Robert recently moved back to southwest Minnesota, where his family lives, after 24 years of service in the U.S. Air Force. While still on active duty as an Intelligence Officer in Maryland, Robert started to research employment opportunities in southwest Minnesota. The process was stressful.
“It made me feel overwhelmed and nervous. I hadn’t had to look for a job since high school,” said Robert.
One of the biggest challenges he faced was trying to understand what soft skills were important to include in his resume since he wouldn’t be able to use many of the specialized skills he had learned in the Air Force.
“I had to go back to my core skill set: leadership, management, budgeting, finance, and project management,” said Robert.
While attending the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), Robert was advised to contact the nearest Veterans Employment Representative in his home state. After learning her name, he came across a Success Story written by Rebecca Kaas, Veterans Employment Representative on the CareerForce Blog and was so impressed by it, he sent his biography and resume to her.
“Rebecca was my ‘cheerleader’, always positive, very supportive, provided consistent encouragement, and kept me grounded. She gave me feedback on my resume and helped me reformat it. Rebecca also showed me where to find Minnesota state jobs,” said Robert.
Robert’s preference for government jobs led to discovery of a job posting for a City Manager in Minneota, Minnesota that is very close to his home. He applied and was eventually offered the job. Robert believes his 24 years of successful leadership and management experience in addition to his investment in the community were the keys to helping him land the job.
According to Robert, this job is a great fit because he has the experience to understand the best interests of the organization and make the best decision(s) for the city on behalf of the mayor and council.
