How I'm Making New Friends after Moving to a New City

In the 626 area code, Meetup.com has numerous meetup groups.  I have recently joined a network of board gamers where geeks like me can hang out and play board games.  At these meetups, a lot of people come together with the determination of having fun and meeting new people.  One couple came to me and said that they met through meetup and eventually got married.  Another couple was handing out wedding invitations.  It was crazy interesting to note that people actually hook up here.  Regular people of all races, different backgrounds, different occupations all converging to one location to eat and have fun.  It makes for a really great time!  I'm so glad to go.  So far the meetups I've participated in:

-Crazy Rich Asians Dumpling Party
-Steak Night at Steve's with Karaoke
-Taco Night at Steve's with Board Gaming
-Board gaming at Bruce's (when I arrived, I was surprised to find out that it was my upstairs neighbor!!!)
-Board Gaming at Tony's Potluck Halloween Party
-Salsa Dancing Lessons

Good times! 

I saw my father in my reflection.

Last Friday night as I got off a lengthy 5 and a half hour flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, I headed straight to the bathroom.  As I was washing my hands, I looked up into the mirror and saw a glimpse of my father in my reflection.  I looked down and right back up again and he was gone!  It was really crazy feeling, yet intriguing.  Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me.

I have a strange feeling that my dad is watching me, protecting me and bringing me good fortune.  Somehow, in the spiritual world, he is making things happen for me.  I feel it.  Do you feel the same feeling?

My New Job

I have been working at Leica Microsystems for 4 months now and my life has changed!  I really love my job being a Senior Field Service Engineer.  Going from the medical industry to the research industry is very rewarding because I feel like the contributions I make in science is helping the future of humanity.  Everything I touch makes a difference in the development of new technologies from carbon fiber nanotubes to stem cell organ farms, the things I get to see and do is so incredibly fun!  It is really nice to get compensated appropriately for my brain and my skills rather than how accurate I can shoot or how many pushups I can do.

So when I did my job search, I didn't go for the highest paying job.  I went with location, culture and finally pay.  The guys I interviewed with were pretty awesome and were prior US Navy Petty Officer First Classes like me.   I knew if I were a Chief, I would've been doomed at the interview because everyone knows that to make CPO, you have to be backstabbing and semi-useless. 

I am at a very happy point in my life right now.  Now, I feel like I need to pay it forward.  :)

Takes on Business 101 for Transitioning Military

Recently, I took a 3 day course on business for military members that are in senior positions (Staff Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) and Officers).

Here are some things I have found interesting and noteworthy.

1.  Jobs are like duty stations.  It is normal for people to bounce around every few years until they settle for something they really like.

2.  Companies are organic living beings.  They constantly grow and shrink. 

3.  Employees with tenure with companies can be resentful or threatened by the new skills and talent that you may bring to your new job.

4.  Keep your deployment/sea stories to yourself.  It is like a camping trip that no one went on.  Consider your stories completely unrelatable to those who haven't served.

5.  Large time gaps in your work history can HURT you!  Complete college while you are active duty if you haven't already.  Never stop going to school.  Don't stop until you have reached PhD.

6.  If you start your own business, you need to be different to be competitive.  "Know that the Riches are in the Niches."

7.  If you apply for a government job, while it may be normal to make counter offers, negotiating your step level can be extremely risky since it is typically unknown to hiring managers how to get a new hire bumped up to another level. 

8.  Your social media accounts should not have you in your military garb.  Nobody cares about your medals except for you.

9.  Never stop learning.  Spend an hour each day learning something new.  Boost your vocabulary, learn some new phrases in another language, learn managerial accounting, research your companies website, etc.  There is nothing wrong about making yourself smarter about various things.

10.  Learn how to interview by going to Youtube.  Practice answering basic questions about yourself and be able to translate your military experience into skills worth having at your next job.  Be original in your answers, recruiters are bored of answers that are cliche.

