![](media/image1.wmf){width="1.3451388888888889in"
height="1.5in"}**BELLINGHAM BOUND:**

**JOB SEARCH ADVICE**

**FROM OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY**

*- By Paul Stephenson (JSP graduate in 2004),*

*published in the April 2006 CTC Newsletter*

Thanks for permitting JSP \"graduates\" to offer our perspective on this
\[job search\] process. Don\'t know if my thoughts are useful or not,
but here they are nonetheless.

I retired in October 2004 to Bellingham, Washington, population 68,000,
a city where I knew no one. As you might imagine, the local job scene
appeared quite limited for someone with a foreign affairs background. My
initial, somewhat panicked, flurry of \"traditional\" job search
activity (networking, mailing resumes, interviews, researching openings,
etc.) never turned up a real job offer. Somewhat discouraged, I then
focused instead on establishing a social network in the community, on
enjoying my new-found freedom, and tried to push my job concerns (driven
more by perceived financial need rather than any burning desire to work)
to the background. It seemed that, as soon as I shifted to appreciating
the flexibility retirement afforded me, the job opportunities arose.

Some six months after completing the JSP and leaving the Foreign
Service, things began to shift. I unexpectedly heard from two old
friends living elsewhere in the U.S., both of whom approached me to work
with their companies as a consultant operating from my new home in
Washington state. I was flattered and gratified by their interest, but
ultimately passed on both opportunities. In one case I felt that I
didn\'t have the contacts the company was seeking to sell their products
within the USG. The other was looking for a greater commitment in time
worked that I was willing to make, having by this time found the rhythms
of no daily commute and a highly flexible \"schedule\" increasingly
compelling. So I politely rejected both overtures despite my earlier
frenzy to find something to supplement my income.

Those decisions not to work were occasioned by two realizations: first,
that I was stimulated and fulfilled by the non-work activities I had
been developing, and, second, by the realization that my financial
situation and outlook were not as pressing as I had feared during the
financial planning portion of the \[Retirement Planning Seminar\]. My
family (including two children in high school) was living comfortably,
if not extravagantly, on my pension and investments. And, as
importantly, the realization that I no longer needed to increase my net
worth, but rather manage it to last several more decades (hopefully!),
at last took root.

I then received a unsolicited job offer through my sister-in-law to work
with a Denver-based nonprofit organization on early childhood education
\-- the federal Head Start program. While again flattered by the
interest, I pointed out that I knew nothing about education and even
less about early childhood education. My contact assured me that the
nonprofit was seeking someone with problem-solving and people skills,
and that an education background was unnecessary. Despite my skepticism
I took an initial contract as a consultant and traveled to New Jersey
for my first assignment.

> ![](media/image2.wmf){width="0.9875in" height="1.375in"}At the
> beginning of the first day I was extremely nervous that I would let
> the consulting team down, and made sure that the group leader knew
> about my complete lack of relevant experience. She reassured me and we
> began the work of transferring control of the program from the New
> Jersey entity to my Colorado employer. It quickly became apparent that
> I could do the work using the same skill set developed in the Foreign
> Service \-- identify priorities, develop a plan, negotiate, execute,
> communicate. And it turned out that I was not only able to do it, but
> do it rather well. And as importantly, I really enjoyed it, despite,
> or perhaps because of, its complete dissimilarity to my labors with
> State.

To bring this long story to a conclusion, after 10 months I am now one
of the nonprofit\'s \"go to\" guys. I have the opportunity to work
nearly every week, and, just as importantly, to decline a contract
without concern that subsequent offers will suffer. So far I have been
to Ohio, northern and southern California, Maine, West Virginia,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Nevada in addition to my first jaunt to New
Jersey. As my experience and reputation have grown, I have increased my
fee to about what I was making in the Foreign Service at retirement,
plus expenses. But I now only work when it suits me, probably about 8-10
weeks this year.

So, how to summarize all of this into the \"gems of advice\" that the
wonderful Amy Pitts originally requested? They are probably both trite
and obvious; I offer them because I at least hadn\'t really comprehended
them until I was many months into retirement. Here\'s my attempt:

1.  Take your time in looking for work. Instead, enjoy your new-found
    freedom, but don\'t expect the transition to your new life of
    leisure to be immediate, or effortless. In my case I dreamed every
    night for at least six months that I was at some Foreign Service
    post somewhere. Clearly part of me was missing it, while another
    part was reveling in endless days doing whatever I pleased.

2.  Try and figure out why you are looking for employment. If it's to
    occupy your time, you may be surprised how quickly your day fills
    after just a few months of retirement (all my retired friends remark
    on this). If it is for psychic satisfaction, give yourself some time
    to separate psychologically from your previous career (I think that
    was what all those dreams were about). If it is for financial
    security, determine whether your mindset is still the one of wealth
    accumulation you have long pursued, or whether wealth management is
    now in order. That may seem a subtle distinction, but I believe it
    is an important one.

3.  Let everyone, everywhere, know you are retired. You can revel it in
    \-- believe me they are all envious because they are not there yet
    \-- and at the same time subtly let them know that you are amenable
    to further employment.

