Vet Coach Transition Tips
Transitioning from active duty military to the civilian job market can be a daunting experience, especially if you’ve spent your entire adult life on active duty. In the Vet Coach Transition Tips podcast, join former Navy Lieutenant Pat Bergstresser as he navigates the transition process for military veterans step by step. We’ll talk through resumes, interviews, LinkedIn, and most importantly, if you should grow a beard for your first civilian interview. If you’re still on active duty, a veteran who’s been out for several years, or you just finished Transition GPS/TAPS class and realized it was a co...
Thu, June 16, 2022
LinkedIn Part 9 - Networking Messaging
The goal here is getting your new contacts to respond and on the phone as quickly as possible. Nobody wants to message back and forth endlessly. But, you’re also a stranger to your potential connections. In this episode we cover how to concisely message your new connections and get them on the phone so they can discover how awesome of a transitioning veteran you are.
Thu, June 16, 2022
LinkedIn Part 10 - Networking Informational Interviews
So this isn’t quite your traditional interview. You won’t be interviewing for any potential role - but this new contact you’re about to have your first call with could be pivotal when you start applying to roles. So you want to put your best foot forward in that initial conversation. Here we cover how to approach the call to make it productive, how to best connect with the new connection, and building a foundation for expanding your network.
Wed, June 15, 2022
LinkedIn Part 7 - Networking Strategy
So your profile is finally all filled out and you’re ready to start harnessing the networking power of LinkedIn. But where to begin? We’ll cover in this episode how to develop a personalized strategy so you’re talking to the right people and continually progressing towards your new career, not just a new job.
Wed, June 15, 2022
LinkedIn Part 8 - Networking Search
Once you’ve defined your strategy, you’re ready to start searching. The search bar on LinkedIn has a variety of filters and settings to tailor your search to exactly who you are looking to connect with. In this episode we talk through how to leverage the search functionality to find the right connections for your transition.
Sun, May 23, 2021
LinkedIn Part 6 - Profile Wrap Up
Time to wrap up writing this profile so you can get networking! What the hell does “networking” even really mean? We’ll get to that, but don’t miss this crucial episode where we cover the featured section, education, licenses and certifications, and more. Should you list your military licenses and military awards? We’ll answer that and feature plenty of actionable advice as always. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Sat, May 22, 2021
LinkedIn Part 5 - Experience & Volunteering Sections
The “meat” of your profile is your experience section. This is where you can hit all the keywords to help recruiters find you, and where you can display everything you’ve accomplished in your career. There’s some nuances to how to build this section, make it look clean and professional, and other tips important to nailing this aspect of your profile. Listen in to learn how to build this section in a clean and concise way. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetC...
Fri, May 21, 2021
LinkedIn Part 4 - The About Section
Throughout the LinkedIn Series, I consistently talk about making the most of your LinkedIn “Real Estate.” The "About" section is, in my opinion, the most underutilized and under-leveraged piece of real estate. It is your opportunity to, in your own words, articulate your brand and your value proposition. It’s also the first thing a visitor to your profile will read to better understand you and what you are all about. How do you write it in a way that succinctly and elo...
Thu, May 20, 2021
LinkedIn Part 3 - The Opener
In this episode, we cover how to digitally introduce yourself on LinkedIn. We cover having an easy to find URL for your profile, how to manage the “open to work” settings, how to craft a solid headline, and how to best position your location settings to optimize opportunities. Listen in for details. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Wed, May 19, 2021
LinkedIn Part 2 - Photos
You are 14x more likely to get noticed on LinkedIn by having a profile photo. It’s a no brainer. What about the background photo though? Should you wear your uniform in your profile photo? Does it need to be professionally taken? We answer those questions and more in this episode. Check it out. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Tue, May 18, 2021
LinkedIn Part 1 - Introduction
LinkedIn is THE most powerful networking tool out there. And we are going to give you a personal run down of how to attack it. There’s two aspects: the profile and networking. Before you can start networking though, people need to know who they are talking to. So first we are going to tackle the profile. This episode gives you an introduction to LinkedIn, why it’s such a great tool, and an overview of the LinkedIn series. Listen in to see how simply havi...
