Are you a Swiss Army knife? Capable of doing many things? Of being all things to all people? If so, you may be unknowingly slowing down your career search.

Veterans are amazingly capable. We are used to being thrown into the deep end, a new job, a new environment and figuring it out. OJT — on the job training — is a normal part of our lives.

What do you WANT to do?

And yet, when asked, “What do you want to do?” many Veterans struggle to answer. I mentor Veterans through the Veterati platform. Most don’t have a clear idea of what they’re searching for. They can easily provide the litany of capabilities, or achievements, or tell the story of their life. They can be a knife, a fork, scissors, a nail clipper and a flashlight.

“Yes, yes,” I’ll encourage, “you’re amazing. What do you WANT to do?”

Of course, you want a job. You want to get paid. We all have a family or lifestyle to support. A job fair isn’t a volunteer rally, after all.

Are you happy?

As a hiring manager, I want to find a role for you that you’ll enjoy. Hiring you into a position that you can accomplish is only half the equation.

In the military, your leadership cares about your well-being. Mainly this benevolence increases effectiveness and efficiency. Retention is a number measured at the command level, not an individual issue. When a Sailor fails to re-enlist, the Navy sends a relief. The command team doesn’t recruit and hire the next Sailor, so the desire for your well-being is much more abstract.

In the civilian world, every single resignation creates more work for the manager. Your manager will have to do without you while she spends time writing the job description, open the requisition, reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates, making an offer, and finally onboarding the new person. Losing someone is a lot of work. As a result, hiring managers want to find a good fit for you. We want to place you in a position where you will excel and succeed, and be happy. Because if you don’t stay, then we have to find a replacement for you ourselves.

Who should you meet next?

Another reason to be clear on your desires is that many organizations have many roles. If you can do anything, then your network doesn’t know who you should meet next. Swiss Army knives don’t have a clear place to land. Knives, folks, spoons — I know where to slot each of these. Your multitude of skills will prove valuable wherever you land. We simply need to figure out how to vector you in for a landing.

Discerning your passion

Sadly, some people must settle for doing what they are capable of. Veterans are typically high performers and quick learners. Therefore, they have the luxury to discern and follow their passion, their vocation, their avocation. Getting to know who yourself is a life-long journey, that is rich and rewarding.

Here’s a few tips on how to find your place:

• Think back to a job that you loved. The job when you got up every day thinking, “Wow. I can’t believe that I get to do THIS — and they pay me! Suckers.” Write down 10 things about that job, the environment, your boss, your team, that describe what the job was like, and why it excited you. Now, boil it down to three.
• Activate your network. Reach out to friends who have gone before you. Tell them that you’re looking for a job where you can (list your three things). For example, you may wish to (a) be able to see things through to completion, (b) work with local, disadvantaged youth and (c) be able to leave work at work and focus on your family during off-hours.
• Search job boards for keywords that relate to your dream job.
• Read workbooks on discernment. The classic What Color is Your Parachute? Is a valuable resource.
• Reach out to mentors (e.g., the Veterati network and American Corporate Partnership) to discuss what roles and opportunities will let you exercise those attributes.

Discerning your passion is the first step to finding job satisfaction. And the first step to properly answering, “What do you want to do?”

How do you answer the question, What makes you happy?