Transitions

I'm sure a lot of you remember Tom and Julie Wolfe (and their daughters, Taylor and Blair), who used to live in Unionville but retired to North Carolina a few years back. Well, Tom has written a terrific new book, "Out of Uniform," a wonderfully readable and practical guide for military veterans seeking jobs in the civilian world. Tom is an expert on the subject: a U.S. Navy veteran, he worked for 30 years for a military-to-civilian job-placement firm. I enjoyed his book immensely and the majority of his advice would be useful for any job-seeker, not just someone leaving the service.
For instance, at a job interview:
"NEVER run out of questions! Never decline to ask them when given that option. Make them kick you out the door with questions on your lips."
He uses his friend Rob Pearson's name as a fake boss or company owner in various sample letters, and he throws in anecdotes about his wife that reminded me of what an amusing woman she is and how much we miss her at the gym: 
"As I was preparing for my job search, I was advised to get ready for the "What are your weaknesses?" question. I wrestled with that for a day or two, and, knowing full well I was about to go down a slippery slope, I asked my wife for help. She took it easy on me, only pointing out half a dozen or so weaknesses."
Tom lined up some pretty compelling recommendations for his book, including this one from Mike Krzyzewski, former U.S. Army officer and Duke's men's basketball coach:
"We owe our military service members so much, including the right to compete for a job when they leave the service. This book just might give them that competitive edge. Are you a veteran? Read it! Know a veteran? Make sure he or she has a copy!"
And as a professional copy editor, I was beyond impressed with the fact that I couldn't find a single typo or grammatical error (and I really looked). He even spelled "résumé" correctly throughout!

"Out of Uniform: Your Guide to a Successful Military-to-Civilian Career Transition" is published by Potomac Books of Washington DC. Cover price is $24.95. There's a lot more information on the book's website, www.out-of-uniform.com.