Winter 2013 Careers and Continuing Education

CAREERS &CONTINUING EDUCATION

WWW.MILITARYNEWS.COM | WWW.FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | WINTER 2013

YO U R G U I D E TO E M P L OY M E N T O P P O RT U N I T I E S A N D H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

2 CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION WINTER 2013

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WINTER 2013 CAREERS & CONTINUING EDUCATION 3

Careers andContinuing Education

“This country owes a profound debt to all veterans and military families. In these tougheconomic times, we’re especially cognizant of our service members transitioning tocivilian life, as well as our military spouses. And we must give them the best possibletools to succeed in professional pursuits.” – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta

INFOGRAPHIC COURTESY OF CENSUS.GOV

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KNOW?

MNV PUBLISHERLaura Baxter

FLAGSHIP EDITORDavid Todd

CREATIVE DIRECTORTricia Lieurance

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GRAPHIC DESIGNERSAllyson Garner | Kyle RaymerRoss Froehlich | Susan Cofer

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The contents of this special section are notnecessarily the official views of or endorsed bythe U.S. government, the DoD, the DoT or the U.S.Coast Guard. Opinions of contributing writers donot necessarily reflect the opinions of MilitaryNewspapers of Virginia or The Flagship®.

The availability of these newspapers and theappearance of advertising in these publications,including any inserts and supplements, do notconstitute endorsement by the federal government,the DoD, the DoT, the U.S. Coast Guard or MilitaryNewspapers of Virginia of products or servicesadvertised. Military Newspapers of Virginia is aprivate firm in no way connected to the Departmentof Defense or United States Coast Guard.

WHAT’SINSIDE

4 Out of the military– what next?

6 Revamped programaids separatingservice members

7 Department ofEducation offersfinancial aid programs

8 20 Seconds is AllYou Get! Resumes thatget you in the door

10 TAOnline’sguide to effectiveinterviewing tactics

12 Get user savvyon your Montgomery,Post-9/11 G.I. Bill

13 After the offer:negotiating your wayto a better salary

14 Resources forVeterans, compiled byJoining forces

16 Six ways to usesocial media in yourjob search

18 Where thetech jobs are: in the‘clouds’

19 Three-yeardegree programsshorten the path torewarding careers

20 Blue-to-Greengives service membersopportunity tocontinue in ArmedForces

21 Veterans growingas entrepreneurs

22 Topcommunities providingsupport for returningveterans

23 How to makemoving easier formilitary families


Are you currently considering therealities of where you’d like to liveafter the service? It is important todo so carefully and choose wisely.For example, if you were a ship nav-igator during your military career,you could have a difficult time find-ing a similar job in the Southwest.On the other hand, if you were anArmy nurse, you may find severalexcellent opportunities virtuallyanywhere.

Most career placement special-ists recommend that job applicantschoose the type of job they want first,

then go where the jobs are. In mak-ing a decision to relocate, you mightprioritize as follows:

1. Job potential: Which communityis most likely to offer job opportuni-ties that match your skills, experi-ence and career goals?

2. Affordability: Consider the not soobvious expenses in addition to thecost of living. Compare local, stateincome, property and sales taxes.Does the state tax your military re-tirement pay? Does the location haveincome and career potential?

3. Community: Do you have family orfriends there? Can you count on themto help make your transition easier?Do you need to be close to your agingparents for economic or medical rea-sons? Are you seeking upward mobil-ity with the potential to move, or areyou looking for a community to settlefor the long-term?

4. Environment: Would you be hap-piest living in a city, the suburbs, asmall town, or a rural area? Does theclimate suit you?

Moving Out of the Area

Before moving, consult your nearestFleet and Family Support Center, thebest source of relocation informationand planning assistance. Other use-ful resources include: local chambersof commerce, libraries, bookstoresand the Internet. Use them to find outwhat you need in order to make in-formed moving decisions.

Chambers of Commerce

Many communities across Americahave chambers of commerce. Eachchamber of commerce promotes itscommunity and is a good source ofinformation about the surrounding

area: the local job market, housingcosts, local realtors, cost of living, lo-cal taxes, climate, schools and avail-ability of recreation or child care. Askfor the chamber’s booklet – much likethe relocation packet you receivedabout a new installation when youchanged stations. You can find anychamber of commerce office in thenation at www.chamberofcommerce.com.

Libraries and Bookstores

Each of the Service Library Programsprovides electronic content throughtheir respective portals (www.nko.navy.mil; www.us.army.mil; www.my.af.mil). The electronic contentprovides information on relocating,career opportunities and educationalopportunities.

Out of the military– what next?

Check out the welcomeaboard special sectionfor more informationabout relocationservices available!

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Major changes have been announcedto the Transition Assistance Programthat will revolutionize the way the mili-tary prepares people leaving the ser-vices, with mandatory participationin programs throughout their militarycareers to help set them up for a suc-cessful transition.

The redesigned program, called Transi-tion Goals Planning Success or Transi-tion GPS, was unveiled by Defense Sec-retary Leon E. Panetta and VeteransAffairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. It isa multi-agency response to PresidentBarack Obama’s call to improve careerreadiness for separating service mem-bers, explained Susan S. Kelly, principaldirector of the Defense Department’sTransition to Veterans Program Office.

The president hinted at the most-sweeping change to the TransitionAssistance Program in two decadesduring a speech this summer to the Vet-erans of Foreign Wars. Obama called itthe centerpiece to a broader federal ef-fort to help service members transitionto civilian life and to reduce veteransunemployment.

During the three-phase rollout of theTransition GPS program that will con-tinue through 2014, the many, but of-ten disconnected, activities conductedacross the U.S. government to supportveterans and their families will bemelded into one comprehensive effort,Kelly said.

The Defense Department and depart-ments of Veterans Affairs and Laboraligned their most successful pro-grams to deliver better and morecomprehensive services to help makeservice members “career ready” forcivilian employment, officials said.They reached out to the Departmentof Education to integrate the latestteaching methods and tapped into theresources of the Office of PersonnelManagement and the Small BusinessAdministration.

One of the biggest changes in the newprogram is that participation is no lon-ger voluntary.

Based on a law that took effect on Nov.21, 2012, service members can no lon-ger opt out of the transition assistanceprogram. All, including reservists andGuardsmen demobilized after 180 daysof active duty, must now attend specifictraining sessions and take concretesteps to prepare for separation.

During phase one of the rollout, beingimplemented immediately, all sepa-rating service members will receivecounseling about Department of Vet-erans benefits, Kelly said. In addition,most will be required to attend newlyrevamped employment workshops runby the Department of Labor.

These workshops incorporate new cur-riculum, such as how to explore careerinterests, use search tools to find jobopportunities, write a resume, inter-view for a position and negotiate asalary, said John Moran, DOL’s deputyassistant secretary for Veterans Em-ployment and Training Service.

