Moving from the military to civilian life is challenging. At least, that’s what we learned from our research and interactions with several veterans who were either moving to civilian life or who had already done so but still remembered their own experiences leaving active duty.
It happens frequently. When your military service is over—after four, ten, or fifteen years—you may feel as though great things are about to happen. You’ve developed leadership qualities, a strong work ethic, foreign experience, and a variety of other abilities that you’re reasonably confident will make you highly sought-after by employers in the private sector. Then you understand that there may still be work to be done if your objective is a profession that goes beyond sales, retail, or pure service business.
That serves as somewhat of a wake-up call for many military individuals transitioning to the civilian sector. The majority of people need to expand their knowledge and abilities, whether it be by enrolling for a brief period at a coding school, finishing their undergraduate studies, or obtaining an MBA. Some are attempting to transfer into the workforce despite having been injured and having to deal with physical problems. Briefly put, the change is harder than most people realize.
Many veterans might anticipate hearing what comes next for them after serving in the military. It makes sense since you’re used to being told what to do and how to do it every day.
It is entirely up to you to choose your route in the civilian world.
The good news is that veterans have access to a wealth of resources. Grants and financing are available to further your skills and education. There is a large community of other veterans who have successfully transitioned and who are willing to assist you with yours. Nearly every community has NGOs that provide veteran support services, training, assistance with resumes, you name it.
But in the end, all that matters is that you decide what you want, then you go out and get it.
You’ll experience the feeling of being the new person in the platoon when you start a new job, and you won’t always be given the most “glamorous” tasks.
Keep in mind that you are laying the groundwork for your profession as you labor over spreadsheets or create presentations, much like you would when starting your day’s work by performing pushups or checking off a checklist.
It is beneficial to have that goal and perspective clarity. Remember that even when a task seems routine, you are performing all the tiny things that enable your team to accomplish much bigger goals. You might soon be able to put the leadership abilities you acquired while serving in the military to use if you concentrate on that.
Depending on your former status, there is a level of autonomy in professional services that can be foreign to someone leaving the military. In the military, deadlines imposed by others frame the majority of the time. In a work setting, you are in charge of managing your own time.
Military personnel frequently overlook this transition and occasionally struggle with it as they move from a highly regimented environment to one that is considerably more independent. Success ultimately depends on exercising self-control, making the decision to use your freedom to advance your career, and holding yourself accountable to clients, coworkers, and yourself.
If you complete your work, develop a specific set of talents, carry out your responsibilities successfully, and remain in the service, you can very much predict what your career path will be when you join the military.
Your capacity to interact is the one factor that drives your career trajectory in the majority of businesses. That entails developing effective new methods that benefit your clients or your organization (or both). It entails taking on tasks that initially appear extracurricular but are important for engaging with coworkers, developing teamwork skills, and learning to lead in a professional setting, such as chairing nonprofit committees or joining after-hours professional clubs. It entails constantly scanning your surroundings for fascinating things and pursuing them. You can transition into cyber security in San Francisco even if you begin in federal consulting in Washington, DC. You can still apply for jobs in Europe even if your first job was in the United States.
You may put the knowledge and discipline you gained as a service member to use in some of the top jobs you can get after leaving the military. Careers after the military can be tailored to your interests and talents and developed off of your service skill sets, whether they be in the public or private sector or as a federal employee.
Employers are seeking motivation and expertise from former service members and veterans. You may put the discipline and experience you gained as a service member to use in some of the top jobs you can get after leaving the military. After leaving the military, you can pursue occupations that are suited to your interests and skill sets, whether they be in the public or private sector or as a government employee.
Let’s look at how your military experience translates into civilian career options, how to obtain a job after the military, and what particular abilities you can transfer from your time in the service.
Your military training has already given you abilities that will be useful to both yourself and any future employers, whether you opt to pursue a literal match to your enlisted employment while looking for a civilian post or if you want to branch out into something different.
There are certain “hard skills” learned in the military that can translate into success in the civilian workforce in addition to your military work-ethic traits, or what Bell dubbed “soft skills.” For instance, depending on your MOS (military officer specialty), you may have received training in a variety of disciplines, such as sonar technology, machinist mate, and many others, or highly complicated machinery such as information technology. It is frequently possible to use this education and training for a civilian career in a related field.
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