Leaving military service means making decisions about more than your next job. You may be choosing where to live, finding a new professional community, and figuring out what purpose looks like outside the uniform.
For Veterans Day, our upcoming Security Clearance Careers Podcast conversation with Army veteran and workplace strategist Mika Cross will explore that next chapter: preparing for transition, building resilience, and approaching new technology with curiosity.
Whether you’re preparing to separate or considering a career change years after service, these practical steps can help you move forward.
Start With the Life You Want to Build
Before rewriting your resume, think about what you want your next chapter to provide. Do you want geographic stability? Opportunities to lead? A technical specialty? A schedule that gives you more time with family? Supporting national security may remain a priority, but there are different ways to contribute.
Choose a few target roles and compare their requirements. Look for recurring skills, experience, and credentials before investing in another certification. Then translate your military experience into examples employers can understand. Instead of relying on a rank or occupational specialty, explain the work: the team you led, equipment you maintained, resources you managed, or problems you solved.
Help an employer see what you can do and how it connects to their needs.
Research Whether an Employer Supports Veterans
A “we hire veterans” statement is a starting point. Your research should also explore what happens after someone joins the organization. One useful resource is the Department of Labor’s HIRE Vets Medallion Award, which recognizes employers for their commitment to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. Award criteria vary by employer size and award level.
Use the HIRE Vets Medallion awardee directory to look up a company or discover employers. You can filter by employer name, location, size, award year, and Gold or Platinum recognition. Check the year associated with each award. Treat recognition as one piece of evidence. Because employers voluntarily apply, absence from the directory does not automatically mean a company is unsupportive of veterans. Likewise, an award does not guarantee that every role or team will fit your needs.
Ask recruiters and veteran employees questions such as:
– How do you help veterans adjust to the organization?
– Are mentoring or veteran employee groups available?
– What professional development opportunities can employees use?
– Can you share examples of veterans advancing within the company?
Specific examples tell you more than a recruiting slogan.
Build a Job-Search Routine You Can Sustain
A transition plan should leave room for the person carrying it out. Consider setting defined hours for applications, networking, and learning. Track actions within your control, such as following up with a contact or improving an interview example, alongside outcomes such as interviews and offers.
Make time for relationships, rest, and activities outside the search. If the process becomes overwhelming, reach out to someone you trust or a qualified support professional. You don’t have to handle every difficult stretch alone.
Try AI With a Small, Useful Task
You don’t need to become an AI engineer to begin exploring how the technology might support your career.
Start with a task you understand well enough to evaluate. For example: “Compare these three job descriptions. Identify the skills they share and suggest questions I should research before choosing a training program.”
You could also practice interview questions or ask for help explaining a military responsibility in plain language.
Review every output. Check facts, remove invented qualifications, and keep your own voice. Use public or sanitized information; keep classified information, controlled information, and sensitive personal or employer data out of unapproved tools.
The goal is to practice using a tool thoughtfully while strengthening your own judgment.
Build Relationships Before You Need a Referral
Make networking specific and manageable. Contact someone doing work that interests you and ask about their experience. “What helped you prepare for this role?” often starts a more useful conversation than “Do you know who’s hiring?” Follow up with a thank-you and share what you learned or acted on. Over time, those conversations can help you understand employers, identify skill gaps, and make more informed decisions.
Give Yourself a 30-Day Starting Point
Choose one target role. Research three employers, including checking the HIRE Vets directory. Schedule two career conversations. Try one practical AI exercise. Build a weekly routine you can maintain. You don’t need every answer before taking the first step. Your next chapter can begin with a clearer direction, a few useful connections, and the willingness to keep learning.