While fulfilling the congressional man-date to reach out to all separating ser-vice members, the interagency teamwent a step beyond the law to furtherenhance the effort, Kelly said.

Separating service members must nowtake financial planning training, andcomplete a 12-month budget that fac-tors in the cost of where they decide tolive after leaving the military. They mustevaluate how their military-acquirededucation, training and experiencetranslate into civilian career qualifica-tions and prepare an individual transi-tion plan.

The task force ran a pilot program lastsummer at seven installations to evalu-ate this core curriculum, gatheringassessments from about 950 militarymembers who participated.

“Many in the pilot programs found iteye-opening,” said Kelly.

The seven pilot sites continue to offerthe DOL workshops, but the instructionwill be available service-wide by Janu-ary, Moran said.

The program’s second phase, to betested during 2013 and implementedby the year’s end, establishes require-ments for separating service memberswho plan to go on to college or techni-cal or career training or to start theirown businesses.

Those electing higher education or oth-er training will be required to show anacceptance letter from that institution,or have an application filled out andready to submit, Kelly said. They alsowill be required to establish a contactwith a counselor to follow up with afterleaving the military.

Also during phase two, service mem-bers who hope to become entrepre-neurs will be required to connect withthe Small Business Administration forhelp in drafting and evaluating theirsmall business plans.

The final phase of the rollout to be im-plemented by the end of 2014 will inte-grate transition preparation throughoutthe service member’s military career.The idea, Kelly explained, is to beginpreparations for transition long beforea service member prepares to leave themilitary.

“The end state that we are shooting foris to embed this across the military life-cycle,” she said. Kelly also stated thateach service will develop a plan desig-nating points along a service member’scareer path for this training.

Danny Pummill from the VA called theTransition GPS program an unprec-edented interagency effort that ensuresservice members have the time and re-sources to prepare for a smooth transi-tion from the military.

Revamped programaids separatingservice members

WHAT’S NEW Defense Sec-retary Leon E.Panetta holdsa joint pressconferencewith Secretaryof VeteransAffairs Eric K.Shinseki at theU.S. VeteransAffairs Buildingin Washington,D.C., Dec. 6,2012.

DoD photo byErin A. Kirk-Cuomo

ARTICLE BY DONNA MILESAMERICAN FORCES PRESSSERVICE


Federal Student Aid, an office ofthe U.S. Department of Educa-tion, offers over $80 billion dol-

lars in financial aid that help millionsof students manage the cost of educa-tion each year. There are three cat-egories of federal student aid: grants,work-study and loans. Even if you arestill on active duty, you can apply foraid, such as Pell Grants or FederalStafford Loans.

Applying for FederalStudent Aid

You can get this aid by completing thefree application for Federal StudentAid (FAFSA). You can apply online oron paper, but filing online is fasterand easier. Get further instructions onthe application process at www.fafsa.

ed.gov. You should also apply for aFederal Student Aid PIN (if you haven’tdone so already). The PIN allows youto sign your application electronically,which speeds up the application pro-cess even more. Apply for a PIN atwww.pin.ed.gov.

Filling out the FAFSA

There is a series of eight questions onthe application that ask about your de-pendency status. If you are a veteran,or are currently serving on active dutyin the U.S. Armed Forces for purpos-es other than training, you are con-sidered an independent student andwould only include your information(and that of your spouse, if married).For more detailed information go towww.fafsa.ed.gov.

Federal Student Aid Eligibility

Eligibility for Federal Student Aid isbased on financial need and on sev-eral other factors. The financial aidadministrator at the college or careerschool you plan to attend will deter-mine your eligibility.

To receive aid from our programs,you must:

• Demonstrate financial need (exceptfor certain loans – your school canexplain which loans are not needed).• Have a high school diploma or aGeneral Education Development(GED) certificate, pass a test ap-proved by the U.S. Department ofEducation, meet other standards yourstate establishes that the department

approves, or complete a high schooleducation in a home school settingthat is treated as such under statelaw.• Be working toward a degree or cer-tificate in an eligible program.• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.• Have a valid Social Security Number(unless you’re from the Republic ofthe Marshall Islands, the FederatedStates of Micronesia, or the Republicof Palau).• Register with the Selective Serviceif required. You can use the paper orelectronic FAFSA to register, you canregister at www.sss.gov, or you cancall (847) 688-6888. (TTY users cancall 1-847-688-2567.)• Maintain satisfactory academicprogress once in school.• Certify that you are not in default ona federal student loan and do not owemoney on a federal student grant.• Certify that you will use federalstudent aid only for educational pur-poses.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOFFERS FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS


This is the average time that a potentialemployer takes to review your cover let-ter and resume and determine whetheryou should be granted an interview ornot. While you might have spent hun-dreds of dollar on resumes and thou-sands of dollars on education, you have20 seconds to sell yourself to a pro-spective employer! Your resume mustmarket you by projecting a professionalimage. Your resume and cover lettershould present your abilities and whatyou have accomplished in your previous

jobs. It should make the reader want tomeet you by asking – “How did he orshe accomplish that?”

Eight steps to designing asuccessful resume:

INVENTORY YOUR SKILLS – Reviewyour skills, attributes, accomplish-ments, abilities, strengths, weakness-es, personal interests, desires, etc. todetermine the most pertinent examplesto include in your resume.

DEFINE YOUR OBJECTIVE – Be as spe-cific as you can. It will make you look asif you’ve done your homework.

TARGET YOUR FIELD/INDUSTRY – Usea specific job objective, resume format

and appropriate language to target yourchosen career field or industry.

SPECIFY YOUR DESIRED EMPLOYER– Use a specific job objective, descrip-tion of your accomplishments, skillsand abilities, as well as the style andlanguage of the employer’s corporateculture to target a specific company oragency.

CHOOSE A RESUME FORMAT – Baseyour resume on one of two formats:Chronological, to emphasize your pastexperience, or Functional, to empha-size your skills. Either should be tar-geted at a specific industry and tailoredto each individual employer.

COVER THE BASICS – Make sure you

include in your resume at least thefollowing basics: name, address,email address, phone and fax num-bers, job objective, education andtraining, pertinent job experiences,relevant activities and interests.

WRITE YOUR RESUME – Before actual-ly writing your resume, it is wise to reada resume writing guide and to study theexamples provided for different indus-tries and formats.

ADD A COVER LETTER – Always in-clude (unless there is a specific requestnot to) an explanatory cover letter asto why you are submitting your resume.Paragraph one should include who youare and why you are writing. Paragraphtwo should summarize your strongest

20 SECONDS IS ALL YOU GET!Resumes that get you in the door

ARTICLE BY ROBERT LINDSEYUSEDWITH PERMISSIONFROM TAONLINE. ©2012TAONLINE.COM

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and most relevant skills and accom-plishments and their importance to thejob, employer and/or company/agency.Paragraph three should conclude witha suggested action, appreciation forbeing considered and relevant contactinformation.

