The Basic Wardrobe (Interview Phase)

After years of wearing a uniform most of the time most transitioning servicemembers are clueless about how to "dress for success."  Well, unless you're going to work as a roadie for U2, you're probably going to need a basic business wardrobe.  Here's an idea of what that wardrobe might consist of, especially during your job interview phase where the goal is to impress without going to extremes:

• Four core suits (should be worsted wool):  charcoal, navy, pinstripe charcoal, pinstripe navy.  (Not the fat pinstripes, either.)  Recommend sticking with the timeless elegance of two-button suits.  And no double-breasted stuff unless you're trying to be the commodore of a yacht club.
• Pinpoint oxford dress shirts (light colors and no button downs for interviews).
• Silk ties (burgundy generally best for interviews).  No tie tacks or clasps!
• Wristwatch with a white face and a leather band that matches your leather belt.
• Brown or black cap toe or wingtip dress shoes.  No tassled loafers with a suit!
• No lapel pins.
• No suspenders.  You can adopt a style after you land the job.
• Make sure your socks match the suit and go up high enough to cover your calf when you cross your legs.

Another OBTW: Don't wear a strong fragrance during an interview.  Remember, part of the interview process is NOT to make an impression, as weird as that might sound.

Don't go cheap on your business wardrobe, either.  Quality lasts, for one thing, and it also shows as you walk through the door for the first time.

(Submitted by Ward Carroll)

Surprised by Things Missed

In spite of the fact I attended a service academy and spent 20 years on active duty, in many ways I held the trappings of military life at arm's length.  In fact, I always considered it somewhat of a compliment when people commented, "You don't seem like a military guy."

The perceived distance between me and my military personna only grew during my last tour.  Teaching at the Naval Academy didn't feel like being in the fleet.  So by the time I submitted my retirement papers I felt like I was more ready than the average fleet guy to tackle the emotional issues associated with making a job transition.

I was wrong. 

Once I traded in my khakis for a polo I realized I missed a lot of things about military life I hadn't considered fully, starting with wearing a uniform.  Things like ribbons, rank insignia, and warfare pins are a roadmap to your accomplishments that tell a tale of sorts to the world.  That roadmap doesn't exist in the civilian world, and that was disorienting at first.  The respect I'd earned from decades of service seemingly evaporated overnight.  And the fact that nobody else was in uniform added to the confusion.

Eventually it all started to make sense, but it took time to get used to a world without salutes, detailers, and even orders.  Try considering having a job for the rest of your life when you've been living two and three years at a time.  It's a scary thought at first.

Life in the military can be a tough act to follow, especially if you've done things you're proud of.  I love my civilian self now, but coming to that feeling wasn't easy.

The bottom line is there's no way to predict how you'll feel as a civilian until you are one.  Just be prepared for the idea you might miss your former life more than you thought you would.

(Submitted by Ward Carroll)

Working Woman's Wardrobe

I will never forget one of the most embarrassing moments of my TAP class. It was the day where you have to come in dressed in a civilian suit, as if you were going to a job interview. I had to line up along with the seven other officers in my class as our "image consultant" walked down the line to inspect us.

I had bought what I thought was a very stylish Ann Taylor jacket and skirt, and stood proudly, and a little wobbly, in my new high heels. When she got to me, she gave me the once over and said in her eastern European accent, "Tsk,tsk, that skirt is much too short. You need a longer length; those thighs are a little too...hmmm..." "Muscular?" I volunteered, but she just grimaced and said, "Take out the length another two inches, that will be much more flattering."

Clearly, she had never watched Ally McNeal! I thought short skirts were in. As it turns out, they were in....just not for um, muscular-legged gals like me. The point of this story is that style-wise, it is a whole 'nother world out there in civilian-land. The size of my thighs was never an issue in my flight suit, and wearing high heels was something I only had to do at changes of command. I had to start paying attention to what businesswomen wore. Should I wear pants or a skirt to an interview? Could I interview in business casual clothing? What exactly is business casual clothing for women?

