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Second careers


Even someone who leaves the military after a full 30 years of service (or more) has plenty of time left to pursue a second career. Between the job experience and education opportunities the military offers, employers are often eager to land a former service member. We’re always talking to small-business owners, corporate headhunters and other civilian professionals to keep our finger on the pulse of what they want in a former service member. Find out more about career opportunities that might be right for you here.
  • APRIL CAREER FAIRS
    To make the most of your career fair visit, organizers often recommend registering online. Don’t forget to take military identification and copies of your résumé. To include your...
  • Join federal law enforcement’s elite
    You need at least a bachelor’s degree these days to compete for prized positions in federal law enforcement — to investigate environmental crimes, examine forensic evidence or detect...
  • 5 high-paying jobs — no degree required
    While a college degree is beneficial, not everyone is driven to pursue one.
  • The ‘mechanics’ of opening a business
    The auto business is booming despite rising gas prices.
  • A job pitch with punch
    Eric Franco concedes that he’s a lucky guy, but it wasn’t luck that landed him the best civilian job he’s ever had. An Iraq war veteran and staff sergeant in the California Army...
  • Beat anti-military bias with these replies to ‘loaded’ questions
    You know all too well the value of your military service. You’ve spent years getting high-tech training and developing leadership, problem-solving and project-management skills. You’re...
  • Inside information
    It’s true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression — especially when you’re looking for a job.
  • Beef up your career — open a health club
    One of the best decisions Jackie Siochi ever made, she says, was joining the Air Force in 1989. Another was opening a Snap Fitness franchise in the Seattle...
  • Career catalog contains everything you need
    A career catalog is your one-stop shop for everything a prospective civilian employer could ask for, says Virginia Employment Commission veterans representative Dave Silcox, a former Marine and...
  • Hungry for success
    The Original SoupMan franchise started as a one-man, walk-up soup counter, Soup Kitchen International, in Manhattan.
  • 2008 trend: Employers race to scoop up talent
    With the new year come new trends in hiring. From a quicker interview process, to video résumés, to plump perks, experts say getting hired in 2008 could be a smooth ride.
  • Smart video résumés
    More employers are willing to watch video résumés these days, so if you’re brave enough to go out on a limb and give the new résumé genre a shot, it could make the...
  • Customs and Border Protection wants to hire military
    U.S. Customs and Border Protection is recruiting for 11,000 jobs that need to be filled by the end of this fiscal year, and it’s focusing heavily on transitioning service members.
  • Sing your praises on more pages
    It’s the biggest workplace debate since Coke versus Pepsi in the vending machines — whether to limit your glowing résumé to one page.
  • JANUARY CAREER FAIRS
    To make the most of your career-fair visit, organizers often recommend registering online. Don’t forget to take military identification and copies of your résumé.
  • 5 human resources jobs
    When they’re not helping workers understand complicated health insurance choices, human resources professionals provide employee development opportunities, recruit new workers and help set...
  • Jobs expected to boom over the next decade
    Ever wish you had a crystal ball to reveal what your work life will be like after the military?
  • Superior rigs, more time home give trucking mass appeal
    Trucking. It’s a term that evokes the image of a massive piece of machinery with a guy at the helm. But that misses the nuances. Trucking is a job. It’s a career. And it’s a...
  • Military-friendly career fairs
    To make the most of your career-fair visit, organizers often recommend registering online. Don’t forget to take military identification and copies of your résumé.
  • Be a standout candidate
    Landing a job is not just about your credentials and experience. Sometimes it’s the little things that stand out and make you a desirable candidate.
  • Watch out for sneaky reference-checkers
    Looking for a job? Then be on the lookout for a trend in the hiring world — reference interrogation. Some companies are calling references listed on résumés, and instead of asking...
  • Define your skills in civilian terms
    If you’re among the many young service members returning home to start new jobs and careers, you have tons to offer the civilian work force. The hard part will be explaining that to the...
  • Tricks for remembering names
    Remembering someone’s name is an important aspect of starting your career. This skill will allow you to network within a company.
  • Recon your new job
    How much time and energy do you put into finding out what it’s really like to work at a company before you head to an interview? If it’s “not much,” be careful.
  • Interview clincher comes in many guises
    There are plenty of unknowns when it comes to looking for a second career. But if you plan on working anywhere, there’s at least one certainty in the future — a one-on-one conversation...