Ten tips for designing a successfulresume:

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE – Use thevocabulary and language of your tar-geted industry.

JOB OBJECTIVE – Write your job ob-jective from the standpoint of what youcan offer your prospective employerand/or company/agency.

EXPERIENCES – Describe your ex-periences from an accomplishmentpoint-of-view.

PRESENT ALL INFORMATION POSI-TIVELY – If anything could be deter-mined as negative, leave it out orrewrite it in the most positive waypossible. Be honest, but don’t presentan easy reason to eliminate you fromthe selection process. Remember, aresume just gets you in the door foran interview – don’t let a poorly writ-ten sentence eliminate you for evenbeing considered!

USE STRONG ACTION VERBS –Achieved, directed, managed,initiated, created, developed,etc. And positive modifiers –Actively, substantially, effec-tively, efficiently, quickly, etc.for emphasis.

MAKE YOUR RESUME EASYTO SCAN AND READ – Usea layout and formatting thatallows for quick viewing.Leave lots of open space.Keep it short and to thepoint. Eliminate all typos– use a spell checker andhave others read it.

BE FLEXIBLE – A resumeis flexible, if you feel that the stan-dard headings; Objective, Experi-ence, Education, and Activities donot emphasize your strengths, try al-ternative section titles; e.g., Commu-nity Service, Professional Affiliations,Awards, Achievements, etc. Includespecialty items like MOS’s, secu-rity clearances, ranks, etc. as manyemployers using resume databanks“search” using these criteria.

TEST YOUR RESUME FOR RELEVAN-CY – All information should directlysupport your job objective or workskills and abilities and target the job,employer and industry. If it doesn’t,leave it out.

REFERENCES – Develop and maintaina list of references and have it availableupon request. Don’t clutter up your re-sume with references or include themin an initial mailing with your resumeand cover letter.

BE ACCURATE – Make sure that theinformation in your resume and coverletter are accurate and up-to-date. Callor email ahead, if necessary, to get theproper information for the cover letter.

KEEP YOUR RESUME AND COVERLETTER SHORT AND TO THE POINT –The longer they are, the less likely theywill be read!

Skills

Experience

John Doe

Education

References

757.683.4603 | www.execed-odu.com


TAOnline’s comprehensiveguide to interviewing tacticsInterviewing:Design your resumes and cover letters for one pur-pose – to get an interview. The employment screen-ing interview is a two-way street or a conversa-tion with a purpose. It is an opportunity to provideand evaluate information. Your role is to provideadequate and accurate information to assist theinterviewer in evaluating your skills, education,experiences, goals, objectives and personality forthe position in question. You should also listen andobtain information from the interviewer about theemployer, the position, the work environment andthe company.

Screening Interviews:In the screening interview the interviewer deter-mines whether you are a viable candidate to invitefor a follow-up interview. You have approximately30 minutes to convince the interviewer that youhave the skills, education and experience to be suc-cessful in the position. Remember you are a sales-person selling yourself to the interviewer as thebest person for the position. Know yourself, yourgoals, your objectives and your skills. Research andanalyze the company and its industry. Present anattitude and appearance that will allow the inter-viewer to be proud to present you to their fellowemployees during follow-up interviews.

A screening interview is designed to exchange in-formation – so communicate effectively! The inter-view may have three parts, introduction, interviewand close. The introduction is the ice-breaker toset the tone of the interview and put you at ease.You only get one chance to make a first impression– do it well! During the body of the interview, theinterviewer will evaluate your self-confidence, mo-tivation, attitudes, skills, knowledge, experience,initiative and responsibility. Remember that theinterviewer is comparing you to an “ideal” candi-date. Be positive! Be prepared to discuss the orga-nization, job responsibilities, operations, policies,

your career objectives, geographical preferenceand mobility. Don’t be “weeded out”! Only the inter-viewer should bring up salary and benefits. Duringthe close, express a sincere interest in the job andleave knowing who contacts whom.

Interview Preparation:Do the following to prepare yourself for an interview:

• Record the exact time, place and directions to theinterview (don’t be late!).• Record the correct name and address of the com-pany.• Record the interviewer’s name and know how topronounce it.• Do research on the company to show your interestand knowledge• Prepare questions for the interviewer.

Some Questions To Prepare Beforehand:

• How old is the company?• Where are its offices, stores, plants, facilities lo-cated?• What are its most successful products and/or ser-vices?• Who are its competitors?• What share of the market does it possess?• How has its growth within its industry been?• What is the industry’s outlook?• What sort of training programs does it provide?• If I am hired, what type of and/or size dept. would Ilikely be managing/supervising or working in?

It is especially important that you practice being in-terviewed beforehand. This will help you frame youranswers and rehearse your responses to difficultquestions as well as ensuring you incorporate all thesignificant points you wish to make. Ask a friend oryour spouse to help you. Record your practice inter-view if possible and afterwards critique it with yourpartner to improve your interviewing skills.

Take note-taking materials to the interview anddon’t be afraid to jot things down during the session,though don’t become so immersed in your note-tak-ing that you ignore the interviewer!

Arrive for the interview at least 10 minutes early andbe appropriately dressed, neat and clean. If possible,try to schedule the interview on a non “casual” dayso you can see how employees regularly dress, aswell as being less self-conscious.

Interview Presentation:Follow these basic guidelines during any interview:

• Don’t be late! And if you are unavoidably detained,call to let the interviewer know and reschedule asnecessary.• Check your appearance before greeting the inter-viewer.• Greet with and formally use the interviewer’s lastname until they allow first names.• Introduce yourself in a confident manner and ex-press your interest in being there.• Shake hands firmly, but no “death grips!”• Remain standing until offered a seat.• Sit erect, not rigid, with your arms in your lap.• Avoid excessive note writing during the interview.• Use your voice and gestures to communicate en-thusiasm.• Avoid being sidetracked from the topic at hand.• Avoid answering questions in a negative mannerand maintain a pleasant demeanor.• Avoid talking ill of anyone, especially a past em-ployer – always be positive!• When finished, shake hands again and thank themfor their time and consideration. This is a good mo-ment to ask when you might expect to be hearingfrom them again, or if they would prefer you to getback to them.

Questions Often Asked By Interviewers:Prepare answers to the following questions(and any others you can think of) and practice an-swering them in a natural fashion, always pointingout the positive:

• How would you describe yourself?• How would a friend describe you?• What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?• What have you learned from your mistakes?• What major problems have you encountered?• How did you deal with them?

