Wasn't Ready to Retire

After 21 years, I still wanted to stay. I love the Air Force and the many opportunities it afforded me. However, the signs were there that it was time to leave.

An aptitude test in high school once told me I should be a cosmetologist. As an 18-year-old male geek, I was more enamored with computers than with cutting hair. I ran to the recruiter's office who was more than happy to enlist me in a hard to fill spot that had computers in the description.

Now, I think a day hanging out with women would be a great job. When I retired, I wanted to make sure I found the right job for me (I took the TAP seminar twice). The problem was I had done so many things in the Air Force and really enjoyed the variety. How was I going to find ONE job that I would love to go to every morning?

There are several books out there that will help you including "Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow" or "I Could Do Anything if I Just Knew What It Was." I decided on Technical Writing and Training.

There was a trainer spot opening up in my last unit and I had been asked to fill it. My philosophy to not stand still precluded me from taking the job (which ended up taking over a year to get funded -- whew!). As it happened, my wife was offered a job in Houston. After following me around for 20+ years, it was my turn to follow her -- and I am glad I did. The cost of living in Houston is a lot lower than in California.

While I had a nice savings built up, because I was picky, it seemed to dwindle pretty quickly as the months passed. I ended up taking a part-time job for little more than minimum wage. This allowed me to continue my job search, kept me from being insulated, helped me to network, AND helped pay for Christmas.

The job I finally took came from a small business owner who worked in the oil industry. He hired me because I was a technical person doing writing work instead of a writer doing technical work. As I was told during the Transition Assistance seminar, "There is no job security, only skills security." and my skills transferred between industries I had not thought to look at. Don't limit yourself. Ask those closest to you what they think you would enjoy doing. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees.

(Submitted by Mr. William Gray, Jr.)

The Real Side of Transitioning

Is this the happy story? Everything went right, jumped right into a good paying job. No. This is a story of what really happened.

Was I really ready to retire after 23 years? Not really, I loved the Army. I pinned on CSM at 19 years, but in anger, I refused my follow on assignment from Korea (at the time it was a really dumb thing to), so it was retirement instead of Ft Rile, K.S.

I thought as an E-9 my retirement check would support me in the style I was used to. Unless you have planned and saved it will not. Was I ready? No. But I made the decision, signed the paperwork and worked until the day I left Korea. No transition time. Five days later after arrival at Ft. Carson to out process I was on terminal leave/permissive TDY.

I really didnt know how bad it was going to be because I had almost three months before I officially retired. Money was coming in, I was not worried.

Big mistake. (First the money in your TSP means nothing until you are 59). I am [saying] you need money in the bank to fund your life style until you are up and running in the civilian world. (I never had a TSP avaiable).

If you want to go to school you will need even more money in the bank. Paying to live and attend school is very expensive. The GI bill will help but won't pay you to go to school and live.

Take advaqntage of all that is offered and finish your degree while in the service. I made all the excuses, I am young I have plenty of time, I am a Tank Commander, I am the Platoon Sergeant, I am a First Sergeant, I am the CSM, I dont have time to go to school, I will do it when I retire. How many times did I say that. Too many!

First and foremost, make a two- to five-year plan and stick to it. Do not retire from an overseas assignment if you can help it. You need the time to network and plan for you transition.

Try your best to end up at the base closest to your expected retirement home for your terminal assignment. If not, buy your home there before you retire (previous assignment).

You need a year or more from ETS/retirement in many places to get approved for financing a home.
Having avaliable military hospitals close makes medical easier, Commasary, PX (no sales tax), think about this when you plan your retirement location.

Pay off those car payments. It means reduced insurance rates and more disposable income. I thought people would line up to hire me. Hey, I was a CSM everyone should want my experience. I learned quickly education (diplomas) meant a lot more than experience.

So what did I do?

First, I applied for my VA disability while I had a copy of my medical records and could remember the who, what , when, where, etc ... needed to back up my claim. The claim took almost two years before the final decision was made. I know it is faster now, but, do not put off filing your claim, do it as part of your outprocessing. Make at least two copies of your medical records before you retire. And, if there is something wrong with you go to the doctor, document it, don't gut it out. (It is kind of hard to tell the VA doctor doing your evaluation "I have had bad knees for 15 years" and you never went to the doctor and there in nothing in your medical records). You have no idea have quickly your body can degenerate after 40,50,60,70 years of pushing it. Everything, every little thing might be a permanent disabling condition in 20 years. (Were you exposed to something radioactive, DU, etc...?) It took 20 years after the Vietnam war to decide Agent Orange caused several disabilities. If you think it might cause problems in the future get it logged/recorded in your claim now. The VA is good, but if you dont tell them, or document it, they have a hard time helping you.

