MilMentor

Look.... you've rappelled from helicopters, shot machine guns and done ruck marches, the resume is nothing to be afraid of.

But everyday we talk to transitioning service members who have done the most incredible things, from incredibly bravery to unbelievable technical aptitude, who are very worried about the job search.

This is completely understandable, we all remember feeling the same, but we're also here to tell you that it subsides. And like you were once a worried private or LT and are now an expert, the same will happen in your next career. If you can survive (and excel) in the military, you can find a great career.

But, you need to put in the work. There are no jobs for "veterans", there are jobs for subject matter experts that would also prefer a veteran. Find what you want to be an SME in and start connecting with people already doing it.

MilMentor will be your best friend.

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What is MilMentor?

It's a free, on-demand platform allowing all in the military community to connect for 30-minute resume review, interview prep, career plan help, networking, and more with over 1,200 professionals across fields and companies.

From startups to Fortune 500's, you can lean on these recruiters, people in your target role, and those who have navigated the transition before to do it right and it is always free.

And, military-connected or not, if you have valuable insights to share on what a certain career is like, what hiring managers are looking for in your industry, or more, you can sign up as a mentor entirely on your schedule!

Join the rapidly growing community at MilMentor(dot)com!

We just added Careers to MilMentor.

The goal is simple. Put mentorship, job opportunities, and career events for the military community in one place.

For the last year or so, MilMentor has provided thousands of military connected professionals with mentors working in the roles and companies they're pursuing.

Now we are connecting that mentorship directly to real hiring opportunities.

On MilMentor you can now:
🧨 Apply to roles from great companies across the U.S.
🚀 See mentors at that company or in that job title while applying
🚨 Get resume or interview feedback before your interview
❗️ Track your applications, calls, and events in one dashboard

Several great companies already have roles live on the platform.

New companies are joining every week.
New roles will be added every Friday.

Defense, tech, aviation, analytics, product, engineering, and more are already represented with roles across the country!

If you are part of the military community and exploring your next career move, it is a must-check-out.

And if you have not yet joined the mentorship side, you will quickly see why thousands already use it and everything is always completely free.

You can explore it here:
MilMentor(dot)com

And if you know someone transitioning, job searching, exploring their next move, OR who should sign up as a mentor - send this their way!

🚨 Big news from MilMentor! 🚨

For the past year or so, the MilMentor platform has helped military-connected professionals schedule 30-minute calls with people already working in or hiring for their target roles or companies. Those conversations have helped job seekers get resume feedback, prepare for interviews, understand new industries, and get hired by great companies.

And today we are taking the next step.

MilMentor now brings mentorship, career opportunities, and curated events together in one place. Job seekers can explore open roles, connect with mentors, and track calls, applications, and events through a single dashboard.

Our goal has always been simple, to help members of the military community turn mentorship into real career outcomes, always at no cost. This update moves that even closer.

The experience is designed to work together. If you find a role you want to apply for, you can immediately see whether a mentor from that company is available to talk. If you want insight into the role or how your skills stack up, you can also always connect with someone working in a similar role elsewhere.

New employers joining the platform and new roles will be added every week, with fresh opportunities showing up at least every Friday.

So if you are part of the military community and not on MilMentor yet, now is a great time to join!

Employers who want to share roles, hire from the community, or launch mentorship programs through the platform can also join and get started for free.

And if you believe in the mission, help spread the word. SHARE this with someone who could benefit!

P.S. Current mentors will notice nothing changing on the mentorship side. Mentees will simply complete their job seeker profile to unlock the new careers features.

This post has little to do with mentorship and much to do with what you shouldn't share on your job-seeker profiles!

While being an engaged citizen of the world is a GREAT thing and even though you weren't kicked out like the image says, your job-seeker profile is typically not the right place to air your political grievances, divisive opinions, or extreme disapproval of someone.

Separately, we also haven't seen, outside of certain roles in government, research, and defense, a huge demand from employers for folks to demonstrate their superior knowledge of warfare (especially on social media).

Now, you can do whatever the heck you want! It's a free country after all.

However, we encourage you to remember that recruiters WILL review your LinkedIn in the hiring process and you run a real risk of hurting yourself, either because they feel differently or just don't think it is an appropriate forum to share. OR because another candidate has a profile more focused on the role at hand if all else is equal.

Engage in causes you care about in-person and on other forums, but we highly encourage you to keep your job-seeker profiles focused on and optimized for job-seeking if you can help it.