ARTICLE BY ROBERT LINDSEYUSED WITH PERMISSION FROMTAONLINE. ©2012 TAONLINE.COM


For more articles specificallygeared toward transitioningservice members, visithttp://content.taonline.com/Transition-Guidance

• What motivates you?• What do you see yourself doing five years from now?• What are your goals for the next 10 years?• What are your long-range career objectives?• How do you plan to achieve your career objectives?• What rewards do you expect to achieve in your ca-reer?• What are your life goals?• Which is most important to you? Money, type ofwork, or time off?• What qualifications do you have to fill this position?• How do you determine success?• What do you think it takes to be successful in ourcompany?• Why did you seek a position with this company?• What do you know about my company?• How can you immediately contribute to my com-pany?• Why should I hire you?• What qualities should a manager possess?• What accomplishments have given you the greatestsatisfaction?• What led you to select your career field?• Would you change your field if you could?• Do you have plans for additional education or train-ing?• In what kind of a work environment are you mostcomfortable?• How well do you work under pressure?• How well do you work with other people?• Do you prefer to work alone or with others?• What size company would you prefer to work for?• What is your geographical preference?

• Can you relocate?• Are you willing to travel?

• Are you willing to spend at least X amount oftime as a trainee?

• What type of community would you preferto live in?• What (some number) things are mostimportant to you in your job?• What did you like most/least aboutyour last/current job?• What did you like most/least aboutyour last/current employer?• How do you evaluate the companiesthat you’re interviewing with?

Questions Asked of Interviewers:Fill lulls in the conversation and impress

interviewers with well thought-out ques-tions. After your research, decide on specific

questions, and show that you are interestedin the industry and company and that you havedone some homework on them. Here are a fewexamples:

• What is the employer’s management philosophy?• What is the company’s culture?• What is the nature/extent of their training pro-gram?• What is the level of supervision you will initiallybe given?• What will be expected of me as a new employee?• Are there any aspects of the job that are especiallysignificant?• How does the company’s performance review andevaluation program work?• Will I be required to relocate? How often?

Follow-Up Interviews:If the interviewer is interested in you, you will re-ceive an invitation to visit the employer for a fol-low-up interview. Promptly acknowledge the offerof the follow-up interview in writing, noting anyscheduling difficulties. You will meet more employ-ees during the follow-up, but the interviews shouldbe similar to the initial screening interview. But beprepared! Do even more in-depth research on thecompany. Plan to spend an entire day at the em-ployer’s location. It’s a stressful situation in respectto being “under the microscope,” so eat and sleepwell the night before.

Eighty percent of those asked to a follow-up inter-view receive job offers. You may even receive an of-fer before leaving, so be prepared to decide on thespot or ask for some additional time. Or, it’s possiblethe offer may come a few days later. After the inter-

view, review your notes in case you have any follow-up questions for the employer. Immediately writepost-interview “thank you” letters to all the peoplethat you interviewed with.

Rejections Are Learning Opportunities:Employers often cite the following as reasons for notconsidering a candidate:

• Sloppy resume, letters, or application form.• Late for interview.• Poor personal appearance.• Lack of eye contact during interview.• Extreme nervousness, often characterized by talk-ing too much.• Lack of confidence and poise.• Timid, introverted, non-assertive.• Lack of interest and enthusiasm, passive, or indif-ferent.• Failure to participate fully in the interview process.• Inability to express oneself, poor diction, poorgrammar.• Lack of career planning, no goals or no objectives.• Over-emphasis on money, interested only in offer.Poor scholastic record.• Unwilling to start at bottom, expected too much,too soon.• Ill-mannered, uncourteous.• Overbearing, conceited, know-it-all-attitude.• Made excuses, evasive on unfavorable factors inrecord.• Asked no questions about the job.• Lack of knowledge about the employer.• Indefinite response to questions.• Questionable long-term potential for advancement.• Unwilling to relocate.

If you get a letter of rejection, turn that rejection intoa learning opportunity. Remember that the averagejob candidate contacts 40 potential employers to getone suitable offer of employment. This means a lotof rejection letters! Don’t get discouraged – considereach rejection as being one step closer to an offer.See if you can decide why you failed to receive anoffer.

If you’re not sure why you were rejected, contactthe employer or interviewer who rejected you andask them for help. Ask them why you were not givenconsideration. Was it due to your resume, letter(s),interview(s), skills, education qualifications, etc.?Ask them if they know of another employer whomight be interested in you. Be very tactful! Tellthem, you are calling to improve yourself and yourjob search abilities. You’ll be surprised at how help-ful they may be.


Demands for job applicants toattain a degree have drasti-cally increased with recent

changes in the economy. If you aregetting out of the Navy because offorce shaping initiatives like the En-listed Retention Board (ERB) andPerform to Serve (PTS) programs,this can be a stressful time for notonly you, but your family too.

The military offers many programsto help aid in your transition. Someof the better known programs avail-able are the Montgomery (MGIB) andPost-9/11 G.I. Bill. These programsare making it easier than ever to getin line with civilian counterparts, orhelp start a college fund for your de-pendents.

So what are the differences and howdo you choose what’s right for you?Here’s an easy cheat sheet to the G.I.Bill to help you decide and kick yourdegree plan into high gear.

The MGIB requires a minimum of twoyears of service and a $1,200 programenrollment fee. The program pays aflat rate nationwide and the rates areadjusted annually. Payments for theplan are sent directly to veterans.

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill is offered to ac-tive duty service members who haveserved after the attacks on the twintowers for a minimum of 90 days of

active duty or 30 continuous days forveterans discharged with a medicaldischarge. The bill pays 100 percentof in-state public school tuition andup to $17,500 private school tuition.MGIB active duty users with three ormore yeas of service can expect a pay-ment of $1,473, effective as of Oct. 1,2011 and $1,158 per month with lessthan three years. In addition, the vet-eran has 10 years after separation toutilize it. MGIB can only be used forschools approved by the Departmentof Veterans Affairs(VA).

For members seeking money to covercertification tests, the cost are cov-ered up to $2,000 per test and youcan take the certification test asmany times as needed, although eachsubmission for reimbursement reduc-es your entitlement benefit.

Other benefits include a monthly sti-pend for both living expenses andbooks or supplies. Living expenses

are based on basic allowance forhousing of an E5 with dependents.Full-time students will receive 100percent, while part-time students willreceive a prorated amount and thestipend will only be available whenclasses are in session.

Qualified active duty service mem-bers may also elect to transfer upto 36 months of their benefits to aspouse or child enrolled in the De-fense Eligibility Enrollment System.Transfer of benefits requires mem-bers to have a minimum of six yearsof service and they must agree toserve an additional four years. Thespouse may begin using the benefitsimmediately, while a dependent mustwait until the member has served atleast 10 years of active duty service.

Finally, as part of the Post 9/11 G.I.Bill, members are available to utilizethe Yellow Ribbon Program, some-thing that was not offered with theMGIB. The program covers contribu-tions of up to half of the additionalfees for members eligible for 100percent.