  • Listen up, or the boss will notice
    In the corporate world, proper listening is a vital skill. You may be sending your coworkers a bad message if you have a hard time listening. Try these tips for truly hearing what people have to say:
  • How to earn top pay in nursing
    Lt. Cmdr. Pamela Herbig enjoys her job in the Navy Nurse Corps, but she continually prepares for a career outside of the military.
  • Social networking can lead to work
    Jeff Dwoskin, an executive for marketing firm ePrize in Pleasant Ridge, Mich., uses the online social network Facebook mostly to connect with friends.
  • Labor shortage years in the making
    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — About the time Louisiana needs plenty of workers — especially skilled craftsman to rebuild from hurricanes Katrina and Rita — there’s a labor shortage...
  • Y? Because recruiters want a certain generation
    “BTW. Im runnin late. Will still have ur report by 10. Thnx.”
  • Boat builders try to keep art afloat
    EAST BOOTHBAY, Maine — For four centuries Mainers have turned trees into boats, creating an industry that epitomizes the state’s hard-working, sea-faring sense of itself. But now Maine...
  • East to West, Americans are feeling under greater stress
    Stress is up everywhere in the nation.
  • Projecting a shortage, engineers step up recruiting efforts
    Engineers, needed to rebuild the nation’s roads, bridges and sewers, could be hard to find unless more students start going into the field.
  • Top 10 charities
    Forbes magazine lists the largest U.S. charities. In 2006, Forbes named the following top 10 in total revenue.
  • Top 10 occupations
    Top 10 occupations within advocacy, grantmaking and civic organizations.
  • Not a company — a cause
    Carlos Maldonado loves his job, and he loves living in Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Women in uniform: Should you stay or should you go?
    Should I stay or should I go?
  • Veterans wanted to fill skills gap
    Blaine Williams went back to his farming hometown of Ada, Minn., in 1992 after nearly nine years in the Army. He’d been a vehicle mechanic and done a little welding. But the non-farm job scene...
  • Your future starts at our career fair
    Military Times joins forces with CareerBuilder.com in September to bring our readers together with employers on the lookout for military talent.
  • Turning to others for advice
    Building a company can be lonely work. One way to reduce your isolation and gain a wealth of knowledge is by forming an advisory committee. I’ve had advisory committees for two of the companies...
  • High-tech finds home in new New Orleans
    NEW ORLEANS — When Nicolas Perkin was brainstorming his new online trading company last year, he considered launching in New York or San Francisco.
  • Create a great workplace
    David Jaffe, chief operations officer at Pulse 220, a Southfield, Mich., company that sells so-called “experiences” to its customers, knows a thing or two about building a great company...
  • Women: Dress for success and still stand out
    The interview suit may still be de rigueur in certain industries, but what is office — and interview — appropriate “has relaxed considerably over the past 10 years,” says...
  • Microchips implanted in humans: High-tech helpers, or Big Brother surveillance tools?
    CityWatcher.com, a provider of surveillance equipment, attracted little notice itself — until a year ago, when two of its employees had glass-encapsulated microchips with miniature antennas...
  • Minimum wage increase to boost up some of the nation’s poorest workers
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Fast-food waitress Fawn Townsend of Raleigh, N.C., knows exactly what she is going to do if her salary goes up with Tuesday’s increase in the federal minimum wage: start...
  • Greenwood couple fulfills 36-year-old dream by joining Peace Corps
    GREENWOOD, S.C. (AP) — In February of 2005, Virginia and Mark Pulver embarked on a 27-month adventure when they joined the Peace Corps and went to the Ukraine.
  • Cafes take the place of offices
    Mark Yurich and Ralph Dor-Ghali, who work in sales at Sysco Food Services, took over a corner of Panera Bread in Troy, Mich., near Detroit, one recent day.
  • Fuel your bus for maximum performance
    Workbytes wishes Jon Gordon would hurry up and get here.
  • Hot field of accounting demands right training, skills
    You probably won’t be seeing “CSI: Accountants” on television anytime soon. Still, increased federal regulations and the rise of forensic accounting are helping to transform the...
  • Surviving is all about managing cash flow
    Every entrepreneur I know wants to make more money.