Mon, June 22, 2020
The Interview - Overview
So you finally got an interview…works not over yet. Preparation is key, and we’ll walk you through the 8 key aspects of an interview and how to prepare for them. In the following podcasts we will do a deep dive into each aspect and give you action advice to crush your interviews. Developing a solid roadmap to prep for interviews is key, tune into this episode to start your preparation now. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, June 22, 2020
The Interview Part 1 - Attitude
There’s perhaps no more important aspect of an interview than the attitude you convey when interacting with the interviewer. Check out this episode to hear our tips and advice to make sure you’re displaying the best and most appropriate version of “you” in the interview. I’ve seen some train wrecks and this episode is sure to make sure you aren’t one of them! To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, June 22, 2020
The Interview Part 2 - Dress
We all know how to handle a military interview or board…but what do you wear to a civilian interview? Believe it or not, I’ve seen plenty of vets screw this up. Tune in to get the down and dirty on common mistakes to avoid and how to ensure the interviewer remembers you for what you said and not what you were wearing. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, June 22, 2020
The Interview Part 3 - Tell Me About Yourself
Nearly every interview starts off with some sort of question that asks you to tell the interviewer about yourself. How long should it be? What should you talk about? How do you build a solid personal connection right off the bat? Check out this episode to find out. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, June 22, 2020
The Interview Part 4 - Success & Failure Stories
It’s impossible to prepare for every single interview question you could possibly be asked. But, we all know preparation is key. So how do you prepare for the types of behavioral questions you will be invariably asked during an interview? You need a list of success and failure stories to draw from. Check out this episode to learn how to employ this strategy when preparing for an interview. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, June 22, 2020
The Interview Part 7 & 8 - Questions & Closing
It’s time to wrap it up, but not quite yet! While the questions you ask can be informative for yourself, they can also help set you apart from the pack. Thought closing was reserved for sales? Think again! Closing might just be the difference maker between you and “the other guy”. Listen in to see what types of questions to ask and how exactly to go about “closing” without being awkward about it. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, June 22, 2020
The Interview Part 5 & 6 - Location & Compensation
For the first time in your career YOU get to choose where you want to live! There’s a lot to consider. Especially since you’re losing BAH. Oh…and Tri-Care. Check out this episode for some perspective on location selection and some basic tips on how to navigate compensation. To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, April 08, 2019
Resume Part 9 - Resume Additional Information
FINALLY! The the last section of the resume. Don’t get lazy, while this is an optional section, I HIGHLY encourage you include it. Tune in to hear why! Blog post for our recommend resume format: Resume Format Blog Post Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Additional Information Section Blog Post To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, March 25, 2019
Resume Part 8 - Resume Certifications & Technical Skills
This week we are talking through professional certifications and technical skills. What’s the difference? What should you include? Does anyone care that you were warfare qualified? Tune in to find out! Blog post for our recommend resume format: Resume Format Blog Post Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Certifications & Technical Skills Blog Post To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, March 18, 2019
Resume Part 7 - Resume Education Section
In this episode we cover the education section of the resume. This is a quick one, but we hit on some key aspects of this section you don’t want to miss! Blog post for our recommend resume format: Resume Format Blog Post Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Education Section Blog Post To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, March 11, 2019
Resume Part 6 - Resume Volunteer Experience
This week we are talking about an optional section of the resume, the volunteer experience section. While this is optional, we highly recommend it because of it’s importance helping you connect with those you interview with. Come check it out to hear more about why we think this is worth including in your resume. Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Volunteer Experience Blog Post To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, March 04, 2019
Resume Part 5 - Resume Professional Experience
In this tip, we cover the meat of the resume, the professional experience section. This is arguably the most important part of your resume because its where you talk about everything you’ve accomplished! Don’t worry, we’ve got a step by step process to help synthesize everything you did on active duty to help build this section piece by piece until you’ve got a bunch of bullets that pack a punch. Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Professional Experience Blog P...
Mon, February 25, 2019
Resume Part 4 - Resume Key Skills
In this transition tip, we get to work on the key skills section of the resume. We talk about the top five most desirable skills, the difference between hard and soft skills, and a killer pro tip of how to make sure your resume perfectly aligns to a job you want. Check out this episode now to listen in to all that and more. Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Key Skills Blog Post To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, February 18, 2019
Resume Part 3 - Resume Professional Summary
In tip #4, we tackle the professional summary. Is it replacing the cover letter? Should I just reformat my professional successes or treat it more as an introduction to the reader? There’s a lot of work to put into the 4-7 sentence professional summary and we cover those questions and more. Tune in! Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Professional Summary Blog Post To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, February 11, 2019
Resume Part 2 - Resume Header
We dive right into the resume with the very first line, the header. You may think it’s pretty simple and straight forward. But there’s a few tips and thought processes behind our recommended format that you may not know. Tune in to find out. Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Header Blog Post To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, February 04, 2019
Resume Part 1 - Intro to the Resume
The dreaded resume. In this episode we talk through Pat’s preferred format for the resume and why it works. We also talk about what resources you can use as a military veteran to get the ball rolling when you first get started writing. Blog post associated with this episode: Resume Format Blog Post To access this podcast and more, visit TransitionVetCoach.com.
Mon, January 28, 2019
Veteran Transition Tip #1 - Have a Plan
When you’ve first decided to make the transition from active duty military to becoming a veteran by leaving the active force, there’s so much to do it can make your head spin. In this episode, we talk through the importance of building a plan and how to go about that process. Having a plan will keep your head straight and make sure you’re building progress as you navigate the transition process. Blog post associated with this episode: Have a Plan Blog Post To access this podcast a...
Sun, January 20, 2019
Veteran Transition Tip #0 - Introduction
Why should you listen to this podcast? Pat tells you in the inaugural episode of the Vet Coach Transition Tips podcast. He talks about his military background and what he’s up to as a civilian now. You’ll learn what the impetus was behind creating a podcast to help military veterans through the transition process. He also talks about how you can learn from his successes and failures as well as the primary purpose of the podcast being “actionable advice.” Link t...
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