Looking for New Job after Military life.

[Big Bubba]

Hello to you and Happy New Year, 2010,

I am looking toward retiring from active duty military, Air Force, after spending 22 years in as of August 11, 2009. I am currently stationed at Scott AFB Illinois but want to move and relocate to Spartanburg, South Carolina. I have alot of mechanical experience working around C-5 aircraft while stationed at Dover AFB, Delaware for 12 years and I have about 6 years computer experience in my current job here at Scott AFB. I feel I am very mechanical and work great with my hands. My question is I would like to work at the South Carolina Technology and Aviation (SCTAC) in Greenville, S.C. and was wondering if any of you on the forums work there as a Aircraft mechanic or Information Technology specialist? If so I would like to find a guaranteed job before I retire from the Air Force to continue supporting my family after military life. I have a resume put together to show my past/current military experience. Let me know becuase this is very stressful for me looking for a new job after military life. I am asking you folks on here becuase you people have been great help to me and I need your help again and advice/suggestions. Thank you very much, Bob

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

Career builder, Indeed and look for military contractors who sell products to the military.

IT is a good field.

You have a PM

Bob

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

No real help from me Bubba, except to say best of luck to you.

Did you ever meet a Senior Master Sargeant Shanahan, originally from Peoria,IL, while you were at Scott? He retired 3 years ago. I work with him now at Brinks. If your other prospects fall through, I would recommend looking at Brinks, they really seem to like retired and reserve military guys as employees.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

No help on the job part but Spartanburg is a nice area.
Low taxes and reasonable home prices.Not too far from the beach and plenty of good fishing....

Hey,You will about be my neighbor....

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

Is this job for installing in home security systems or collecting money at major banks/organizations and putting that money inside an armored truck for delivery from and to the banks. Just curious that is all. Thanks for the advice, Bob

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

Gary H NC,
Yeap, I own 2 acres of land in Campobello, South Carolina about 5 minutes to Lake Bowen off I-26. Yeap, I am going on 42 years old and if I don't get retired and move out of Illinois I am going to be stuck here forever and me and my wife don't want that at all. We both want to live down in South Carolina and that is where I want to retire at. Plus South Carolina has beautiful fresh water lakes and camping. I am ready to get out of the military after serving honorably for 22 years. It is just stressful trying to find a guaranteed job in the Upstate of S.C. before I actually move down there for good. Yeap, I also have a real nice Norris doublewide 32' wide by 76' long that me and my wife absolutely love and were talking to a Mark that works Clayton Homes off Asheville Highway Road off of I-26 so if I can get a job, sale my house then I can retire from the military and move on down to my dream retirement home in the upstate of South Carolina for good before I am too old to do that. Let me know, Bob

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

I speak of the Armored division. For some reason, I am thinking that the Brinks Home Security division isn't even really owned by "Brinks" anymore.
But yeah, they seem to like military guys, since they already have weapons and safety training. In my branch alone, out of about 30 guys, there are about 6 that are either retired military, or current reservists.

 

[rbh]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

Hopefully you can take your training and put it to use, what did you get, aeroframe, aeroengine?

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

RBH,
I was an aircraft mechanic on the C-5 Galaxy aircraft for 12 years. I did the rigging on the flight controls, emoved and replaced aircraft parts, servicing, etc. Take care, Bob

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

You have metioned "guaranteed job" twice. The first thing that you need to do is to make a huge change in expectations. I'm not beating up on you, but you are about to enter a world that works very differently than what you are used to - especially right now. The are no guaranteed jobs in civilian life. Having one at all in these economic times, can be considered a good situation.

The good news is that you will retire with a pension and that eases employment worries a bit. Ditto for health care.

Take advantage of the security that you do have and begin to think like a civilian. That begins with translating your military work experience to the civilian job market. I would target a few industries that I thought I would enjoy working in, study them a bit and then write several versions of my resume in a way that targets their needs. Its all about selling yourself in a way that makes sense to your employment market. As such, don't use military jargon - write like the civilian that you are about to become.

Present yourself in terms of what your desired employer needs, speak to that employer in language/concepts that he/she is used to and emphasize an ability to provide benefit in the targeted job, and you should do fine.



???

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

Keep an eye on the AF Times and look for job fares.......

Wherever you are going to retire to has an employment office EVERY state employment office has a Veterans Rep.... get pro-active and contact that person now.

Remember you have a very wide and very diverse "skill set" that you can use.

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

>>>>UPDATE<<<
TEK Systems contacted me today in fact. They do have 6 positions opened at Scott AFB to perform Retina Network Scans on the network. The guy from TEK Systems was pretty cool and actually gave me phone numbers down at Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston S.C. Hopefully there a good company though. Does or has anyone heard of this company? There web site is www.teksystems.com Let me know if anyone has ever heard from this company and what there reputation is. Thanks again for your kind help, Bob

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

,,,bump,,,,

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

Bubba.
Never forget what Jay told you in para 1 above.
The term "guaranteed job" does not exist in civilian street.

Why don't you stay "in" till retiring age for rank, (40yrs) and put you recreation time and surplus money toward things you can enjoy, and have a darned good life.
Sacrifice a little at each end of the spectrum, and have a comfortable '"guaranteed life".

From my platoon of inf, those that 'retired' at 20yrs, have spent the last 20yrs struggling to get by, and envious of the handful that went to 40yrs, who, for the past 20yrs, have done sod-all, been grossly over-paid, had too many 'sports-days', too many holidays, too cheap housing, too cheap mess accounts, and in general, think they are important.

It is tougher holding to a job in civilian street than it is in the Forces.

Good luck.
Cheers
Phillip

 

[backyard mechanic]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

God bless you for your service to our Country! If you have 20 years in then Hoorah! If not, you are not smart getting out and looking for work. In 20 years the service retirement begins to work for you.

Staying in past 20 is not a bad option either. Think it through. Where else will you get 30 days a year vacation, room/board, medical dental vision insurance for you and your family all free? Don't forget the assurance of the job is always there and free education too. Tough to beat in todays economy.

You are young yet... request a base near NC and you will most likely get it with your time in service, rate etc. The more you do for rate the better your dollar income now and in the future. When the economy improves seek a job outside before you quit.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Looking for New Job after Military life.

TEK systems places a lot of IT people in my area. You don't want to work for them long. Fine to get your foot in the door but you'll hope the company they place you at will hire you on permanently. Their vacation and benefits are pretty poor.