  • To get a job, focus on networking
    When Jason Alba was laid off from his management position in information technology, he wasn’t too worried. After all, he had great skills that were in demand and an MBA, and people seemed to...
  • Web sites, groups, legislation aim to counter bullying bosses
    I first wrote about bullying bosses in 1996 when I interviewed Harvey Hornstein, author of “Brutal Bosses.” He said an estimated 90 percent of the nation’s work force suffers abuse...
  • Eastman Chemical to train soldiers to take civilian jobs
    KINGSPORT, Tenn. — Eastman Chemical Co. has joined a program that trains soldiers for civilian jobs, a move company officials say will result in about 10 percent of the 150 to 200 chemical...
  • Release your inner networker
    Somewhere between the playground and the conference room, we forgot how to network.
  • Choose wisely in job video
    Who knew that “Legally Blonde” would be a forward-thinking movie when it came to job-hunting — and for more than just “what not to do”?
  • Returning job-seekers find a different world
    Jeanni Dennis quickly learned the job-search process is a lot different now than when she applied for an administrative assistant position four years ago.
  • Middle managers deserve more respect
    In the television show “The Office” and the comic strip “Dilbert,” the middle manager is often portrayed as a complete jackass, someone who is continually rewarded for being...
  • Improve selling skills step by step
    Question: I have currently been asked to take on responsibilities from the sales department as part of my new title. I never felt comfortable selling anything, and I’m not really sure that...
  • Reality star recruits military apprentice
    You could learn business from the guy who learned from “The Donald.”
  • Good luck is hard work, face to face
    Claudia’s last day at her job of 10 years was on a Friday, as most last days are.
  • Minority workers still fight misconceptions
    Ken Arroyo Roldan says that there is a dearth of diversity at the senior levels in American companies today, and executive search firms share much of the blame for that fact.
  • A patented plan for protecting your ideas
    First of all, CitiKitty was Workbytes’ idea.
  • Home entrepreneurs rent virtual offices
    Deanna Anderson’s business card says her company is located in Suite 300 of an office building on 44th Street in Phoenix. But on most days, you’ll find the 27-year-old entrepreneur...
  • Placement service helps spouses find work
    In early January, Sara Headrick met with a consultant at Adecco, a company that helps employers find the right people for their temporary or permanent positions.
  • Does combat experience belong on your résumé?
    The best résumés are specific. They give more than a general idea of your background.
  • Cold storage is a hot prospect
    DARMSTADT, Germany — Four years after its Indianapolis founding, BioStorage Technologies has opened its first European office, raised $8.3 million among investors and aims to reach $30 million...
  • Companies adapt as workers retire
    At age 66, Clayton Brown recently found himself on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in Alaska, but he wasn’t there for the shuffleboard.
  • Forget checks: Employers turn to paycards
    For 71 percent of America’s workers, payday means an automatic direct deposit into a bank account.
  • No job for the faint-hearted
    Tired of sitting in a cubicle punching numbers and pushing papers? Imagine searching for whale feces or diving into the waste lagoon at a pig farm.
  • Blogging about work can cause trouble
    It’s estimated that there are more than 8 million blogs today, with people writing about everything from making homemade wine to top vacation spots to their latest love affair. And, of course,...
  • On the Web
    Some good resources for finding security-clearance job fairs include:
  • Finding your dream job
    When we think of the dream job, many of us envision something that entails a personal jet, a job title that includes the word “royal” and an annual salary equal to the net worth of Bill...
  • Job-search tips
    Question: Can you provide some insight on what I should be thinking about during my job search?
  • Job fair tactics
    Your security clearance works a lot like a good reputation. It follows you, adds value to the way employers look at you and generally means better job prospects and salaries. That’s why...
  • How best to lead through change
    Question: My company is going though a major restructuring, and I’ve been chosen as one of the people to lead my department though the change. What are some things that I can do to help the...
  • Politics and the workplace don’t often mix
    With the startup of the presidential campaigns, it’s natural that many of us will begin to discuss the issues facing this country, and some of those discussions will probably take place at...
  • Tips for a happy career
    The greatest challenge facing the person who addresses the graduating class of 2007 is to say something students might remember for more than 24 hours, novelist John Grisham told the University of...
  • 5 great agriculture jobs
    We’ve made the transition from agrarian society to industrial superpower. But one look at the career choices in Purdue University’s College of Agriculture makes it clear that farming...