Interested service members can ap-ply to use the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill atthe Veteran’s Affairs website, https://www. ebenefits.va.gov, or apply fortransferability of benefits at www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB/, however, theyshould ensure their service obliga-tion is reflected in their ElectronicService Record at https://nsips.nmci.navy.mil.

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AFTER THE OFFER:NEGOTIATING YOUR WAYTO A BETTER SALARYBRANDPOINT — Your job search hasfinally paid off. After all the network-ing events, resume re-do’s and mockand real interviews, you finally got anoffer for the job you wanted. So nowwhat? Do you just take it or do youdare negotiate?

“You should always negotiate a highersalary,” said Vanessa Jackson, as-sistant director of career services atThe Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago.“Hiring managers expect this so theydo not offer the highest salary in theirrange.”

Be polite. “Say, ‘Thank you very muchfor this opportunity. I am so excited tojoin your company.’ Then move into the

negotiation,” added Shannon Delecki,assistant director of career services atThe Art Institute of Michigan.

But before you ever get that of-fer, make sure you’ve done yourresearch.“Know the average salariesfor the position and for the market,”said Delecki.

And this isn’t a time to be modestabout your potential value to the com-pany. “Tell the company why you areworth more than you are being offered.Show them how you will contribute tothe company’s profits and help theirbottom line,” advised Delecki.

How much should you ask for? Jackson

recommends anywhere from $3,000- $5,000 above the company’s offer.After thanking your future employer,you should say something like, “butI’m hoping to negotiate a salary closerto $XX.”

There are times that companies maynot be able to budge on the dollaramount. This could be an opportunityto negotiate other benefits like vaca-tion time. “Ask the company whetherthey can be more flexible about vaca-tion or PTO days,” said Delecki.

And those extra benefits don’t endthere. Companies sometimes pick upthe tab for day care, can offer flex timeand even allow employees to workfrom home on certain days to defraycommuting costs. “I’ve known peoplewho negotiated immediate vesting inthe company’s 401(k),” observed Jack-son. She also stressed that the higheryou are on the food chain, the moreperks you’ll likely be able to negotiate.If you’ve just scored your first job, yournew employer may not accommodateas many requests.

And speaking of requests, make sureyours don’t sound like demands. If theydo, you could negotiate your way rightout of a job. The negotiation is a bal-ancing act. You want a higher salary,but you have to remember that you’relooking to work with the person onthe other end of the negotiation. So begracious. “That’s why it’s important tosay ‘thank you’ and ‘I was looking for asalary closer to,’” said Jackson.

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The Veterans Job Bank connects unemployed veterans to job open-ings with companies that want to hire them. The Obama Administrationpartnered with leading job search companies to create a new, easy touse online service that enables employers to “tag” job postings for vet-erans. It launched with more than 500,000 job listings, a number thatwill continue growing as more companies tag the job postings on theirown websites and add them to the Veterans Job Bank.

My Next Move for Veterans is an easy-to-use online tool created by theDepartment of Labor that allows veterans to enter information about theirexperience and skills in the field, and match it with civilian careers thatput that experience to use. The site also includes information about sala-ries, apprenticeships and other related education and training programs.

The Veteran Gold Card provides Post-9/11 veterans with extra sup-port as they transition out of the military. Once a veteran has down-loaded the Veteran Gold Card, he or she can access six months ofpersonalized case management, assessments and counseling at theroughly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers located across the country.

Hero 2 Hired (H2H) is a comprehensive employment program providedby the Department of Defense that offers everything a Reserve Compo-nent job seeker needs to find their next opportunity, including job listings,career exploration tools, education and training resources, virtual careerfairs, a mobile app for IOS, Android and Windows phones, an innovativeFacebook application and a variety of networking opportunities. H2H alsoprovides vast recruiting opportunities for military-friendly employers.

Visit www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces/resources tolearn more about these pro-grams and to check out theVeterans Job Bank widget(pictured right).

ONLINE

President Obama believes that no veteran should have to fight for a job at home after they fight for ournation overseas. The president signed “The Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011,” a law that combines pro-visions of the veterans’ tax credits from the President’s American Jobs Act, Chairman Murray’s Hiring

Heroes Act and Chairman Miller’s Veterans’ Opportunity to Work Act into a comprehensive package that willaggressively attack the unacceptably high rate of veteran’s unemployment. The Obama Administration has alsocreated resources to help veterans translate their military skills for the civilian workforce, built new onlinetools to aid their search for jobs, and partnered with the Chamber of Commerce and the private sector to makeit easier to connect our veterans with companies that want to hire them:

WHITE HOUSE CREATED RESOURCES, PARTNEREDWITH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PRIVATE SECTOR

Resourcesfor veterans,compiled byJoining Forces


The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is committed to Hiring Our Heroes,and are sponsoring 100 hiring fairs for veterans and military spouses inlocal communities across the country between March 2011-March 2012.They have also created strategic partnerships to deal with specific popu-lations of veterans and their unique challenges in three other areas toinclude: a Wounded Warrior Transition Assistance Program, a Post-9/11Student Veteran Internship and Employment Program, and a Women Vet-erans and Military Spouses Employment Program.

The Military Spouse Employment Partnership www.msepjobs.com/(MSEP) is a comprehensive web-enabled recruitment and career part-nership solution connecting military spouses to employers seekinga 21st century workforce with the skills and attributes possessed bymilitary spouses. MSEP provides a digital recruiting platform for vet-ted FORTUNE 500 PLUS employers who have committed to identifyingand promoting career employment opportunities for military spouses,posting job openings on the MSEP web portal and to offering transfer-able, portable careers to relocating military spouse employees.

VetSuccess.gov provides comprehensive transition andemployment resources for veterans, service members andtheir families. VetSuccess.gov serves as a virtual employmentresource center where veterans can browse job listings, postresumes and apply for positions online. VetSuccess.gov alsoprovides links to over eight million jobs on the VetCentral site.

Veterans Recruiting Services con-nects employers and veterans throughvirtual career fairs. VRS offers servicesto assist veterans and their spouses asthey transition to the civilian workforce,and helps employers find the right highlyqualified, educated and well-trained vet-erans for their businesses.

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Six ways to use socialmedia in your job search

BRANDPOINT — Resume? Check.Cover letter? Check. Now you’reready to begin that job search, right?Wrong. There may be some very im-portant things you’re forgetting aboutthat could dramatically enhance yourjob search.

Nowadays, job searches involvemuch more than simply submittinghundreds of resumes and cover let-ters. “Today’s job search requires astrategy that uses social media aswell as traditional vehicles,” saidWendy Wagner, career services di-

rector for The Art Institute of FortLauderdale.

According to a 2012 Jobvite survey,92 percent of U.S. companies usesocial networks to find talent, withLinkedIn the most popular. “Makesure you have a social media strat-egy to augment traditional methods,such as face-to-face networking andinformational interviews,” said Lynd-say Cooper, career services directorfor The Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville, a branch of The Art Insti-tute of Atlanta.

