convey your excitement about the position.

Stay connected with the right device. All of the interview preparation in the world won’t save you if your phone fails, so make sure you’re available with a secure line when the call comes through. Consider TracFone, which offers affordable, quality smartphones such as the Alcatel 460 - the perfect tool for accessing TracFone’s nationwide coverage on America’s largest and most dependable 4G LTE networks.

Keep your resume on hand. Often, hiring managers will reference your resume during the phone interview process. Having a copy handy will help you answer those questions with confidence and ease. You can even make a list of “talking points” that provide more detail about your background to reference during the call.

Ask questions. The interview is meant to be a conversation and two-way process, so it’s important to have a few questions of your own about the company and position for which you’re applying. This will show the interviewer that you don’t just want any job, but a long-term career at that company. It’s also a good opportunity to determine if the job and the company really are the right fit for you.

Send a follow-up thank you note. The phone interview doesn’t end when you hang up. One of the most important steps to career success is the follow-up. Carefully record who you spoke with and send them a thank you note for taking the time to speak with you. If you have their email address already, use that, or research their contact information on sites like LinkedIn. Reiterate your interest in the position and emphasize why you are a perfect fit. It’s an important, lasting impression that may help you secure the job and, ultimately, career success.

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SPRING 2016 | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | CCE 9

3 reasons why a tough job

is bbetter ffor you

Jose Lopez | FedsHireVets.gov | GIJobs.com – So you’ve just gotten out of a brutal job interview. Your tie is askew.

Your pantsuit drenched in sweat. Your eyes are misty, probably from allergies. The hiring manager went over your resumĂŠ with a ďŹ ne-toothed comb, quizzed you on your technical knowledge, grilled you on your personal mission statement and career outlook.

Right about now, you probably need to hear that everything is okay.

Don’t worry, it’s better than okay. It’s actually a good thing! Now dry those tears and put away that carton of ice cream, we’re going to talk about the best things about a difďŹ cult job interview.

It’s Good Practice Sadly, we don’t live in the kind of world where there’s a well-paying and highly fulďŹ lling job just sitting out there waiting for you to waltz in and start on Monday. The sad fact is that getting an interview is just the ďŹ rst step, and while the economy is improving, good jobs are often still highly competitive. What this means is that there is a good chance that your ďŹ rst interview will not result in you getting your dream job.

It might take three or ďŹ ve or twenty interviews to land that job, and every time you go in, you’ll be more experienced than the last. That means you’ll be calmer and more conďŹ dent. You just can’t get that kind of experience from an interview that consists of being asked if you can pass a drug test and being handed the job. You get it from being chewed up and spit out and learning from the ordeal.

They’re Screening Your Coworkers Too Have you ever had a completely incompetent coworker?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to clean up their messes on a regular basis? If only there were some kind of screening process where companies could choose good employees over bad ones.

Sure, a difďŹ cult interview isn’t going to be the sole determination of the quality of a company’s employees. Pay, beneďŹ ts, corporate culture, and internal development have something to say about it too, after all. But we’ve all known at least one person that simply could not have been interviewed for longer than thirty seconds and still been hired.

A tough and thorough interview process is about more than just asking people where they think they’ll be in ďŹ ve years. It’s about performing due diligence on their rĂŠsumĂŠ and weeding out the people who can’t hack it. If a tougher interview you can get rid of that guy, then going through it yourself is probably worth it.

You’ll Develop Thicker Skin In my early twenties, I had an HR screener say to me, right before I went in for an interview “You aren’t qualiďŹ ed. Why would you even bother to apply for this job?â€?

My performance that day was‌ not good. But on the positive side, it did toughen me up for later interviews.

Hiring managers are not your parents and they don’t love you (unless your mom actually is the hiring manager you’re interviewing with, in which case she loves you very much). Before you step foot in the door, you are just a rÊsumÊ, a potential investment. It is not a hiring manager’s job to make you feel great about yourself, it’s their job to make sure you are a good investment for the company.

Hey, even veterans can beneďŹ t from a reminder that the civilian world can be rough. On active duty, it’s easy to think of the civilian world as some kind of uffy, hugďŹ lled utopia (or hell-scape, depending on your point of view), but if anything, your civilian employer probably cares about you less than your military chain of command– even if they don’t threaten to end your miserable existence nearly as often.

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10 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

How to ppresent yyour

in an interview

By Robert Stevens, FedsHireVets.gov | GIJobs.com – Separating from the military can be a deeply traumatic experience for some.

