Stack Up
Jan 10, 20163 min
“Average” Job Seekers: Not to be corny, but this is something of a “follow your dreams” post. I had a conversation with my sister-in-law last night along those lines:
“Everyone in this day and age is so caught up with what is proper; they need to have a “normal” well paying job so they can find a house in 5-10 years and get started with their life. Well last time I checked, your life is in the here and now.”
You can find a job in the field you want to work. You can find a job you love. If you can’t find something right away, you can at least become employed in the right direction of what you want to do. If you want to get into owning your own restaurant, find a job in the restaurant business even if you’re just working on the line or serving. You can work your way up faster than you think you can if you put your mind to it.
Transitioning Military Members: I think a few might find your way here simply because I know some of you, and others might have read my last post. Take a look at where you can find yourself if you take a leap of faith and employ your skills you have gained and developed.
A New Chapter: Out in the “Real World”
During the last few months of my military career, I had applied to the FAA and was denied, applied to a major internet company as an “FAA liaison” and was denied, and reached out to ATC contracts and didn’t find anything. My wife was becoming worried, which was understandable, but I let her know; “I will have a job before my End Of Service (EOS) (August 6th, 2014)”. We made it home, and it came down to the fact that I needed a job but am not the guy who’s going to just get any job. I want to do something I love. So, I applied to become a bartender at a local tap-house I liked because it just so happened I enjoy craft beer.
The Job: Beer and Everything About It
On August 6th, I was hired as a server at The Collective on Tap, a local tap-house. I picked up as many shifts as I was allowed. Any time some one wanted a day off, I would try to pick up their time because that’s exactly who I was trained to be, a hard worker. Finding myself immersed in the world of beer was impressive, and there was so much more information than I thought! I had the Southern California scene down, knew the good breweries in the area, and knew enough about beer to get myself in a little trouble. However, the diversity I had jumped into was amazing! We have forty-three taps with all of them rotating, so I did what any logical beer lover would do and began to learn everything I could about the breweries, their beers, and the way beer is made.
About two months in, I was humbled when I was promoted to Inventory and Marketing Manager. It’s one thing to work hard because that’s what we’re trained to do in the military, but it’s another thing to see someone realize the work you’ve put in and give you more responsibility. I’ve become the Jack of All Trades in these last few months, learning something new everyday, finding awesome projects to get into and meeting and interacting with great people every single day.
In Closing: Find Your Dream Job.
I didn’t write this post to say, “Oh look at what I did because I’m great and awesome.” I’ve put together this post to say, “You can find a job you love, and make it yours”.
Utilize your resources:
Ӣ Family
Ӣ Friends
Ӣ Local Job Postings
Ӣ Groups
Ӣ Volunteering
Ӣ Internet Job Postings
Describe your strengths to potential employers and show them what you are capable of. Put everything you’ve got into every day, and make movement towards goals you want to reach.
Sincerely,
Joshua Fulmer
Editors notes: (This article was originally posted on the author’s LinkedIn blog. However, we feel it is relevant to many of our Stack-up supporters. Understanding and knowledge are what help our vets reintegrate into civilian society as well as educate civilians on military life)