Last time you heard from me, if you’ve read my posts, was in July of last year as I was transitioning out of the military and expecting to find another “normal” job such as the Air Traffic Controller I was “supposed” to be. Whoever you might be, there is hope for you to discover the job you know you’d love but never thought you’d find. I’m living proof, and we’ll get into why in just a minute. That being said, it’s not a perfect job which I say because you can always find room to improve. My name is Joshua Fulmer. I am employed in a job I love, doing things I love, and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Just as last time, there are a few categories of people that I expect to read this content: Business Owners / Hiring Managers: Last post I made, I had requested you take the content for what it was meant to be. This time I ask the same, but in a different fashion; You can find incredible employees in places you wouldn’t expect. Don’t blow some one off because they haven’t worked in your industry. Take a look at the applicant to see who they are and their work ethic. Just about anyone can be taught any type of job, but not everyone takes the task at hand and runs full speed into progress.
“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”
My transition began when I arrived home (as shown above) from my last deployment. Everything became of whirlwind of “What job am I going to get? Where do we want to live? How much do we need to make?” and all the other questions you can imagine after finishing up an 8-year job. It was so much more than a job, obviously, but it’s the best way to think about it when you’re finding what’s next. After spending many days talking with my wife, Stephanie, about whether we wanted to continue our life in the military or find something new, we had decided a new chapter was scary but was the right choice for us. We spent weeks discussing the jobs I could get with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or contracting out with a different Air Traffic Control (ATC) agency and where it might land us in the country. Somewhere in there I had a long conversation with one of my brothers, and he brought up a really good point; “You can always find work, but you should live where you want to live”. This was a pretty big deal to me because I had been away from our families for the better part of the last eight years, so with some convincing we headed back home to Washington.
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: ”¢ Family ”¢ Friends ”¢ Local Job Postings ”¢ Groups ”¢ Volunteering ”¢ 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)