Not knowing how your skills and values convert to civilian occupations can make separating veterans feel as if they are stepping into a giant chasm from which there is no return.

As veterans, we possess many traits which we take for granted but are an uncommon commodity in the civilian workforce. Recognizing these traits and being able to effectively highlight them in an interview can give separating veterans a big advantage over their civilian counterparts. For the most part, we recognize tangible achievements such as awards, medals, rank and degrees, but it is our attributes that are important to note. When cataloging your traits in an interview, you should

ďŹ rst know how to demonstrate their meaning in a way that will add value to you as a prospective employee.

Dependability is a word that is often used but rarely understood by applicants and employers alike. Simply saying you are dependable may not bring to light the actual nature of this trait. By telling an employer that you will follow through with all assigned tasks to the end, no matter how difďŹ cult or complex they may be, lets them know your true intentions.

Integrity is a trait that many profess to have but few actually live up to. We all make mistakes, but it is your ability as a prior military member to own your mistakes in spite of the consequences that will separate you from the herd. Letting an employer know that you never deect responsibility if you make a mistake

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tells them that they can count on you for honest answers, even under the worst of circumstances.

Military members are conditioned to make decisions quickly in life or death situations. Employees who sit on their hands and fail to make any decisions are typically given the most menial jobs requiring little, if any, decision-making abilities. It is the decision-makers who are typically selected for promotion to the next level. In the absence of clear instruction, employers rely on people in their organization to make decisions with limited information.

A lack of initiative can quickly lead to a lack of upward career mobility. In the military, understanding the commander’s intent gives individual members the ability to make decisions on their own and press for an advantage without having to rely on constant instruction from superiors. In the civilian world, employees who understand the corporate vision and work toward it are relied upon more heavily than those who do not. Do your homework before you show up to an interview and try to understand what the company goals might be. Your ability to demonstrate your understanding of this lets employers know that you did take the initiative to look further into their company than just the basic job posting. Even if you do not entirely understand what their goals are, they will still

appreciate the fact that you made the effort.

Companies today more than ever need to be able to put the right people in the right positions. This can require employees who are willing to relocate to other cities where positions are available. As a prior military member, you probably had to move every two to four years.

Civilians are not as mobile. Facing the uncertainty of moving to another state or country can be nerve-wracking, but as prior military members we got it done. Being willing to relocate can definitely increase your odds of moving up in the ranks quickly with a civilian company.

As a prior military member you may not have even considered these traits because they are common in our world. But they are uncommon in the civilian world. Indeed, there are many more traits that you possess and these are just a few. During an interview it is not enough to just say that you are a dependable, adaptable employee with good decision-making abilities and high integrity. When preparing for interviews, ask yourself tough questions and prepare your answers by presenting one or more of these traits. Practice and be ready. Your confidence will come across in the interview and you will be seen as a cut above the average applicant – someone who deserves to be at the top of the list.

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12 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

How to proofread your

By Jacey Eckhart, Flagship military spouse contributor – I see resumes that are too long, have pushed out margins, or boast a font size tiny enough to fit on a grain of rice. I often can’t even tell what kind of job the person is seeking.

Slogging through a resume like that isn’t resume fun. It is the resume equivalent of a mud-miler. Some think that first, ultra-complete, sweat-drenched, three-page resume is a finished document that someone will read and see exactly where we fit into their organization. So we should put in everything, right? Wrong. The finished resume is really like a big business card. It is focused. It is functional. It is read in literally six seconds by the people in your network (where 80 percent of all jobs in America are found).

The Dirty Little Resume – that document that everyone should throw together whether they are actively job seeking or not – isn’t meant for public sharing. The Dirty Little Resume is a thing meant to organize your thinking. To push back fear. To help you figure out just what you want.

How to write a Dirty Little Resume: 1. Throw together a work history.

This isn’t a neat, clean, perfect little document. This is a straight shot here-is-all-the-work-I-have-ever-done – paid and unpaid. Lay the whole thing out chronologically starting from the minute you graduated from high school.

2. Yes, include every “little” thing you have done.

Go ahead and include everything you have done – the jobs you liked, the jobs you didn’t like. The volunteer work you couldn’t wait to get out of doing, the contractor job you wished you could have done forever. Do include your gig as a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) or dad (SAHD).

Add in your education even if you didn’t actually finish your degree. Partial degrees can be very revealing.

