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Calgunners in Service This forum is a place for our active duty and deployed members to share, request and have a bit of home where ever they are.

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Old 05-10-2010, 6:41 AM
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Default An Iraqi vet's toughest assignment yet? Finding a job

Rob Baedeker, Special to SF Gate

Monday, May 10, 2010


Courtesy of Steven Pinto
Steven Pinto says the transition from the military to the civilian work force has been much tougher than he expected.

It's the middle of a weekday afternoon, and as we sit near the "New Age and spirituality" section of a Barnes and Noble in Fremont, Steven Pinto, a 25-year-old Marine Corps combat veteran, explains to me the protocol following a hit by an improvised explosive device, or IED.

"You back out of the kill zone, cordon of the area, shut down the road, and make sure nobody moves," he says. "Then you look for things out of the ordinary (that might reveal a trigger man): someone fumbling with things, or trying to get away in a hurry."

Pinto, who served two tours in Fallujah, Iraq, knows this drill well: during his first seven-month tour, in 2005, his platoon was hit by about seven IEDs, he says.

Pinto's head is clean-shaven, he stands 5-foot-9, and he's broad-chested, with an easygoing manner and a raspy voice. When he recounts his combat experiences to me, though, his demeanor changes: he leans forward, clasps his right fist with his left hand, and taps the carpet with his crisp white sneakers.

"I heard the explosion, and then dust came over us like a shower," he recalls of the bomb that hit a vehicle 20 or 30 yards in front of the Humvee he was riding in during his first trip outside "the wire," or demarcated safe zone. In this case, no one was injured.

These experiences are "embedded in your body," he explains.

So, too, is a soldier's training: "Right after the explosion, I popped out of the back of the truck (to respond)," he says. "You don't have time to think about anything. When it's time to work, you're taught to work."

Since returning home to Fremont last March after four years in the Marines, work has been less automatic for Pinto.

While he's coped with the intensities of two combat tours in Iraq, he's found that reintegrating into the civilian worlds of work and money has been much harder than he expected.

Through sporadic employment (largely with his father's construction business, which has slowed since Pinto's return), the young veteran has managed to pay expenses like his truck loan and cell phone bills, but just barely. He's also lived rent-free with his father.

"I can't imagine where I'd be if I had to pay rent, too," he says.

"It's been quite a challenge making ends meet," he adds. "I didn't think it was going to be this tough."

***

One of the first shocks of returning to civilian life, Pinto says, was learning to live without a steady income.

"Coming into the Marine Corps, my financial problems pretty much disappeared," says Pinto, who worked at construction and restaurant jobs before enlisting. "We made just over $15,000 a year, but our housing was paid for, our food was paid for, and when you're on training ops for a month at a time, you're not buying anything but beef jerky and tobacco. You always have money in the bank."

He says he saved some of that "to survive on when I got out," but that money's gone now.

In addition to working for his father, he's done odd jobs for his sister, offered handyman services in his neighborhood, scoured employment listings online and chased construction-work leads from friends.

He can't remember the last time he worked a full week. He says he'll occasionally work a couple of days a week now, usually for his father, but that jobs are "few and far between."

Although Pinto has not filed for unemployment, plenty of his fellow veterans have. In March, the U.S. Department of Labor reported ((pdf) that the joblessness rate for young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans (aged 18 to 24) was 21.1 percent, compared with 16.6 percent for non-veterans in the same age group.

Unemployment rates for "Gulf War Era II" veterans of all ages have risen sharply in recent years, from 6.1 percent in 2007 to 14.7 percent in March, 2010.

In testimony before Congress last month, The American Legion's deputy director Mark Walker attributed the disproportionate unemployment numbers among vets to a lack of skills and training for civilian jobs.

And Pinto attributes his own struggle with finding steady work to a lack of marketable skills, especially in a tough economy.

"I thought just being in the military would be enough," he says. " But as infantry, I walked around with a rifle for four years. I learned a lot of leadership skills, but that's a really hard thing to translate -- putting what I know in military terms into civilian terms."

***

A few months ago, Pinto set out to add a few more civilian skills to his resume. As he was surfing the jobs listings on Craigslist, he saw a post advertising "green jobs for veterans." The ad was from Swords to Plowshares , a non-profit organization that provides assistance to veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area.

With funds from a Department of Labor grant, Swords to Plowshares paid for Pinto to take a 12-week Introduction to Solar class at San Jose City College, which offered an overview of photovoltaic technology and installation.

