Looking for work

Another thing I would suggest....Consider relocating farther than your stated area - IF a job offer appears.

After I graduated from Penn State with a BS degree in Forest Science back in '79, I really wanted to work for a state government. I grew up outside Pittsburgh and sent resumes to every state east of the Mississippi River and from the Rockies west. I didn't care where I would end up as long as I liked the job. Ended up in NE Ohio working for the state as it turned out.

 

OP, Ty.......I have been through a similar situation. My second 3 year contract ended in Dec 2019, returned to USA, planned to job hunt after a couple months......then Pandemic. Just recently accepted a position as a Senior Engineer. Yep, I was without work for a little over 2 years.

My only suggestions.
Don't give up.
Apply everywhere.
Be willing the RELOCATE.
Search the entire USA.
Don't give up.
Experience is key.

I didn't keep track of the number of applications I completed. Although, I'm sure the number was quite large. I would spend 3-4 hours everyday hunting and applying. It can be a mind sucking drag and giant suck on your self-esteem. Find something to help keep you focused. For me, it was my family and my dog. Completed many home improvement projects, vehicle maintenance and numerous long walks with the dog. Many times I found myself talking to unload on the dog during these walks.

Good luck and Don't give up. Do your best to keep positive during interviews and questionnaires.

 

B1 bomber crew chief, man on the outside that seems cool as ... Hope you got to fly in them.

Real estate would be a great start. Ride that train but have multiple hustles. If you are not active on social media platforms, you should be. You can show value and show you know how to use some of the tools of the trade. Also, start some freelance work on fiverr or something equivalent. This can be a great resume builder and also might be enough to be on your own. Be nice to not have to look for a job.

 

Oh, trust me I am! I was born in Florida grew up in Germany and Georgia (the U.S.) and then moved to Texas in 2015. I'm looking for jobs in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Texas.

 

Oh, trust me I do. I have no problem side hustling. I've been Ubering, door dashing, FB marketplace, eBay, flipping, etc. Anything to get extra cash.
I actually was offerd a good opportunity today to become a real estate agent at the Seely Group in Austin. My only scare about that is Idk if I want to live in this area forever.

Oh, trust me I do. I have no problem side hustling. I've been Ubering, door dashing, FB marketplace, eBay, flipping, etc. Anything to get extra cash.
I actually was offered a good opportunity today to become a real estate agent at the Seely Group in Austin. My only scare about that is Idk if I want to live in this area forever.
Congratulations on the new job!

 

This is great advice. Totally agree.

But from an applicant standpoint, the task of tailoring a resume for each individual job can be a long and arduous task, especially when you’re not having any luck with interviews or even call backs.

There just seems to be so much competition out there for quality jobs that even when an applicant is qualified with a great resume, no interview ever occurs.

Not to discourage anyone here, but my experience has been that cold applications aren’t all that successful.

Definitely continue to tailor your resume for jobs and apply, but also look into (OP) using your contacts to help find leads on open positions.

Edit: Although I guess @TyT knows this, because he is on the interwebs asking for assistance

 

I'm trying to use as many contacts as I can think of. That's why I'm looking here to do some networking.

 

Being flexible on where you can live is huge and opens up the option for being a remote employee. Like mentioned you could try searching for a smaller company in the construction, HVAC, factory manufacturer, wholesaler, tool manufacturer etc where you could use your marketing to grow the company business and actually see the results of your work. Not sure what kind of compensation you are after, but gain from this most companies value that you are coming from the service and can be a reliable employee but just don't have what they consider the skillsets in the marketing field. I think a nice cover letter and light alterations to the resume could persuade them to dig a little deeper into you.

This is really good advice. Definitely have sent my fair share of generic cover letters and this explains why many never had any response back. Why hire someone who is a generic employee not willing to submit a well thought out cover letter, states a lot about who they are before ever being hired.

 

The greatest challenge in job hunting and sending in a resume' is getting past the SORTING BOTS.

Many many companies use BOTS to sift through the resume pile. It is looking for key words. If those key words are not there, then the resume' is binned.

Rarely, if ever, will you get a return reply.

You just need to hunker down and don't quit. It took me 25 months to find a position as an Engineer. I've got over 20 years experience in all aspects of product design and production.

It is a tough market. I suggest to build 1 good resume' and don't muck about with "tailoring" it. You're just guessing what the BOT is searching to find.

 

I work for a staffing company called EmployBridge. I know the corporate call center will be hiring for entry level (on the phones helping applicants for temp jobs) soon. From there, you can apply out to leadership or marketing stuff as long as you get a foot in the door.

Just go through whatever job description and include key words from the post. I hope this helps.

https://recruiting2.ultipro.com/EMP...28c2c6a/?q=&o=postedDateDesc&w=&wc=&we=&wpst=

 

Hold on a second, you've been in the AF for seven years, currently stationed at Dyess AFB, completed a Bachelors while enlisted and now plan to ETS ? Are you smoking crack ? Surely you considered OTS yes ? And if not, why ? And if the Air Force won't hire you as a 2LT, I got news for ya, The Army needs Officers ! It's called an Inter-Service transfer and it really does work. Like you, I completed my degree while enlisted and the AF wouldn't sign an age waiver (at the time it was 29 and I was 36). I put together an Army OCS packet and 60 days later I was off and running to Ft Benning, GA and got to retire as an O-4 Major and never looked back. Just sayin.....