October 18, 2023
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8 min read
More than 240,000 service members transition to the civilian workforce every year and that transition isn’t easy. That’s where G.I. Jobs comes in to bridge the gap.
G.I. Jobs — an organization that pairs service members with employment opportunities — can help transitioning members of the military ease into civilian life. We’ll explain what it is, how it works, and how you can find your next job on its career portal.
G.I. Jobs is an organization dedicated to assisting military service members and veterans with finding meaningful employment that aligns with their career goals.
It’s similar to other organizations, like SkillBridge or Hiring Our Heroes (HOH). For those transitioning from military life to civilian life, G.I. Jobs has lots to offer. For example, this organization offers help with things like:
People in the military community are eligible to participate in G.I. Jobs. This includes military service members transitioning to civilian life, veterans, and their spouses.
Not surprisingly, G.I. Jobs is home to an almost overwhelming number of job opportunities and resources.
From workshops to educational content and its career portal, here are the best parts of this organization and how they can help transitioning military service members.
For folks who’ve always wanted to start their own business, this might be your chance. G.I. Jobs hosts many franchising events like workshops, to help veterans achieve their dream job.
The main workshop is called Vetreprenuer Franchise Workshop. Even though it’s free, you still need to register to reserve a spot before the workshop fills up.
The focus of the workshop is franchise ownership. Attendees will learn about franchising basics, common myths about entrepreneurship, and why veterans are specifically suited for this career path. There are also Q&A sessions and an opportunity to partner with a Franchise Coach (for free). Usually, the workshops are less than an hour.
With franchising coaching, people in the military community can build their confidence in entrepreneurship with mentoring through a thorough matching system. People who participate in franchising coaching will also have access to:
Plus, if you have family or friends, they’re welcome to accompany you, too.
The multitude of job opportunities available through G.I. Jobs is its claim to fame. There are tons of different positions available to apply to. Transitioning service members can narrow down their job search by filtering for the city or state they live in and the job title.
Although the actual open positions will vary based on what’s currently available, many of the types of positions crop up from time to time again, so if one position gets filled, you’ll have other options.
These roles span a plethora of different industries, including employment areas like:
Within each of these specific industries, there’s a variety of positions for those in the military community. The roles vary in location and experience. For example, some of the positions that are currently listed and have been listed in the past include:
To make things even easier, G.I. Jobs has its own app that allows those in the military community to browse civilian opportunities whenever and wherever they are.
The G.I. Jobs app has tons of resources, completely free of cost. From the magazine to employment opportunities to monthly events and resources, there’s plenty to explore in the palm of your hand.
Specifically, through the app, you can:
If you do download the G.I. Jobs app, keep in mind that you’ll get immediate updates on content and upcoming events if you enable push notifications.
The educational resources G.I. Jobs provides are meant to help service members transitioning to civilian life find a school for them to attend.
For example, this organization provides service members with a list of GI Bill schools which can then be filtered based on the individual’s preferences. Some of the schools included are:
In addition, G.I. Jobs also hosts educational and informative content in the form of listicles and typical articles. The content covers a huge range of topics, including the:
One of the resources G.I. Jobs offers to the military community is its magazine. The magazine has both print and digital versions that highlight options for people post military. Each issue puts the latest information at the forefront, particularly pertaining to education, franchise, and career tips and news.
Check out the October 2023 version of the G.I. Jobs magazine to get a better idea of the latest info.
Similarly to the magazine, the G.I. Jobs site is also home to loads of informative and useful articles.
The subject of the articles varies pretty wildly, as does their format. Within their hub of content, you’ll find listicles, features, and informative articles. While some topics are serious, others have a very humorous and comedic tone to them.
For example, you can read and learn about topics like the:
The organization usually hosts events throughout the year. The available events vary and depend on external factors. In general though, G.I. Jobs offers two main types of events: those tailored to employment opportunities and those concerning franchising.
With regard to job opportunities, the employment-focused events include virtual job fairs and workshops with information on how to get noticed and get hired in today’s competitive job market.
In a similar vein, the franchising events focus on entrepreneurship. In these events, you’ll get information on how to start a business. There are always Q&A sessions afterward and participants have the choice to register for a Franchise Coach for free consultation and mentoring.
For both types of events, keep in mind that you need to register to reserve a spot.
If you’re a service member looking for a job, you’ve probably already started searching. Maybe you’ve even tried other options already, like VetJobs or SkillBridge. When you’re ready to explore your options through G.I. Jobs, it’s as simple as opening its career portal.
Once you’ve opened the G.I. Jobs career portal, your journey to meaningful employment begins. Here, you’ll find hundreds of thousands of jobs ready for you to apply to. You can filter the job listings by job title or keywords, and by location (city, state, and country).
After you’ve explored some positions, the next step is to create a free account so you can set up your profile, kind of like a LinkedIn profile.
Once you successfully set up your G.I. Jobs profile and create your account, you should be able to apply for a few positions. Next, to gain a competitive edge against other candidates, plan to put in some dedicated interview prep and practice.
There are tons of ways you can go about this. For example, some folks prefer to practice with friends or family, or simply in front of a mirror. However, in the world of generative AI, there are definitely better methods of preparation.
Take Yoodli for example. Powered by AI technology, this free tool allows anyone to practice interview questions. Not only that, but it’ll also give you personalized insights on your individual responses. This is incredibly valuable since it allows you to totally skip the guesswork and pinpoint exactly what you need to improve on.
To take advantage of this option, start by making an account with Yoodli. From here, you’ll be able to check out its massive practice interview questions bank. All interview questions are sorted into six categories:
However, if you have specific questions — let’s say, Target interview questions — you can input them yourself and practice those instead.
Then, the interview simulation can begin. You’ll respond to the questions that Yoodli asks while the tool evaluates your answers for insights. For example, things like your word choice, how fast or slow you speak, if you start monologuing, and how loud you speak can affect how an interviewer judges your answer to a question.
That being said, Yoodli, as a speech coach, will let you know exactly what you need to work on and how to work on it. For example, maybe you use a lot of “weak” words. In that case, Yoodli might suggest other words to use instead.
Not only that, but it can even uncover your unconscious bias as it was created to recognize any potentially offensive language.
To better understand how Yoodli works, check out this quick explainer vid:
Because G.I. Jobs was created to help transitioning service members find meaningful work opportunities, there are plenty of impressive employers associated with the organization.
For example, some of the most notable partner employees who recruit through G.I. Jobs include brands like:
G.I. Jobs can be a godsend for those in the military community looking for a job to fit their wants and needs. There are so many fruitful opportunities stemming from popular companies like Verizon and State Farm to take advantage of.
Once you’ve applied to a few positions on the G.I. Jobs career portal, but sure to put in the extra effort to practice. It’s always worth the time and energy!
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