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P.S. If you need help with your career search, whether identifying which job is right for you, with your resume or interview, or building an industry network and you're a member of the military community, MilMentor is for you. The always free platform allows you to schedule unlimited calls with people working in or hiring for your dream role and you're in total control of who you speak with and when. Join the community and request your first call today at MilMentor(dot)com!

If you have valuable hiring or industry experience to share, join us as a mentor! It works entirely around your schedule and makes it easy to engage when you can and track your impact. Whether or not you're military connected, we'd love to have you as a mentor and you can sign up and get started today!

Finally - SHARE this post - help more folks discover MilMentor and see this advice!

Whether you were raised on the mean streets of Red Diamond or some other insect-infested amalgamation of green stakes in the ground, in the moment nobody liked land nav.

I remember completing a course at Fort Stewart in December one year where they had just reset all the points. While the graders gleefully warned us about the alligators on post, they failed to mention that they had moved all the points to about waist deep in swamp areas.

I found myself one point away from passing with an hour left, staring at my final point that was smack in the middle of a swamp and seriously considering if it was worth getting.

I mean, I was actively in the transition assistance program.... Alas, I drudged through the freezing swamps and would go on to earn some metallic badge that felt incredibly cool at the time.

Now looking back on it, I catch myself missing land nav sometimes...

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If you know what I'm talking about, chances are that you’re also either currently or previously navigated the even more confusing terrain of the military-to-civilian career transition.

That’s why we built MilMentor.

MilMentor is a free, on-demand platform that connects military-connected job seekers with over 1,200 professionals for 30-minute conversations about resumes, interviews, networking, career planning, and more.

If you're navigating your transition, you can talk with recruiters, hiring managers, people already in your target role, and others who’ve successfully made the jump before you.

And if you’ve already figured out your path, you can sign up as a mentor and share what you’ve learned with the next transitioning service members, members of the Guard and Reserve, and spouses, easily and entirely on your schedule.

Join the rapidly growing community at MilMentor(dot)com.

Alright we might be getting too niche here...

But no-one feels power like a road guard in basic training.

What's that Sergeant Major... you need to get to a meeting? Wish I could help but there's a battalion crossing at my behest.

It's power the Guidon Bearer wishes they had... but they were too fast. Too fit. Yet too slow to grab a powerful orange vest.

The only other ascent to power so rapid is being the Platoon Guide, but that's a truly thankless job.

Real ones know road guards had it going on in basic training.

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While basic training is long gone, if you had any idea what this means you probably qualify to use MilMentor!

It's a free, on-demand platform allowing you to connect for 30-minute resume review, interview prep, career plan help, networking, and more conversations with over 1,200 professionals across fields and companies.

From startups to Fortune 500's, you can lean on these recruiters, people in your target role, and those who have navigated the transition before to do it right and it is always free.

And, military-connected or not, if you have valuable insights to share on what a certain career is like, what hiring managers are looking for in your industry, or more, you can sign up as a mentor entirely on your schedule!

Join the rapidly growing community at MilMentor(dot)com!

There are some feats of excellence we'll never be able to share, or attempt to capture for those who did not serve when transitioning to corporate America...

Like how officers manage to find everything on a land nav course except their assigned points and where they started.

How an E-4 manages to avoid any true work yet know so much about their job.

How you managed to ruck 12 miles with zero hours of sleep, three five hour energies, and the knees of someone twelve times your age.

But alas, your military experience, even those things that might be impossible to understand unless you've lived them, shapes you and gives you a set of unique advantages in the civilian workforce.

Learn the new industry lingo you may be missing, close any technical skills gaps, and you'll progress like no other.

By the way, you have 1,200+ professionals across Fortune 500s, startups, government, and more waiting to support you, one free 30-minute call at a time on MilMentor!

Sometimes people think we're kidding when we say if they have resume, interview, career plan, entrepreneurship, or higher ed questions they can just search for someone with the right expertise and book a call with them at no cost...

But we're not.

There are over 1,200 mentors from top companies, government agencies, and countless other places who have signed up, connected their calendars, and said when they have free time, they're willing to support members of the military community at no cost to them.

-> So when you're applying for a role? Look up the company on MilMentor first.

-> About to do an interview? Run a mock interview with someone whose background matches your interviewers.

-> Not hearing back on your resume? Chat with a recruiter about what's stopping you.

-> Thinking of starting a business? Talk to others who went from service to startup successfully.

-> Considering going back to school or a certification? Chat with hiring managers and people working in your target job to see what really matters.

And 101 other use cases.