3. Love it or list it.

For each job or educational opportunity, write a little pro’s and con’s list. Here are the things I liked. Here are the things I didn’t like. If you were/are a SAHM/SAHD, often the things you like or don’t like do not include childcare per se. Instead think of things like whether you liked working alone, on your own schedule, with people under three feet tall? Or maybe you liked the opportunity to be creative or to spend a lot of time outside?

4. Print it.

I don’t mean that you need to print this on bond paper for distribution. I mean that when you hold something in your hand vs. look at it on the screen, you see it differently.

Your mind considers it differently. So print it.

5. Get it dirty.

Break out the pencils, pens and markers, people. You are now going to make your Dirty Little Resume even dirtier.

Circle themes that you see paths that you have taken. Patterns that emerge. You will probably see a path that goes along with your college coursework, like “Marketing,” “Teaching” or “Engineering.” You will also find themes about what you did on the job, like “Military families,” “Details,” “Spreadsheets” or “Cold Calling.” You could see

SPRING 2016 | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | CCE 13

themes that are about a value or a skill like “Leadership,” “Justice,” “Health” or “Creativity.”

6. Use themes to suggest your next job goal.

Seeking these themes might seems silly to you, but this the important stuff. These themes tell you not only what kind of job you want, but they tell you what you should actually include on your next resume. Where is your past work experience, your education, your strengths, your satisfaction leading you to? What is the next job for you?

7. Name that job.

If you can’t name the kind of job, employer or field you seek, you aren’t really ready to craft a resume. You aren’t quite ready to approach your network. You don’t need to be able to say, “I want to be a senior product manager for a mid-range firm selling software to furry-backed cabinet makers on the north side of the street in Midlothian, Virginia.” Instead, you say something like, “I want to work for a non-profit – I’m good at fundraising and events,” or “I want to use my health care background in a business environment this time.” You are even allowed to be seeking more than one kind of job at a time – as long as you have a resume for each job you want.

8. Ask for feedback.

If you still aren’t sure what you are looking for, post your Dirty Little Resume on the fridge or email it to a few trusted friends. Start asking the people who love you and what they think you would be good at doing. Write that stuff down.

Jacey Eckhart is the director of Spouse and Family Programs for Military. com. Since 1996, Eckhart’s take on military families has been featured in her syndicated column, her book “The Homefront Club,” and CDs “These Boots” and “I Married a Spartan?”

Most recently she has been featured as a military family subject matter expert on NBC Dateline, CBS morning news, CNN, NPR and the New York Times. Eckhart is an Air Force brat, a Navy wife and an Army mom.

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14 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

GI Bill Q&A Am I Eligible?

You may be eligible if you served at least 90 aggregate days on active duty* after Sept. 10, 2001, or were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability after serving 30 continuous days following Sept. 10, 2001. *Includes active service as a National Guard member under title 32 U.S.C. for the purpose of organizing, administering, recruiting, instructing, or training and active service under section 502(f) of title 32 for the purpose of responding to a national emergency.

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Visit the Veteranss Employment Cen nter for Job Seekers too search job listings around the country: https://www.vets. gov/veteransemployment-center

Screencapture

Know w your benefits with the

Know your options with the GI Bill Comparison Tool Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – The GI Bill Comparison Tool is designed to make it easier for veterans, service members, and family members to estimate their GI Bill education benefits and learn more about the VA’s approved college, university, and other education and training programs across the country.

It also provides key information about college affordability and value, so beneficiaries can choose the best education program to meet their needs.

The VA successfully trademarked GI Bill to prevent its fraudulent use for recruiting purposes and to protect this publicly-owned intellectual property.

“We are excited to see how veterans respond to the wealth of information now available on the updated GI Bill Comparison Tool,” VA’s Undersecretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey said. “We’re grateful for the chance to work with our partners at the departments of defense and education to ensure beneficiaries are

informed education consumers.”

The updated version of the GI Bill Comparison Tool has new functionality, including a more robust GI Bill benefits calculator and additional information pertinent to the veteran population (e.g., identifies schools with student veteran groups, VetSuccess on Campus program, and those that have agreed to the 8 Keys to Success).

The GI Bill calculator provides a personalized estimate of Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fee, housing allowance, and book stipend benefits that would potentially be paid to the student.

The calculator prepopulates the tuition and fee estimates from the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. The veteran indicator section now contains new information on schools’ student veterans groups, VetSuccess on Campus program and Yellow Ribbon agreement status.

What Will I Receive?

