DoL Employment Workshop

For the past three days, I've been doing the Department of Labor's employment workshop -- one of the mandatory steps in the Army's Soldier For Life - Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP).

One of the things I've learned is how social networking has changed the way the labor market works. The last time I looked for a civilian job in the U.S. was 2007, before LinkedIn began, and now it's a key element to a professional job search.

There are also some frustrating processes to getting a federal government civilian job. Although I qualify for a veteran's preference,

1. I can't claim it until I get my DD 214, which come much later in the Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) process. So I can't *really* apply for a job.
   
   
2. Even if I got an offer, I can't "double dip." My final two months on the Army payroll will be on "terminal leave," where I use up all my accrued vacation days. And while it's completely permissible to work someplace else, I can't get two government paychecks at the same time.
   
   
3. I also can't work in the same agency for 180 days following my separation without some extra paperwork. So you know all the Army jobs that I would be totally qualified for? Yeah, the rules make it harder for me to get those. Thumbs down.

So it seems the best thing for me to do is find a job with a defense contractor. It's less hassle than applying for a federal job (at least, in the short term), and I have a number of friends who have inside knowledge of what's available.

Oh, and one other thing I learned -- if you're going to buy cheap shoes from the PX and store them in a garage, check them out before you wear them someplace. Mine disintegrated on me.