Welcome to the Career Resources Web Site

The USCG Academy Alumni Association's Career Resources serve three purposes: to help USCGA graduates assist one another in their careers, to facilitate employers´ recruiting of CGA graduates, and to provide access to useful information and advice on career matters-military and civilian. It goes without saying that the Alumni Association applauds the service of CGA graduates in the military and hopes that many will serve long careers in the military; however, we also know all military careers end at some point. When that time comes, we stand by always ready to assist

The Alumni Association does not place graduates in civilian careers. However, if we know of a fellow graduate, recruiter, or employer we believe will be especially helpful to you, we will help you contact that person. The Service Academy Business Resource Directory (SABRD) is our primary means for organizing contacts. In effect, in the SABRD and Internet SABRD we are giving you direct access to our "Rolodex" of all 34,000 service academy graduates with an interest in networking. Please note that graduates in the military are welcome to post their information in the SABRD. In the months ahead we intend to organize the directory so it will be more useful for networking and mutual support within the Coast Guard and in joint arenas. In addition the SABRD, the Service Academy Career Conference and Joint Service Academies Jobs Electronically Plus are two additional ways for you to discuss employment opportunities directly with employers.

If you would like help in using the Career Services or just want some advice on how to organize your search, contact me. I will do my best to assist you during your transition.

Employers seeking to hire Coast Guard graduates should familiarize with our resources for employers or call the Career & Membership Services office at the Alumni Association.

Contact : Eileen Foye Kelly or (860) 442-2683 ext. 16

Military Career Pathways

This page is the Alumni Associations focal point for information related to CG careers. The references and systems linked to this hub will help you understand career options, advance along your chosen pathway and enrich your understanding of being an officer.

Active duty officers are encouraged to register in the Internet Service Academy Business Resource Directory. In 2005, the printed version included a special section listing graduates on active duty.

Service Academy Career Conference - SACC

Registration for the SACC is centralized at the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. The five federal service academy alumni organizations including the United States Coast Guard Academy support the SACC. For information contact Sally Fletcher at  (410) 295-4021. Additional details on upcoming SACCs are provided at www.sacc-jobfair.com .

Joint Service Academies Jobs Electronically - JSAJE Plus

An Internet-based job-listing service. USCGA graduates may search the job listings free of charge. Employers pay a nominal fee of $60 for a single, 60-day job advertisement. Automatic search agent features are included to inform alumni when job openings in their areas of interest have been posted by employers. There are nearly 20,000 graduates from all the service academies registered to JSAJE Plus. See www.jsaje.com .

Planning a Career Search - The Timeline

Plan for career transition as you plan financially for retirement: begin immediately and do a little bit at a time. That way, you will be well prepared when your transition actually begins.

Have an objective in mind. Define it as a career field and a location. Your objective (or objectives) will evolve over time, as you learn about careers, explore your interests, and adapt to your changing personal situation and the hiring environment. Most of us have location preferences or requirements. So, the defining question becomes What can I do in the locations that interest me? If you have two years to plan, conduct, and complete a career transition, think in terms of these broad phases:

• First year:  investigate career fields and positions that interest you; if necessary, sharpen your expertise, obtain certifications, join professional associations, chapters, and subscribe to journals; draft résumés and cover letters; begin to build and activate your network.
• End of first year:  refine your résumé, alert your network to your specific interests and availability date, request information interviews, continue to research industries and target specific employers.
• Six months before your availability date:  increase your information interviews, apply for open positions, target and correspond directly with selected employers, if applicable, notify executive recruiters who specialize in your area of expertise, seek hiring interviews, continue to network and to develop leads until you have accepted an offer.

Writing Resumes

Your résumés will serve at least three purposes. You will use them to market your capabilities, display your qualifications for a particular position, and to support discussions during interviews. Resumes used for the first purpose should be broadly constructed, outlining your capabilities. The latter two should be neatly tailored to fit the qualifications of a position you are seeking.

Undergraduates and entry-level candidates typically write one-page resumes. If you are more experienced, consider writing a two-page resume. We recommend using reverse chronological order as this is the format preferred by the majority of employers. Most employers will closely read your last ten years of so of employment history, scanning the rest.

Under each position you have held, describe your responsibilities. Then, list at least two or three accomplishments or achievements. In each case, describe your action and the result of your action. If you can do so, quantify or specify the result. Each accomplishment should be crafted to show that you did something important and did it well. The overall goal of a resume should be to show you made a difference, creating a pattern of consistent success. The topics below might help you identify items to highlight as accomplishments:

• Systemic problems you solved
• Specific challenges you overcame
• Needs you identified and solutions you developed
• Innovations you implemented that were adopted by others
• Awards received for measurable performance

Networking

These days, networking is a fundamental career skill. Many networking leads result from secondary contacts - someone who knows someone you know. Consequently, build a broad-based network with concentrations in your career fields and industries.

