1

Start Early. Have a solid plan on what you want to do and start moving forward at least a year in advance.

2

If you are retiring you will receive no or little unemployment benefits. File for unemployment anyway. I was told during TAP, "each state is different" and to "contact my state". This is not good enough. I obtained eligibility, but my retirement pay falls into the three year window in the state run program, so reduces my benefit to $0. Once three years from filing has passed, retirement pay no longer counts against you. The state must approve your federal unemployment benefits, so make sure you file to start your clock in case you should become unemployed later.

3

network and get a LinkedIn profile

4

1. Be flexible with what types of jobs you are willing to consider, be open to interviewing for different types of jobs; 2. Give yourself time to adjust. See a therapist if you are having trouble; 3. Read two books: "the first ninety days" and "Leaving Active Duty: Real Life Stories and advice for junior military officers". Both are applicable to all veterans regardless of rank. Both are available on Amazon.

5

Try to preposition yourself during your last tour in a target rich environment for the type of career you are looking. If you cannot do that, stay flexible and portable to moving to where jobs are being created. Go to school as soon as possible to get another degree or professional certification. STEM, STEM, STEM ... That's where the shortage of skills are.

6

Start looking for a job or higher education early. Best is to have a job, or college acceptance before you transition out. It can take longer than you think to land the job you want once you're separated.

7

I would advise transitioning servicemembers to stay in touch with their old military friends and make attempts to meet new ones through social groups such as Team RWB or Mission Continues. By connecting with others like them, veterans can interact and learn from those who have made the transition before them.

8

Start to plan for your transition well over a year in advance. Connect with friends and colleagues to see what their experiences were like when they transitioned. Talk to a skills coach to see what you are truly passionate about doing and align your job search with your passion. Understand that there will not be a perfect match between what you did in the military and what you will do in the civilian sector, and give yourself time and space and patience to make the transition.

9

Military is family and civilians do not understand unless they are attached to someone in the military.

10

Save more money early in life.

11

I would not take the decision to separate lightly. Ensure you are as methodical and thorough in choosing whichever career you do. Understand the process of transitioning, understand the job market you desire to head into, talk to as many people as you can, and have a well thought out plan. For the transition process itself, I think the most important advice is to have a mentor. Someone that has transitioned himself/herself in the past, knows the process, and can provide recommendations and advice as you make career moves.

12

Grow your network and LinkedIn profile

13

Learn the logistics structure of the civilian world. Purchasing, accounting, etc. Also, depending on your military experience, pay attention to teams, collaboration, and matrix organizations.

14

Don't be overly broad in your search. While it may be true that you can learn to do anything, most employers are not looking for that and will find you to be overly confident and simplistic in your capabilities. Employers will come to love your ability to learn and take on challenges, but it is not necessarily their first hiring requirement. I suggest you spend adequate time (maybe a few months) really assessing your skills (tests, etc.), your family needs (discussions), your personal needs (true introspection) and your professional goals (aspirations) before jumping at the first opportunity that seems to pay well. You may be able to find something quickly to pay the bills, but it may end up being wrong for you in the long term. Start this process long before you get your DD214. I'm Navy and didn't start thinking of this until after leaving the hectic schedule of sea duty. It was on a shore tour that I finally had the time to really think about whether to leave or stay and if leave, what to do. You can still get paid while you work on your next step. When I was separating, there was a program called TAP or Transition Assistance Program that helped with some of this thought process. I don't know what is available now, but do use whatever resources your service offers. Take the personal assessments, attend the seminars, networking events and training opportunities. If you do these things, and don't jump too quickly, I believe you will make a better decision and be happier in the long term.

15

Don't just take a job to have a job. According to several recent studies, most people employed today are not "engaged" at work and even a greater number lack passion. This largely is due to being in roles that are not a good fit for how they are wired and/or a poor fit with their manager. One of the most important factors in job success is having a role that their natural wiring fits. So, it is extremely helpful to know how they are wired (what their natural strengths are) and what people who are wired like them are doing successfully. Then they can choose from the list of those jobs to pursue employment in jobs/careers where with the appropriate education, experience, skills, and ambition, they can be successful.

16

Networking

17

Talk to anyone and everyone who separated or retired before you. You will hear a lot that does you no good, but you will find the stuff the saves your ass.

18

Learn to speak "Civilian" and let go of the military terminology. Systematically analyze your strengths (military and civilian) and classify them into civilian terminology. While transitioning your vocabulary to civilian, don't forget your military network who can help inspire and/or encourage your transition moves.

19

Do a lot of soul searching about what you really want to do when you get out and consider the path that you need to get there. Ask everyone you encounter lots of questions about what they do and what path they took to get in that position. Start to plan early so that you have plenty of time to work on your resume, network, apply to schools. Seek out non-profits that can help you transition.

