Blog

Before November, I was an unemployed veteran.  Being unemployed was probably the most challenging experience of my life – harder than a deployment, harder than graduate school.  Regardless of all of my accomplishments, it felt like the world was passing me by at a high-velocity, and no one was going to give me a chance.  And then, everything changed all at once.  I had three interviews, all with follow-ups within a two-week period.  Anyone who has served knows we are forced to stay cool numerous times, without an option.  If you are looking for a job, draw on that same source of endurance.

I can’t tell you to take any one approach to securing a job but I would like you to believe me when I say, it is essential that you take your job search with a relaxed approach, whether while completing application documents or going in for the big interview.  Anyone who has been in the military knows that we are forced to stay cool numerous times; we didn’t have the option of losing our cool for fear of not being deemed fit for duty.  As my old First Sergeant would say, never forget your roots.  If you are looking for a job, draw on that same source of endurance.  Do not lose ability to control your energy – to stay calm and collected – or you could compromise any interview.

Imagine you are nervous and you are in an interview.  You are nervous because you think you are not as qualified as some of the other candidates who are also interviewing for the same position.  Don’t forget that your interviewer knows how qualified you are and how you rank amongst the other candidates.  You are in the interview, that’s the only thing that matters!  You made it this far, now just be somebody they want to work with.

So, they have read about your qualifications on your resume, but what can you do differently than other candidates?  Are you better suited for team cohesion than the most qualified person?  Are you levelheaded? Can you handle stress and remain a team player  as you are under pressure? If you don’t know by the end of your interview where you stand, plan to ask this question: “Is there anything that you haven’t seen in my qualifications that you are looking for in a candidate?”  This question gives you an additional opportunity to be the most qualified in the candidate pool.  And, if you haven’t been the perfect candidate up until this point, this question also presents you as versatile and adaptable.

Andrew O. McLaughlin

U.S. Army Veteran

Veterans Program Liaison,

Veterans Forward