Meet Lori Norris | Military Transition Expert, Job Search Marketing Coach, Resume and LinkedIn Specialist and Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lori Norris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lori, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I started my resume writing business in 2004, I realized that no one was teaching job seekers how to write their own resumes. If we teach our high school and college students about resumes, it is usually taught by educators that don’t really have much knowledge or experience actually writing resumes themselves. Therefore, from an early age we don’t really understand how to market ourselves to employers. By the time we get to be adults in the job market, if we don’t learn to market our skills and showcase our accomplishments to employers, we get lost in the crowd of other job seekers. I love teaching people how to recognize and embrace their accomplishments. I enjoy helping them see that the resume, and the job search in general, is not really about them and their skills. Instead, it is about showing the employer how you, as a candidate, can add value to the team and be a cost-effective employee.

In 2005, I started volunteering at Luke Air Force Base teaching transitioning service members how to translate the skills they gained in the military into their next career after service. I found that this group of job seekers were doubly challenged in not knowing how to write a resume and having the need to learn a whole new “civilian” language. This has been the most rewarding part of my business, serving the military service members who have served our country.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

I actually have three branches to my business. I own Get Results Career Services, which has been providing resume and LinkedIn profile writing for job seekers at all levels and all career fields to effectively market themselves to their future employers. My business is very personalized, there are no templates or forms to fill out. You work one-on-one with a job search strategist to define your unique value proposition and clarify your future job search target.

I am also the host of the Lessons Learned for Vets Podcast. This is a weekly interview podcast where I interview military veterans from all branches of services and at all levels – enlisted to officers. We discuss the lessons they learned, often the hard way, about where they struggled or stumbled during their transition. We also discuss their keys to success so they can educate and inform those who will be transitioning out of the military behind them. What makes the show unique is that we strive to provide actionable advice that the listener can put into action to immediately impact the success of their transition planning process. There are more than 140 episodes available and we have a 100% 5 out of 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts.

Most recently, I launched an education branch of my business, called Next for Vets. Using an online education platform, I will be teaching transitioning military service members and veterans how to identify their transferable skills and write their own resumes that will effectively market them for their next career after the military. This course will be launching by the end of the year.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love to do anything outdoors. Of course, it is not local, but any trip to AZ needs a visit to Flagstaff and Sedona. Here in town, I would take them to my favorite outdoors spots such as the White Tanks, the Superstition Mountains and Papago Park as well as Boyce Thompson Arboretum. We would have to find a place to play some indoor pickleball, my new favorite place is Chicken ‘N Pickle and I would have to take them to get the best BBQ at Eric’s in Litchfield Park and the best tacos at Joe’s Tacos.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My colleagues at the Resume Writes and Coaches Association, formerly the Resume Writers Council of Arizona, have been instrumental in my success. As a solopreneur, it is gratifying to have a group of business owners who share your passion for continued education and helping job seekers achieve success.

Website: www.llforvets.com, www.getresultsresumes.com and www.nextforvets.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorinorris

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LL4Vets