Question:
Hello Carole, how are you. Please let me talk for a moment. I have a top secret security clearance with the U.S. Navy, I was a deep sea diver, and with IBM. I used to take calls at MacDill Air Force base. IBM laid me off, I am 51, jobless, my security clearance is gone. I am up a river without, well, a paddle. The VA offers to pay my way for a year in school. That sounds very good, except, you have to pay upfront. Again, I have lost everything. ???
Thanks for reading.
Rick
Answer:
Hi Rick,
Sounds like you do need to talk — maybe to a professional. Life can be depressing sometimes and we lose hope and we need assistance gettin our balance back. It happens to many people these days and there are no easy answers.
I don’t know your situation but there are jobs with government agencies (since you held a Top Secret security clearance) looking for qualified people. Try checking out www.usajobs.gov for listings of government agencies with job openings in your area.
[Editor's note: If you're looking to regain security clearance, or need guides on making the most of your security clearance, we recommend visiting the Military.com Security Clearance section. You can also get more general job-search tips and listings in the Veteran Jobs section.]
51 is still a vital age – no need to pull in your horns and give up now. I am a strong believer in the motto, “It’s never too late to make a change.”
Best wishes and good luck.
Carole Martin
www.interviewcoach.com
Job interview expert Carole Martin has been a prime contributor to our Veteran Jobs blog, and offers her advice to veterans and service members who have questions, general or specific, about tackling the civilian job interview process. Send Carole your questions at interviewquestions@interviewcoach.com, and moving forward, we’ll feature her answers in this blog.
