1

It is imperative to start shaping your transition early, at least 12 months out. Network, Network, Network!

2

Start VA Disability packet ASAP. Take advantage of all classes teaching resume writing and job interviewing. Be open to where the jobs are located; there are plenty of jobs for veterans, but not necessarily where one wants to ideally go.

3

Many employers consider you for the reasons you are probably getting out of the military. They like your willingness to relocate for a job, work long hours, and be willing to travel away from home.

4

Start looking at what you would like to do, jobs you think you can do, and try to fit your skills to the position early, months in advance, especially if you were in a leadership position in the military and you are trying to get into a civilian leadership position.
Be prepared to get a lot of rejection notices, which is why it is best to start while you are still in, preferably at least 90 days before you are out.
Be up front with the recruiters you are working with and share your timeline with them so they can begin working with you and can manage the expectations of you and their company.

5

take advantage of your assets-mulititask, unflappable; use your drive to learn what you don't know; ask solid questions; prep yourself

6

Understand that you are entering a new world and things work differently. Most civilian employers will find your military experience valuable but it is unlikely that they will understand it. Do not act arrogant about your military service, this will turn your civilian counterparts off to you completely; be humble. Rely on those senior civilians at your new work place they same way you would have relied on senior NCO's when showing up to a new unit. If you can find one, get a civilian mentor with prior military experience to give you advice on your transition and how to treat the very new types of situations you will face. Do not be afraid to apply lessons learned in the military to your new civilian job, government work generally gets a bad wrap for being inefficient but you would be amazed at the impact you can have in the work place by showing people a new way to do something that is "the way we used to do it in the military".

7

Any job is possible, regardless of your previous MOS. As long as you were a good leader in the Service, you can go far in the civilian sector.

8

My advice would be to save all of your NCOER's or OER's--they will pay dividends in helping you write your resume. I'd advise anyone to hook up with one of the military headhunters to get coaching into narrating the transition.

9

Understand that, as in any career change, you may need to take a step or two "back." That doesn't mean employers don't value your experience, but you don't know their industry, (usually), and you have to learn it before expecting to be in higher level positions. Using your military experience, values and work ethic, however, you are in a prime position to move up the ladder much more quickly than other newcomers.

10

Be mindful of how you are perceived. For better or worse, your future employers have pronounced stereotypes about your behavior and abilities. This bias could cause you to be placed into a bad cultural fit for your next job.

11

Get connected to the civilian world ASAP via your military connections .LinkedIn is a good starting point but face-to-face is more effective.

12

Share the values and characteristics earned and learned in the service in a way a recruiter or HR person might better understand. Focus on decision making, self-starter, disciplined, team focused, etc. not what you did on a day to day basis.

13

your last oer does not matter. It's all about the people you meet and the real world experience you can bring to the table. Internships are key

14

Do not judge your coworkers on their lack of service or lack of understanding of war and world events.

15

Start with your passions, not just with a salary or your core skill set.

16

Get your foot in the door on a first job. Expect it will just be to start, and that you will start looking again in a few months.

17

First, ensure that you utilize the services provided by the military in terms of mental health and physical health. This is especially true if you are planning on transitioning a short time after your deployment. Your transition may be an exciting time, it may be against your wishes, but it's turbulent either way and ensuring that you have documented everything and have a plan is vital. Second, "do what you love" is a tough thing to find when what you love is serving. As an infantryman, or any other service-specific MOS, this can be especially difficult to figure out for yourself. My advice? Try something completely new and be prepared if it's not for you. I think that small companies are best for the transition because, in my experience, they have less bureaucracy involved. This allows you to get your hands in some of the operations, planning, etc that you will not be able to do at a (company name removed) or any other mega-company. Third, you're life up until this point has revolved around service. The civilian world, as a general rule, does not revolve around work. Sometimes I would come home bored, or be bored at work, and the best advice I got from a coworker was that now was the time to develop hobbies for myself. Work should be a place you enjoy, but the rest of your time should absolutely be something you enjoy. Take advantage of the change of pace. The civilian work force is fundamentally different than the Service. This will take some getting used to. You great part? You can retain the parts of you that were developed in the military and get rid of the parts you don't like. This will take 6 months at least. Finally, if you can find an employer who is a veteran you will have an easier time translating your experience to that employer. I work as a corporate recruiter and often come across resumes which I can interpret quite easily but which I know would be completely foreign to a civilian employer. This is not only the use of acronyms but the implied responsibilities of being a team leader, or a section leader, or a 1SG. Sometimes it takes getting in the door and in front of the interviewer to articulate your experiences- and for that you should be prepared to speak upon what makes you a great employee.