Wagner and Cooper offer the followingtips to give yourself an edge in your jobsearch.

• Brand consistency. Make sure yourprofile is professional and reflectsthe job you’re looking for across allsocial media platforms. Ensure yourprivacy settings are secure (especial-ly on Facebook). On LinkedIn, makesure your profile is complete includingskills and recommendations. On Twit-ter, link to your website, blog or onlineresume. And don’t forget Pinterest,YouTube, Google+ and Foursquare.

• Know your audience. Your audi-ence in Facebook is different fromyour audience in Twitter or Linke-dIn. Make sure your updates reflectthat. On LinkedIn, share articles andblogs on industry-related topics. OnFacebook, post more personal (butnot too detailed) updates to remindyour friends that you’re in the jobmarket.

• Be proactive. Use social media toconnect with recruiters, employ-ers and employees of companiesyou’d like to work for. Join – and

SEARCHING FOR A CAREER IN THE DIGITAL AGE

For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed theprograms, and other important information, please visit our website at www.bryantstratton.edu/disclosures.

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participate in – organizations, groupsand blogs in your industry or alumnigroups. Become an industry expert orthought leader.

• Research. Use social media to cre-ate your target list of companies, thenresearch those companies and theiremployees. Use hashtags on Twitter tofind jobs. For example, if you are inter-ested in fashion, search #fashionjobs.Sites like Technorati or Twellow letyou search people’s bios and the URL’sin their bios – you can easily find, fol-low and engage key employees of thosecompanies so they get to know you be-fore you approach them for a job. Pre-pare for a job interview by using socialmedia to research the interviewer andfind common topics to break the ice.

• Network online. Expand your networkand engage others with similar inter-ests by posting, sharing/forwarding,tweeting and retweeting relevant arti-cles and blogs. This raises your onlineprofile and encourages others to do the

same for you. Twitter works well forthis.

• Know your online profile. Googleyourself and make sure what you seeis what you want it to be. Go to Klout.com so you can see your “klout” score,which reports how influential and en-gaged you are across platforms. An-other great site is wefollow.com, aTwitter directory organized by sharedinterests or categories. Users can addthemselves to the categories that bestfit their interests.

Today, employers use LinkedIn, Twitter,Facebook and other social media toidentify, recruit and check out new em-ployees. The Internet has helped levelthe job search playing field by offeringaccess to resources that enable you toidentify and prepare for career oppor-tunities. But it’s also offered employersaccess to more talented job candidates.

A smart social media strategy can helpyou stand out and land the job you seek.

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BRANDPOINT — The sky is the limitfor cloud computing as it continuesto drive job growth – garnering inter-est from Main Street, Wall Street, cor-porations and governments. A 2012Microsoft-commissioned report by theInternational Data Corporation (IDC)indicated that spending on cloud ser-vices will generate nearly 14 millionjobs worldwide by 2015.

In the past decade, cloud computingpioneers, such as Amazon, Salesforce,Google and Apple, have developed com-prehensive cloud services, platformsand applications. Now, traditional busi-nesses of all kinds – even those thatdon’t operate in the technology space –are incorporating cloud services morefrequently, laying the groundwork forcloud-related career paths that are richwith opportunity and growth.

In fact, a related study from the SandHill Group suggests that cloud comput-ing – driven by the 21st century surgein mobile computing, social networkingand big data – may generate more jobgrowth in the coming years than the In-ternet itself did during the 90s.

Cloud computing provides the meansthrough which technology-based ser-vices – from computing power and in-frastructure to applications, processesand collaboration – can be immediatelyaccessed by users through the Inter-net, or the “cloud.” This instant accesscan result in greater flexibility, reducedenvironmental impact, lowered costsand tightened security for businesses.

Due to heightened demand for thesebenefits, business intelligence com-pany WANTED Analytics reports morethan 12,000 cloud-related jobs – fromsoftware engineers and software devel-opers to cloud architects and security

specialists – were advertised online inApril of 2012. That represents an in-crease of 50 percent from the previousyear and more than 275 percent sinceApril of 2010.

As the nature of information technologycontinues to evolve, requiring its work-force to obtain cloud-based knowledge,understanding and technical skills,some higher education providers havelaunched degree programs that alignwith cloud-related fields.

DeVry University, for example, offersbachelor’s degree programs in com-puter information systems and networkand communications management, aswell as a master’s degree program innetwork and communications manage-ment. Each program provides studentswith the skills and knowledge neededto implement software solutions formajor corporations, not-for-profit or-ganizations and government agenciesthat can also be used in cloud-relatedapplications.

“As cloud providers grow the scale oftheir service offerings, and more busi-nesses embrace and capitalize onthem, there will be increasing demandfor professionals who possess cloudcomputing skills,” said Thomas Bieser,a solution architect for HP and gradu-ate of DeVry University’s bachelor’s de-gree program in computer informationsystems.

Hiring managers seeking to fill cloudcomputing and related positions desirecandidates with problem solving skills,an eye for security concerns and goodcommunication skills for working withprofessional teams or clients. Job seek-ers with these attributes and an appli-cable educational background may findcareer success in cloud computing.

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DEGREE OPTIONS

BRANDPOINT — Three-year bach-elor’s degree programs are gainingpopularity as many students look forways to enter the workforce faster.Though these programs are commonin Europe and Canada, condensed pro-grams are now attracting greater in-terest in the United States as studentsand education providers realize theunique benefits.

Students might identify three-year op-tions as a swifter path to earning abachelor’s degree, particularly as thevalue of a college education rises inthe current marketplace. The medianfamily income for those with a bach-elor’s degree or higher was $99,716,compared with $48,332 for those withonly a high school diploma, accordingto “Trends in College Pricing 2011”– a report detailing findings from theCollege Board’s Annual Survey of Col-leges.

Some leaders in higher education areexploring three-year degree programsas a solution to growing workforceissues. Many professional fields aregrowing faster than students can ac-quire the necessary education to fillthe positions, and three-year degreeprograms reduce the time it takes forcandidates to graduate and enter thejob market.

The healthcare industry, for example,is grappling with a nationwide short-age of workers in several disciplines,such as healthcare information tech-nicians and clinical laboratory techni-cians, which U.S. News and World Re-port listed among its “25 Best Jobs in2012.” Three-year bachelor’s degree

programs are available for prospectivestudents looking to enter both fields.

Perhaps one of the most widely ac-knowledged healthcare worker short-ages is registered nurses (RNs). Morethan half of the RN workforce is closeto retirement, according to the Ameri-can Nurses Association. This issue isto become more acute as the indus-try responds to the patient needs ofa growing population of aging babyboomers and the demands of a chang-ing healthcare environment. Three-year degree programs allow graduatesto fill these in demand roles and launcha career in nursing before their peersin traditional four-year programs.

