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My Mindset When Applying Jobs
why so timid?
Many veterans lack confidence when applying for civilian jobs—not because they’re unqualified, but because the language and format of the job market feel unfamiliar. Veterans often have extensive leadership experience, have been responsible for millions in assets, and have worked under pressure that few civilians can imagine. Yet, when faced with a job posting full of corporate jargon, they hesitate.
Terms like “cross-functional collaboration,” “stakeholder alignment,” or “client-facing communication” seem foreign. So the veteran tells themselves, “I’ve never done that,” when in reality, they’ve done far more under far tougher conditions. Tell you what, if you work in admin, finance, intel, supply in military, you deal with “internal clients” daily! Wait, part of your job was to brief a 2 star general? You NEED to showcase that on your resume! Coordinated with someone from a different MOS? For instance, you were an infantryman or infantry-woman and you had to communicate with a logistic dude. That’s cross-functional collaboration! You’re doing all the things these jobs ask for—you just didn’t know what they’re called. And most importantly, nobody EVER perfectly fits the job description written by the recruiters who have never done the job. You get it? Your fear is not real. You are qualified! You are good for the job! You are ready! You just need to get in the game.
Don’t ask yourself, “Do I check every box in this job description?” Instead, ask: “Can I learn what’s missing quickly and bring values to the team.” Veterans offer much more than what’s listed in a typical job ad. They bring structure, mission focus, loyalty, adaptability, decision-making under pressure, and a relentless work ethic. These qualities don’t always show up in bullet points—but they’re exactly what many employers are missing.
In fact, many hiring managers don’t even know how to articulate the qualities you bring. They just know when they see someone who gets the job done, who doesn’t fold under pressure, and who brings stability and clarity to a team. That’s you. Your job is to help them recognize that—by reframing your experience, and showing them the value you bring in a way they understand. YOUT GOTTA SHOW YOUR PASSION.
Now, we crossed the first hurdle, let’s move on to the second one - the lies you’ve been told when applying to jobs.
Lie #1: “You need to tailor your resume based on the jobs you apply!“ BULLSHIT! You’re telling me to spend 30 mins to an hour to tailor my resume for every job I apply, and it takes AI less than a second to reject you? The effort is extremely asymmetrical. What’s the result? You get burnt out, real quick. Now, what you should do is: apply with the same resume, BUT if you see a job that you think it’s a really good fit, then spend more effort. Reach out to the hiring manager or the recruiter, tailor your resume or what have you. It’s a number’s game no matter how you look at it. APPLY, APPLY and APPLY.
Lie #2: “Corporate America loves veterans, you are going to get a job in no time!” BULLSHIT! Veteran is nothing but a title, an identity. You are not great because you are a veteran, you are great because you are shaped by your military experience to be more disciplined, analytical, and mission driven. Companies don’t hire you because your identity, companies hire you because you are more reliable, dependable than your civilian counterparts. Now it’s your job to sell yourself to the recruiters, to the hiring managers!

Third hurdle: How you handle rejection.
It’s a lesson for life really, not just for the job market. How you handle rejection? You brush it off and apply some more! That’s how you handle rejection. Every “no” gets you one step closer to the “yes” that matters. It may sound corny but it’s true. Learn something from the rejection and move on. What’s important is not taking it personal. Take it as momentum. You only lose if you stop swinging. You want to know how many tries it took me to land my first software engineering job? Around 800 and that’s normal.
I am going to stop here before it gets too long. More tips to come, but I hope my 2 cents give you a bit more clarity, confidence, and momentum as you transition into the civilian world and go after that dream job.
If this message resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. Many veterans are fighting through the same mental noise. If you made it this far, don’t just nod and scroll. Go apply! Right now! One click. One resume. Otherwise, you are just gonna close this tab, zone out, and drift right back into the same loop. Here are some job sites.
Break it. Make a move. Take some action!