Q: I’ve been trying to get into the field of human resources, but I haven’t had much success. I have a BA, and I’m a 14-year Navy veteran. I have a lot of transferable skills and a lot of traits deemed necessary in the HR world, but no one wants to hire me. So what is going wrong, and how can I fix it? – Danny

A: J.T.: Whenever a client of mine wants to break into a new field, I say, “Think small.” I want them to target a specific job within the field, one where their skills and experience will transfer most effectively. Then, consider breaking into HR by working for a company that does staffing. Every day in a staffing company is full of practical HR training.

Dale: In addition to staffing companies, focus on employers where a military background is an advantage – companies that do a lot of government contracting or that hire on military bases.

J.T.: Which brings me to another thought, one for when you start getting interviews: I wonder if the strong, confident persona you needed to master in the Navy is actually holding you back in the field of HR. If you want to work in an industry that requires you to be understanding and compassionate to employees, you want to show that side of yourself in the interview. Respecting employee rights and avoiding lawsuits are really vital to a company’s survival, and if you are giving any impression during your interviews that you might take a hard line in difficult situations, you could be selling yourself right out of an HR job.

Dale: Yes, you mentioned “transferable skills.” We all need to remember that while we have transferable skills, we have nontransferable ones as well. The wise job candidate knows which are which.