4.  Look beyond what you have done in the Foreign Service. Leave
    yourself open for reinvention, something way outside your experience
    base. For me, I suddenly find myself working in a field I never had
    any interest in or knowledge of \-- and I love it.

5.  Its retirement. Its great!! Embrace it. After a month I began
    feeling like I was on summer break in high school. There were no
    obligations, few cares, and lots of time to hang out with new
    friends and undertake new activities. I have as much fun with the
    group of retired old farts I run with now as I did with the bunch I
    partied with in college, or played with in high school.

After nearly 18 months of retirement, I am as content as I have ever
been in life. I hope your transition to this next stage of life is as
fulfilling.

![](media/image3.wmf){width="1.6680555555555556in" height="1.0in"}

**EDITOR'S NOTES**

I recently sent a request to our clients who are veterans of the job
search and the transition into the Real World:

> *A request we hear frequently from JSP participants is for testimony
> from JSP Graduates who have moved (escaped?) away from the Washington,
> DC metro area and found jobs ...... The question we are posing to you
> Grads out there in the United States is:*
>
> *What 5 gems of sage advice for job search success would you offer to
> March \[Job Search Program\] participants who will be searching for
> jobs outside of the DC area?*
>
> *Give us the real skinny, folks! Share your hard-earned wisdom in
> constructive recommendations. The next generation needs your help!*

We received some great responses and are hoping for more. Here are a
few:

1\. My advice/experience (based on 6 years of post-retirement experience
in \[state\] and \[state\]):

-   Find a \"franchise\" (mine began as a volunteer \"diplomatic
    associate\" at the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University
    of \[state\] at \[city\] \-- after serving six months as the State
    Department representative in northern Afghanistan as a WAE);

-   Join foreign affairs, international trade organizations, chambers of
    commerce in order to \"network\".

-   Volunteer as a lecturer at colleges and universities, which might
    lead to some teaching assignments that pay very little;

-   Establish contacts with diaspora organizations;

-   Don\'t expect to make any \"real money,\" hoping only to cover
    expenses \-- at least for the first five years or so as a
    \"consultant\".

-   Don\'t  be surprised when you are reminded that you have retired on
    a \"fat federal pension,\" and therefore are expected not to expect
    getting paid for your services.

![](media/image4.wmf){width="1.4375in" height="1.8125in"}

2\. I suggest that your graduates don\'t actively look for a job.

![](media/image5.wmf){width="0.9638888888888889in"
height="1.1256944444444446in"}Simply go to your place of worship, join a
gardening club, join

the Rotary Club or the Civitan Club. I joined the local Military

Officers Association and I meet key officials in the community

every week who are seeking someone with international

experience.

![](media/image4.wmf){width="1.4375in" height="1.8125in"}\
I became a Master Gardener and now volunteer at the local

Extension Service Office and write a column in the local paper

\[on\] when to plant flowers and crops. I volunteered to work in

Guest Services at our local Minor League Baseball Team\....

This is so much fun because I get to attend any or all of the

baseball games and provide assistance to our guests. They

even pay me for doing this job. I met the Governor, the Mayor,

the heads of all the major corporations in \[state\] (Toyota, Honda,

Hyundai, BMW, \[state\] Power, TVA, etc).

We\'ve become members of the local \... Shakespeare Festival and have
become active with the theater (this week we met Hailey Mills in
person).

I\'ve had several job offers but the problem isn\'t whether to take a
job, it\'s whether to give up retirement to work at something that
wouldn\'t be nearly as much fun.

I think the advice you provided us was best. Initially, take the time to
make the transition from being a State Department employee to being the
new you (whoever you plan to be).

3\. Top 5 best recommendations:

