Job Search Strategy

A targeted job search starts with a list of target employers — companies you actually want to work for, in industries that align with your skills and goals. Most job seekers apply broadly to anything that looks relevant. Targeted job seekers apply selectively to employers they have researched and chosen deliberately.

Build your target employer list by: identifying industries that value military skills (defense, government contracting, logistics, healthcare, law enforcement, cybersecurity, project management), researching companies with strong veteran hiring programs, looking at where veterans in your network have landed, and identifying companies whose mission and culture align with your values.

Research each target employer thoroughly before applying or reaching out: What do they do? What are their values? What is their culture like? What roles do they typically hire veterans for? Who are the hiring managers in your target department? What challenges are they facing that your skills could address?

Glassdoor, LinkedIn, the company's own website, and news coverage are all useful research sources. The goal is to know enough about a company that when you reach out or interview, you can speak specifically about why you want to work there — not just that you need a job.

Research consistently shows that 70–80% of jobs are never publicly posted. They are filled through referrals, internal promotions, and direct outreach — before a job posting is ever written. This is the hidden job market, and it is where most hiring actually happens.

Accessing the hidden job market requires proactive relationship-building. Informational interviews — conversations with people who work in your target field or at your target companies — are the primary tool. The goal of an informational interview is not to ask for a job. It is to learn, to build a relationship, and to get on someone's radar before a position opens.

When a position does open, hiring managers often think first of people they know or have recently met. If you have had an informational interview with someone at a company, you are far more likely to be referred or contacted than if you are a cold applicant.

Referrals dramatically increase your chances of getting an interview. Studies show that referred candidates are 4x more likely to be hired than non-referred candidates. Building relationships before you need them is the most effective job search strategy available.

Many large employers have formal veteran hiring programs — dedicated recruiters, veteran employee resource groups, and hiring commitments specifically for veterans. These programs are worth targeting because they provide a warm entry point and a network of veteran employees who can advocate for you.

The Hiring Our Heroes program (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation) connects veterans with employers through fellowships, hiring events, and a job board. The 100,000 Jobs Mission (now the Veteran Jobs Mission) is a coalition of companies committed to hiring veterans. USAA, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, and many other major employers have robust veteran hiring programs.

Federal employment is another major pathway. The federal government is the largest employer of veterans in the United States. Veterans' preference gives eligible veterans an advantage in federal hiring. Module 08 covers federal employment in detail.

State workforce agencies often have veteran-specific employment services, including dedicated veteran employment representatives (DVOPs and LVERs) who provide intensive job search assistance. Contact your state workforce agency to connect with these services.

A job search without a tracking system quickly becomes chaotic. When you are applying to multiple positions, it is easy to lose track of where you applied, what version of your resume you sent, what the status is, and when to follow up.

Build a simple tracking spreadsheet with columns for: company name, job title, date applied, resume version used, contact name, application status, follow-up date, and notes. Update it every time you take an action on an application.

Follow up on every application you care about. A brief, professional email to the hiring manager or recruiter one week after applying — expressing continued interest and offering to provide any additional information — is appropriate and often effective. Most applicants do not follow up. Following up makes you memorable.

Track your metrics: How many applications per week? What is your interview rate? What is your offer rate? Where are you losing candidates in the process? Metrics help you identify what is working and what needs to change.