  • Struggling with work after war
    Charles Thomas came to dread his morning commute on the Red Mountain Freeway. The Arizona desert resembled the Middle East, and his mind would return to the battlefield of Iraq.
  • Searching for the elusive job satisfaction
    Question: I’ve changed jobs so often in my career that I can’t imagine staying at one place for longer than three or four years. I always find something wrong with every job. Either...
  • Data-loss prevention market booming
    Put Palisade Systems’ “big brother” software on your company’s network and Kurt Shedenhelm swears it’ll find something you won’t like.
  • Federal law enforcement
    If you’re not convinced Border Patrol is right for you, consider a law-enforcement career with one of these federal agencies:
  • Job seekers, employers turning to video résumés
    Leveraging one of the Web’s most popular new formats, job hunters and corporate recruiters are adding online video résumés to their arsenals.
  • Sales workshop discounts for veterans
    Sales performance improvement firm Huthwaite is offering half-price enrollment fees to honorably discharged veterans and current reservists for three of its sales workshops through the end of this...
  • Career inspiration can be accidental
    Days before I was to graduate from college, a journalism professor with great influence over my final grades told me, “Andrea, you will never write,” then marched away. After recovering...
  • Prospecting grows business
    Question: Last year my sales team was No. 1 in our region. It is needless to say that we are expected to build on our success. To do this, I believe that we need to drastically expand our client...
  • Income gap between generations widens
    Prashant Tungare arrived in the United States in 1984 with a wife, a child and $500 in his pocket. Today, the India-born American citizen is a prosperous computer specialist at Wachovia Bank.
  • Get ahead in the consumer products industry
    Retail jobs — they’re not just for kids.
  • Border Patrol Academy expands
    ARTESIA, N.M. (AP) — A trainee swings a rubber baton at the knees of three instructors wearing padded suits and helmets, acting out a scenario some of the new Border Patrol agents brought in...
  • Federal law enforcement jobs
    If you’re not convinced Border Patrol is right for you, consider a law-enforcement career with one of these federal agencies:
  • Border Patrol to hire 6,000 by end of 2008
    Moving to the U.S. Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector was a culture shock for Border Patrol Agent Frederick Mangona and his family.
  • Utilities brace for worker shortage
    HERNDON, Va. — Chain saw in hand, Ray Bryan elevates his cherry picker against a cloudless blue sky with a cheerful, “Get her on up.”
  • Entrepreneur designs career around Photoshop
    LOS ANGELES — You can’t get rich writing computer books. Advances are low, and the lifespan of the book is short.
  • Aerospace companies target young recruits online
    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Wong, an aerospace engineering student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was schmoozing on Facebook.com last fall when he came across a sleek Boeing job...
  • Work around that crazy boss
    Crazy bosses are nearly impossible to work for.
  • Business relationships are personal, too
    People get hurt a lot at work. And I’m not talking about the repetitive-motion, carpal-tunnel, back and shoulder type. I’m talking about the pain you sustain when a co-worker, boss or...
  • The entrepreneur’s tug of war
    Strategy versus execution. Sales versus operations. Increasing income versus reducing costs. Every entrepreneur faces a constant tug of war.
  • Need for day care expands into night
    SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Shortly before 8:30 p.m., after the last snacks have been eaten and hands and faces washed, Venus Schrader pushes out a cart filled with blue and red mats and places them on...
  • 5 ways to impress on the first day of new job
    You’re not sure where the copier is, let alone the restroom. You don’t know whether to jump right in and ask for a task or wait around for someone to tell you what to do.
  • Best Buy tries ROWE-ing without a time clock
    Flex work has taken on a new meaning as Best Buy rolls out the greatest work idea for Generation X since earbuds. ROWE stands for “results only work environment,” which for Xers...
  • Find an angel to fund your small business
  • Workers connect on social networking site
    Meet Art ... who knows Scott ... and knows Cory... and knows they don’t know each other, but probably should for business purposes.
  • ‘Desk rage’ warns of violence
    Workbytes’ new friend, columnist Anita Bruzzese, calls it “desk rage.”
  • Don’t lie on your résumé for any reason
    By now you may have heard about the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who admitted that she had cooked up her educational credentials in 1979, claiming to have...
  • Military-friendly career fairs
    Career fairs around the U.S. and abroad cater to people with military experience. To make the most of your career-fair visit, organizers often recommend registering online. Don’t forget to take...