18

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

19

Learn to accept rejection. Many of the folks who interview you, may or may not view the military favorably. Learn to de-mil your vocabulary. Many who interview you have pre-conceived notions about veterans; you have to remake yourself, quit looking, speaking and acting like a veteran. Learn how to translate the skills you learned in the military into civilian terms. Instead of squad leader, you supervised____ of individuals.

20

You military experience is only worth what your potential employer decides it's worth - you HAVE to sell it. Don't expect that people will respect your skills. If you decide to go reseve/guard after active duty it WILL be harder to get a job - companies do want veterans, but they prefer people whose ties with the military are completely over.

21

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.

22

Civilians are over sensitive.

23

Be prepared for a much less professional work force and employees who are paid only by the hour and act accordingly.

24

Make certain you play into your own personal strengths and character when applying for jobs and fulfilling your newfound duties and responsibilities. Do not rely on your prior service and military accomplishments speaking for themselves because no civilian knows what the hell it all means and what your capabilities truly are.

25

Attitude. The attitude and can do spirit of the retiring individual is refreshing to the civilian workforce. But it can also be a ball and chain because your civilian counter parts do not have the same can do attitude. Be understanding and respectful of your civilian counter parts. Some of them have never been what you have been through and never will. So your attitude which has been establish from 20 plus years of battle tested fortitude may be a little much for the your new co-workers so tone it down till they get to know you.

26

Persistence -- Don't give up just because you are not hired right away. Rejection is hard to take, especially by those who are were top performers in the military. Just understand that every job interview is an opportunity to excel and prepare for each one with a positive attitude. I know too many veterans who let rejection get the best of them and quit their job search before finding the right match. If you accept a job that you really didn't want, don't stop your job search efforts. Give your employer an honest day's work, but no job is permanent. Keep your options open for the job you really want.

27

Start preparing early and establish contact with vets who have already made the transition, especially folks in your area of specialization.

28

Take your time and make a reasonable transition plan. Have money saved up to cover expenses for at least 6 months of unemployment between transistor and finding a new job.

29

With much reflection it is this: Our training, our experience and our dedication have prepared us for virtually any position in the civilian sector. Let there be no doubt in your mind that you can do the job as well as, if not better, than any employee who has not served.

30

1. Focus in on what you want to do. I did a shotgun approach but if you know which companies you'd like to work for you can focus your efforts on connecting with people inside using all available resources to zero in.

31

Start networking early and work on learning as much about the industries positions of interest as possible before you actually start looking for a job.

32

-realize that the civilian employers appreciate your service and value your characteristics as a vet; but, you have to use the same intensity you used in the service to explore the unknown, to prep yourself, to recon, to anticipate the questions that will be asked so you can work on the answer; and you must network effectively so you get exposure to any possible job you are interested in so you can assess whether or not if fits you-you can change jobs but you should truly have interest in that first job you intend to pursue

33

Make a solid plan well in advance, remain flexible, and make time for yourself and your plan while still on Active Duty. Make it your #1 Priority.

34

Have several variations of resumes and cover letters ready to be adapted per the job description. Follow-up. In the early stages it's really important to attend as many interviews as possible, as practice. Go to community networking events. Stay patient and don't take the first job that comes along if it's not the right fit.

35

Start at least a year before you plan to transition out of the military.

36

Networking is so important

37

Get as much education as possible; College, technical training, certifications, etc...

38

Don't be constrained by thinking you don't have skills that transfer to the civilian world. Good work ethic, leadership, and the ability to work as part of a team are universal skills that are always in demand.

39

The transition is a major one and is difficult to adjust to. Take full advantage of every transition training and programs that are offered. For a major lifestyle change such as retiring, you'll experience many emotions, but hang in there and take things one step at a time and day by day!

40

Have a plan and roadmap. Start at least 24 months prior to separaration.

41

If you don't have a job offer in hand when you leave, ensure you have six months worth of money saved up (with a degree in engineering, and as an engineer officer, it took over a year to find a career). Understand expectation management, if you are looking for a career instead of a job. There is no 'in-processing' checklist to separation, so even if you think you have everything figured out, there will be something you didn't account for as a civilian.