You may receive a percentage of the following payments: • A tuition and fee payment that is paid to your school on your behalf; • A Monthly Housing Allowance (not payable to individuals on active duty or those enrolled at half-time or less) that is equal to: • Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents, for students pursuing resident training, payable for the zip code of your school; • One-half the BAH national average for students training solely by distance learning; • The national average BAH for students pursuing training at foreign schools; • A books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year.

How Many Months Of Assistance Can I Receive And How Long Am I Eligible?

Generally, you may receive up to 36 months of entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. You will be eligible for benefits for 15 years from your last date of active duty, of at least 90 consecutive days.

What Kind Of Training Can I Take?

You can use the Post-9/11 GI Bill at colleges, universities, trade schools, on-the-job training, apprenticeships and flight schools. To see what programs are currently approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for VA benefits, visit www.gibill.va.gov. You can use the Post-9/11 GI Bill for tutorial assistance, licensing (attorney license, cosmetology license, etc.), and certification tests (SAT, LSAT, etc.). Note: If the program you are interested in isn’t on the website, contact your State Approving Agency (list available on www.gibill. va.gov) to see if the program can be approved.

Can I Transfer My Entitlement To My Dependents?

You must be a member of the uniformed services to transfer your unused benefits to your spouse or dependent(s). Generally, you must agree to serve four more years when transferring benefits.

What Is The Yellow Ribbon Program?

The Post-9/11 GI Bill can cover all in-state tuition and fees at public degree granting schools, but may not cover all private degree granting schools and out-of-state tuition. The Yellow Ribbon Program provides additional support in those situations. Institutions voluntarily enter into an agreement with the VA and choose the amount of tuition and fees that will be contributed. The VA matches each dollar of the institution’s contribution and issues payments directly to the institution.

SPRING 2016 | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | CCE 15

21st Century Sailor Office – Navy’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) has been completely redesigned and will help Sailors who are retiring or separating, by giving them the skills, resources, and tools necessary to make a successful move to civilian life. This is not the old TAP class but rather a new comprehensive program that includes an updated curriculum, now known as Transition Goals Plans Success (T-GPS).

T-GPS is designed so that Sailors receive the training mandated by law, where the focus is on financial planning, understanding Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and attending an employment workshop.

New DOD Career Readiness Standards (CRS) have been established, and while the classroom training will help Sailors understand the skills and resources needed for their next career, the redesigned program also ensures Sailors are meeting the requirements and connecting to the proper resources.

This is done as part of Capstone, a final check that commanders and TAP counselors undertake to make sure Sailors have meet career standards and all resources have been explained and provided to them.

To get started, contact your Command Career Counselor or your Command Transition Officer designated by your chain of command. Additional help can also be found at Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) and visit www.DoDTAP.mil and www.cnic.navy.mil/tgps4servicemembers.

For leaders, Sailors, and their spouses, here are the important things you should know.

Sailors All active and reserve personnel, who served 180 days or more on Title 10 active duty, are required to receive pre-separation counseling, VA benefits briefing, and Department of Labor Employment Workshop (DOLEW) before separating or retiring, unless exempted.

The classroom portion of TAP was renamed T-GPS and provides a more robust curriculum for personal budget preparation, job finding and interviewing skills, military to civilian transition and VA benefits.

Sailors who are geographically isolated by 50 miles or more from a T-GPS delivery site, as well as short notice administrative separations, may satisfy attendance requirements through Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) at https:// jkodirect.jten.mil/. This exception must be approved by your commanding officer.

In addition to the T-GPS core curriculum, Sailors have the opportunity to participate in one or more two-day additional tracks to meet their personal and career goals: Accessing higher education, for those pursuing a college

Get started today by contacting your Command Career Counselor or designated d Command Transition Officer and your local FFSC. Visit www.

DoDTAP.mil and www.cnic.navy. mil/tgps4servicemembers for more information.

10.

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for Sailors, commanders, and military spouses

Courtesy of navy.mil

education; career technical training, for those seeking industry-recognized credentials in shorter-term training programs; or entrepreneurship, for those wanting to start their own business.

Prior to separating from active duty, you will participate in a Capstone event to verify you have a viable Individual Transition Plan (ITP) and meet CRS. If additional support is needed, you will be connected with the right agency partner and the resources and benefits needed to ensure a successful transition.

Commanders TAP is commanders’ business; as a commander you are responsible for ensuring service members are provided the mandatory portions of the TAP, as required by law, and the additional tracks as needed to meet CRS. It is your responsibility to verify each service member meets CRS no later than 90 days prior to separation.

