MOAA is once again hosting an in-person Military Executive Transition (MET) seminar for servicemembers looking to start a civilian career, as well as those already out of uniform seeking a career pivot or advancement. 

The May 5 event will take place at MOAA headquarters in Alexandria, Va.; due to COVID-19, MOAA has held the popular event virtually the last two years.

[REGISTER TODAY: May 5 MET]

“We're excited to have members come in and see our facility, and we're very excited to get back to having an in-person offering so that people can network one-on-one in person,” said Col. Brian D. Anderson, USAF (Ret), MOAA’s senior director of Transition and Member Services. “Having that face-to-face communication we think is powerful, not only for the networking, but also too helping them with their job search functionality.”

Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), MOAA’s vice president of Council/Chapter and Member Support, said participants at the in-person event likely will be more forthcoming about their fears of transitioning out of the military.

“There is a lot of anxiety wrapped up in these career transitions,” Carman said. “If you're talking about a mid-career transition after a 20- or 25-year career as a military person, you've got kids that are on the threshold of college and you're starting over again at the bottom or near the bottom of the food chain. There's an awful lot that people are willing to discuss, perhaps in person, informally in the corners or on the side of the meeting that they aren't so quick to open up when they're in a virtual setting.”

[RELATED: More Transition and Career Events From MOAA]

Breakfast and lunch will be provided at the May 5 event, which will focus on topics including:

• Building a stronger and broader network to accelerate your job search. 
• Employing the best strategies for using recruiters and executive search firms.
• Maximizing your self-marketing tools, including your résumé and LinkedIn profile.
• Understanding and taking advantage of your TRICARE and VA Benefits.
• Preparing for your next interview, or your next salary and benefits negotiation.

All attendees will receive free professional photos for their LinkedIn profile, and the seminar will emphasize the importance of using the social media platform properly, as it is usually the first thing recruiters see when reviewing potential job applicants, said Capt. Pat L. Williams, USN (Ret), MOAA’s program director of Engagement and Transition Services.

You are 21 times more likely to be reviewed by an employer if you have a photo on your LinkedIn profile, Williams said, and being active on LinkedIn also increases your ability to be found by job recruiters, said Anderson.

[RELATED: MOAA on LinkedIn]

Attendees also will be able to practice their elevator pitches and make sure their résumés accurately reflect the new career they’re seeking. Williams said many job seekers often want to focus on résumés even when they are unsure what they want to pursue on their post-military professional path.

“It's interesting because the résumé is often the elephant in the room and it's what they want to jump right to,” Williams said. “But we try to get them focused on what it is they want to do, because if they don't know what they want to do, then it's hard to articulate that in a résumé. If you don't really know or if you don't have a job that you're targeting, it's hard to get to that [in a résumé].”

Finally, attendees will receive an opportunity to participate in a mock interview and hear from a panel of former military personnel who have successfully transitioned into the government and private industry.

“We do [the panel] right at the end … so they reinforce a lot of what we've talked about throughout the day,” Anderson said.

If you can’t make it to the May 5 event, MOAA is also offering a two-day virtual seminar on June 21-22. Click here to register or learn more.