I read magazines for women and noted what they wore. I asked for advice from my women friends who had already made the transition into the civilian world. They recommended wearing a conservatively colored (meaning black, grey or navy) suit with either a skirt or pants and feminine accessories, ie. wear a dark suit with a light pink blouse, but not a pink suit. After ten years of not wearing perfume or anything that was feminine to work, it look a little while to get used to being able to acknowledge that I was a woman through what I wore.

The joy of not fretting over wearing dangly earrings to work turned into anxiety over which earrings matched which suit. For a while I fell back on the gold posts I wore in uniform. But eventually I made the transition to civilian working woman and I now have the wardrobe to match. And the image consultant would be very happy to know that there is not a single short skirt in my closet.

(Submitted by Loree Hirschman)

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate

Aviate, navigate, communicate...those three verbs are drilled into every new pilot's head during navy flight training. First you have to fly the plane and keep it safe, then figure out where the plane is heading and finally, talk to external controllers.

When I left the service I was both excited and terrified. I grew up as the daughter of a career Marine officer, had gone right into NROTC, and then straight into the navy. I had never been a civilian. As I prepared to transition to the civilian world, the "aviate, navigate, communicate" mantra continued to guide my path.

Aviate: stay in control of the airplane. For my transition, this meant having an idea of what I might like to do when I left the navy. While I loved flying off the aircraft carrier, I knew that experience would not be easily replicated elsewhere. I had really enjoyed being a division officer and I liked starting ventures. I knew that I didn't want to be an airline pilot, although that would have been an easy transition for me. Instead, I chose to apply to business schools so I could learn the tools that would help me in the business world.

Navigate: know where you're going. I spent a great deal of time researching which schools I'd like to attend so I could make an informed selection. I applied to a range of schools that appealed to me and my business goals.

Communicate: For those transitioning out of the military, this means networking! Most of the other pilots I worked with left the Navy to go to the airlines, and they had a strong network, sharing all the "gouge" on the various airlines. I realized that I would need to create my own network and get the gouge on the business world myself. Networking was uncomfortable for me because I had never had to really do it in the Navy, but it is essential in the business world where your connections can help guide you in your career. I started by speaking with other pilots I knew who had left the military and entered the business world. I asked them for advice and talked with them about the differences they'd found between the civilian and military worlds. Most non-veteran civilians I've spoken with are very interested in hearing more about military experience, as it's a world that they've only seen on television; so really think about how to explain what you do to someone who has no clue about the military.

Aviate, navigate, communicate: once you know what type of job you're interested in, you can navigate your way there by doing your research and talking with others who have made the transition.

(Submitted by Loree Hirschman)

From Captain to Corporate

As opposed to telling you a long, drawn out story about my transition from an Army captain into Corporate America, I’ll share with you the lessons I learned in the hopes that you can learn from my mistakes and successes.  The backdrop was in 1997 as I decided to transition out of the military.

1.  The military forces you to not show all your cards, so be careful for you and your families’ sake.  When I put my paperwork in to decline the advanced course, I was one of 5 new captains that were immediately put on orders for Korea. It was just a former XO that pulled me up to brigade staff that gave me a reprieve from the hardship tour.

2.  Head Hunters are a good way to get in front of a lot of employers but you should never pay anything and you should never go exclusive.  I used a head hunter, and while I think some of these do a better job of branding, they are relatively equal.  They required me to be exclusive to them, and after the fact I realized that is not fair to the veteran.  You should not put all your eggs in one basket!

3.  So, Tom, what are the other baskets (ways to get a job)?  In addition to head hunters (which is one of the smaller ways), here are where I’ve seen most veterans get jobs:

• Networking – Via college alumni, via other veterans, friends, and family.
• Posting a resume online – Only bother keeping up the resumes on the job boards that are giving you the most offers.
• Search jobs online – Apply for the ones you want and don’t be bashful about it!
• Attend Career Fairs – A great way to get in front of a lot of employers in a short time.