Pinto excelled in the course. Of the eight students who completed the semester, he and one other student passed an entry-level solar-installation exam administered by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

The class finished about a month ago, and Pinto started sending his resume, updated with his new solar certification, to online job postings for solar installers. He says he applied to about 10 jobs, but didn't get any responses.

Pinto figures the hirers' market didn't help his cause. "Employers are able to pick the cream of crop, and they want someone with at least two years of experience."

In the absence of responses, it's hard to say whether Pinto's military background was a deterrent for any of his prospective employers, but Tia Sears, an employment specialist with Swords to Plowshares, who worked with Pinto on his resume and job search, says military service can often work against a job candidate.

"A lot of companies love to hire vets, but others worry, do they have PTSD, or are they going to be redeployed after they're hired?"

And some employers can surprise veterans with the specific aspects of military service they ask about.

"I had one client do an interview where the employer asked if he'd seen anyone be murdered," she says. "The rest of the interview went downhill from there."

Sears says she sees vets get depressed at the often grim financial and career prospects that greet them on their return. She recalls another client, who's chosen to live in his car because he feels like a burden staying with family members. "He said, 'I shouldn't have to go through this.'"

Pinto's situation seems less dire. He also talks about his career path with optimism and determination.

"I want to build myself up so I can be marketable, so when my resume comes across an employer's desk, they don't even want to look at the next resume," he says. "I thought the military might do that, but it doesn't."

So far, his solar certification hadn't done that either, but Pinto recently found another resume builder.

When we first talked, he had a promising lead on a summer internship with Blach Construction, a general contractor and construction manager in Santa Clara, where his sister works as a project manager. Through her, he'd met another veteran, James Decker, a former Navy medic, who is now Blach's director of environmental health and safety.

A few days later, Pinto told me that Blach had invited him down to Santa Clara to formally offer him the internship.

Decker says his own transition into the civilian workforce was difficult, and he wanted to be available as a mentor to Pinto.

"There's a bond that's instant amongst all veterans, especially war vets," says Decker, who served in the first Gulf War. "We relate to something that most Americans don't relate to -- it's unspoken, unwritten."

He says that while vets tend to have valuable skills -- "loyalty, attention to detail, motivation, and a dedication to work harder and absorb as much a you possibly can" -- it's often difficult for them to translate those skills into civilian terms.

The Blach internship will be unrelated to solar energy, and even if it doesn't lead to a longer-term job with Blach, Pinto says the summer gig alone will make his resume more attractive:

"An employer could then look at my resume," Pinto imagines, "and say, 'OK, this guy was in the military, but he knows something about solar and he did a safety internship -- wow, let's put this one in the 'keep' pile."

Rob Baedeker is a writer living in Oakland. He is the co-author, with the Kasper Hauser comedy group, of "SkyMaul," Weddings of the Times," and "Obama's Blackberry."



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...#ixzz0nXOTrD9u
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Old 05-10-2010, 6:43 AM
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Hopefully some of the vets here can chime in with some advice for this Marine. You can post comments. Maybe he's a Calgunner.
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Old 05-10-2010, 6:52 AM
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I'm living that same hell right now. Thought I'd be good to go getting out of the Army as an infantry NCO. Not so much. Thank god I get the GI bill and have a great wife but right now life sucks. I even put myself through the police academy, graduated with high marks (93%) and my GPA hasn't dropped below 4.0 since I started school in January 2009. Ive been looking high and low but I cant find anything better than the GI bill.

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Old 05-10-2010, 7:06 AM
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You know, its not just the infantry that's having a tough time finding jobs. People keep harping on training and transferable skill but, I was an aviation electronics technician with years of experience and training that could have easily have transfered to almost any aerospace company and I couldn't even find a job working at Best Buy. It's really sad that so many vets are being let down in droves and being placed "back of the bus."
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Old 05-10-2010, 7:26 AM
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I don't know how appealing it is, but companies like Triple Canopy and Xe are hiring all kinds of people with combat experience....and paying them a fortune. I can imagine the last thing a combat vet wants to do is return to a war zone, but I heard they have something like 3 month contract deployments and then ship you back - up to you if you want to re-up.