“As a Bachelor of Science in Nurs-ing [BSN] degree becomes the stan-dard requirement for many entry-levelnursing positions, a three-year degreeprogram is an efficient route to a de-sired career,” said Patrick Robinson,dean of undergraduate curriculum andinstruction at Chamberlain Collegeof Nursing. “A shorter program canbe more intense with the same cur-riculum standards as typical four-yeardegree programs. However, for moti-vated, organized students, the profes-sional reward can be worth the hardwork.”

Chamberlain offers a BSN degree pro-gram that enables students to earntheir degree in as few as three yearsof year-round study, instead of thetypical four years with summers off.Mary Flemister, a June 2012 graduateof Chamberlain’s program, is currentlyemployed as a nurse at a family prac-tice in Virginia.

“It was important to me tofind a program that balancedexpediency with diversifiedclassroom and clinicalexperience – Cham-berlain’s year-roundstructure was ide-al,” she said. “I hadtransfer credits soI was able to earn myBSN degree in only two years– the same length of an associ-ate degree program. However,I am more competitive in thejob market because I earned abachelor’s degree.”

Recentindustry

data illus-trates that de-

mand is mounting fordegree programs with this

structure. According to the Ameri-can Association of Colleges of Nurs-ing, the number of three-year BSNdegree programs increased from 31 to230 between 1990 and 2010. This trendis expected to continue as factorscontributing to the national nursingshortage escalate, and the industrynecessitates BSN degrees.

Three-year degreeprograms shorten thepath to rewarding careers


Your prior military service couldqualify you to continue to serve yournation at the Central IntelligenceAgency (CIA). Opportunities forqualified applicants are availablein the U.S. and abroad.

If you join the CIA, your militaryservice could affect the benefitsyou earn as a federal employee. Thefollowing information offers a concisedescription of what to expect in termsof benefits when transitioning from themilitary to a career at CIA.

The CIA is an independent U.S.government agency responsible forproviding national security intelligence tosenior U.S. policymakers.

With recent downsizing in theNavy and Air Force, manyservice members are being

faced with the reality of leaving theArmed Forces. In an effort to com-bat this, the Army is helping servicemembers continue to serve theircountries without a break in servicetime.

According to the GoArmy website(www.goarmy.com), the Blue-to-Green Program was establishedto help good Sailors and Airmen tocontinue serving their country afterbeing told they don’t “make the cut.”“During this period of ‘right sizing’the Air Force and Navy, the Army rec-ognized the need for our Armed Forc-es to retain highly qualified men andwomen in our ranks. Operation Blue-to-Green will allow you to continue toserve your country, to maintain thebenefits the military service and toexpand your horizons by gaining newtraining and try new things.”

The program was established in2004 after an announcement fromthe Air Force and Navy that stated aplan to cut troops by nearly 24,000members between the two services.

When the program began, the Armywas working to formulate a four-week course for service memberswho were utilizing the Blue-to-GreenProgram, although with the num-bers of transfers dropping from 186Sailors in 2006 to just 43 Sailorsin 2010, the Army has removed thetraining, stating it is no longer fea-sible to offer the shorter course.

Service members, other than Ma-rines, will now be required to com-plete the full 10-week Basic CombatTraining (BCT), which consists ofthree phases.

The first phase of the training is theRed Phase, “the Army makes sureevery recruit is physically and men-tally prepared to start basic train-ing. Upon determining this, recruitsare given a haircut, issued Army uni-forms and are ready to start train-ing,” said Sergeant Star, the Army’sautomated help system for the Blue-to-Green Program.

The second phase is the White Phase,“recruits go through marksmanshipand combat training to learn to rap-pel at the Warrior Tower. This train-ing teaches vital Soldier skills andinstills them with more confidence,”said Star.

The third phase is the Blue Phase,“after becoming familiar with the useof automatic weapons and hand gre-nades in U.S. Weapons training, re-cruits put their training to the test asthey negotiate the night infiltrationcourse,” said Star.

After passing all three phases and allchallenges, the recruits are gatheredfor the Rites of Passage, also knownas graduation.

According to the GoArmy website,“Basic Combat Training has pushedthe recruits’ mind and bodies to newlimits, giving them a deeper respectfor themselves and those aroundthem. Now, the time has come tocelebrate their efforts and strengthsthey’ve gained. This is the day thattheir families and friends gather towatch them transition from citizensto Soldiers.”

Even before going to the BCT, thereare many requirements that a ser-vice member must meet in order tobe considered a good candidate forthe program.

WORK FOR THE CIA

Visit www.cia.gov/careers/military-transition.htmlto learn moreabout how yourmilitary servicecan translate to acareer in the CIA.

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ur

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The Army has established that Sail-ors and Airman must be within threemonths of their discharge dates, un-less authorized an early out by theircommanding officer. Marines andCoast Guard must fulfill their ser-vice obligations.

“In order to enlist for both activeduty and the Army Reserve, you mustbe within your window to transfer, aU.S. citizen or permanent residentalien, have a high school diploma, be17 to 35 years old, be healthy and ingood physical condition,” said Star.

Candidates must be physically fitand able to pass the Army Physi-cal Readiness Test, which includesa 60-yard shuttle run, one-minuterower, standing long-jump, one-min-

ute push-ups and a one and a halfmile run according to armyprt.com,a site established to list physical re-quirements of Army Soldiers.

“They must also be in good moralstanding and be singled or marriedwith no more than two children un-der the age of 18. Some jobs mayhave additional requirements. Youshould contact your local recruiterto get started,” said Star.

Taking the step out of the blue andinto an “Army of One” can have mayperks including: higher advance-ment rates, possible enlistment bo-nus for some jobs and more relaxedhigh-year-tenure allowing E-5’s tostay active duty for 20 years, sixyears longer than the Navy allows.


BRANDPOINT — Veterans returning homeface many challenges that weren’t presentwhen they were serving in the Armed Forces.Between adapting to civilian life, reacquaint-ing with family and friends, and finding em-ployment, the adjustment can be a difficultprocess.

Unemployment numbers for veterans aredropping, but returning service members of-ten struggle to compete for jobs due to lackof education, lack of experience, or in somecases, the stigma of returning from overseaswith post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

This is why programs like Sprigster’s Boost aHero crowdfunding for military veterans andspouses are developed to help alleviate someof these career obstacles, like raising fundsfor entrepreneurial dreams. Crowdfundingprovides an opportunity where friends, familyand strangers can donate funds to support acause online. The need is great. Nearly one in

10 small businesses are veteran-owned, theU.S. Small Business Administration reports.

Tom Perez used Boost a Hero to raise moneyto open a Meineke Car Care Center in Pen-sacola, Fla. He is a 10-year veteran of theU.S. Navy, where he served as a police officerand also earned a business degree. He cur-rently employs four veterans in his shop andwill be looking to hire more as his businessgrows.

