HUMAN RESOURCES Transition to Business By Paul Falcone
Career Management Strategies in the Private Sector Each new year brings new opportunity, and if you’re considering transitioning into the private sector, now would be a good time to gain an understanding of how career transition and career growth strategies work on the corporate side. Private sector recruiters and headhunters (contingency or retained search executives) tend to view candidates through a specific lens and evaluate both their history and potential using several criteria. Let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at what’s important to them and how you might want to focus your interviews and job search strategies in light of their playbook. • Longevity The first criterion that captures recruiters’ eyes is longevity. If you’re in the military, chances are you have at least two to four years of experience with the same “employer,” which is a great place to start.
Looking forward, however, many recruiters know that recent transitions from the military to the private sector need to “kiss a few frogs before they find their prince,” meaning they’ll likely be concerned that you won’t last that long in a first or even second position in the private sector. Convince them otherwise by sharing your career values. State openly that you’re looking to make a two-to-three-year commitment to your first employer so that you can not only contribute to the organization but also establish longevity in your private sector career. Share what two or three criteria are most important to you now that you’re preparing for career transition, emphasizing that you pride yourself on longevity and stability. In other words, address their core concerns without their even having to ask: you’ll be well ahead of the game. • Progression Through the Ranks Hiring managers and recruiters often look for candidates that demonstrate a healthy sense of career progression. For example, in the human resources realm, career progression might look like this: HR coordinator > specialist > supervisor > manager > director > vice president.
Career Management Strategies • Longevity • Progression Through the Ranks • Technical Skills
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WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / JANUARY 2022
