From Lewis Lin, CEO of Impact Interview (https://www.impactinterview.com/) and formerly Microsoft’s director of product management and marketing:

1. Think about transferrable skillsHow can you describe your military experiences for a corporate role? Take for example:

* If you trained more than 200 people on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, think how your training preparation, delivery, and results could apply in a corporate classroom setting.

* If you helped the Navy save $3 million dollars by administering 37 government travel accounts, think how this experience could apply to a financial controller position.

* If you were in charge of an aircraft repair department, think how the Six Sigma principles you learned could apply to a manufacturing or operations job.

2. Adjust from military to corporate speakA key to getting the job is fitting in — not only do you have to demonstrate the right skills, but you also need to adopt the right body language and speech. Here are a few examples:

* Be wary of military jargon. Rather than say you were the “black swan” expert, explain that you developed contingency plans for rare events.

* Rather than use military time, use civilian time. That is, instead of confirming an interview for 15-hundred hours, use 3 pm.

* No need to address your professional contacts as Sir or Ma’am. You can typically address them by their first name.

3. Play up your strengths as an ex-military candidate

Military veterans are known for precise communication, individual accountability, impeccable execution and natural leadership. Don’t forget to showcase this during the interview. All four skills are in high demand, regardless of position. Give yourself credit for strengths that many non-military job candidates lack. Other key skills to play up: poise, ingenuity, and ability to handle stressful situations well.

For more tips from Lewis, visit https://www.military.com/military-transition/employment-and-career-planning/secrets-for-successful-military-career-transition.html?comp=7000024628453&rank=22001

Stephen Cleare, of tap2-O.com, is a blogger and the author of “The Little Green Guide for Veterans.” He advises on https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/job-hunting/3-job-tips-for-veterans.html:

1. Look the part. When one of my clients is hiring a veteran, he/she has a vision in their head about what you look like. The picture they have is somewhat about your physical appearance, but mostly about the way you carry yourself. Whether you are interviewing for an executive position or a technical job, maintain the military posture. Now, I’m not saying you need to stand at parade rest. I’m saying you need to stand tall, chest out and shoulders back. Ensure your interview attire is appropriate and pressed. A more civilian haircut is typically preferred, but not a showstopper. The military posture, however, is highly impressive. It raises the bar for your unsuspecting competition.
2. Do your homework. Once you know the name of the company and the person with whom you’re interviewing, do something different – research them. You don’t need to spend all day figuring out who their soul mate is or the names of all the company board members. You do need to find two or three things about the company that you find interesting. This way, when they ask you “Do you know anything about us” you can say “Yes, I know a little” and then discuss the items you thought were interesting.
3. Close the interview. Many of the people I placed with companies had no interest in getting sales jobs. Well, on the day of an interview, we are all sales people. You’re selling the company on you. You are letting them know why you’re a better fit than candidate B. Most important, you should be following the first rule of sales – Always be closing. Once the interview is complete, you need to ensure that you have a.) Answered all of their questions; b.) Thanked them for their time; and c.) Let them know you are interested in the position. On a number of occasions, I’ve had clients come and tell me that they really liked the veteran they interviewed, but they weren’t sure if that person was really interested in them. Do not be that vet.

For more tips from Stephen, visit Tap2-0

HOW TO FIND MILITARY-FRIENDLY EMPLOYERS

All companies and organizations hire veterans, but some offer specific programs to attract former military personnel. Victory Media publishes an annual list of its top 100 military-friendly employers (https://employers.militaryfriendly.com/), which can be a useful research tool. VetCentral also publishes a list of federal contractors and other vet-friendly employers (Vet Central). These lists can be a good starting point for narrowing down your job search.

OTHER RESOURCES FOR VETERANS

For more ideas on finding military-friendly employers, consider visiting veteran-specific job boards such as Military Friendly (https://militaryfriendly.com/) and Robert Half’s own Career Opportunities for Veterans website (https://roberthalf-veterans.jobs/).

Another great place to find employment is at military job fairs. There are several online resources available for researching job fairs based on location, such as Stars and Stripes Veteran Job Center (https://veteranjobs.stripes.com/military-events) and VR, or Veteran Recruiting (https://www.veteranrecruiting.com).

Additionally, the U.S. government offers veterans many services geared toward helping them job search, obtain education and training, and sign up for benefits. The GI Bill (https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/) is one of the best-known programs.