If I was a combat vet I'd be looking hard at those kinds of jobs.
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Old 05-10-2010, 7:49 AM
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+1 for GI Bill.
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Old 05-10-2010, 8:07 AM
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All transition periods are rough, this economy doesnt help. Compound that with hushed message "you need to be careful message about who you hire" (PTSD). And add the fact that only the armed forces are at war, not US. It doesnt create a very good condition to hire. Also traditionally the civilians have seniority and the jobs that are commensurate with the vets experience have been long taken or are in the process of being down sized. Patience, network, form Vet work search groups ( specially from the same units). When I got out I was without work for over 8 months and the economy was booming , I did go to school and used my GI BILL during that time. Use the skills that you adquired, dedication, profesionalism, management and resources. That generally takes away the "luck" factor.

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Something thats always available, is to create your own jobs.
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form Vet work search groups
Get together especially if from the same unit (NG/RES), make business plans to start businesses, hire vets get tax credits for hiring and training them. Lot available out there for business ventures, check with local VFW there are vets that have been there done that and can help with starting a business. Many of the WWII vets did both went to school and started business. Give a man a fish he eats today, show him how to fish he feeds himself forever.
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Old 05-10-2010, 8:29 AM
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..."you need to be careful message about who you hire"...
Civi's dont really think about us like that, do they? I really hope not.
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Old 05-10-2010, 8:44 AM
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Originally Posted by The Director View Post
I don't know how appealing it is, but companies like Triple Canopy and Xe are hiring all kinds of people with combat experience....and paying them a fortune. I can imagine the last thing a combat vet wants to do is return to a war zone, but I heard they have something like 3 month contract deployments and then ship you back - up to you if you want to re-up.

If I was a combat vet I'd be looking hard at those kinds of jobs.


...or maybe not. I did 4 tours in Iraq, mostly in Fallujah. I finally left the Marine Corps after 22 years because of severe burnout from the constant deployment rotations. I found that I just couldn't recover, physically, emotionally, mentally. On paper it looks like there is plenty of "down" time after a deployment but in reality once a short leave period is taken, the training cycle for the next deployment begins again. I was offered $500 a day to return to Iraq by more than one of the companies you mention and I never even considered it.
The problem with young service members leaving the service is that many of them do so without a plan, without a realistic perception of what it is really like out there. It sounds to me like the Marine in the article has figured it out and is on his way to success but the learning curve is steep and many are not so fortunate.
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Old 05-10-2010, 9:25 AM
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My 2 (15 month) tours pretty well burned me out too. The thought of going back really bothers me but if its the only way to put bread on the table...
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Old 05-10-2010, 10:24 AM
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The running joke while I was in was this = "Infantry --- only outside job you will be able to get is Janitor & Security Guard..." I cant even one of those!!!
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Old 05-10-2010, 10:38 AM
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Unless you already have a college degree, the GI bill, especially the new post-9/11 one, is really the best way to go IMO. Even if you have your bachelors, going to graduate school should be an option for you too. The job market and economy aren't the best right now, jobs that would normally be a slam dunk for college graduates are now getting applicants who have masters degrees, which would you choose?

Use your GI Bill now, better your credentials, and you'll be that much better off when the economy does come back up.
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Old 05-10-2010, 10:49 AM
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My GI Bill is almost gone but I've applied for VOC REHAB too... Hopefully I'll end up with a graduate degree when I am done!
8 months ago I applied for a CAMPUS SUPERVISOR at a local high school - I interviewed against a 60 y/o guy with a masters degree AND 15 years experience as a JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER! lol That was fun...
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Old 05-10-2010, 11:00 AM
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I knwo this hardship all too well. My story pretty much mirrors the story in the ops post. I was working a few odd construction gigs for my fathers company and went out in the evenings and went to school to get my Real Estate License. When the market took a dump I tried to gain other employment and after hundreds of resumes I am still in the real estate business and doing well. I had to go out there with teh skills of determination and perseverance I learned in the Army and get it on my own. I would have loved to go to work for one of the many companies that hire vets to go back BUT.... I am a single father and going away was not an option as I am the only solidarity my son has.

All I can say is keep your head up, never quit and do the right thing no matter how tough it gets.
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Old 05-10-2010, 11:45 AM
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Civi's dont really think about us like that, do they? I really hope not.
The company I will for seeks them out and will turn down Civi's for military experiences. I know many companies just like mine, although you gotta be willing to do the job. Most aren't...
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Old 05-10-2010, 12:33 PM
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bizcuts.....what company do you work for?
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Old 05-10-2010, 12:44 PM
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Civi's dont really think about us like that, do they? I really hope not.
Welcome to the real world, not every company is like Bizcuits and behind HR doors are some of the best keep secrets of hiring practices. And ohh yeah we thank you for your service but here in our company we rather be safe than sorry.They will never say that but worse happens. And NO its not civi's that think that, is a company policy, corporation decision in other words the ones that make more money , the safer they need to be kept.
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Old 05-10-2010, 12:44 PM
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Civi's dont really think about us like that, do they? I really hope not.