So don't shoot yourself in the foot. Take advantage of the most powerful tool you have as a member of the military community, your built-in network.

And if you're a professional with valuable experience to share, military-connected or not, sign up as a mentor on your schedule at the link in the image!

P.S. Who still needs to know about MilMentor? SHARE the good word!

Happy , even though it's Tuesday!

We'll blame Presidents' day...

Anyhow, we want to thank the 1,200+ AMAZING mentors in the MilMentor community who are showing up to support veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members as they navigate their career next steps, entrepreneurship, higher education, benefits, and more one call at a time.

We're incredibly grateful to each of you, and want to give a special shoutout to each of the amazing mentors receiving a glowing review in the past few days.

And if you're not signed up as a mentor or mentee, we can't encourage you to join the community more. You take calls entirely around your schedule, can make a huge difference in your or someone else's career easily, and the community is growing like crazy!

As fun as it is knowing you're getting out soon... aside from doing your best to communicate that to your command so they can (hopefully) give you room to prepare, there are some things you need to ensure you do:

- Schedule TAP counseling and workshops early, don’t wait until the last minute
- Build a master resume and tailor a shorter version for each job you're applying to
- Create or update your LinkedIn profile; use a professional headshot
- Identify skill gaps and make an upskilling plan (higher ed, certifications, etc)
- Grow your network and connect with folks working in or hiring for the jobs you're interested in. MilMentor is your secret weapon!
- Begin the SkillBridge application process early if eligible
- Start job-hunting early, start by identifying roles of interest and use that when targeting your networking below.
- Gather and organize medical records for your VA claim, double check for errors or missing info
- Save 3+ months of expenses and plan financials for the transition period
- Plan your terminal leave + permissive TDY strategy to maximize time
- Research VA eBenefits, Tricare, and VGLI/FEDVIP before your final out

and more....

Look, the transition process is not easy and it's often confusing.

If you start feeling that way, it's not your fault. So many folks have transitioned before you successfully and you can do the same.

Start planning as early as possible, it is never too early, and lean on resources like MilMentor to build your network and get industry-specific feedback with ease!

What else would you add? We know there are a few things we missed!

Once you decide to get out of the military, one thing that makes it more challenging is how much advice you will get.

We've spoken about this ad nauseam, but far too often we see folks overwhelmed with information or unsure what steps to take post-transition because they've heard 101 different suggestions by then or even conflicting to-dos.

The best thing you can do to start getting clarity on what job you actually want to pursue, what hiring managers for that role actually care about, and how to showcase that in your resume and interview effectively is talk to people working in or hiring for those roles.

That is your north star.

Start by working with mentors, doing self-discovery, and finding the right role for you. Next, lean on those same mentors and more to build a network and make an actionable plan, whether it requires upskilling or just a resume rewrite for example, for you to land that role.

It sounds hard to find these mentors, but it's not.

Members of the military community can create a free account on MilMentor(dot)com and instantly get access to over 1,200 mentors across top companies and fields. You can request as many 30-minute calls with as many mentors as you'd like, each of whom is waiting and excited to help you!

Stop waiting when resources like this are available, start taking action.

🚀 MilMentor Spotlight Series #3: Operations & Project Management

Operations and project management roles continue to be some of the most in-demand across the military community, and we are seeing strong momentum on MilMentor from people exploring, entering, and advancing in these fields.

Every week, service members, veterans, and military spouses are asking how to translate leadership, logistics, planning, and ex*****on experience into civilian operations, program management, and project management roles. At the same time, professionals already working in these jobs are stepping up to mentor and help others navigate hiring processes, training paths, and career paths that are not always obvious from the outside.

On MilMentor, you can connect directly with mentors in these roles and more, the spotlight shows just a small snapshot of what is available on the platform.

MilMentor is home to 1,200+ mentors, with new ones joining every day. You choose who you want to talk to, what you want to focus on, and how many conversations you want to have. There is no single path into operations or project management, and there is no cost and no limit to how you use the platform.

For mentees:
Whatever industry or career path you want to pursue, now is the time. Talk to mentors with different backgrounds, learn about different roles, what hiring managers care about, and get help through the hiring process!

For mentors:
If you have valuable private sector experience, we want you! Whether you are military-connected or not, you can sign up as a mentor entirely on your schedule and make a massive difference by doing things as simple as sharing what your job is really like!

If you have not already, sign up as a mentor or mentee at MilMentor(dot)com and SHARE this post to help others find the guidance they need.

More industry spotlights coming soon.