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A Strategic
Plan for Military in Transition
You have to know what it is you are after if you ever expect to get
it!
You must create a detailed strategic plan that will be thorough and
cover all situations. The following bulleted tactics will allow you
to achieve success. This process is valid for any job search, including
teaching.
Study this outline and then continue to The
Job Search for information that will help you to develop aspects
of the plan. For example, you will find information on:
Planning Strategically for Transition
Do a self-assessment.
- Conduct a personal assessment of skills, education, training, experiences,
and accomplishments. Identify those particularly relevant to teaching.
- Understand your desires, interests, and goals such as job satisfaction,
location, etc.
- Know what you want in your next career; salary, benefits, and lifestyle,
and
- Know your values and how they will be affected by a career change.
Identify your purposes and goals for your second career
- How important is it to you that your job has personal meaning?
- How important is it to you that your job is challenging?
- How important is it to you that your job have social value or that
it makes a contribution to the community welfare?
Consider family issues
- What does your family believe would be a good second career for
you? Have people told you that you would make a good teacher?
- Do they have strong feelings concerning location?
- How does this transition affect your partner’s career or children’s
school needs?
- How could this change affect your current life-style?
Evaluate finances and develop a budget
- Know your financial standing and health.
- Know how long you can go without a job.
- “Tighten your belt” where needed to make it through
the transition.
- Develop “Plan Z” if you must take a job to support
your family.
- Research cost of living in various target areas.
Start job market research
- Determine occupational prerequisites, skills, and qualifications
needed for a particular career. For example, teachers must have a
bachelor’s degree and have courses in the subject they teach.
They must have professional preparation courses as a part of their
degrees or be prepared to enter an alternative certification program.
- Visit Web sites. Spend time on this site: Exploring
Teaching and Preparing to teach.
- Conduct informational meetings with people in your field of interest;
interview teachers.
- Write or call potential employers for information. For teaching,
you’ll want to contact the Troops to Teachers liaison in a potential
location or the Human Resources office of a school district.
- Assess the job market in your target location and identify opportunities.
Needs for teachers vary widely. Research area of teacher shortage;
find out about alternative certification programs operating in locations
that interest you.
- Begin to develop a network of people who can help you.
Gather information for developing job search tools
- Build an inventory of your experiences, training, education, and
accomplishments.
- Find copies of performance appraisals.
- Prepare or find job/position descriptions for past jobs.
- Collect sample job descriptions for future jobs.
- Gather together awards, citations, and training certificates
Develop and test your job objective
- Does teaching meet needs and goals?
- Are you qualified for a position?
- What can you do to prepare for the job? Can you do what is required
to meet the requirements you don’t currently meet? This Web
site has much of the information you’ll need to tell you about
preparing to teach and to help you get started.
- Is it realistic based on the current employment environment?
- Begin to develop a 30-second sales pitch for yourself using your
job objective that you can use in networking opportunities and cold
calls.
Begin taking job related courses or building skills as needed
- Use the ACT2Teach Web site to find out if you are ready for a career
change to teaching.
- Volunteer at a local school and/or sign up to be a substitute teacher.
Develop your resume, cover letter, and portfolio
- Formalize your job objective in writing.
- Focus your experiences to the objective.
- Complete a draft of your resume and visit your transition center
for a draft review.
- Respond to leads with resumes and tailored cover letters.
- Develop a portfolio of past experiences and ACT2Teach activites
that will highlight and enhance your fitness for the job.
- Use state employment services automated services.
- Use Web sites through Troops to Teachers to locate teaching jobs
in your target location.
- Begin to develop a list of references and mentors who can speak
about you.
- Continue informational meeting and practice interviewing techniques.
Prepare for interviews
- Get current in the “lingo”
of your chosen field.
- Research your target well.
- Define for yourself what it is employers are looking for.
- Prepare your resume, list of references, and portfolio for interview
day.
- Determine appropriate attire for the interview through research.
- Conduct a practice interview with a transition counselor.
- Practice answers to difficult or uncomfortable questions.
- Do a practice run to determine how long it will take to drive to,
park, and find the interview site.
- Plan to arrive a little early, but do not be late.
- Be pleasant to everyone you come in contact with during the interview
appointment.
After an interview
- Conduct a post-interview critique of your performance immediately
after the interview.
- Write down areas where you feel you did not answer the interviewer
in a strong and positive way.
- Write down any areas that you failed to cover but wish you had
mentioned.
- Write a thank you note within twenty-four hours.
- Include things you failed to highlight in the interview in your
thank you note.
- Call or write to follow-up within ten to twelve days so that you
display continued interest in the position.
- Offer to provide additional information if needed.
- Don’t stop answering ads, job announcements, or checking
out network opportunities.
- Keep your references informed of your progress.
- Expect a follow-up interview, perhaps with a panel of people.
Evaluate a job offer
- Continue research on your target.
- Does the job offer meet your objectives?
- Consider the entire benefits package, not just the salary.
- In reasonable time, accept or reject the offer, offering a short
reason why.
Begin a new career
- Become competent in the tasks and skills required in the job.
- Develop positive work relationships.
- Know your organization’s objects and goals and help achieve
them.
- Build a network of constructive, successful people and communicate
with them.
- Establish a reputation for competence and reliability by completing
assignments well and on time.
- Continue to build and maintain your career network and update your
career portfolio.
- Continue with life long learning along with your personal and professional
growth.
- Become an indispensable employee.
- Never be without a career goal.
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