Perez decided to pursue owning his ownbusiness after he had applied and been re-jected for 100 jobs – even with his 10 years ofexperience in the Navy. Then, he approachedMeineke Car Care Centers. Meineke’s Fran-chise Development team worked closely withhim to get his business established. Betweena discounted franchise fee and a low inter-est rate loan, Perez was close to having themoney needed to start his business. Boost aHero helped him raise the additional $10,000

he needed and his shop opened in May. Now,Perez works closely with his customers andemployees in finding the right service forthem, their car and their budget. His shopwas named one of the Top-5 finalists in thenational “Hiring Our Heroes” Award for SmallBusiness Veteran and Military Spouse Em-ployment by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.The award cited Perez for addressing thechallenges faced by veterans in finding em-ployment and transitioning from military tocivilian life.

“Veterans like Tom have served our country– giving so much of themselves in the pro-cess,” said John Vitagliano, vice presidentof marketing for Meineke Car Care Centers.“Offering career opportunities to veterans in-terested in entrepreneurship is a way of giv-ing back – and crowdfunding opportunitieslike Boost a Hero provide veterans with thefinancial means to help make their entrepre-neurial dreams come true.”

VETERANS GROWING AS ENTREPRENEURSSprigster isthe dedicatedcrowdfundingplatform forthe franchiseindustry.Boost AHero bringscrowdfundingto benefitmilitaryveteransstarting smallbusinesses.

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BRANDPOINT — When veterans return homefrom serving overseas, the support found in fam-ily, friends and the community can make a hugedifference for a smooth transition.

Pittsburgh ranks as the top place in the nation forveterans to transition from combat boots to civil-ian shoes, according to a study commissioned byUSAA and Military.com.

The “Best Places for Veterans” list identifies U.S.metro areas that offer America’s most recent vet-erans more opportunities to find a job or go tocollege while providing a higher quality of life inan affordable location.

Here is the entire top 10 list:1. Pittsburgh, Pa.2. Phoenix, Ariz.3. Dallas, Texas4. Cleveland, Ohio5. Atlanta, Ga.6. Warren, Mich.7. Ann Arbor, Mich.8. Cincinnati, Ohio9. Columbus, Ohio10. St. Louis, Mo,

“Today’s veterans are battling a highly competi-tive job market and need to proactively plan forlife after the military,” said Scott Halliwell, certi-fied financial planner at USAA. “This study allowsus to help recent and soon-to-be veterans iden-tify preferred locations throughout the U.S. wherethey can launch a civilian career and use the G.I.Bill to further their education.”

“The millions of young veterans who have alreadyentered the workforce and the many more whowill join them in the coming years have the op-portunity to use the discipline and determinationthey’ve acquired in the Armed Forces to make asignificant impact in their workplaces and com-munities,” said Ward Carroll, editor of Military.com. “‘Best Places for Veterans’ was commis-sioned to help equip this remarkable group withtools for a successful transition.”

USAA, a leading financial services providerfocused on serving the military and theirfamilies, and Military.com, the largestmilitary and veteran membership or-ganization, commissioned Sper-ling’s BestPlaces to develop thelist. Researchers reviewed vari-ables for 379 major U.S. metro-politan areas, including:

• Employment opportunities andsectors that align with military skillssets such as defense, engineering,medical services and aviation, as wellas the overall jobs climate based on un-employment rate and recent job growth.

• Presence of colleges/universities, as well asquality of local primary schools.

• General quality of life and pocketbook issuessuch as affordability, crime rate, taxes and recre-ation opportunities.

Each of the variables was weighted based onwhat recent and soon-to-be veterans said wasimportant to them, and each metro area was thenranked based on its total points for all variables.Metro areas with the following attributes wereexcluded from the list: unemployment rate morethan one percent above the national average, me-dian cost of living greater than the national aver-age and total crime rate more than 25 percentabove the national average.

USAA and Military.com also commissioned a listof the top metro areas in each state to provideservice members with more choices. Veteransand soon-to-be veterans also have the oppor-tunity to create a personalized list with the new“Best Places for Veterans” calculator by iden-tifying which criteria is most important in theirmilitary-to-civilian transition.

To see the entire list of best places and accessthe best places for veterans calculator, visitusaa.com/bestplaces.

TOP COMMUNITIESPROVIDING SUPPORT FORRETURNING VETERANS


BRANDPOINT — Military families fre-quently relocate from base to base allover the United States. Even thoughthese moves aren’t unusual, they cancause some stress for all members ofthe family, especially if the relocationhappens without a lot of warning.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS)and Personally Procured Moves(PPM) come with military assistanceto help service members and theirfamilies make the transition. Fami-lies can also take advantage of thedo-it-yourself (DITY) option offeredby the military, which could make theoverall transition much smoother.

No matter how quickly the move hap-pens, or what kind of moving assis-tance your family requests, here aresome moving tips from Penske TruckRental to keep in mind to help keepeverything in order.

Planning – PCS notifications cancome without a lot of warning, orfamilies may know about a poten-tial move far in advance. For bothinstances, getting a plan in place isa good start. Gather important in-formation into one folder, contain-ing phone numbers, contact names,dates, receipts and checklists in thisfolder so you can easily track every-thing about your move. For some

planning tools that focus specificallyon military moves, visit the U.S. De-partment of Defense website.

Moving – Many families choose theDITY option because it gives themmore control over the move andthey can also potentially make somemoney in the process. The militaryprovides an allotted cost for moving,and if you can come under that costthrough your own planning, the mili-tary will pay you the difference. Forexample, Penske Truck Rental offersactive military personnel a 20 per-cent discount for every truck rental,and will price-match any competi-tive offers on one-way truck rentalsas well. Visit www.DITYmove.com tolearn more.

Weights – Military rules require ser-vice members to certify the weightof the rental vehicle when empty andafter it’s fully loaded. Weight limit re-imbursements are set depending ona service member’s rank and depen-dents, but the traditional weights areestimated at 1,000 pounds per room,excluding bathrooms and storage ar-eas. Then add in the estimated weightof large appliances, garage items anditems in storage. Compare this num-ber to what is allowed and determineif you can reduce the load in any wayto avoid paying overweight costs. To

help with weight certifica-tions, Penske offers a CertifiedPublic Scale locator tool onlineto help DITY movers in findingweigh stations.

Contact info – File achange of address format your local post officeso mail can be forward-ed. Also make certainyour new information isupdated with your specificbranch of military.

Explore – Get to know your new neigh-borhood, both on and off-base. If youhave children, explore the schools andthe after school activities available.Learn a bit about the city’s history andgather information on the services thecity offers so that on moving day, your

water and electricity will be availablewhen it’s needed.

When in the military, a move is prac-tically inevitable, but the process canbe much less stressful on both emo-tions and finances with a little organi-zation and planning from the get-go.

How to make movingeasier for military families

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Documents

Winter 2013 Careers and Continuing Education