I admit it: I was completely unprepared for my transition to the civilian workforce. I had a master’s degree, a top secret security clearance, seven years of experience in intelligence and management…and I had absolutely no idea what any of it was worth. Even if I had known, the thought of negotiating with an employer to get a better deal than I was initially offered would never have crossed my mind. I ended up accepting the first job offer I received, at a salary that was decent…but nowhere near what I could—and should—have been paid. In short, I made all of the mistakes Byron Chen outlines in his new book “Barracks to Boardrooms: Negotiating Your Salary After Serving in the Military.” The difference between me and you is that I didn’t have access to the excellent advice that Byron, Naval Academy grad, former Marine, and founder of SuccessVets, lays out in this book. If you’re in the transition process, looking to switch jobs, or even just think you could be paid more at your current job, you need to check out Byron’s advice—and you can get it FREE on Amazon through tomorrow.
When Byron told me he was releasing a book for veterans on salary negotiation and asked if I’d like a sneak peek, I couldn’t have been more excited. I first interacted with Byron in 2014 when he volunteered for a Front & Center Interview and, as any of you who have visited SuccessVets or read his guest post from last week have discovered, Byron knows his stuff. Since leaving the Marine Corps, Byron has become an expert in veterans’ transition resources and salary negotiation is no exception.
In “Barracks to Boardrooms,” Byron covers everything from the number one reason people don’t get the salary they deserve to the long term impact even a few thousand dollars difference in starting salary can make. He combines facts, resources, and personal anecdotes (yes, he made some of these mistakes himself) into perhaps the single most important resource for a vet entering the civilian workforce—at least that I’ve seen and I do a lot of looking! Byron doesn’t just outline what we’ve been doing wrong; instead, he provides strategies to determine how much money you should reasonably be making, how to approach a salary negotiation, and even, if salary is fixed, some ways to get alternate forms of compensation. No matter where you are in your civilian career, I recommend you make some time to read these 80 pages. Your wallet will thank you.
You can find “Barracks to Boardrooms” on Amazon—FREE on Kindle through January 15th (also available in paperback for $8.99). And don’t forget to head on over to SuccessVets to see all of the other awesome transition and employment advice Byron has available.
Happy negotiating!
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