Recruiting Tips
1. Prepare analytically and for the subject matter at hand but in the interview STRESS your leadership, management, team player, operations, and ability to execute skills. Also, mention your maturity through the difficult training and challenging military background.
2. Even today, many recruiters have an image of the military that is traditional, hierarchial, male-dominated and at odds with civilian society. Be prepared to explain the truth about how to day's military works - that it is team-driven, egalitarian and open-minded. These are the exact things most recruiters are looking for.
3. Interviewers are often very interested in the military. Don't be afraid to spend a lot of time talking about your experiences in Ranger school, or as a Nuke Power office on a Fast Attack, or whatever. Just make sure that your stories have a point. If your strategy is to show that you are a great team builder with strong international skills, then your stories should reinforce that, not go off at a tangent.
4. Company presentations: Go to as many as possible and talk to as many people as possible, even if they aren't exactly in your bailiwick. You never know where the ex-mil folks are going to show up, and they may be tied into a network you can use. Be up front and let people know what it is you want to do, they may know somebody.
5. Cover letters & resumes: The cover letter serves only one purpose: to get your resume looked at. The resume serves only one purpose: to get you the interview. So check spelling. Cover letters are your opportunity to name drop (Remember those presentations you went to - take notes!), expand on any relevant experience, and basically get them to turn the page. Resumes can be tricky. Every company looks for something different in the resumes they pry into.
6. Interviewing: Maintain composure. Have examples ready that highlight your strengths and show how you've improved upon your weaknesses. Always get your interviewer's business card, and always ask what the next step in the process is. If you have a good cop/bad cop interview, keep in mind that half the questions the bad cop asks will be off topic. Early on, tell them very frankly that you're there to interview for XXX company, not talk about the price of tea in China.
7. Follow-up: Send a "Thank You" e-mail as soon as you get a chance. If you advance to the second round, immediately mail them a hand-written Thank You card to thank them for getting you there. At the second round, get everyone's business card, and e-mail a thank you to them all. Additionally, those recruiters, receptionists, and admin assistants wield unimaginable power behind closed doors.