In and around the anti-gun culture of the Bay Area, I bet its much worse than in rural areas of the state. I had two friends that were Vietnam Vets I used to work with, and more than one person told me I should watch out hanging out with the crazy vets. Funny thing is, I would have been the last one either of those guys shot if they lost it...
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Old 05-10-2010, 2:51 PM
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It's unfortunate, but the military does not provide the type of training or experience that civilian employers want.

There are some civilian contractor positions which can be had by ex military persone. With a strong prefference over civi's, and overseas operator jobs... But unless you want to shoot at/be shot at for a living they leave you rather unprepared.

The exception is the airforce, pilots hours logged DO count in the civi world and most comercial pilots are ex airforce for that reason.

If getting work is hard, go to school, use a stafford loan or a pell grant, and study something employable not 'communication' or art hum, or womans studies... Take an aa in something with some math to it..

As for the whole PTSD issue, some employers do see it as a serious concern, the same way a newly married woman is a potential for maternity leave, they often won't come right out and say it, but they may find other reasons not to hire you... Discrimination is rampant in the workplace...
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Old 05-10-2010, 9:31 PM
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Im not entirely sure what to think of this.

On one hand, we are talking about the state of California, over 12% unemployment, the most unfriendly business enviroment in the country, home of the most insanely anti Military populace in the country and a number of other factors can play into the job market being hard for a returning vet.

On the other hand, I get offered at least one or two jobs a month from a variety of different businesses, security companies, placement companies, different city and county departments and so forth. It may be the fact that I am out there talking to people, making friends and networking all over.

Its a tough road for sure, if you havent properly prepared for your transition, which honestly, most folks dont, its harder. Theres plenty of tools out there for vets, they just have to use them.

As for what Ajax said about transferable skills, pure horsesh*t. Theres plenty of businesses out there looking for skills that are accquired in the military, United Defense, sincgars, a variety of aviation fields, communication companies... too many to list. In fact, check out the Army PAYS program to see some of whats out there.

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Old 05-11-2010, 2:27 AM
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Hey I'm jus stating what I've seen out there in the world.

The military electronics/computer guys would beat out the itt tech applicants (mostly because they knew how to get the job done) but they were viewed as entry level. Technicians with regard to experience and would be beaten out by anyone with Any industry experience. They would also loose out to anyone with a degree.

If the MOS didn't come with specializes certification (like the nuke sub reactor technicians) or a security clearence, or some form of specialized 2 year electronics school, ot something like that it is very hard to get them hired over anyone with industry experience or even an aa degree.

I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but I've heard bosses laughing at military applicants after interviews were over.

I think a lot of it comes from the fact that most people in management today have not served and don't really understand how any of that training translates into real world applications. Most people in skilled fields either got there through college or worked their way into it on their own...

So that is what they understand and that is who they hire.

I would suggest that if you are already in the service, look into picking up every certification, licence, security clearence, etc that uncle Sam will give you, as that stuff has actual value in the job market.

Grunts have it tough...
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Old 05-11-2010, 2:36 AM
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Here is an article showing that employment for recent vets (those who have served since 2001) is lower than it should be

http://blogs.stripes.com/blogs/strip...oyment-figures

you would expect that young men in prime physical condition (these figures do not count the disabled) would have an advantage over their non servin peers, but the statistics show clearly that they hav higher rates of unemployment.

The good news is they seem to be able to keep jobs once they find them (as witnessed by the lower overall rate of veteren unemployment)
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Old 05-11-2010, 8:00 AM
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Seems like my college years after Active Duty were the hardest as far as finding jobs. Only offers I got were for part-time, minimum-wage, and the schedule was so irregular that I couldn't pick up a second job.

If you are going to college, look into work-study. Its an additional paycheck for little hours, and tax-free. If it hasn't changed, you get get up to 100 hours a month of minimum wage...but you don't even report it to the IRS.

Being in the Guard boosted the GI Bill payments. DoD threw in about $200 more a month (aka, the "kicker"). That was over 15 years ago, its got to be more now.
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Old 05-11-2010, 11:51 AM
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Its a tough job market for anyone these days. Employers have their pick of the litter right now and they can be choosy. If I was a vet I would be down using my GI Bill to ride things out in school, plain and simple. I just finished school and feel lucky to work full time at a grocery store, there aren't a whole lot of good entry level jobs right now. I know folks who have loans due and are unemployed/or simply working for minimum wage. Four years and now this, right?

