The last couple of posts have been about resources that can help you determine which careerfield you want to pursue in the civilian world and what qualifications you might need to do so. Today’s resource is about how to search for that job and improve your chances of landing it.
VetNetHQ is the result of a collaboration between Hire Heroes USA, Google, and Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) to provide free job search, career development, and business resources to veterans. It is a three-pronged resource broken into “tracks,” two are employment related and one is business related.
Track 1 – Basic Training Track
The Basic Training Track is for those just starting (or restarting) their job hunt. This track uses a series of Google Hangout videos to cover topics such as resume writing, interviewing, and networking. I reviewed the “Resume Writing 101” (Part 1) with Matt Nagy, a recruiter with Hire Heroes USA. What I liked about it, and what I think you will find useful, is that he doesn’t just gloss over the categories he discusses but actually gives concrete examples of what hiring managers are looking for.
Track 2 – Career Connections Track
This track is designed to go beyond the basic track and provide insight into specific industries, information for veterans currently in the workplace, as well as create a venue for veterans to connect with other veterans and industry leaders.
I listened to the “Veterans in Leisure and Hospitality” video with representatives from MGM Resorts and the American Red Cross. They discussed a new program between MGM and Red Cross to train and hire veterans (similar programs are sprouting up across the country in the business world). The Executive Director of Hire Our Heroes, Kevin Schmiegel, is also included in the video and has some great insight about skill transferability and a small mention about a new branding resource I’ll be talking about on Friday.
Upcoming presentation topics in this track include law enforcement and firefighter jobs, as well as manufacturing and insurance industries.
Track 3 – Entrepreneur Track
The entrepreneur track is for those who are interested in starting and growing their own businesses. It contains presentations on such topics as marketing, business plans, contracting, and other key business concepts.
I mentioned one of the videos from this track in Sunday’s post about the author of Good Night Captain Mama, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato. The video, titled “Navigating the Journey from Cockpit to Entrepreneurship,” discusses key topics on personal branding, networking, and even how to convince the hiring manager that you are the right fit for your dream job.
Other features
In addition to the separate tracks, there is a calendar that shows all past events (there are 190+ between the three tracks) and the dates, time, and details on upcoming events. The calendar is color coded by track to make it easier to isolate the presentations that apply to your interests.
There is also a “Resource Library.” This breaks down all the available presentations by track and then by category, such as Resume Assistance (Basic), Tools for the Job Search (Career), and Doing Business with the Government (Entrepreneur).
A last resource is the VetNetHQ YouTube Channel, where you can subscribe to the track you are most interested in, locate a specific video of interest, and even watch a 2 minute video on how to get the most out of what VetNetHQ has to offer.
After watching several of the videos, the only slightly negative thing I can about the site is that the Google Hangouts can sometimes blank out in the middle (I saw this on several videos) but generally come back up in a minute or so.
You can check out VetNetHQ yourself at www.vetnethq.com
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