HELPFUL TIPS FOR PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL POST-MILITARY TRANSITION
Addressing challenges when moving to a civilian workforce.
It has been said that Olympic athletes and veterans are both prone to feelings of doubt and depression after leaving what felt like a pinnacle of life, that they share a sense that, at an early age they have done more, seen more, and accomplished more than most people do in a lifetime. They are faced with the possibility of having already “peaked” in life.
Understanding this, we see three things a servicemember who is transitioning to civilian life is looking to replace as quickly as possible:
■ Income – We are accustomed to making an income which provides for the basic needs of our family.
■ Feeling of Competence – In the military, we are well trained in very specialized skills. We feel confident and competent in our role and our ability to make a meaningful contribution at work.
■ Meaning and Purpose – Every day in the military, we were part of something meaningful and larger than ourselves. We had a clear and well-defined purpose for their immediate tasks, but also a keen sense of how our work contributed to the overall mission.
Making the Transition to Civilian Life
We know veterans and active-duty military members often encounter unique challenges when transitioning to the civilian workforce. In fact, a recent University of Phoenix survey of veterans and active-duty members found that while most (83%) say the military has provided them with all the skills that they need to be successful in the workplace, a similar proportion (87%) feel making a successful transition from the military means learning a new set of skills to adapt to civilian workforce culture. Here are a few ways to help with that transition:
Get Connected
We cannot overstress this—it is critical to make personal connections. You do not need to do this alone. Although you learned a great deal about self-sufficiency in the military, now is the time to leverage your military and personal relationships and resources. Now is the time to form meaningful connections and network with others. We all have something called social capital, a built-in network of connections that we develop through our life, through our families, colleges, companies, and military service. Social capital is about connections, but also about having the mentorship and advocacy of others that is critical to career success. You can build your social capital by identifying and asking a trusted advisor to be a mentor, and by forming a network of individuals in the field that interests you.
Find a Mentor
If you can locate a mentor in your own network, that is excellent! Seek out a trusted individual, someone who works in a field that interests you, and who is willing to advocate for you. If a mentor opportunity is not in your current network, consider a mentoring service. American Corporate Partners (ACP) helps address this challenge and ease the transition from the military service to the civilian workforce by facilitating access for university post 9/11 service members and student veterans to the ACP mentoring program. ACP provides transitioning veterans and active-duty military spouses a full year, one-to-one, customized, national corporate career counseling to help them determine the right career path toward meaningful employment. Student veterans, called Protégés, are paired with a mentor from one of over 100 of ACP’s partner corporations, organizations, or institutions. Mentors provide Protégés with career guidance and support in the civilian workforce.
Reflect on Priorities
Active military are offered resources to aid the transition to civilian life through the mandatory Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Nearly 9 in 10 veterans feel that learning new skills can help them adapt to a civilian workforce. Veterans should prepare for jobs by evaluating matches for their skills, values, and interests. Start with the following questions as you plan your transition back into the civilian world:
■ Do you want to do something like your MOS (Military Occupation Specialty)/Rating in the service? or—
■ Something completely different?
Either way, a great place to start your civilian career exploration is My Next Move for Veterans, a career exploration tool. My Next Move allows you to explore a variety of occupations related to your MOS or a new path, including the civilian job outlook for each career and the skills and knowledge needed to succeed. As you explore your options, it is critical to identify your priorities. Consider:
■ What type of income do I need to offset my new expenses?
■ What type of work will provide meaning and purpose?
■ What type of work matches my expertise and skills?
■ Where do I want to live?
■ What type of organization do I want to work for?
Trust Your Skill Set
In the military, you had enormous responsibilities and developed specific skills to meet them. Include them in your resume, be specific, and when applying for a specific role, identify how those skills apply to that role. Your skills are more than just a list of duties. Use your resume to tell the story of how you leveraged your unique skills and extensive training to accomplish big goals.