  • Career outfitter: Your civilian clothing guide
    With a reputation for integrity, dedication and cutting-edge talents, service members rarely have trouble landing good jobs once they leave uniform.
  • New job? Take these tips to work
    You finally land a new job, and you show up for your first day of work wearing your comfy sneakers and your new nose ring.
  • Details make or break first impressions
    Think of it as a building block. Without a strong foundation, nothing stands — and that’s what a first impression is all about.
  • Be aware of at-will employment policies
    When, exactly, can your boss fire you? Pretty much any time he or she pleases and for any reason — as long as the reason doesn’t involve such things as discrimination, retaliation,...
  • Get started in the construction industry
    Construction job opportunities are ripe for military men and women such as retired sailors Ken Dianovich and Paul Beck, say officials with the National Association of Home Builders and its work force...
  • Sexes’ wage gap narrows
    More than 40 years after the Equal Pay Act made it illegal for employers to pay women less simply because of their sex, there’s still no state in the country where a typical woman earns as much...
  • Rail companies recruit ex-military
    Just a few years ago, it wouldn’t have been a promising career move. But today, if you’re looking for a steady job, great promotion opportunities and immediate openings when you leave the...
  • High-tech skills in high demand
    Job forecasts for the coming decade all point to an increasing demand for technological skills — no matter what the industry. There are few career fields that don’t rely on technology in...
  • New sites let you 'work the room' online
    Sometimes, getting a position comes down to who you know. But now, you can "work the room" even if your connections and contacts are spread out around the world.
  • Get a 'leg' up in online business
    Brian Jones turned America’s obsession with a holiday movie into cash — lots of cash. Since its release in 1983, the movie “A Christmas Story” has grown from cult status to...
  • Job sharing keeps women working
    There’s been much debate about why women drop out of the work force at the height of their careers. For whatever reason — to stay home with children, care for an aging parent or simply to...
  • Workers skeptical about less-stress findings
    Been awhile since Joe, the tightly wound co-worker, slammed his keyboard against the desk? Been even longer since Mary, the micromanager, had an outburst?
  • Stop wasting your money
    As the saying goes, you’ve got to spend money to make money. But no one wants to waste money. Most entrepreneurs are careful spenders, but all of us, from time to time, squander our precious...
  • 5 things about working from home
    If you think everybody who works from home wears pj’s and sneaks in housework, Jeff Korona and Cynthia Kidder are here to prove you wrong. These home-based workers make it a point to look and...
  • New Orleans needs medical professionals
    Our Lady of Wisdom Health Care has had to raise pay to maintain acceptable staffing levels in New Orleans' competitive health care market.
  • Health-care franchise fulfills owner
    What do you get with a franchise? A proven track record, a business plan that works and name recognition.
  • Opportunities abound for nurses
    However, shortages add stress to demands of job
  • Bullying takes toll in workplace
    Here’s the funny thing about bullying: It doesn’t go away when you become an adult.
  • Career path is something to cultivate
    Eighty-seven people have come up to me and said, “I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.” And that’s just in the last year. So I hear it a lot. They always laugh...
  • Faith, doubt are keys to business success
    On my desk, I have a small book of quotations that I look at from time to time for inspiration. The one that I refer to regularly as I run and build my business: “Great Faith. Great Doubt....
  • Veteran makes franchising history
    Military veteran Alan Martinez symbolizes the success of the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, also known as VetFran.
  • Know when to share personal information
    When presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth publicly disclosed her incurable cancer last month, it put a mark in our minds that cannot be erased.
  • Career coaches gain disciples
    While watching the "Oprah Winfrey Show" late last year, Satira Kitchen learned that the famous talk show host often hires coaches to help with various aspects of her life.
  • Global real estate firm recruits veterans
    A worldwide provider of commercial real estate services has created a hiring program to recruit more veterans.
  • Nonprofit work grueling, rewarding
    On a balmy early evening in February in Rwanda, Josh Ruxin contemplates how his life now differs from the one he lived on the Upper West Side of New York City a couple of years ago.
  • New career: voice captioning
    DES MOINES, Iowa — While Danielle Edwards is teaching, her students are talking. A lot. Only she doesn’t mind.
