No smart military commander would ever commit forces to battle without some knowledge of the posture of the opposing force. No amount of intelligence would be too much, but whatever was available could be too little. Information on troop dispositions, size and strength of the force, names and personalities of the commanders, and types and numbers of weapons are all of critical importance. Sufficient information can be the key to success; not enough can be the cause of disaster.
Market planning is no different. In order to sell a product, companies and corporations spend millions of dollars on market analysis and research to find out what appeals to buyers.
Market research can even tell a company what a consumer will be willing to pay for a product or service. Companies that perform effective market research generally are successful when they introduce their products. Others pay little or no attention to research, and consequently are not very successful.
Your marketing plan must also be based upon solid, timely information. If you enter the marketplace in search of meaningful employment without adequate market research, you are just as destined to failure as a commander who engages in battle without knowing the enemy's combat power.
A combat commander has to employ an endless number of sources, both active and passive, to gain the information necessary to succeed. Fortunately for you, the market information you need to prepare you for the job search is readily available. Your only investment will be the time necessary to gather it.
Where to Start: The Library
The best place to gather information is the reference section of your local college or university library. These libraries tend to be up to date and carry a wide selection of reference books to aid in your research. There is such a wide variety of information available that you could easily be overcome by the sheer volume of it all. The trick is to know exactly what you're looking for.
This will minimize the amount of time you have to spend poring over volume after volume on the same subject. Because you will probably need to make several visits, it's good to have a goal for each visit. A major goal of your research will be to compile a listing of potential employers that can be targeted.
Before you head for the library, determine what information you want. First, you are going to want to check out the geographic area where you hope to settle, or where a job might be offered. You will also want to get some ideas on various career fields you're qualified to enter.
Following this, try to identify companies and corporations doing business in your industry, and perhaps locate them by geographic area. You can develop lists of names and addresses in order to begin sending out broadcast letters to obtain some actual interviews.
Get to Know Your Profession
To improve your vocabulary in the language of your profession, it's important to begin reading periodicals and trade journals.
This will also help to expand your knowledge of specific companies before an interview and might help in developing more leads for your campaign. In addition, you need to learn the language of your profession so you can use the correct jargon in your resume and in your interviews. You want to be sure not to date yourself by using outmoded terms. (In some cases you will find that the military is far behind the private sector. In others, you will find that it is far ahead.) You should also identify associations and groups that are in business to enhance or promote the overall image and professionalism of members and companies in your field. You can contact them to join or merely to receive copies of their periodic publications.
Learn About the Companies
You have to learn about the companies and corporations you will be approaching for employment. Not only will this research help you later when you begin to prospect for vacancies, but it becomes extremely significant when you go for an interview. You cannot afford to interview for a position with a company unless you have some background information about that company. It is critical, for example, to know whether the company is making money or losing money.
Try to find out the answers to these questions:
- What has their stock been doing for the past several months or for the past year?
- Has the company been successful in winning contracts, or has it lost some?
- Is the company the subject of a hostile takeover or a future merger?
- Have there been some recent management changes?
- Is there a record of hiring executives from outside the company, or do they promote from within?
How Much Are You Worth? Finally, you have to find out what you are worth in the private sector. At present, you probably don't know your value to an employer. The greatest mistake you can make is to listen to what your buddies or shipmates tell you concerning your worth. In most cases their information is based on guesses and hearsay. How many of your buddies have been out in the civilian workplace and have firsthand information? If you base your estimate on the word of people who are in the civilian workplace, the estimate probably is not factual.
If they are making a lot of money, they'll be afraid that you'll try to borrow from them. If they're not, they'll be too embarrassed to admit it.
Don't make the mistake of basing your estimate of your worth on your current income. Many senior people have come to us saying they have to find a job in the private sector making as much as they make on active duty. That's fine, provided they go to work for another armed force at the same pay grade. What you will make in the civilian workforce has nothing to do with what the military currently pays you.
A switchboard operator in Detroit makes somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 a week. The same person doing the same job in Corpus Christi makes about $175 a week. Thus, pay is determined not so much by the nature of the activity but by the supply of and the demand for people who engage in that activity in a particular marketplace.
You must continue your research to determine your value. With the help of the librarian you will find readily available volumes of information concerning salary and benefit pack ages. There are books written on specific career fields, articles on compensation packages, and stories about geographic differences. Some publications have even created charts to show how to rate specific metropolitan areas. It is important to research your career field and then to carry your research forward to incorporate the differences in various geographic areas. As discussed earlier, your choice of location is going to have a lot to do with the median salary you can expect in your field.