I have an HR degree and will tell you that they can discriminate easily and as long as it isn't documented, they aren't worried about it. And like AJAX said they hire people like themselves.
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Old 05-11-2010, 3:23 PM
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In my department I do the hiring and firing and we like ex-military. In fact, on the staff 90% of the males are ex-military. Couple of Navy Corpman, couple of Airborne guys, and a 91B MSG. We like the fact they understand chain of command, completing a job, and most work their asses off. Our management staff is all ex-military so we understand what they are capable of, and what they need improvement in. We actively coach them in what is not acceptable (mostly use of foul language) and since many were NCOs and know how to teach, we use them to train the trainers.

When I was discharged in the dark ages, I came home and shortly thereafter got a letter from my city offering me a janitorial job. Said screw that and went back to doing the same thing I did in the Army (91D) for real money. Later went back to college and became an RN.

If you are applying for a job, stress your quality points, such as perseverence, willing to work hard, work long hours and not complain and the fact that you understand and know how to use the chain of command, can communicate clearly and have a strong work ethic.

Best of luck,
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Old 05-12-2010, 8:15 AM
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I am going to apply for a local Park Ranger position today (requires an AA degree) and pay starts @ $15.42/hr... I'll let you guys know how bad I get blown of the water on this one! lmao
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  #27  
Old 05-12-2010, 11:43 AM
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I read something in the SacBee about PG&E looking to hire vets for mechanics positions, pays something like $40 an hour.

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/10/273...-veterans.html
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  #28  
Old 05-12-2010, 12:20 PM
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i have ptsd also and havent held an actual job in years. the last place i worked at was a paintball shop making minimum. but i had to quit. the only thing that saves me is my disability comp. and social. but it really sucks trying to find a job as a vet with no experience in anything. and even when i had a job i had days where i couldnt go to work due to dr. appt or having a bad time of life.
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Old 05-13-2010, 9:27 PM
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I'm there right now. Cavalry officer, looking for something suitable. Now, granted, I know I can get some basic job like a security guard etc, but talk about a waste of a degree, intelligence and experience.

A little irked that CHP aren't hiring though.

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Old 05-13-2010, 9:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Manic Moran View Post
I'm there right now. Cavalry officer, looking for something suitable. Now, granted, I know I can get some basic job like a security guard etc, but talk about a waste of a degree, intelligence and experience.

A little irked that CHP aren't hiring though.

NTM
Your having trouble as an officer?! Wow, even civi's must know that NCO's are the real authority... J/K!

But in all seriousness I cant see why you would have a problem, having a degree and such.

When did the CHP stop hiring?
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  #31  
Old 05-14-2010, 1:04 PM
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I'm in the same boat; I got out over a year ago and have not found consistent work since. Thank God for the new G.I. bill, I am able to pay the bills for now because of that.

Everyone in the service gets told that having military experience will open every door and guarantee you a good job. Well, maybe that was true in the boom times but it sure isn't now. There is a huge surplus of labor and employers can afford to be picky. Not to mention if you live in a big military town like San Diego, nobody is too impressed by the fact that you're former military.

I'm applying for EMT-B and hyperbaric medicine jobs at the moment and discovering just how competitive it is. For every open job there is an average of 60 people applying. All of them have the same certs and so are equally qualified in that sense. Out of 60, a few are bound to have job experience and good industry references. Where does that leave guys like me who are fresh out of school? How are we supposed to distinguish ourselves? I don't care how pretty your resume is and how much you charm the interviewer, the employer is going to pick someone with experience 9 times out of 10. They'd be a fool not to. I've kept my head up so far and keep hoping, but it's hard not to feel rejected...I know that I will work hard and be an asset, but I can't really prove that until I'm given the job!

Anyway, my recommendation to fellow vets is to work on your degree and milk that G.I. bill dry. You earned it, and you can live alright on BAH if you have a roommate or spouse who works. Hopefully things will have turned around in a couple years, we'll see.
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Last edited by reidnez; 05-14-2010 at 1:08 PM..
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  #32  
Old 05-16-2010, 11:16 AM
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Civi's dont really think about us like that, do they? I really hope not.
I can assure you that most don't. You may have a few anti military people around but most people do not think ill of the armed forces.
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Old 05-16-2010, 1:17 PM
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When did the CHP stop hiring?
Last I remember the CHP instituted a hiring freeze last May/June.
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Old 05-16-2010, 2:09 PM
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Believe it or not, it's not easy to get those gigs. Unless you're a combat medic or have civilian emt/paramedic training that's additional to your high threat (combat zone) time + minimum of 6 years in combat skills MOS. I know a handful of people who've actually got on with those types of companies. These companies have grown quite selective because of the bad press and the crappy economy. It's a much more competitive then it once was.