  • Franchise expo free for veterans
    Veterans will be admitted free to this weekend’s International Franchise Expo at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
  • Gulf Coast needs your skills
    The future of the Gulf Coast region of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and the historic city of New Orleans, is in the hands of its people.
  • Health career fast track
    A career in the military is all about service. That’s one of the chief reasons service members choose second careers in the health care industry — they still want to work, and they still...
  • Collaboration drives younger workers
    America’s youngest professionals value workplace relationships more highly than their counterparts from previous generations, according to a news release from SelectMinds, a provider of...
  • Nonprofit helps Marines find careers
    You could call it a transition immersion program.
  • E-résumés require special attention
    The job market is all about electronics. People look for jobs online, and employers post their vacancies online. Given this environment, it’s only smart for job seekers to learn the difference...
  • How to be your best in video interviews
    As more companies interview job candidates from around the world and more executives look for time-saving strategies, you may find that the next time you interview for a job, you’re facing not...
  • No degree? Not a problem
    Just because no bachelor’s degree is on your résumé doesn’t mean you can’t find a good career.
  • More employers recruit the military ethic
    WASHINGTON — Employers looking to hire workers with strong work ethics, leadership skills and diverse backgrounds are increasingly turning to a select group of recruits: members of the military.
  • Pool franchise is fun for owners
    How would you like to sell fun for a living? While most of the masses try to balance work with play, the American Poolplayers Association offers both — through pool-league franchise...
  • Franchising on the Web:
    Go to the American Poolplayers Association’s Web site to find which territories are available: www.poolplayers.com
  • Franchise fees at a glance:
    A low-cost franchise fee is less than $20,000, according to the International Franchise Association. Seventy percent of franchisers charge an initial fee of $40,000 or less, and the average franchise...
  • Use the Web to find your perfect job
    Employment Web sites have made job hunting easier than ever, placing hot opportunities from around the globe just a few clicks away.
  • Be your own boss
    Is it right for you? That may be the first question you ask if you’re thinking about becoming a business owner. But it’s only one of many. Being your own boss means running the show and...
  • Dress for success
    You’ve got an interview. What are you going to say? That may be your biggest worry if you’re about to move toward a second career after military service. But you’ll need more than a...
  • 2007’s six hottest jobs
    When Sylvan Henry enrolled in a two-year radiology technician program at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, he knew a lot about computers and communications systems. What he didn’t know...
  • Build a career without a college degree
    You can't be successful without a college degree. Everybody has heard that statement. But how true is it? And where's the evidence? While people who have earned college degrees...
  • Your clearance is your foot in the door
    You are leaving the military and want to launch a civilian career that makes use of your security clearance. The trouble is you're still not quite sure what kind of job you want.
  • Second-career secrets: Mentors help troops transition
    It's those first steps that are the hardest. Entering the civilian job market is like landing on the far side of the moon and setting out on an exploration that's, by nature, tough to do.
  • 14 tips to land you that dream job
    When Sgt. Ken Corr left the Florida Army National Guard in 2005, exiting the military wasn't the only change he was looking to make. He wanted to embark on a new career path as well.
  • Be your own boss with a franchise business
    Maybe you're tired of someone else calling the shots. Maybe you want to be your own boss. If you're thinking about a second career and the key word in your dream job is "independence," you...
  • The secrets of small-business success
    Former Army Lt. Col. Carl Cockrum faced a difficult choice when he decided to retire after 22 years -- accept an attractive job from a defense contractor, or sink nearly $100,000 into a franchise to...
  • Translation guide for civilian want ads
    During the search for a new job, chances are you'll read enough job ads to be able to mumble them in your sleep. Key words and phrases that seem to turn up again and again in most advertisements...
  • 13 questions to ask — and win over — the job recruiter
    Jarrod Washington knew about interviews. He had spent more than five years as an Air Force recruiter. So when he sat down to interview for his first civilian job, he asked a question directly related...
  • The 9 questions you should never ask a recruiter
    Questions you ask a job recruiter fall into three categories: good ones, bad ones and ones so ugly they should never pass your lips.
  • Want to join the $100,000 club? Follow two vets’ lead
    Claudia Petersen has made a stellar leap. She joined the Army right out of high school, served 10 years and separated as a sergeant in 2001. Now she's a senior operations coordinator for KBR in...
