Season 3 Episode 124: Transformations Instead of Transactions with Kevin Greene

Retiring from the Army in 2021, Kevin Greene started his transition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Kevin spent the first 8 years of his military career as an infantryman, the bulk of his career was spent as a recruiter. Thanks to a mentor who taught him how to translate his army recruiting skills and experience, he was able to pivot from a business development role to a career in technical recruiting and talent acquisition, first for Amazon and now for iCIMS. Kevin is active on LinkedIn; sharing job search tips from a recruiter perspective and looking for great candidates to fill his roles.

Kevin thinks of his military transition in 2 parts. In part 1, he was a year from retirement and secured his first role in business development. During this time, he received a cancer diagnosis that was the catalyst for the healthy lifestyle he now prioritizes. Part 2 started with his unemployment period that led him to seek mentorship and ultimately land a position in the recruiting space.

Like many transitioning service members, Kevin had a LinkedIn profile but wasn’t active on the platform. In the same way that Kevin made changes to his health, he decided to overhaul his approach to LinkedIn. Instead of approaching the platform transactionally, he put effort into genuinely engaging with people and passing down the knowledge that he had acquired through his own transition. When he started seeing the return on investment, Kevin began to view LinkedIn as a tool for transformation. Kevin encourages people to be authentic in their messages and posted content.

When it comes to using LinkedIn to job search, Kevin breaks it down into 3 categories. First, optimize your profile by using keywords so that recruiters and talent sourcers can find you easily. Use your headline as a space to showcase your qualifications and what kind of job you’re seeking. Translate your military job title and your work experience in the military. If you are struggling with translating your experience, seek a mentor in your chosen field and ask for help. Second, network and start this early. Third, apply to jobs that you are qualified for. By diversifying your job search strategy, you will be more successful.

Kevin encourages people to network and build relationships before asking for a referral. Ideally, service members should start this process 1-2 years before leaving the military. As a talent sourcer, Kevin appreciates authentic messages through LinkedIn. From a recruiter perspective, Kevin encourages people to keep their resume simple. Do not include a picture or a zip code, as that information can invite bias. Keep the resume to 2 pages or less and ensure the information you present is relevant to the job you are applying for.  

As a recruiter, Kevin is advocating for his candidates. If you are a candidate that received an invitation for an interview and have questions about the process, don’t hesitate to ask your recruiter. It is in everyone’s best interest to have a positive and timely interview process.

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You can connect with Kevin on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-greene-bco/.

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