When it comes to transitioning from a military to civilian career, there’s no such thing as planning too early. From the military’s checklist you need to complete, to your personal goals when it comes to finding a civilian job, there’s a lot to do. Here are five things to consider as you prepare for your post-military career.
1. Go Beyond the Checklist
As you go through the separation process, you’ll have mandatory briefings you have to attend and boxes you need to check. Things like clearing housing, visiting the finance office and getting copies of your medical and dental records all come to mind. In addition to checking those boxes, there are some areas you’ll want to pay special attention to as you transition. For example, about six months before your separation date you’ll want to be familiar with the answers to these questions:
- What happens to my security clearance when I leave the military?
- What veterans benefits am I entitled to?
- What does my health care coverage look like for the next six months to a year?
- Is my power of attorney and will updated? And if not, when can I visit legal?
- How do unemployment benefits work should I need them?
2. Get a Facelift
Up until now, you’ve been Joe Smith, service member. Your professional email account is probably a .mil, you wear the same thing to work every day and your social media accounts probably haven’t been scrubbed in awhile. But things are about to change. You’re about to enter the civilian workforce and you’ll need to leave some of your military persona behind. Here are a few things you should update:
– Your email address. Change your primary email address to something that sounds professional like joe.Smith@gmail.com and use it for resumes and job applications.
– Your voicemail. If you haven’t put a personal touch on your voicemail greeting, go ahead and update it. Find a quiet place to record and then change your message to something like, “Hi, you’ve reached Joe Smith. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
– Your wardrobe. You know the advice that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have? It’s time to put that into practice. Chances are good that your wardrobe is lacking business and business casual pieces. Identify the type of office you want to work in and start looking for attire that would be appropriate for that environment. Look for mix and match pieces at outlet malls, during sale weekends and even at thrift stores to keep the costs low.
– Your social media accounts. It’s no longer a matter of if, but a matter of when a job recruiter will look at your social media accounts. Make sure your profile photo is a professional one and that any information open to the public is squeaky clean. Photos of keg stands, bachelor parties and posts about hating your current job all need to go.
3. Grow Your Network
It’s likely that at some point in your military career you’ve met someone who decided to leave the service and promised to help you get a job when you decided to do the same. Depending on how long you served, you may have five or even 10 people who have promised to help on the civilian job front. And while the offers are nice, it’s not always enough. Instead of relying solely on those old contacts, take the time to make new ones. Go to job fairs and recruiting events and make it a point to get in front of hiring managers. Consider doing informational interviews to learn about positions and companies you’re interested in and work your social media contacts. It’s time to start thinking outside the military box and letting others know you’re in the market for a civilian job.
4. Apply for Jobs
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but some people wait until the last-minute to apply for a civilian job. Believe it or not, you need one to two months of job searching for every $10,000 worth of salary you want to earn, according to Richard Bolles in “What Color is Your Parachute?”. For example, if you’re looking to make $60,000 a year, theoretically you’ll need to search for six to 12 months before you find a job. However, there are a few ways to make your job searches more productive. First, note your marketable and expert-level skills and search for positions based on those skills. Next, look at your position title and do some research to see what most civilian equivalents are called. For example, going by project manager may yield more job results than going by the term, PM. Finally, make sure your military experience has been adequately translated into civilian terminology on your resume so that when you do find the perfect job, it’s easy to apply.
5. Talk to Your Partner
Once you decide to leave the military, you and your partner should sit down for a serious conversation about your future. Will you continue to be the primary breadwinner? Or is it your partner’s turn to fulfill their career desires? Will you move back to your hometown? Or will you move wherever your next job takes you? If you have a clear path forward, you can hold each other accountable when it comes to applying for jobs and moving down the separation checklist.
Overall, making a seamless transition from military service member to civilian employee takes a lot of advance planning. But if you start early enough, make a plan and lean on your partner for support, it can be done.