  • Career Q&A: Keep that IT resume simple
    You know you're marketable. But how do you tell your story on one or two pieces of paper? Separating service members -- no matter how long they've served -- enter the civilian job market...
  • How to figure out what you’d make as a civilian
    During your years in uniform, Uncle Sam always has been the one to decide the amount of your paycheck. But now that you are planning to leave the military, determining what you are worth can be as...
  • Strategy is essential to job-search success
    Transitioning out of the military into the civilian world could very well be one of the greatest challenges you will face as a service member. The idea of leaving behind a familiar environment of...
  • How to stay competitive for defense IT jobs
    Opportunity is the key when it comes to information technology careers.
  • Do homework before working from home
    Interested in starting a home-based business as a second career once you leave uniform? Before you jump in headfirst, make sure you've done your homework -- not just about what kind of business...
  • Before jumping into a franchise, ask questions
    Your work history means years of following someone else's orders. But if you want to be in charge in your next career, you might consider owning your own business.
  • Model for success: How a soldier built his own at-home business
    Logan Coffey was a new Army recruit with no previous sewing or design experience when he purchased his first sewing machine while stationed at Hawaii's Schofield Barracks in 1991. Fueled by a...
  • You can turn that entry-level job into a great career
    Entry-level sounds like a non-starter to some job hunters, but it can be the best step to a great career. Clint Carpenter jumped on the fast track to success when he joined Cintas after his four-year...
  • Interview advice: Know what interviewers can't ask
    Alex Coates said it happened all the time.
  • Health-care franchise fulfills owner
  • Tips on lining up a flexible schedule
    A flexible work schedule can get mom or dad to Little League games, even if it means taking along their laptop, or just out of the office on time to pick up the kids from day care. A flexible...
  • Think outside the box when building a résumé
    Anyone who has ever sent out a résumé knows the anxiety that goes along with it.
  • There’s no perfect time to make a change
    You would think workers in their 20s and 30s would be less daunted by the thought of career change. They’re young, right? It seems obvious to make a change before you’re saddled with a...
  • Gen X: Not as strange as boomers believe
    Larry Ballard and I write this column week after week to help give young readers insight into the working world. We slave to bring cutting-edge observations and useful commentary to those who are...
  • Practice makes perfect with people skills
    Question: What are some things I can do or practice so that I’m more natural and professional during face-to-face communication?
  • The wild life — Make your next career an adventure
    Do you have what it takes to protect mountain climbers at the summit of Mount McKinley or lead big-game hunters on a mountain lion chase through Idaho wilderness?
  • Technical skills take you straight to the top
    When Sgt. 1st Class Joe Bruehler retired from the Army in 1995, he never imagined he’d become a program manager for one of the world’s largest defense contractors.
  • Five sports careers beyond fields of play
    So you want to work in sports, but you lack that laser rocket arm. Fear not. The sports world offers a variety of careers and salaries for those who love sports but play at a level more recreational...
  • Business in the great outdoors
    If you want a career in adventure sports, this just may be your lucky decade.
  • Protect, polish your online presence
    Admissions counselors are sometimes shocked at the e-mail addresses applicants submit on college applications. Addresses starting with PartyAnimal or lazegirl have crossed their desks.
  • MySpace contest recruits TV production talent
    Post your original five- to seven-minute TV pilot to a dedicated MySpace page starting Sept. 4, and you could win $25,000 and a development deal with
  • Jobster-Facebook partnership connects networking, recruiting
    Social networking site Facebook and employment site Jobster have teamed up to produce a new career networking and job...
  • Get good pay for weekend work with HireaHelper.com
    You can make extra cash in your free time by mowing lawns, doing household repairs, helping people move — or whatever your skills may dictate.
  • LexisNexis tool tracks executives
    Want to ensure you go to work with true movers-and-shakers? Think about researching your next boss using LexisNexis’ new ExecRelate tool.
  • Web tools to get ahead in your education or career
    New Web tools for career development are springing up all the time, and colleges are increasingly offering degrees online. Check back for updates.
  • Sales or marketing? You need both
    In my company, we’re having an internal dispute. We want to substantially increase our sales in the coming year, but to do so, we need extra help. No dispute about that.
  • Automation, downsizing fuel change in manufacturing
    INDIANAPOLIS — A sea change under way in U.S. manufacturing has plants looking for workers with computer skills and abandoned factory towns looking overseas for new employers.
