Young People Joining the Military

With the country's economy worsening, a lot of young people are seeking employment in the US military. All branches of the military are experiencing an increase in recruitment. However, the military is cutting back on its programs for sign on bonuses and other incentive programs.

The military is pointing out that the recruiters are a little below standard regarding education and health. Most are obese and below education standards. So, the military is capable of picking and choosing qualified individuals.

It seems to me that every business is increasing an increase in applicants lately. I wonder why. With more and more people being thrown to the curb, there are more and more people to choose from. You have to be prepared to handle that.

I have talked with a few businesses who are willing to hire, but cannot or will not pay the hire salaries of experienced individuals. Some companies have told me if they are able to get a warm body in a chair, they would provide minimum training him and save the company a lot of money on his salary. The reason they want to provide minimum training is simple. They don't want him taking his training to a competitor.

So, what are the lessons for today.
1. It is up to you to get the training you need. Do not trust the company to provide it to you. If they do, it will be minimal training at best.
2. Be reasonable about your salary requirements. Many friends who are unemployed before me have told me the same thing. They all had to reduce their salary expectations during the negotiation phase of the interview.
3. Consider another career path for yourself. Right now, I can tell you that the health care industry is exploding. I see more and more jobs showing up for nurses, physician assistants, etc. With baby boomers getting ready to retire, they will be worrying about 2 things. The first is retirement management and planning. The second is health care.

According to one report I read, the average American older than 65 takes two to seven prescription drugs daily. Looks like a pharmacist job would be very hot as well.