Here are some tips for effective networking. An abundance of networking suggestions appears in any career-oriented publication:

• Network with intention - Have a plan: Your inner circle should be those best positioned to help you: mentors, influential executives, recruiters specializing in your career field, leaders of networking groups, etc. Keep these contacts up to date on your situation. The second tier or circle should be all others willing to forward a lead to you or scout for opportunities.
• Be a giver . Look for ways to help those in your network.
• Personally thank those who tried to help you. Send a personalized note or email.
• Participate in the Service Academy Business Resource Directory program . The SABRD contains business listings submitted by thousands of graduates from all service academies. Most have volunteered to assist fellow graduates with their career transitions.
• Prepare well for networking conversations : Research before you call. Prepare questions. Plan for a two-way conversation.
• Concisely state the object of your search. If you are making a first transition, you are probably considering several career fields. That's OK, but be as precise as you can. A networking contact resembles radar in some ways: the more precisely tuned, the more defined and reliable the returns.

Participating in a Job Fair

At job fairs, employers market their companies to candidates, discuss employment opportunities, and typically, conduct screening interviews. We consider the salient feature of a job fair to be the candidates' unrestricted access to all employers. (Placement firms often organize and host hiring conferences for their clients, where the interaction is normally orchestrated by the placement firm. Placement firms recruit, screen, qualify, and prepare candidates to meet with clients. When they place a candidate with a client employer, placement firms receive fees from the client. For more on executive recruiters and placement firms, see Kennedy's Pocket Guide to Working with Executive Recruiters .)

The Service Academy Career Conferences (SACC) are two-day events. The job fairs (held on a Friday), are preceded by an interview preparation seminar on Thursday evening. The SACC is operated and hosted jointly by the service academy alumni organizations. (Registration is centralized at the US Naval Academy Alumni Association.) Each year, we host three SACCs: the current rotation is Pentagon City (DC-area), VA in the spring; San Diego in August; and San Antonio , Texas in November.  For 2008 and 2009, an additional SACC has been added for February - Savannah, GA in 2008 and Charleston, SC in 2009.  An Alumni executive attends every SACC.

Some employers at the SACC are seeking to recruit junior military officers for entry-level positions and fast-track leadership programs. Others, however, are searching for mid-career or career military officers for specific positions. (At the SACC, service academy graduates are often on the employers recruiting teams.) Beyond that interaction, however, the SACC is a great networking and research opportunity. You can learn about career fields, begin to prepare for a future transition, establish contacts with employers, and practice your interviewing skills.

Here is some advice for making the most of job fairs:

• Dress in your interview suit. Treat every conversation as a mini-interview. Smile.
• View each conversation as a networking lead. If the recruiter who greets you is unable to assist you, ask for a referral to the right person.
• Research the employers that interest you. Know their needs. Prepare to explain succinctly how you can meet their needs.
• Tailor Résumés for particular employers.
• Visit as many employers as possible. You might be surprised by what some employers have to offer you.

Helpful References

Service Academy Business Resource Directory and www.iSABRD.com :
Nearly 31,000 service academy graduates are listed in our directory, which is now in its 10 th year! All are interested in career and/or business networking. This directory should be a part of your reference library, during and after your first transition.

Marketing Yourself for a Second Career , the Military Officers Association of America :
- A superb tutorial on how to prepare for and conduct a transition from the military into a civilian career. Available from MOAA, it is free of charge to members.

From Army Green to Corporate Gray , Carl Savino USMA, 87:
If you read one book on making a transition from the military, read this one. It is available free of charge at military transition centers.

Kennedy's Pocket Guide to Working with Executive Recruiters , Kennedy Information, Inc.:
If you are planning to engage executive recruiters in your active or passive search, the essays in this collection will tell you what to expect and how you can best obtain their assistance.

Dress for Success and the New Women's Dress for Success , John T. Molloy:
If business dress is one of your hobbies, consider buying this or one of the other books on business dress. If you are on limited budget, borrow a copy from a friend or library. (You will find that your friends who recently made their transitions from the military will be happy to tutor you (and more) on the basics.)

General Business Reading

Wall Street Journal
Business Week
Time, Newsweek

Familiarize with the conversations and issues in the world of business. For information on your career field or industry, subscribe to the appropriate trade or professional journal.

Career Search Guidelines

1. Employ a broad-front strategy: Make networking your main effort, but also respond to advertisements (print and electronic), contact employers who need your skills, and engage executive recruiters with clients who need your skills.
2. Focus on the employer's needs: Study the employer's mission. Explain how you can solve her/his problem.
3. Explain how you will carry the ball across the goal line : Emphasize how will add value to the organization. Explain the role you envision playing in the red zone.
4. Shift between passive and active search modes: contingency planning: Once employed, develop contingency plans and network. Companies downsize, customers fold, and contracts expire.
5. Seek an advocate or champion for your cause - someone who will fight for you:  Employee referrals account for many hires. Many companies reward employees for their referrals. The technique reduces recruiting expenses and simplifies reference checks.
6. Emphasize what you have done rather than the titles you have held: Be results-oriented in your self-marketing.
7. Hiring managers are seeking answers to two questions: Can you do the job well and will you be a good teammate?
8. The best interviews are conversations between two professionals on topics of mutual professional interest.
9. Interview demeanor: be engaged and engaging - listen, smile, project energy, confidence, and enthusiasm.
10. Burn no bridges. When your employment ends or if you are not selected for a position, depart on good terms. Circumstances change. The first choice may decline the offer or a second opening may arise.