Self-Marketing Strategies for Military to Civilian Career Transitions

Self-Marketing for Military to Civilian Career Transitions looks at the new context of work with its universal entrepreneurial culture. Whether you own your own business or are part of a giant multi-national corporation, you can’t afford to think of yourself or your career in any other terms. The challenges of the job market and economy today require new thinking and new approaches. Men and women who are moving from the military to civilian life will soon find themselves in an environment where everything seems to be up for grabs. This includes how to look for work. The corporate world is under pressure, as are many other sectors of our economy. Job candidates with proven problem-solving skills are in high demand. In this respect, individuals with military background and experience bring a great deal to the table, but they must learn to adopt a self-marketing mentality to increase their visibility and reputation—their “personal brand.” Many people may be reluctant to adopt the self-marketing approach to career change because of the persistent negative associations with the term “selling.” They worry that self-promotion may be perceived by others as egotistical and “pushy.” They shrink at the thought selling anything—let alone themselves! Turning this perception around is the first step in understanding yourself as a true marketing professional. All professional marketing is founded on the principle of service and a values-based, solution-oriented approach to self-marketing is the most powerful and effective strategy in today’s business environment—whether you are changing careers or starting an enterprise of your own. Bu here’s the challenge: you can’t help anybody if they don’t know you’re there. Nowadays capturing the attention of the public is not easy. There has never been a time when people been so inundated with information. Getting and holding the attention of your target audience requires a continuous and diversified communication strategy. Remember, the ultimate goal of all your self-marketing efforts is to promote yourself and your brand in such a way that you occupy top-of-mind space with potential employers and/or clients. Self-Marketing for Military to Civilian Career Transitions looks at this new context of work with its universal entrepreneurial culture. Whether you own your own business or are part of a giant multi-national corporation, you can’t afford to think of yourself or your career in any other terms. You are a business, supplying needed goods and services to customer, even if that “customer” happens to be your boss.