42

Focus on resumes when you are in ACAP, especially the Federal one. Do your VA Claim immediately after discharge. On your ETS Physical list EVERY ache and pain, both mental and physical.

43

Have a support system outside of work. Don't expect your civilian workplace to take the place of the military when it comes to finding new buddies.

44

Be prepared for the huge volume of information form the transition processing center. We do a very poor job of teaching troops what to expect during the process. The process is frustrating and not a good note to leave the service on. Finding a job on the outside is not as easy as one would expect. Employers are not interested in our service experience. They are interested in civilian education which many of us passed on to further our Military education.

45

Unless you are blind sided by transitioning (due to force shaping) plan at least 2 yrs out. less than 7 months is not enough time especially if you are deployed when told or at a remote CONUS base with no support.

46

Military transitioning is a leap of faith, employment-wise. When you file the paperwork to get out, it is way too early to find a job. When you go on terminal leave, it's still usually too early to find a job. You have to be financially prepared for the transition in all scenarios. Also, go through the VA process ASAP when you get out as it could easily begin interfering with work. The VA process is broken, but necessary.

47

Planning for ETS should take place at least a year in advance of even filing the paperwork, or the expiration of your service term. Don't expect transition counseling and required training to be worth a damn, either. If you come from a combat arm and are worried about marketable skills, using your GI Bill to go to school could work, but you need to treat it like your new full-time job, not as a vacation. Consider your major or program very carefully, and well in advance of your decision to go to school--admissions testing takes a lot of time and study. Don't be afraid to consider trades if that is more to your liking, but again, choose the skills/certifications and schools carefully before committing funds. Budgeting will also be key.

48

Attend your transition classes and take advantage of all the transition assistance you can.

49

The best advice would be: have a career goal, work towards your education goals. Don't get caught in the on and off orders. Now that you are civilian, focus on the civilian life. Find a mentor who can help you navigate this new arena.

50

It's important to remember that you're starting over. Yes, you have a lot of experience that has value, but if you're entering a new industry you have no experience in that industry. No one would take a brand new soldier and make them a squad leader, even if they had 10 years of leadership experience in another industry and the same is true of veterans leaving the service.

51

Take the time to focus on what career path you want to pursue through self analysis and online tools and by researching those fields.

52

I think the most important lesson I learned is being flexible is key in transitions. Things happens that seem bad at times, but it can turn out to be a blessing in the long run.

53

Reduce financial stress and anxiety during and after transition by reducing debts as much as possible, and saving 6months-1year of pay prior to discharge. It takes that long to develop an effective resume, apply for jobs and begin the process of receiving a form of income. Reducing financial stress and anxiety has also been proven to reduce stress and anxiety in other areas, such as relationships. This can improve clarity of thought, judgement and lead to opportunities that were not forseen.

54

Take ownership of your career and your life. No one will take care of you like they did in the military.

55

REACH OUT TO FELLOW VETERANS. As a veteran, your network absolutely amazing. Psychologically, there was definitely some adjustment throughout the transition process, but in terms of resources, employment and support, I was surrounded at every single turn with people and organizations who were willing to help-I had to make the initial contact, but as soon as I did, everyone bent over backwards to help and support me.

56

Put the military chapter of your life behind you as quickly as you can. You're a civilian now. Adapt.

57

Make sure you have your next steps firmly lined up before leaving.

58

You will be very shocked as too how little people know about what skill sets you present and how little respect you receive as a veteran in the civilian sector.

59

Do everything you can to observe and learn about your new employment culture. Listen and watch. Each organization is unique. Reach out to other veterans/veteran organizations; these can be good connections and allies in your transition. Change for what direction you want to go, not what you want to avoid.

60

Do your homework and line up an opportunity or two before leaving the military. There is a question of what is important to you not just money? Make a list and then see if the opportunity will give you that fulfillment you are missing..

61

Either transition into the field that you know, or go to school and get the education you need to get the job that you want. And regardless of your MOS, you possess skills that are badly needed win the job market; leadership skills, organizational skills, technical skills, even if you were an infantryman. So do not let your MOS get in the way of getting the job you want. Wording on resumes is key, and every skill you learned can be translated into a skill in today's job market.

62

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.