Spouses As a military spouse, you are encouraged to attend TAP with your service member to take advantage of all the program has to offer. If you are unable to attend the

week long course with your spouse you have access to the same T-GPS curriculum as service members, 24/7 through the eBenefits website, DOL Vets, or Military OneSource websites.

The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is part of the Department of Defense’s broader Spouse Education and Career Opportunities initiative, which seeks to strengthen the education and career opportunities of military spouses. It currently partners with more than 260 corporations, businesses and military serving organizations in an effort to connect companies who are interested in employing military spouses with potential employees. Website: https://msepjobs.militaryonesource. mil/.

The Veterans Employment Center (VEC) is an online tool that brings together public and private employers with real job opportunities, and provides transitioning service members, veterans, and their families with the tools to translate their military skills into plain language and build a profile that can be shared with employers who have made a public commitment to hire veterans.

Connect with the VEC at www.ebenefits.va.gov/jobs.

16 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

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Expand your influence within city hall, our nation’s capital, the military, a nonprofit organization, and beyond. Take the next step at Regent.

Compiled from Military OneSource and U.S Department of Veterans Affairs – Searching for the right school for your postsecondary education can be challenging. The College Navigator at nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator, a free online tool from the National Center for Education Statistics, can help you with your search. The tool provides a wide range of information for more than 7,000 postsecondary education institutions, allowing you to compare schools’ features that are most important to you, such as, tuition and cost of attendance, financial aid statistics, accreditation information, graduation and retention rates, credit transfer, and student loan default rates Begin your search The college search has gotten a bit easier with College Navigator. This free tool is easy to use – just enter the information and click “Show Results.” It’s just that easy. Your search results will provide a wide range of information, as well as the opportunity to do the following: Refine your search to select additional criteria Build a list of schools for side-by-side comparisons Pinpoint school locations on an interactive map Export results into a spreadsheet Save your search session

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Veteran Friendly Be careful about schools that claim to be “military and veteran friendly.” Make sure your prospective school is friendly to your needs. There are objective sources to help you determine those needs. The American Council on Education (ACE) has developed a toolkit for how schools can create or enhance policies and programs to better serve veterans. It has examples of many successful programs that are available to you.

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Other things to check for: Transfer of credits from other schools or for military training – Your school should recognize your past coursework and training, and accept your transferred credit. Be vigilant in understanding whether your coursework will transfer to a new school. Not all credit will be accepted, but finding an institution where this credit is best utilized towards degree requirements will help you make the most of your benefits. Check out the ACE Military Guide to find out what kind of credit you may receive for your military experience.

Campus and community support – Look for access to mental health and medical support, disability services, academic accommodations, and available career services.

A strong Veteran voice – Find an administration that listens to and involves veterans in veteran programs such as a school with a Student Veterans of America organization. We want you to be a face, not just a number at your institution.

Central point of contact – Hands-on, in-person assistance with navigating the educational process makes the academic journey much more manageable. Schools that agree to the President’s Principles of Excellence are obligated to have such a person for veterans.

Veteran specific space – A designated location for student veterans offers a dependable and supportive environment where trust, support, and camaraderie can be found and fostered in an academic environment.

Principles of Excellence participant – Be sure to review VA’s list of schools that agree to participate in the President’s Principles of Excellence Program by searching for schools using the GI Bill Comparison Tool.

Expanded housing options – Student veterans sometimes have unique housing preferences and needs; options differ by institution.

SPRING 2016 | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | CCE 17

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18 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

FFSC Norfolk – Change is a good thing, right? Absolutely! However, for those service members currently transitioning from military to civilian life, this change may be quite intimidating. Transitioning service members find themselves asking various questions during their transition. Where am I going to live? How am I going to pay the bills? How am I going to get a job? Do I need to go to school? What benefits am I entitled to? The list goes on and on. The answers to these questions are, in some cases, not easily found, and may require the transitioning service member to seek the assistance of others in their search for those answers. Here are the Top 10 resources for transitioning service members:

Transition

resources from your local FF FFSC

1. NATIONAL RESOURCE DIRECTORY (NRD.GOV) This directory is currently maintained by the Department of Defense, Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As an online directory, service members are able to connect 24/7 and receive resources pertaining to Benefits and Compensation, Education and Training, Employment, Family and Caregiver Support, Health, Homeless Assistance, Transportation and Travel, Volunteer Opportunities, and many more.

