Cameron-Brooks Podcast: Episode 51 – Why a Career Search is Better than a Job Search

With so many veteran recruiting initiatives, social media sites like LinkedIn, and an unemployment rate of 3.9%, it has become a lot easier for transitioning JMOs to land a job.  While seemingly positive, this can be a problem. Why? Most JMOs do not want a job, they want a career.  The definition of a job is, “work that one routinely does in return for pay,” whereas a career is defined as, “the natural progression of one’s professional life”. Let’s look at why a career search is better than a job search. How do JMOs end up in a job when they want a career?  They do not conduct a career search.  A career search includes interviewing with multiple companies over a short period of time to evaluate them and find the right fit.  This allows the JMO to compare their options with factors such as industry, promotional opportunities, career field, culture, location and money.  Careers have a mix of these and short- and long-term trade-offs in each of these areas.  No one opportunity will be perfect.  The career search allows the JMO to compare the trade-offs and make an educated decision on where to launch their career.  This decision then allows them to stay with their company for several years, fully transitioning to the business world and developing a track record of success. It is very difficult to line up the resources to do a career search without help.  On their own, most JMOs will get to fully interview (initial interview, onsite follow up and evaluate an offer) and compare maybe two opportunities.  Most of the time, they cannot sync those options with one another to fully vet them.  Instead, they get caught in a position of having an offer from a good company with good compensation and location.  The opportunity looks good, so they accept.  Yet, they did not get to fully explore the available options.  Then, when challenges come or they get bored, they get the itch and start looking for another role.  They last less than two years with their original company and do not develop the track record of success. Cameron-Brooks offers a career search.  As far as I know, there is not another source that provides the opportunity to interview with numerous decision makers/hiring managers representing industry leading companies and development positions in one place, and then facilitate follow up interviews over 18 working days to find that right fit.  Sure, there are Service Academy Career Conferences or other Veteran Job Fairs that have excellent companies attending, but they are networking events or, at best, conducting screening interviews. At a Cameron-Brooks Conference, JMOs interview for real positions, well matched for their background and interests, that sync up with their timing. In this podcast, Stephen Reiff describes the value of this type career search and being open minded to available options.  By conducting his career search with an open mind, he landed a position he never even knew existed.  Stephen is the Operations Manager for Starrett-Byetwise, which is a laser metrology company.  He offers excellent insight into his transition experience. Enjoy! Joel