-   Stay open to wide range of possibilities and interests.

```{=html}
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-   ![](media/image6.wmf){width="1.3125in"
    height="1.0013888888888889in"}Try a variety of jobs that might be
    based on previous hobbies or interests \--if you like golf,
    volunteer to serve at a tournament, if you like
    gardening\--volunteer for a show to help out. You never know what
    that can lead to. Volunteer at your civic league\--the possibilities
    are endless. And rewarding..

-   \... if you do find something that you think would be really great,
    try to target your resume that emphasizes what they are looking for.
    \...

-   Take some time to relax after retiring. I didn\'t \-- I took a long
    6 month contract the day after I retired and came home from overseas
    exhausted.

-   While I loved the work overseas, I never really retired\--only now
    (12 months later) ![](media/image7.wmf){width="0.8194444444444444in"
    height="0.88125in"}have I had the time to get into civic league
    stuff with the community and taking up some hobbies that I always
    wanted to do. I have taken up short term DOD work, (it pays for my
    hobbies!). I like it much better than full time because it gives me
    the freedom to pick and choose what I want to do and when. I don\'t
    feel tied down and they pay pretty well too! \...

-   ![](media/image7.wmf){width="0.5819444444444445in" height="0.625in"}

4\. My Top Five Tips: 

-   Before retiring I had made contacts and arranged to teach a graduate
    level university course in International Engineering and
    Construction, which was my specialty prior to retirement.  This just
    added additional credibility to my extensive experience.

-   If you can afford it, do only what you like.  If you can not afford
    it, still do only what you like and you will be more successful than
    \"slaving\" at something you dislike.

-   \"Jump off the Stump\" and into the swamp:  By this I mean, do not
    be afraid of getting off the stump (solid ground) and into the murky
    water (unknown).  If you love what you are doing, you WILL be
    successful.

-   Persevere! With each attempt comes lessons learned, from both
    failure and success.  Remember the successes, learn from the
    mistakes and then forget them.  The successes will then increase
    exponentially with time.

-   Enjoy the rest of your life and it begins this very moment.

5\. I have only one gem for those who really want to get away from the
USG for after retirement employment, which is what I wanted. Right after
my retirement, I packed up, sold all my northern VA property and moved
to \[state\]. I knew no one down here, but being in the Foreign Service,
moving wasn\'t something new to me. I looked at as just another rotation
assignment, packed and drove off, leaving all the temptations to go in
the back door as a PSC or any other position which gets funding from the
USG.

Am I happy? You bet I am. I have a small stake in a \[business\], no
responsibility and no authority. What more can a retiree ask for? So, my
gem is to move away from the temptation and don\'t look back.

![](media/image7.wmf){width="0.8194444444444444in" height="0.88125in"}

6\. "Here are my five thoughts of counsel:

 

-   Have patience.  You just don\'t know when something\
    might turn up.

-   Have a sense of adventure.  Try a few things that seem\
    marginal: most of these won\'t pan out, and then you don\'t\
    have to think about them anymore.

-   ![](media/image8.wmf){width="1.375in"
    height="1.2861111111111112in"}Follow leads that seem promising in a
    very active way. \
    For example, with the writing tutor position, I sort of\
    stumbled into it, but I kept on top if it then, sending a\
    letter and resume, requesting an interview, making it\
    clear I\'d be available if anything ever opened up, saying\
    I\'d take the maximum number of courses possible, etc.

-   Don\'t neglect things other than the job search such as\
    avocations, loved ones, exercise, etc.

-   Settle for less than the ideal.  Such is the nature of life."

7\. "Before departing Metro Washington, determine where you plan to
retire, why in that city, town, village, and what do you want to do in
terms of employment.

Having retired to Green Bay, Wisconsin (population 102,300) for family
reasons, there is little demand for foreign service experience, which
was anticipated on my part.

"However, one aspect of the foreign service was teaching, guiding,
mentoring younger members and \[that experience\] makes it possible to
consider teaching on a part-time basis. It also helps to have been a
teacher prior to joining the foreign service.

"I have answered two newspaper advertisements asking for part-time
instructors at the Technical College \-- one for math (am teaching my
third semester since arriving in Green Bay in September 2002) and the
other for social science. The social science application is being
considered.

"The difficulty in seeking jobs in this community is a lack of local job
references and contacts. That has been overcome in part through a
willingness to prove that I can handle those positions that I enjoy \--
umpire girls junior varsity and freshmen softball games (develops
contacts through athletic directors at the local high schools) and in
the Ashwaubenon recreation department (another set of contacts in the
department as well as the players in the various leagues), although you
must pass a state exam to become qualified to umpire but if you\'ve been
an umpire before, it\'s easy enough to accomplish; and part-time work
for an inventory company (through a newspaper advertisement). At the
very least, this provides some references for future use. As for the
pay, it makes it possible to purchase four tickets for each of four
Green Bay Packers home games, so there are unexpected benefits to
retiring to a small city.

"The major keys are contacts, local references, having some idea of your
work interests and your willingness to accept jobs that aren\'t typical
foreign service type activities, using your local newspaper for
positions of interest, and applying to technical colleges and
universities for possible part-time positions."

> ![](media/image9.wmf){width="0.58125in" height="1.0in"}8. "I too came
> to Wisconsin for family and financial reasons. I knew there would be
> limited demand for my Foreign Service experiences. I did however
> understand that I could sell my skills to the right people and could
> hopefully develop contacts that would lead to many things. I also am
> interested in teaching, though I don\'t have the advantage you had in
> having been a teacher I realized I could still participate, at least
> initially, as a substitute. I\'ve enrolled in a course \... to become
> a certified substitute and once I have that the local school where my
> kids go will accept me. I\'m also going to go to the local technical
> college and try and drum up some interest in myself and what I may
> have to offer. It\'s only a matter of getting off my duff and getting
> something done.

"I made many of my new friends and contacts through my kids. Some of my
best friends are fathers on my son's football team. I joined the grid
iron club here and hope to become one of the coaches for the junior
varsity next fall. Obviously, they\'ll take anyone! I also started
volunteering at the school after hours to help in the high school and
elementary after school study hall. I was surprised at how much I liked
helping the elementary kids. I thought they would be a handful but they
really welcome help. Its the High School kids that are a handful.

"I was asked to speak at the local woman\'s club about my overseas
experiences. That led to an invitation to speak at the American Legion
Post. My son\'s second grade class asked me to be their speaker this
month at the citizen of the month assembly. So as you can see I\'m
making headway on getting around."