I have been having the same employment problem, but I am inbound on a Federal position and seeing as how the retirement is transferable. IMHO it's the way to go. It's all about buzz words and how you write your resume (or pay to have it written for you). I would recommend USA Jobs, Army COPL, Navy civilian employment website. Start there and expand out. I put in for maybe 100 positions in the past 12-14 months and have heard back from 10% of them, just as a reference. the job market is highly competitive no matter where you go, who you are or what you've done for your country. Good luck brothers.

My $.02 while it's still free (and legal).


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I don't know how appealing it is, but companies like Triple Canopy and Xe are hiring all kinds of people with combat experience....and paying them a fortune. I can imagine the last thing a combat vet wants to do is return to a war zone, but I heard they have something like 3 month contract deployments and then ship you back - up to you if you want to re-up.

If I was a combat vet I'd be looking hard at those kinds of jobs.
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Old 05-16-2010, 2:13 PM
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BTW I am not sure how accurate that is, seeing as how 6 weeks ago I saw maybe 7 different locations looking for potential trainees. But who the hell would want to be stuck in that bureaucratic hell which defines the CHP? Bunch of uptight ***holes if you ask me.

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Last I remember the CHP instituted a hiring freeze last May/June.
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Old 05-16-2010, 10:53 PM
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Been there too. Job market sucks. Former middle managers are competing for the same jobs as college grads. Contractor overseas is lucrative, money good over seas, wish it was here.
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  #37  
Old 05-16-2010, 10:53 PM
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Highest paying jobs these days are federal jobs. Private field sucks
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  #38  
Old 05-17-2010, 12:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Robidouxs View Post
Last I remember the CHP instituted a hiring freeze last May/June.
As far as I know they are still hiring. A bud of mine will make over 100k this year with CHP. He keeps telling me to do it but no way I would ever be a cop. He is working a ton of overtime as well as much as he wants. He also warns of the B.S. they have to deal with within CHP though.
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Old 05-18-2010, 11:18 PM
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I was fortunate enough to get hired on as a DOD contractor. Started the week after I EASd.
But this whole contracting industry is cutthroat and shady. Everything is hiring by will which means I can be terminated anytime for no reason. Definitely have to keep the resume floating around. Lots of jobs in my field out there but I have to go some boonie *** areas.

I feel for you unemployed guys though man. If i ever run into one of ya'll, ill buy you some brewskis and bbq.
Hang in there.
Guys, if you're getting out, GO TO TAPS. I know for Marines, its mandatory to go to TAPS, but for you others, drag your *** over there. Give your comamnd the finger if they say it aint that important. Even though I had a job lined up and wasn't concerned about writing a resume and what not, theres a LOT of good information there that can make life a LOT easier.
Stuff on VA benefits, filing for disability, what YOU are entitled to as a California veteran (you know if you're disabled, youre children can go to school for free in california public schools? (like UC,s Calstates, community colleges). Crap like that. The week was boring and arduous, but I still learned a lot and am thankful as **** I went.
They force you to write a decent resume and they tell you about all the different programs out there, and even provide several job opportunities.
Dont get screwed out of your benefits. Ya'll earned it, so take advantage of it.
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Old 05-19-2010, 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted by DREADNOUGHT78 View Post
As far as I know they are still hiring. A bud of mine will make over 100k this year with CHP. He keeps telling me to do it but no way I would ever be a cop. He is working a ton of overtime as well as much as he wants. He also warns of the B.S. they have to deal with within CHP though.
Their website indicates that they are no longer testing applicants. Which is a problem for me since you have to be 35 or less to take the test. I've another 11 months.

Quote:
But who the hell would want to be stuck in that bureaucratic hell which defines the CHP? Bunch of uptight ***holes if you ask me.
They have a nice little air force, and the pay for pilots isn't bad at all. Plus, I can actually make the requirements, unlike some organisations where you have to have thousands of hours in flight time before they'll let you in. Can't be too many people with pilots licenses who are interested in going through 6 months of basic, followed by two years on patrol before being allowed put in a transfer to air ops.

NTM
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