  • Working from home gets respect from all sides
    When Chris Arnold’s two children come home from school, she’s waiting at the bus stop. In summer, she’s there after their morning swim lessons. When they play outside in the...
  • 5 top home businesses
    Some people don’t feel they belong in the corporate world. They long to be their own bosses, set their own hours and rules.
  • How to work for a high-maintenance boss
    They get more done in a day than most people accomplish in a year. They’re brimming with ideas, charismatic, relentless in achieving goals, focused on the task and direct about how they want it...
  • How to link up to LinkedIn
    It was somehow inevitable that the grown-ups would come up with their own version of MySpace and Facebook — a way to connect with others online — but without looking like immature...
  • Making the decision
    Michelle LaBrosse left the Air Force after four years of service and eventually launched Cheetah Learning Systems, a project management training company.
  • Companies turn to on-site health clinics
    MILFORD, Del. — As companies try to reign in rising health care costs, workers in many industries are dealing with on-site health clinics. Large employers including Toyota Motor Co., Pepsi...
  • Job misery takes many forms
    For 40 years, Patrick Lencioni’s father came home from work complaining about his job and the “ridiculous” management practices he was forced to endure.
  • Women balance amid stereotypes
    Many of the boldest and brightest women leaders walk around on eggshells. If you’re assertive, people say you’re too tough. If you’re too collaborative, you’re not tough...
  • Reducing office worry by writing it down
    Question: I’ve spent the past week worrying about a situation at work. It seems like any decision that I make could very well be the wrong one. I’ve worried myself sick for a week now,...
  • Poker brings cash into restaurants, bars
    Leon Barnett, manager of Scrimmage’s Bar & Restaurant in Wilmington, Del., knows exactly why he added poker nights to his weekly event calendar: money.
  • Many people leave jobs for their family’s sake
    It seems that a lot of people are resigning from their jobs these days for the sake of their family. At least that’s what they say, including White House deputy chief of staff, Karl Rove, who...
  • Franchising: The money side
    Leaving the military means leaving a life of following orders — which may be why franchising appeals to some veterans looking for second careers.
  • New help for military entrepreneurs
    The Small Business Administration has enlisted banks across the country in a new loan program reserved for military veterans. The loan features fast approval times, low interest rates and up to...
  • Rescue helped grow veteran’s helicopter business
    COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) — Fifty years ago on the afternoon of Sept. 10, 1957, a two-hour rescue forever altered tiny Columbia Helicopters Inc.
  • OCTOBER CAREER FAIRS
    To make the most of your career-fair visit, organizers often recommend registering online. Don’t forget to take military identification and copies of your résumé.
  • Forensics specialists use science to catch the bad guys
    Forensic expert and former Army Maj. Michael Berkland likes to tell the story of the murder that wasn’t.       
  • Read to succeed
    Your transition is approaching, and you’re lagging a little in getting that post-military job hunt off the ground. Or maybe you’re not entirely convinced life as a civilian is right for...
  • Find a job fair in your state
    ABOARD THE NEW JERSEY (AP) — For 10 months, Iraq war veteran Andrew Schumann has been looking for a job. So far, no luck.
  • Find the perfect job. We’ll help!
    Some veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have a harder time finding work than their non-military counterparts, statistics show.
  • December career fairs
    To make the most of your career-fair visit, organizers often recommend registering online. Don’t forget to take military identification and copies of your résumé.
  • February career fairs
    To make the most of your career-fair visit, organizers often recommend registering online. Don’t forget to take military identification and copies of your résumé.
  • The perfect career for ‘people’ persons
    As demand for qualified employees rises across U.S. markets over the next 10 years, expect more human resources professionals to step in to recruit and retain top talent.
  • Flight officer turns high-tech CEO
    She started a defense-consulting firm, Craig Technologies Inc., in 1999 with 10 employees. It has grown to 142 employees and several military contracts, in part because of the advantages of being...
  • MARCH CAREER FAIRS
    To make the most of your career-fair visit, organizers often recommend registering online. Don’t forget to take military identification and copies of your résumé. To include your...
  • Survey shows pay up 6 percent for security clearance jobs
    Average salaries for security-cleared civilians working in the defense industry rose about 6 percent over those reported in a previous survey, according to data published March 27 by the Web site

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