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Start your transition early - 12 months out is not to early to work on a resume, to start exploring job opportunities or building a larger network.

Know what you want to do after the military - the world is your after you depart the service and there are a lot of opportunities; however, companies do not buy jacks-of-all-trades.

Find a mentor - The civilian world is completely different animal. A mentor, whether someone in the industry you want to work in or veteran who has successfully transitioned can lend a lot of experience.

Do not pay for professional [general/catch all] resume - This was a costly mistake I made and they do not work. Transitioning service members need to know and learn what companies are looking for.

Learn how to brand and market yourself - We are a product and service, we have to sell our product and services to companies. Without knowing how to do that companies won't buy it or even show interest in it.

Build your network - Networking is huge and this is how we find jobs in the "hidden job market". Remember if you have a way in to a job it is easier to than submitting your resume in the ATS black hole.

Don't be disappointed - Many companies love to claim to be a "veteran friendly employer"; however, they will expect you to have the same qualifications as any civilian. So if you apply to one of these veteran friendly and don't hear anything back don't be disappointed.

Veteran Friendly Employers - They like to tout it, but very few follow through with it.

Learn to speak civilian - Companies don't speak military, even if they are veteran friendly, if you want a shot at working with the company you need to speak their lingo. For veterans it is a one way street in the civilian workforce and that direction is not in our favor.

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Step #1 to prepare is to conduct a full and in depth self assessment/analysis. If done honestly and correctly the process and results of a self assessment will ensure success during a transition and make writing a resume, interviewing, and networking much easier.

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prepare at least 12 months prior to retiring or getting out of the service

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Network your ass off in the field you enjoyed. Record contractor, government, part-time/full-time personnel contacts while you're active duty and stay in touch if appropriate for your end goal. Record the name/nomenclature of EVERY piece of equipment you ever operated/maintained; you'll need all that crap for a corporate/contract mandated "resume" if you go that route…once "out" that data is tough to retrieve.

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The most important I learned was to create a resume without the jargon. Translate your skills into a language that anyone could easily understand. Use resources like onetonline.org to help get a better understanding of the skills that you learned while in the military.

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My advice to active duty servicepersons is to get to a TAP Class ASAP and more than once. Listen attentively and engage & participate in the opportunities. (As A TAP Intructor, I used to bring in local EDD Vet Staff to briefly speak about their services). Look into any mentoring or internship program and expand your network (such as Vet-Net). Veterans are very resourceful individuals with a can-do attitude and working with other Veterans, especially State of CA -EDD Veteran Representatives will shorten the unemployment time frame.

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Get our there and Network. There is a lot of programs out there statewide to help you, plus give you free education/certificates to get you back to work for free without touching your military education benefits!

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Decompress during your Terminal Leave and Permissive TAD. The hardest part in the transition is making the switch from the Military to Civilian.

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Put together records of all official schools and training received and assignments you've held and try to relate them to position you are seeking

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Be as prepared as possible for the transition.

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Do not rely on having military service/veteran status to get you a job. You're skills don't correlate as much as you think they do. Start early...start networking, working on certifications, completing your degree, and your resume.

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The transition of one's mindset from Military to Civilian is something that takes time in order for the mind to process reality. Mitigate as many stressors as possible prior to starting the transition. Patience will require a lot of practice. The transition will be life-long and must be accepted in order to function in society.

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Build a strong network of connections before you transition, and use them to help you gain employment when you get out.

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Start the transition planning at least 5 years out. Get yourself in financial shape to survive if you don't gain a new job. Begin to network early and often, gain the certifications and/or education needed before you leave the military.

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When employers say they want either a college degree or military service, it's a lie. They could care less about your military service

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Make sure yoi hsve all your medicsl records up to date and atleast 3 complete copies. Make appointments with the VA prior to EAS.

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1) Find a mentor 2) Take advantage of Post 9/11 GI Bill (degree or certifications) 3) Be humble 4) network 5) show appreciation

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Get transferable skills, certifications and education.

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Do your homework, study the career you want early, identify the criteria and meet or exceed them before EAS. Write your resume to tell employer and not to yourself.

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Get your college degree before retirement, learn how to network, and expect to start below what your skill,knowledge, military education and experience demonstrates what your really worth. I have found that even other Veterans who could help you get a foot in the door do not go out of thier way to do so or they are cut off by the HR personnel before they can get to hiring managers. It's harder to land a decent position that pays well than transition workshops and vet assistant organization make it out to be.

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Make sure you network with people outside of the service and start your transition at least 2 years before retirement.

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TAP, Networking & SMEAC

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Probably to plan early. What I mean by that is start looking into more detail the type of job you are looking into for when you retire. I was in aviation and probably one of the hardest careers to transition into. The military does not make it easy for an individual to transition into say being a mechanic or even a pilot. With so many certifications FAA or even icao is laying out to do those jobs your military career doing the exact same job does not qualify you to do the same position in the civilian market.

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Unless you are going to work for an employer who has personally served, you will find their perceptions of you are biased through media and social exposure. Keep communication open with them and try to gain an understanding of their perceptions and biases to improve the odds of a successful employment relationship.

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Keep an open mind when looking at positions and don't sell yourself short.

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Start as early as possible before seperating. Keep in contact with those you know that separated before you and ask them to share what they see in realtime.

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Interviewing skills, and being able to compare your experiences to what the employer is looking for.

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Set goals and prepare for those goals 4 years prior to separation. 4 years gives you time to save money, complete your education, schooling or certification and your resume' will show 4 years knowledge and experience of your field.

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Network with other veterans who have transitioned into the workforce. Speak to your career centers on base to invite this population into your workshops to give first hand accounts on what to expect and how to prepare.

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1) If separating, make the determination early as to whether you want to re-enlist or get out; so you can formulate your career path. 2) Network, network, network. 3) If retiring, determine what you want to do and get the resume out there.

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Talk to as many actual veterans from various backgrounds as possible and LISTEN to their diverse stories of struggles and successes. Don't assume the negatives they experienced won't happen to you because of your rank, education, support structure, etc.