Quote:
Originally Posted by
JasonDEdinger 
Thanks for the responses. Good advice abounds. I want to emphasize that I understand my military experience is considered to be a rung below financial experience - that's exactly what I'm getting at. What I think you misunderstand, DarkNWorn, is that no number of internships, summer jobs, or financial classes can substitute for the kind of experience gained in the military and especially in combat. Sure, fighting terrorists doesn't laterally translate into financial acumen and knowledge, but what about the ability to excel under stressful conditions? What about the work ethic and willpower to see through a combat deployment to the end - working every single day for an entire year? What about a 23 year old kid being in charge of 30 soldiers and their health and welfare? If I were a recruiter, these kind of intangibles would tell me a lot more about a candidate than their GPA or a laundry list of previous jobs. You can teach anyone how to construct a pivot table, but you can't teach anyone to be a high performer under adverse conditions.
Also I just want to state that I am not presumptuous and think I should be put on a pedestal because of my service. I decided to join the army on my own and I think I am no better or no worse than anyone else, I just think that at 27 years old I bring more to the table than college grads despite my having not been in the business.
Cheers.
P.S. -- Hroi, I am not eligible for GI Bill benefits otherwise I would do just that!
You are on to something here, and I think the answer is that while a hiring manager probably would value that experience and the signaling impact it would have (I suspect you might not bitch too loudly if I ask you to work 2 weekends in a row), the average HR person will not. You may need to find a way to get past the recruiters and directly to the hiring managers, similar to what globetrotter suggested above. Also, maybe try to lead a horse to water, as you did above. Clearly discuss how your military experience demonstrates traits you think are important to success. Good luck.
