End of my military contract, looking for jobs...

So my active duty contract with the United States Marine Corps is ending at the end of October. I've been searching for jobs and sending out resumes for months now, looking for anything with a good employment future in the Los Angeles or San Diego area, and I haven't been getting anything back. I've got two months to find a job!
I know there's a good number of you that live in the area, and I was wondering if any of you could offer some suggestions?
I know this is completely unrelated to TDH/SW, but I'm about at the end of my rope. :o

What type of work are you looking for?

I don't know if it helps... but since your an awesome soldier, think you could find a security job anywhere? Nothings stronger than a US Marine A lot of respect for you. You could always resort to bounty hunting

El1te

Did you give Boeing in Long Beach a shot? They still have the C-17 and 717 going there, not sure if they shut down the MD-11.

I’d recommend you take a little time off after you get out. First thing you should do is file for unemployment as soon as you get out and get in contact with the local VA office. I know going on unemployment sounds bad, but your entitled to it for six months after you get out and it should be just about what your making now in the Marines. Plus it gives you a little time to get adjusted to being a civilian again. You’ve earned the right to take a vacation for a bit.

If you’re looking to go into some type of security work you’ll need to get your guard card (and I’d recommend going ahead and getting your gun card at the same time). It will cost about $240 all together, but you’ll need both if you want to do any decent type of security job in California. Couple of other things you might want to check out is US Boarder Agent or wait till January when CDC will be taking applications again for correctional officers. Also I believe CHP is still taking applications for officers.

Hope some of this helps.

Have a good one,
Hagen

try LAPD, SDPD, Anaheim PD, OCSD, etc... most pay more than 50K a year to start sans SDPD.

security work will NOT net you any pay. most start at 9 an hour even for armed work. it depends greatly on the company.

Have you considered Blackwater? I don't know anybody directly who has a job with them, but I hear they can make some serious money. Blackwater has a training center in San Diego.

yes they do. however...... DONT.

most military people are aware of the utter "stupidness" of blackwater and its affiliates. and im sure someone whos just served probably does NOT want to go back to "the suck", even if it is for a few hundred grand protecting powerline workers, etc.

You could get bank do security gigs for private outlets looking for ex-marines / special forces etc. some off 200k starting.

Highway patrol makes bank in southern california from what I hear. I know boarder patrol makes abour 40Kish a year or something in that ball park. Not the most enticing job but I know their hiring as a friend of mine looked into it.

You've all given me alot of great advice! And thanks for that tip about unemployment, I'd forgotten about that option entirely!

Here's a little bit of history of my Marine Corps career. My first deployment to Iraq was from February 2006 to October 2006. I was a security member of the guard force around Camp Korean Village, in the western desert by Syria and Jordan. When I came back to the states, I resumed my duties as an LAV mechanic, and when I deployed again in September 2007, I was a senior mechanic for one of the companies in my battalion. When I got back, not having enough time left in my contract to deploy again, I was reassigned duty to the base Rifle Range, where I took went through the Combat Marksmanship Coach Course, graduating 2nd in the class, and then straight into the Combat Marksmanship Instructor Course, taking the class honor graduate award with me. I've been working at the rifle range now, teaching classes of 100-250 Marines and Sailors in basic marksmanship and advanced combat marksmanship fundamentals with the M9 pistol and all variants of the M16 service rifle.
I'm hoping to get a job in law enforcement eventually, but due to some priors that I have before my military service, I'm going to have to build my way up to it. I've been considering using my G.I. Bill to go to school for Criminal Justice, and get my four year degree first. I've looked into several private security agencies, but like some of you mentioned, I need my guard card, and gun card, so I'm looking into that as well.
I'm hoping every day for a phone call from any of the agencies that I've applied to. I'm currently in the background investigation phase with LAPD, so my fingers are crossed.

LAPD hires anyone who will live in LA. i know several people who haev been hired there who have bad credit, speeding tickets etc.

so if you've kept your nose clean in the marines, you're in for sure. just let us knwo when you start testing, get your offer of conditional employment.

again, stay away from security jobs. they suck the life from you, pay NOTHING, and you can work for atomics and rish your life and get nothing.

40k a year is NOT making bank. most LEO's clear 55k a year to start and some like anaheim make close to 70k a year to start.

lets not discuss NYPD as a friend of mine wiorks there and barely makes 300 a week.