Then I went on the job hunt. I did it all, job fairs, networking, headhunters, calling the old guys who were my mentors, calling in the blue chips. I held several jobs in the first year. Decent pay but nothing to talk about. I just couldn't deal with the civilian world mentality. I wanted and needed disipline. It was missing and for some of us it is hard to do the 9 to 5 when you have done 24/7 since you were 17.

After a year of trying to decide on work or school I threw my hands up in the air. I decide I was going to go overseas and be a contractor.

I started with a 12-month contract in the former Yugoslavia (vs. another offer in Saudi Arabia) and ended up staying over there for five years. Then Kuwait for six months. Contracting, believe it or no it a small world. Never burn a bridge. Six months into Kuwait I was asked to do a 10-day, short-term fill in for someone in Germany. I took a scheduled break and went to Germany. That 10 days turned into three years in Germany, Turkey, and Kuwait.

Someone I worked for in that time bought a company and asked me to come to work for them. I have now been working for that company since Sept 2004. I am the Director of Overseas Operations and live in Egypt. (yes, there are accompanied overseas jobs in the contracting world) My family is with me. This wasn't always true but has been for the last five years.)

Is this what I had planned for my military retirement (I didnt have a plan)? No. But looking back I am financially secure, own several homes in the USA. Have a lot of money in my 401K. More money in the bank than I ever thought I would. I am going to finally retire in two years at the ripe old age of 55. I have it all planned out. The money is in the bank, the houses are paid off, and my daughters college education is already set aside in the bank.

Retirement from the military for me was the end of phase one of my life, phase two has been a great ride. In two years I will start phase three, retirement for real. Believe in yourself, be open to all ideas, and never give up.

Trust me, I am well off, but If I had it all to do again , I would have never refused my assignment to FT Riley. I think I would have done 35 years. Do not make a retirement or ETS decision when angry.

(Submitted by Ed Braese)

Networking Works

I spent 20 years in the USAF and would not trade a minute of it. My family and I made some of the best friends anyone can make and the jobs I had were literally the best. Like the USAF, the outside world or civilian community is no different in many regards.

I can't stress how critical networking is. Having a good resume is important because it will tell HR what you bring to the show. But, networking is what gets you in.

For those making a career out of the military, its best to set yourself up for transition five years before retirement. One of the best ways to network is to take that HQ job, get on new programs or take on responsiblities that will expose you to industry or the civilian world. Make contacts and keep their names and numbers handy; make sure you call them a few times a year to keep in touch so they don't forget you.

I have a great job in the Military Aviation Industry that I would not trade for anything. It was the networking and the actual contacts I made who got me where I am today. You can't get a ahead without someone having faith in you and pulling you in...just like in the Military. Also, get that bachelor's degree, a four-year degree today is especially needed to remain competitive, plus it does impact salary. Good Luck.

(Submitted by Keith Konze)

'Looking Back, Everything I Did Was Wrong'

Most people that you have to pay to write resumes and help with a job search either don't know what they are doing or have something in mind for you that fits their priorities.

I retired from the Navy in 1991. I was [ready for] the civilian world. But first, we would take a nice vacation and then go back home and start looking. Now, looking back, I think that everything I did was wrong. I paid a "professional" to write my resume. I did my own job search through professional websites. I only applied to jobs available in my home town or nearby. After about 6 weeks, I was so down on myself that I didn't really want to get out of bed.

Now, I am a Human Resourse Specialist with the State of Kansas. I make a great salary, but best of all, I'm retiring for the second time in June of this year with a full retirement at age 59. The things I would suggest, by order of priority.

1. Deal with the Veterans Specialist at your local Workforce Center! I wish I had all of the money back that I spent on professional help during my job search. All of these things are free at Workforce Centers. My representative helped me with everything I needed from resumes to advice on how to dress.

2. Find the job that you want and go to where it is! You can be selective, but be realistic.

3. Learn about Job Search Stress! The Workforce people were also helpful in this.

4. Most people that you have to pay to write resumes and help with a job search either don't know what they are doing or have something in mind for you that fits their priorities, not YOURS! Looking back at my "Professional" resume now, scares me. IT WAS HORRIBLE!

5. As someone said earlier, plan ahead and pay attention at TAP classes. This is all excellant information.

6. Contact a Workforce Center before you get out and start your work search early. Terminal leave is a great option, look for work while you are still getting paid.

7. Don't be afraid to draw Unemployment Insurance. Its not charity, it helps you have some income and allows you to be a bit more selective about the job you take.

8. Investigate your State Civil Service. These jobs usually pay well, have good benefits and usually have a system to allow you to count your military time as time for retirement (thas's why Im retiring at 59).

