This presentation describes the challenges the military-civilian transition faced by Veterans. It is also useful for any Veteran struggling to find meaningful work.

1. LOOKING FOR WORK BUT
LOST IN THE WILDERNESS?
Author: Paulette Risher
Program Director, Veteran
Employment Services
prisher@stillservingveterans.org
Connect with us at:
Website: http://www.stillservingveterans.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stillserving.veterans
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/still-serving-veterans
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SSVeterans
Phone: 1.866.778.4645
Veteran Employment
Services enabled by a
generous grant from the
Call Of Duty Endowment

2. Topics
 Facts
 Transition as a process
 The challenges of letting go
 Traversing the wilderness
 New work and new life skill
 Advice for the serious job seeker
‒ Clarify
‒ Identify
‒ Plan
‒ Act
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3. Facts
 December 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics:
‒ 7.9 million (5.0%) Americans are unemployed
‒ 2.1 million>27 weeks or more
‒ 6 million Involuntary part-time workers
 November 2015 Job Openings and Labor Turnover
Survey (JOLTS):
‒ Job Openings: 5.4 million on the last business day of November
2015
‒ Hires: 5.2 million
‒ Separations: 4.9 million (of which 1.2 were layoffs or
discharges)
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Yes, unemployment is high.
However, here is a lot of movement & opportunity

4. Unemployment as Transition
 Unemployment is a transition – typically unwelcome and
many times unexpected (or we prefer to think so)
 Transition is a process – universal in nature, unique in
experience
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Transition is a three-phased psychological reorientation process
William Bridges
Foremost Expert
On Transitions
Transition Model

5. Challenges of Letting Go
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 Transition is an emotional
roller coaster – a surprise
to many
 Anger, denial, bargaining,
depression, isolation, and
disillusionment are all
common emotions. No
particular order, not one
time and done!
 Can’t move ahead without letting go of past
 Selective letting go requires self-knowledge, a realistic
perspective, and self-reflection

6. Traversing the Wilderness
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 Nothing is “neutral” about
this phase, it more like
wandering through a
wilderness
 This is a time of challenge,
but also one of great
opportunity
 This is critical path to the
future, impacting every
aspect of our lives -
physical, mental, emotional,
relational, financial, and
spiritual
The
Wilderness
 Self-reflection, integrity, planning, and execution are key
to success

7. New work and new life skill
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 There is new work – what
it looks like may be
different that what is
envisioned or preferred
 Self-knowledge; practical
know-how; disciplined
approach to execution set
the stage for future
transition success
The
Wilderness
 The transition process is not linear and tidy. It is messy.
It is full of ups and downs
 Each traveler is unique and each journey is unique
 We are often confronted with multiple transitions

8. PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR THE
SERIOUS JOB SEEKER
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9. Rules of Engagement
 Be brutally honest with
yourself – tell others what you
want, but don’t kid yourself
 Do not share this analysis or
notes with anyone – protect
your ideas and protect your
privacy; create safety
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 Get everything out of your head and down on paper or
electrons. Keep a journal, notebook, or electronic file
handy
 Be specific, don’t generalize – no hand waving
 Don’t commit to a course of action you are not really
going to do – respect yourself

10. Four Key Tasks
 Clarify
‒ the work you seek
‒ the target employer(s)
 Identify
‒ strengths and liabilities
‒ what are the things standing in the way of employment – really
‒ actions necessary to address key obstacles
 Plan
‒ detail your job search to incorporate new insights
‒ craft the key stories you must be able to tell
‒ Refresh resume, profiles, virtual presence, dress and appearance
 Act – Assess – Adjust
‒ work on the job hunt everyday – not just talk about
‒ have faith
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Clarify Identify Plan Act

11. Task: Clarify
 The work you seek – what kind of work do you want to
do and will you do for whom?
‒ What are your top five skills?
‒ What are three things you do not want to do?
‒ What can you not do (disability, family situation)
‒ Are you willing to move? If so, what would be the enticement?
‒ How much money do you realistically need? What is the least?
‒ Will you work part-time, for commission, independent contractor
(1099 employee)?
‒ Will you work for a staffing agency?
 What kind of employer do you prefer?
‒ Public, private, non-profit, small business, large business, local
or multisite?
‒ What industry, what career field?
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Clarify Identify Plan Act