20

Start networking and preparing a year in advance at least.

21

People are not going to be knocking down your door to hire you just because you are a veteran. Know what skills you have and how well they match the job you want. Then go out aggressively market yourself to potential employers.

22

Talk to someone who excels in career counseling on the outside. Someone who has an understanding of military jobs and can help you understand how your skills fit into the civilian workforce. Do NOT do it alone. I used a recruiter who knew the military and my transition would not have been nearly as successful without the help.

23

Talk to as many different types of professionals as possible; use social media to find fellow veterans and branch-specific service members that have already transitioned to career fields you find interesting and reach out to them proactively.

24

Be prepared, have a transition plan. Understand how your military skills and leadership experience translate into the civilian economy, and get comfortable communicating and describing yourself in civilian terms. Hopefully, you took advantage of the free educational opportunities available on active duty to get a degree or certification in your field of interest.

25

try to figure out what industry you want to work in...genuine interest in the industry is key.

26

To find a job, you have to email people working where you want to work instead of relying on job postings.

27

The resources provided by the military are helpful, but the truth is that they're no good without significant input by the transitioner. Thinking that someone will be there to do anything for you is false logic and will lead to failure. Show the initiative that you showed while active and you will succeed. There will be no free rides once you leave the service.

28

Civilian employers will continue to add responsibilities until you say no. There is no responsibility of 'soldier care' from leaders so you will be pushed until you fail if you do not say stop.

29

Take your military training and discipline to the civilian workforce. Most people there have no concept of service or mission and are waiting for someone to "pick up the ball" like you did every day while serving.

30

Do your homework and know the job market for the area you will be settling in after discharge. Know what you want to do and prepare yourself before transition for the job market. The notion that you will walk off base and find a job with little to no preparation is false.

31

Understand how companies view talent and skills within the company and what to see the impact you had and not the job you did.

32

Research thoroughly job opportunities in the field you are considering in the geographic area you are considering and network, network, network.

33

Don't be afraid to ask friends and former coworkers for recommendations of jobs to apply to.

34

Civilian employers have no clue of what your experience means. You have to translate it to civilian equivalent experience. As a Navy veteran no one related to my position as a Main Propulsion Assistant. I broke down my job into components on my resume.

35

Be prepared for the fact that the civilian world works very different than the military environment to which you are accustomed. Most people in the civilian world are genuinely appreciative of your military service but very few of them will know, or care, what that service means or the skills it implies. You developed a lot of skills and attributes during your service that are difficult to explicitly mention on your resume (team work, different ways of approaching problems, work ethic, etc...). Those attributes will eventually stand you in good stead but are often unrecognized and unappreciated by your managers.

36

In the military, instructions/tasking was usually pretty specific in the civilian world it's much more fuzzy and vary rarely does a manager denote in advance how an individual's performance is going to be evaluated.

37

Start early. Build a network of people in areas of interest. Get involved in the community: volunteer, join groups, get off base. Understand that being a Veteran does not guarantee a job. Work on your transition as hard as you worked in boot camp.

38

Take advantage of your Post 9/11 GI Bill. I floundered quite a bit trying to find my place after leaving the military. Even though I was a Supply Officer and had a lot of business experience, it was tough for me to translate that experience onto a resume for businesses that weren't used to hiring veterans with a college degree. As I wasn't interested in continuing work in the defense industry, I struggled to find work that suited me. The Post 9/11 GI Bill allowed me to go to graduate school and obtain my law degree with minimal out-of-pocket expenses. This has opened a whole new future for my career that is far more flexible and fulfilling than what I was facing upon my separation.

39

Study the industry that you want to target for your transition, as well as the companies that you are seeking employment. Through this homework and preparation, it is vital to be able to translate your military experience into a relevant connection to the company and industry that you are looking to move to. Your employer likely is not familiar with military experience in depth, so you need to show how your skills relate and will offer value to the employer

40

Stay in government contracting or government. Most other organizations don't value military work experience.

41

Start preparing for life after the military 18-24 months out..It comes quick.

42

Don't be overwhelmed by the numerous and seemingly unrelated opportunities. Take the time to reflect on what is important for you in the next 1-, 5-, and 10 years. Prepare as early as you can.

43

1) Prepare, prepare, prepare! 2)*Understand your personal wants and career goals. 3) *Learn as much as possible about that "job market." 4) *Research and prepare for each and every application separately. 5) *Understand the HUGE gap between military service and civil employment from almost every perspective. 6)*Understand you value in your chose job market. 7) *Understand that it is as important or more so for you to research, interview, and select your employer as it is for you to do what is needed to get the job.