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The years you've spent in uniform were part job, part education and a healthy dose of adventure. As you transition out of the armed forces, the integrity, ingenuity, adaptability, problem-solving and management skills you've honed over the course of your first career have laid a solid foundation for a second in the energy industry.
"The energy sector is a great place for transitioning service members with the right skill set to launch their post-uniform careers," said Janet Farley, career consultant, military spouse and author.
For the right person with the right skills and mindset, the energy sector offers a new range of professional prospects in a field of cutting-edge technology and global impact.
"There's a lot of transitioning military personnel that had a specific skills set -- nuclear engineer, subsea engineer -- and while they do not do Navy nuclear engineering work, the analytical side (of their experience) gets applied to our business, the training, the due diligence behind the background of that, it fits in our organization and people just thrive," said Michele Gorun, global recruitment programs supervisor for Chevron.
Transitioning service members with leadership experience in project management and technical expertise in engineering are attractive to energy sector employers, Farley said. Above and beyond their professional skills, people who've spent most of their adult life in uniform have a perspective that often sets them apart from the general population, Farley said.
"Veterans have the qualities that many employers (in the energy sector) seek," Farley said via email. "They are generally not afraid to make timely decisions using the information available to them and they are used to working in less than ideal circumstances. Veterans are also flexible and able to readily adapt to changing work environments."
Farley cited the example of a project manager or field tech who might have a rotating schedule on an off-shore oil rig far from family members for months at a time.
"Not everyone is cut out for this," she said. "Veterans, however, …can adapt and overcome more easily than others."
Gorun said the military and Chevron share professional ethics that make potential military hires particularly attractive.
"At Chevron in general in terms of our corporate culture and who fits in well with our organization, one of our core values is safety," she said. "We find that in military talent, someone who's delivering results, someone who can work effectively and efficiently under pressure."
Chevron's U.S. Military Veterans section of its website offers videos, articles and other information specifically to help transitioning service members learn more about whether they might be a good fit for the company. There are links to open positions and a military skills translator.
"Look for companies that are hiring military talent, Chevron being one of them," Gorun said. "We're passionate about it, we showcase that and we have a site to make that even easier."
To find the best fit for your MOS, there's a variety of online tools that allow you to search your military job and see how it translates to the civilian sector, such as O*Net Online, Farley said.
"The MOS Crosswalks are good starting points, but veteran jobseekers need to do more research," she said. "Service members contemplating a military to civilian transition into a particular career field, such as the energy industry, could also start learning the lingo of it by talking with other veterans who have already successfully transitioned before them." (Read more vocabulary tips here.)
To zero in on the best opportunities for you, Farley suggests you start with a little research to find the companies that best fit your skill set then connect with their reps at job fairs. Look to join job groups on LinkedIn such as Power/Energy Sector Professionals, Energy Sector Recruitment Network and Energy Sector – Management & Leadership or attend virtual career fairs via sites such as Veteranrecruiting.com and Careereco.com to get an idea of what positions might work for you. Military job placement services are also effective at vetting both candidates and potential employers, Farley said.
You can start general with some of the top job search sites like Indeed.com, CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com to get an idea of what's open and where. Spend some time on specific company sites to see whose hiring and how your skills match up with open positions. For sites specific to transitioning military, take a look at Bradley-Morris Inc., Lucas Group and Orion International. On these recruiting sites, you can create profiles, upload resumes, search jobs and find events like job fairs or consultant visits on base or near you.
"This approach can be meaningful for both the veteran and the employer as an effective placement service can uniquely assist each side in better understanding the skill set of the other, acting as a translator and essentially minimizing the military to civilian language barrier," she said.
Military-specific job events and programs such as Hiring Our Heroes are also great tools for learning more about launching your new career, Gorun said. She also strongly encourages applicants to make the most of LinkedIn.
"I'm noticing the veteran community is really growing on that network," Gorun said. "People should be highlighting their background and joining groups that connect and help network. Nowadays it's becoming the keys to the kingdom to help you get into other industries or specific companies."
Photo Credits: Digital Vision, Getty Images
This story is presented by our sponsor Chevron. For more information, visit chevron.com.
©2015 Chevron Corporation. No U.S. military endorsement is implied.