Job Seeking with the Federal Government

Since my last post, I got two notifications from my applications for job positions within the federal government.   I applied for two separate blue collar jobs that at a minimum requires a high school diploma and 2 years of experience and some type of formal schooling or nationally recognized accredited certification.  I applied for the jobs about 5 months ago and since then, I have applied for numerous others and eventually, I got hired by a large private company that has a global presence.

What is interesting about the government jobs is that they are required to inform you of the reason of not getting hired.  Although, I had a valid Bachelor's Degree from a technical school, certification and 20 years of experience, they still told me I was lacking in education and/or experience.  Does this mean that my last post was correct?  Are other people more qualified than me applying for the same job?  That is simply amazing to me and further confirms that the market is over-saturated with qualified candidates.

Master's Degree is the New Bachelor's Degree

Getting a job is probably one of the most stressful things that anyone has to do.  It may be easy for some, but typically, if you want a decent wage earning job that doesn't require working yourself to death, you're going to need a lot of time and patience.  These days having a Bachelor's degree is like having an Associates.  The Master's Degree is the new Bachelor's degree.  The job market is over saturated with over-qualified candidates, it is extremely competitive and when people are in extreme financial debt due to college, people will do whatever it takes to compete for the top earning jobs.  Therefore as humans, we are in constant competition with each other. 

In my next post, I will discuss the trials and tribulations of my job seeking.

Military Humor

"Know what controlled rage is, controlled rage is yelling at someone and smashing someone's head against a concrete wall. Uncontrolled rage is when you do all that and then pee on yourself." - GYSGT D. Smith, USMC Ret.

Last 7 Months on Active Duty

The last 7 months of active duty prior to retirement is reserved for setting yourself up for the civilian world. That's when you have to start calling people by their first names and learn to relax more. The military's operations tempo is so extreme, people in it are addicted to drinking coffee and energy drinks to stay awake. Physical and mental disorders are the result in some cases.  Military people are always on the go and try to accomplish everything at one time, usually ahead of schedule.  So to alleviate getting an anxiety attack or something, I  have laid out a calendar that is planned day by day. So here is what I have.  If I am missing anything, let me know in the comments below.

Month 7:

• Keep going to medical to get your stuff documented
• Attend TRS (transition classes, a.k.a. TAPS or TGPS) 
• Attend CalVet class Attend Boots 2 Business by the Small Business Association 
• Start drafting and sculpting your resume
• Make a Linkedin Account and begin to make it look like a resume

Month 6:

• Keep going to medical to get your stuff documented. 
• Go to legal to update your will 
• Begin to throw away everything you don't need on a weekly basis 
• Attend a Business Career Seminar 
• Take some Microsoft Classes 
• Finalize your resumes and make a "master resume"
• Start exploring USAJOBS.com
• Start exploring CalJobs (or whatever state your wanting to stay in)
• Make 2 copies of your medical record and get your AHLTA notes put on disc

Month 5:

• Do your CAPSTONE. 
• Visit the DAV to get your medical record screened 
• After your Medical Record is screened, setup and appointment to submit your VA disability claim 
• Do your VA Disability Claim 
• Begin giving away all manuals and military stuff you no longer need 
• Change your Linkedin Profile to "actively seeking a job"
• Begin your job search and start applying.  
• Begin Interviewing with companies

Month 4: 

• Submit your 30 Days of Notice to Vacate 
• Start closing your cable account 
• Get your check-out sheet and start the process of checking out 
• Turn in your weapons card 
• Turn in your combat gear and gas mask (CIF) 
• Schedule multiple interviews
• Keep job searching and applying.  You're not hired until you sign a contract offer.

Month 3:

• Do your Pack Out and put your stuff in storage. 
• DoD will pay to store your stuff for 365 days. 
• Find Apartment where you want to live. Start moving. 

Month 2:

• Retirement Ceremony 
• Begin your 10 days of job hunting/10 days of house hunting 
• Get your DD214 and make a lot of copies 
• Go to legal to certify true copy all your DD214s 
• Go on vacation or begin working your 2nd career. 

Month 1:

• Terminal Leave 
• Go on vacation or begin working your 2nd career. 
• Last Paychecks 

Month after you get out:

• Sign up for VA 
• Re-enroll in Tricare