2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA.GOV) Probably the most popular veterans organization, the VA, provides services to men and women who have served in our armed forces. As the mission statement on their website states, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan,” which fulfills President Lincoln’s promise to serve and honor the men and women who are America’s veterans. The VA offers health care options for veterans and their families, as well as other benefits including retirement compensation, education and training, home loans, life insurance, burial benefits, and vocational rehabilitation. The VA eBenefits website is an online portal that allows service members, veterans and their families research their benefits and have access to these benefit options 24/7.

3. LABOR DEPARTMENT (DOL.GOV/VETS) During their Transition Goals Plans Success (T-GPS) five-day workshop, transitioning service members will receive a three-day presentation offered by representatives of the DOL. The presentation focuses on assisting service members in job searches, career decision-making, current labor market information, the drafting of resumes and cover letters, skills analysis, and interviewing techniques. Post-transition, the DOL assists veterans with job seeker services through the DOL

Gold Card. The DOL Gold Card enables unemployed post-9/11 veterans with the follow-up services they need to succeed in their job search. Certain grants and other resources are also available through the DOL. 4. DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS (DAV.ORG) The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization is dedicated to “Empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity.” Many transitioning service members feel the physical pain associated with injuries incurred while on active duty. However, some of these service members may not know where to go to get the assistance they need.

The DAV assists service members, veterans, and their families with filing disability claims, job search, transportation options, and other outreach programs.

The DAV has over 60 offices throughout the U.S., which enables service members to obtain assistance from virtually anywhere in the country.

5. FFSC (CNIC.NAVY.MIL/NAVYLIFEMA ) Fleet and Family Support Centers (FFSC) provide service members, veterans, and their families with numerous programs, including relocation assistance, new parent support, deployment services, clinical counseling services, financial management, family employment services, family advocacy, and transition assistance programs. Transitioning service members are encouraged to stop by one of the FFSC offices and request information on upcoming events and workshops relating to their transition.

6. JOB FAIRS (VEC.VIRGINIA.GOV) One of the major hurdles for a transitioning service member to overcome is obtaining a civilian job that will cater to their needs. Networking has a major influence on landing that dream job, and one way to successfully network with employers is through job fairs.

State websites frequently post job fairs, as do various military installations. Being able to write one’s skills on

a resume is one thing, but connecting with employers face-to-face has proven to be extremely effective.

7. MENTOR GROUPS (ACP-USA.COM) Everyone needs a mentor, whether that mentor is a parent, friend or business executive. Transitioning service members find that connecting with individuals in their desired career field can be useful in gaining the knowledge needed to succeed. Certain mentor groups, such as American Corporate Partners can provide this assistance. These groups are often free for transitioning service members and veterans, and offer a year of mentorship for that individual.

Managerial level civilians offer their help and advice to transitioning service members on the matters of job search, networking, education, and transition in general. Mentors are available to chat online, through phone conversation and sometimes even in person.

8. COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING SERVICES (DANTES.KUDER.COM) Some transitioning service members may find that they may need to pursue education opportunities post-separation in order to find a job that will benefit them. Others may feel as if they are undecided on which career path to pursue. In order to assist with questions associated with choosing an educational program, or choosing a career path, certain skills assessments may be useful. The Kuder assessment is designed to assist individuals in answering those questions. Services are free for service members and veterans 9. GI JOBS MAGAZINE (GIJOBS.COM) The GI Jobs Magazine is issued monthly and delivered to most military installations. Interested individuals may also subscribe to the magazine and pay a fee to have the magazine delivered to their house.

This magazine includes information on military friendly employers, military friendly schools, military friendly cities, and military franchise opportunities.

The GI Jobs website allows for individuals to navigate through their site, and connect with recruiters, receive assistance in resume writing, and information on business attire.

10. SOCIAL MEDIA Social media can be used in order for individuals to be able to network with other professionals in their chosen career field. LinkedIn, for example, has become more and more popular in the recent years for many different reasons. The social network allows individuals to connect with people in their career field for networking purposes. Individuals can also join interest groups in order to share ideas and welcome feedback. LinkedIn provides job postings, as well as information on employers, that may be beneficial for anyone looking to enter the workforce.

SPRING 2016 | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | CCE 19

20 CCE | CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION | SPRING 2016

At Sentara, we view each day as another opportunity to be better.

To provide patient care that is unmatched, every time. And, to improve the level of satisfaction our careers deliver. Our goal is to make you feel more excited to be here every day.

Sentara is 28,000 strong with a unified objective: Creating an environment of health and healing for our patients with our high standards of care and patient safety.