Operation Job Search: A Guide for Military Veterans Transitioning to Civilian Careers


by John Henry Weiss

Operation Job Search is the ultimate guide for US military veterans seeking employment after discharge. It provides information about the civilian workforce, rubrics for navigating one’s career, and a list of essential resources to consult during the job search. Also included are sections dedicated specifically to suggestions and resources available to female veterans. 

Weiss explains that hiring managers and human resources directors hire veterans who make the effort to build a professional relationship. He discusses the importance of leaving the house and meeting employers at venues such as job fairs, trade shows, office parks, and even Starbucks. Weiss offers practical instructions and crucial tips, such as:

Establish an operations center (home office) for job hunting

Don’t be afraid to make cold calls

Dress appropriately for job interviews and practice communicating in civilian-speak, not military jargon

Target military-friendly companies that value the skills of returning military personnel

If you are a US military veteran searching for a job, Operation Job Search will guide you every step of the way—from translating your skills into civilian-speak to negotiating your contract.

The Painting and The Piano

by John Lipscomb and Adrianne Lugo

The Painting and The Piano, by John Lipscomb and Adrianne Lugo, is an improbable story of survival and love.

Growing up more than a thousand miles apart and worlds away from each other, Johnny and Adrianne seemed to have all that a child could ask for. However, the demons of their respective mothers would tear their young, fragile lives apart.

Eventually, destiny would bring Johnny and Adrianne together, but first they had to endure the painful toll that alcohol, drugs, and a negligent court system would take on them. With parts of Adrianne’s story ripped from national news headlines, their story takes them from the depths of despair and near death, to their first serendipitous introduction and the moment each knew they were finally safe.

Filled with hope, inspiration and humor, The Painting and the Piano is an unforgettable story of pain, loss and the undying human quest for happiness. 

Told as a tandem narrative, Adrianne and Johnny’s stories are unique, but share parallels that create a taut and emotionally compelling narrative.