63

1) Be Bold - go in if you can and ask to speak to HR or the hiring authority and drop off your resume. Don't just send it in and hope for a call. 2) Be Brave - low risk = low reward. Higher risk = higher reward. I know you are used to a steady paycheck. But commission work isn't all bad if you work at it. 3) Be Patient - Don't be afraid to accept an entry level position and then prove yourself. Your military skills will show through and propel you upwards. Besides - remember - It's a lot easier to find a job, if you have a job.

64

How to translate your skills from military jargon to be understandable to a civilian interviewer. The second most important skill (but still related) is to be able to find out what the company is looking for and to show how you have the experience at doing that job or skill. After that - networking.

65

Start early

66

You will meet people in informal situations that may turn into opportunities. Therefore, whatever you are working on, be excellent and always be "on." Always be engaged, accessible, positive, and respectful. You never know when it will serve you well.

67

Understand what you bring to a civilian employer and clearly translate how your skills and experience are a fit with a potential employer.

68

You need to understand the business world. It is totally different then the military. Your experience is stronger then all civilians, but you need to understand their world.

69

Network, network, network!

70

Communication in the civilian work environment is much more nuanced and indirect. In the military, directness and bluntness are valued. They are highly disfavored in the civilian sector. Be advised

71

Start the job hunt early and be open to working in a field you may not originally have considered. Many jobs these days are transitional and what you start with may not be what you end with but it will get your foot in the door and some experience for your resume.

72

When you pick your retirement home make sure there are jobs in the area.

73

Believe and understand that you do have experience you just have to sometimes help the civilian sector understand how it relates. examples: If you were a squad leader you had to manage more details about your Soldiers then any civilian small team leader. You know how to work with people of all backgrounds. Also, the Military provides some of the best leadership training in the world. You might think otherwise while you are in or even during Officer/NCOES school, but trust me its better then what most people do.

74

It is harder than you hear from your peers to find a career that directly replaces the pay and benefits you have.

75

Start looking as soon as you make the decision to leave the military. Look at the job market and access your skill set to see what you can bring to a potential employer. There are organizations that are looking for vets and can assist you - if they are decent - They probably will be free because the employer will pay them a finder's fee. If you need to take a class to prepare for a job you want - now is the time.

76

1) Be prepared for drastic change in work ethics, 2) Prepare financially.

77

Plan for a worst case scenario. For me, that was saving to survive for six months of unemployment. I'm not there yet, but prior my planning has reduced the financial impact of separation substantially.

78

Start early. You need to learn a whole new language to relate to the civilian workforce.

79

Do your best to take a long term view of the decision. Don't decide just because you're unhappy with your current situation, and don't jump at a too-good-to-be-true offer. Do not waste your educational benefits at any for profit school that requires any kind of contract. Finally, don't burn any bridges. I know a lot of folks that got out and went back in when they saw the grass wasn't greener and that they missed the comeraderie and intrinsic satisfaction of serving.

80

It's risky in that you may not know what you will do when you get out, but if you work hard and put in the effort, you will make it work. Nothing is owed to you--you have to earn it. But as you assimilate into a civilian job of some sort, don't forget what made you successful in the military. You can't apply it all cookie cutter, but you have to find the similarities and make the lessons fit the new situations. Also, there is a mental struggle to leave behind something toward which you were so dedicated. The underlying principle in all of it is service, so continue to serve. Serve your community, your neighbors, your country through your actions in civilian life.

81

Do research on the types of jobs that you want and review the requirements those positions typically require so that you can obtain your certifications early.

82

Don't get out until you've set a plan in motion and have a follow-on role lined up.

83

Take care of you. This is not a selfish statement regardless of how it sounds. There will be times where the unit will expect you to put ACAP/outprocessing aside and help them try to accomplish a unit specific mission such as, supplementing a training exercise, guard duty, or, something they might feel takes more precedence than what you have going on. Don't do it. Use your chain of command to prevent incidents such as these from happening. If you're a leader, provide that service member with the top cover they need. If you're a service member and getting push back from your chain, take your complaint to IG. Focus on your future away from the military and if you have family, ensure all their needs are met first. The unit will be fine without you there, trust me. Have a plan months prior to outprocessing. Ensure you give yourself options of what you'll be doing after the military such as, school, work, or starting a business. Build networks, job search, research schools, research the area you will be living in. If you're starting a new job, is there a resource you can provide that the area might benefit from? Understand that the plan will change, but stay flexible and stay focused.

84

Take the time to prepare for separation . The military gives you the time but it is you that needs to aggressively prepare yourself

85

Tailor resume to position before submitting.