HOW TO MAKE A GREAT IMPRESSION

Landing a job as a veteran requires standing out from the pack, just as it does for nonveterans. Here are a few ways to find and connect with companies that hire veterans:

1. Do Your Research

To make sure you target the right companies, first study the occupational specialty codes used by the military and correlate them to skills being sought in the job market. Feds Hire Vets (https://mst.vaforvets.va.gov/mst/va/) is a free, handy tool that can help you make these correlations.

2. Showcase Strengths

In the military, you cultivated powerful qualities that can and will set you apart, especially if the companies you target tend to hire veterans. In your resume, be sure to highlight qualities such as:

• Teamwork, leadership training and decision-making skills
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure
• Dependability and punctuality
• Dedication and commitment
• Understanding of the chain of command

3. Know What’s Out There

Familiarize yourself with related legislation, such as the Joining Forces initiative (https://www.whitehouse.gov), in which the White House pledged to lower unemployment rates for veterans. Through the affiliated website, you can access links to other valuable employment programs, such as the Veterans Job Bank (https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/nrd).

LEARN MORE:

Information for this article came from Robert Half, a global employment services and consulting firm. For more tips and resources visit https://www.roberthalf.com/.

• Army: Soldier For Life — formerly known as the Army Career and Alumni Program, or ACAP (https://www.soldierforlife.army.mil/).
• Air Force: Airman and Family Readiness Center .
• Navy: Fleet and Family Support Center.
• Marines: Career Resource Management Center (CRMC)/Transition & Employment Assistance Program Center .
• Coast Guard: Worklife Division – Transition Assistance (https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Human-Resources-CG-1/Health-Safety-and-Work-Life-CG-11/Office-of-Work-Life-CG-111/).

Step 1. Schedule Your Pre-Separation Counseling

One of the first things you must do is to make an appointment to meet with your Transition/ACAP Office or Command Career Counselor. In most cases, these professionals can be found in the Family Center of your military installation’s Transition Assistance Office. They can assist you with special transition benefits information, employment workshops, automated employment job-hunting tools and job banks, veteran benefits information, and other particulars. Best of all, their assistance is free of charge!

Step 2. Review the Pre-Separation Counseling Checklist

Your Transition Counselor or Command Career Counselor will walk you through the Pre-Separation Counseling Checklist. At this meeting, he or she will:

• Assist you in developing an individual needs assessment.
• Identify helpful relocation resources.
• Offer immediate and long-range career guidance.
• Provide benefits counseling.
• Refer you to other service providers for any additional assistance you may require.

Step 3. Draft Your Individual Transition Plan

Information on developing your individual transition plan (ITP) is available through the Transition Assistance Office. You may want to use your Transition Counseling Checklist as a guide for developing your own unique ITP. Three key decision points to be considered when creating your ITP are money, benefits and employment. Once you’ve created your ITP, review it with your spouse or another adult family member and get their feedback. It is recommended you also review your ITP with a Department of Veterans Affairs counselor or a Department of Labor Career One Stop staff member.

PLEASE NOTE: You may schedule your Pre-Separation counseling appointment any time within a year before your planned separation date. But since it takes time to prepare for an effective transition, be sure to contact the office at least 180 days before your separation. By law, pre-separation counseling (completion of DD Form 2648, the “Pre-Separation Counseling Checklist”) must occur no later than 90 days prior to separation.

AIR FORCE AID SOCIETY (AFAS)

Financial assistance from the Air Force Aid Society is available to Airmen and their eligible family members to meet their immediate needs in an emergency situation. The AFAS provides interest-free Standard Emergency Assistance Loans and Grants, for which there is a standard application and requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. It also provides Falcon Loans of up to $750, for which there is a streamlined application process that requires no budget information, backup documentation or First Sergeant/Commander approval. In addition, Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve personnel on extended active duty 15 days or more under Title 10 USC are eligible for emergency assistance when the emergency is incident to, or resulting from, an applicant’s active-duty tour. For more information, contact the AFAS at (703) 972-2650, or https://www.afas.org/.

ARMY EMERGENCY RELIEF (AER)

Army Emergency Relief serves as the U.S. Army’s emergency financial assistance organization and is dedicated to “Helping the Army Take Care of Its Own.” AER funds are made available to commanders to provide emergency financial assistance to soldiers — active and retired — and their dependents when there is a valid need. AER funds made available to commanders are not limited, and are constrained only by the requirement of valid need. For these reasons, the AER assistance program is conducted within the Army by major commanders and their installation/organization commanders through AER sections and other related organizations. For more information, contact AER at (703) 428-0000, toll free (866) 878-6378, or https://www.aerhq.org.