And good luck!

(Submitted by NCC Elwyn Briggs)

'Civilans Don't Give a Rat's Patootee'

After serving 20 years in the Navy as a CTR, I thought I was hot poop since I had a high clearance. I thought I was going to be a hot commodity in the civilian world.

I retired to North Carolina, found a house, and settled down to try and get a job. I pounded the pavement and went to job fairs. Well, I hooked up with the head crypto person with a large company. He was all excited about me. I saw him on Thursday, e-mailed [my] resume Friday, and had an e-mail back saying return this paperwork no later than Monday. They wanted me bad.

I called him up and said why do you want me so bad. He said because of what I did in the Navy. I would be trained, have 2 weeks off and be shipped off to one of the "hot" spots. Where are those hot spots you ask? Iraq and Afghanistan. I was offered $60,000 a year and I would be deployed for 6 months at a time.

So, needless to say I turned the job down. I don't need the money that bad. I was not going to get my head chopped off for $60k and never be home to spend that money. I wanted a place to settle down.

So a friend of mine suggested using a temp agency. After 1 1/2 years of getting temp jobs and learning how to function in the civilan world I got a great job selling bottled water. It's great pay and I sincerely enjoy who I work for and with. But, I still had to learn I cant talk to civilans the way I talked to military.

In the military you tell your troops they best do something and do it now. In the civilan world they will tell you to go jump off a bridge and then you have lost a customer. It took a couple years to transition. So its not easy.

As far a resume: Civilans don't give a rat's patootee that you served with the Airborne command post or all the other stuff. They dont even care about your evals. You have to put things in civilan speak unless you're applying for a civilan position in the same type of job you're leaving in the military. And you may not get called back after an interview no matter how confident you are in your abilities.

You think you just nailed that interview. But sit around and wait for them to call back and you have rent/mortgage due. Be proactive. Talk to others who have been through the transition process, network for a job, go to job fairs and temp agencies. Contrary to what most people believe about temp agencies. They do not charge you to work for them. They charge the company you go to work for. The great thing about a temp agency is you can turn down jobs when you want. And if you dont like a job you tell them and you move on. Those companies are trying you on for size. If they like you, then they may hire you full time. It's also better to have a temp job than none at all.

Take care and good luck to all.

(Submitted by Lola Lewis)

When Do Veterans Get a Hook Up?

Where's the system that monitors if you have military or military spouse affiliation?

I have been retired since 2005. I have had the hardest time finding employment. While on active duty we were limited to going to class -- even online classes. So a lot of us don't have degrees like the Air Force who makes it mandatory.

We defend the country and when we get back into the civilian world we are looked at like we know it all. That veteran preference thing only works if you know someone. I have seen people in these government jobs that say they knew someone who hooked them up. When do veterans get a hook up? There should be some type of system that monitors if you have military or military spouse affiliation before they can be hired into government positions, especially when it deals with DOD positions.

(Submitted by Mrs. Marilyn Allen)

Don't Get Intimidated by the Job Search Process

"The first interview, I was pretty scared, but I had dealt with senior officers while in the military and this was no different ..."

I retired in December 2004 with no clue as to what I was going to do. I highly recommend going through TAP [Transition Assistance Program] there is a lot of good information to be had even if you use it or not. I already knew where I was going to retire so finding a place to live was my first concern, family and friends helped here which made this part of my transition real easy.

The first thing that I did once I got settled in to our new home was to look at the area and see what jobs were available. At first I was going to sit down and write my own resume but after a couple of failed attempts I decided to have a company do one for me, it cost me about $250. It was probably the best thing that I did.

I finally decided to start putting my resume online and also went to a job fair at the local Americal Legion, plus I went to local businesses and dropped it off in person. During this time I went through some depression and really missed the military way of life.

I was so used to doing things a certain way for 22 years. Then, I heard of an opening at a local company, so I went in a dropped off a resume and talked to the receptionist and she said that they would contact me for an interview soon. The following week I was called for an interview, I had a total of 3 interviews before I was hired.

The first interview, I was pretty scared, but I had dealt with senior officers while in the military and this was no different, once I had that in mind the interviews went really well. Remember: Do not talk too much you may talk yourself out of a job. This is where I believe my resume worked well for me as most of the questions came directly from what was in the content.

I was hired on the third interview for a much higher position then I had applied for and at a much higher pay by twice what I had asked for. Going back through it all my resume was probably the number one thing that got me hired. One of the hardest things is the people out in th e Civilian job sector are not Military, and it gets hard dealing with them sometimes.

(Submitted by Mr. Simon Kettering, Jr.)