12. Task: Identify
 Identify your strengths and liabilities
‒ What are the strengths you bring to the employer (really!)
‒ What are the things standing in the way of employment – really?
Age, gender, appearance, education (too much, too little, to long
ago), lack of technology skills, handicap (real or perceived), sexual
orientation, religion or lack thereof, marital status…
 What can you and what are you willing to do to address
key obstacles?
Opinions:
 There is virtually nothing that an employer might want to know about
you that is not available online. Accept that fact and be prepared to
address it! There is no where to hide
 If your technology skills are weak and your disciplinary knowledge
dated – you can fix that (and must) for little or no $
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Clarify Identify Plan Act

13. Task: Plan
 Plan
‒ Layout your job search, incorporating new insights
‒ Lay plans out on a calendar – what and when (no “happy talk”)
‒ Refresh resume, profiles, virtual presence, dress and appearance
‒ Craft the key stories you must be able to tell
• Start with the “Big Four”
‒ Tell me a little about yourself
‒ What kind of work do you want to do?
‒ How does your experience fit with the job you want?
‒ Why did you leave your last job?
‒ For sophisticated jobs – be prepared for challenging questions (see
next few slides)
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Clarify Identify Plan Act

14. Consider Potential Questions
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15. Consider Potential Questions
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16. Performance Based Interviewing (PBI)
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 Sample PBI Questions (from Dept. of Veteran Affairs)
‒ Describe a situation in which you had to use your communication
skills in presenting complex information. How did you determine
whether your message was received? (With the original question you
are assuming the person did understand.)
‒ Share with me an example of an important personal goal that you
set, and explain how you accomplished it.
‒ Lead me through a decision-making process on a major project
you’ve completed.
‒ Have you ever had many different tasks given to you at the same
time? How did you manage these?
‒ Give an example of a time you had to make a difficult decision.
Research findings show that the best
predictor of future behavior is past
behavior … This method is also
referred to as competency-based or
behavioral interviewing

17. Task: Act
 Act – Assess – Adjust
‒ work on the job hunt every day – not just talk about
‒ get out of the house – network
‒ stay positive and have faith
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Clarify Identify Plan Act
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds
confidence and courage. If you want to
conquer fear, do not sit home and think about
it. Go out and get busy.
Dale Carnegie

18. Who We Are
 Still Serving Veterans, a registered 501c(3) non-profit, established in
Huntsville, Alabama in 2007 provides the Veterans and their families,
transitioning military, and members of the Guard and Reserves with
employment services including career planning, job search strategy
development, resume preparation, and interview preparations. Additionally,
we work closely with local Veteran-friendly employers to fill positions with
well-qualified, screened Veterans. All services are provided at no charge to
either client or employer.
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North Alabama / Huntsville Office
626 Clinton Avenue, Suite 200
Huntsville, Alabama 35801
Phone (256) 883-7035 | Fax (256) 883-7166
Central Alabama/Birmingham Office
135 Gemini Circle, Suite 204
Birmingham, Alabama 35209
Phone (205) 670-1955 | Fax (205) 637-7917
East Alabama/Columbus GA Office
1206 Broad Street, Suite 102
Phenix City, Alabama 36867
Phone (334) 384-9111 | Fax (334) 384-9112
Virtual Employment Counselling
Web request at: www.stillservingveterans.org
Or Call (866) 778-4645 or (256) 883-7035 and ask to
speak to an Employment Counselor

19. About the Author
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If you are looking for someone to stand by you and support you
through critical life transitions, Still Serving Veterans is here for you!
Paulette M. Risher is twice retired, once as a civilian
Organizational Psychologist with the United States Air
Force Research Laboratory and once as a Major
General (2-Star) in the United States Army Reserve.
With 34-years of Army service, Paulette was the first
woman to command an Army Special Operations unit
as a flag-officer and served as President of the Joint
Special Operations University.
Upon leaving active duty, Paulette joined Booz Allen Hamilton and led their
organization and strategy team in Huntsville and then served as the Principle
Director for Huntsville Operations for DigiFlight, Incorporate. Today, Paulette is the
Program Director for Veteran Employment Services for Still Serving Veterans and
manages the Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) grant to expand Veteran hiring. She
is a serious mentor and Veterans’ advocate. Paulette holds a Masters degree in
Education with a focus on adult learning and a Masters and Bachelors in
Psychology.