NAVY-MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY (NMCRS)

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society provides financial assistance and education, as well as other programs and services, to members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, their eligible family members, widows, and survivors. Its main goal is to help each person who comes to it get support for their immediate needs. Programs and services include: Financial Assistance and Counseling, Quick Assist Loans (QALs), Education Assistance, Health Education and Post-Combat Support, Budget for Baby, Emergency Travel, Disaster Relief, and Thrift Shops. For more information, contact the NMCRS toll free at (800)-654-8364, or online at https://www.nmcrs.org/.

COAST GUARD MUTUAL ASSISTANCE (CGMA)

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is the official relief society of the U.S. Coast Guard. Established as a non-profit charitable organization, it works closely with the Coast Guard, but is an independent corporation. Its mission is to promote the financial stability and general well being of Coast Guard people through interest-free loans, grants, and financial counseling. For more information, contact CGMA at (703) 872-6716, toll free (800) 881-2462, or https://www.cgmahq.org/.

• The Montgomery GI Bill

The MGIB Active Duty provides up to 36 months of educational benefits to active-duty veterans. Reservists may be eligible for the MGIB-Selected Reserve.

• Post 9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides up to 36 months of support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after 9/11/01, or individuals discharged with a service-oriented disability after at least 30 days. https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp

• VEAP/REAP

The Veterans Educational Assistance Program and the Reserve Educational Assistance Program are each contribution-based platforms that provide service members with educational funding. https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/veap.asp and https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/reap.asp

• Loans and Grants

There are three kinds of federal aid: grants, work-study, and student loans. Federal student aid is need-based. To find out if you are eligible, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. https://fafsa.ed.gov/

Some states offer additional educational benefits to members of the military or their family members. https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal?_nfpb=true&_nfxr=false&_pageLabel=BenefitsByState

There are also private loans, which are usually at a higher interest rate than the government loans. These loans do not have the same terms as federal student loans and the repayment terms may be significantly different.

• Scholarships

Scholarships for military personnel and family members are available from a variety of sources, such as military professional organizations and veterans service organizations. Some are need-based; others are awarded on merit. The National Resource Directory lists a wide variety of scholarships available. https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/nrd

The American Legion’s Need A Lift publication also lists a wealth of other resources to help further your education.

LEARN MORE:

This content was developed using advice from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. For further information, visit the U.S. government agency’s website at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/servicemembers/planning/

Military Saves is a part of the non-profit America Saves and partner in the Department of Defense’s Financial Readiness Campaign. A prong of that campaign is Military Youth Saves, which is a social marketing program designed to encourage kids to create good saving habits that will carry through to their adult financial lives.

Military Youth Saves also serves as a one-stop shop for financial information for across all branches of the military, specific to military families and their children. They can be found online.

They’re also participating in Military Saves Week, which runs from Feb. 24 through March 1, and children and teens are considered an integral part of the program.

Your teen – and you! – can sign up for updates on what will happen during Military Saves Week. You can also download materials, like posters.

Many financial institutions participating in the week will also be offering incentives for things like opening up savings and IRA accounts. You can also get updates and information by following Military Saves on Twitter at www.twitter.com/militarysaves.

(And while you’re at it, you can follow us on twitter too: www.twitter.com/ourkidsandmoney)

Make a Payment Plan:
You will want to walk through the payments you and/or other family members make on a monthly basis and make sure there is a plan in place while you are deployed.  Auto-payments through online banking can be extremely helpful in ensuring no payments are missed during your time away.  Also, make sure that all information about accounts and payments is kept in a safe and easy-to-access place back home.

Save, Save, Save:
Look for opportunities to save while you’re away.  If a car isn’t going to be used while you are deployed – suspend the insurance on that vehicle.  If you have gym memberships or other monthly expenses that can be suspended or canceled in your absence, take care of those ahead of time so those expenses can turn into savings.

Create a Cushion:
It will help your peace of mind tremendously if there is a financial safety net for your family should unexpected expenses arise during your deployment.  Many experts suggest you have a few months worth of expenses in savings in case of an emergency or unforeseen financial issues.

Learn More:
This content was developed using advice from the experts at Kiplinger.  You can get more information on all these tips and explore a variety of savings opportunities at Kiplinger.com.