4.  I was an Engineer in the Army, but that’s not why employers wanted to hire me.  It was real clear that my project management, leadership, problem solving, and people skills were much more valuable than an engineering degree.  I interviewed for sales, operations, manufacturing, and actually took the one marketing job I was offered. 

5.  Another watch-out is realizing that the head hunter is trying to meet their clients’ needs too.  On many occasions I was told by the head hunter that “You’re a great fit for Operations…Marketing is not the best use of your skills.”  They may steer you in a direction to make sure their clients’ needs are met.  Remember, they get paid on hires, so they want to maximize their number of hires.

6.  What was my biggest single thing that helped me get a job?  Preparation.  I spent a ton of time thinking through interview questions & answers.  I met with a group of officers twice a week for months to grill each other with interview questions.  This did two things:  It helped me learn a lot about myself and it gave me confidence to impress the recruiters – I honestly remember thinking to myself that the interviews were too easy.

(Submitted by Tom Aiello)

"Preparation Equals Performance"

The date, May 21, 1998 represented two important milestones in my life. This was the date that I participated in my 'Change of Watch' ceremony to formally be installed as the 8^th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. This was also the date that I really started thinking about my transition to civilian life  — as I would be retiring from this position four years later.

In the position of becoming the senior-ranking enlisted member of the U. S. Coast Guard, one thing is for certain  — you know you have to retire when your tenure is over (usually in four years). So, it was during the ceremony, I'm sitting in my chair listening to the farewell speech of my predecessor, Rick Trent. Just minutes before the ceremony we were talking about what he was planning to do when he gave his final salute relinquishing his position over to me. At the time, he wasn't completely sure. He toyed with the idea of taking a position (which he did with USAA), or just become a full-fledge retiree and drive around the country for a few years in an RV (that's still his plan when he ultimately 'retires'). So, it caused me to think about it for quite awhile, including during the ceremony.

There's a Ben Franklin quote: "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes," that certainly paralleled with my dilemma on May 21, 1998, as it was certain that, given I fulfilled my role and responsibilities successfully as the Coast Guard's highest enlisted member, I was going to be handsomely rewarded four years later with a retirement certificate and a chance to move on to something else, whatever that might be.

So, during my tenure as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG), I actually gave it a great deal of thought as to what was next for me, and how to be prepared for the transition when the time came, and when the 9^th MCPOCG would ask me the same question that I asked Rick Trent four years earlier.

As the MCPOCG under Admiral Jim Loy, who was the Commandant of the Coast Guard at the time, he had his own personal values statement he used since his time as a combat patrol boat skipper in Vietnam, "Preparation Equals Performance." It was a term he used to keep his crew ever vigilant and ready to deal with the stresses and strains of close-order combat situations in the Mekong Delta, and as the commanding officer, he made a personal commitment to ensure that he would bring his entire crew back home alive, which he was successful in doing so.

The phrase also became somewhat of a catchy statement for me too as I thought about what and how to transition when the time came for me to retire. It got me to thinking about just how was I going to prepare for the 'afterlife' of the Coast Guard, and make a successful and as seamless transition as possible to civilian employment. One thing was for sure, I knew I was going to work, I just didn't know at the time on May 21, 1998 just what kind of work would I want to do four years from that date.

Over the four year period during my tenure as MCPOCG, I had the opportunity to be exposed to a great number of situations and matters that would help in leading me into what I should consider when I retired. I paid close attention to recognizing how my role and responsibilities as the senior enlisted advisor to my service translated in civilian terms. If someone with no exposure or understanding of the military were to ask me just what did I do as MCPOCG, could I answer it with enough clarity to the individual without including the necessary military jargon that went with the position? Also, does such a similar job exist what I was doing on the outside?

The answer was yes. In struggling with trying to describe my job description as MCPOCG in civilian terms, I took advantage of useful resources such as the Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is online at http://www.bls.gov/oco. While surfing through the site, I listed a number of tasks, responsibilities and skills that were needed and used in my position as MCPOCG. I found a multitude of different civilian job descriptions from Human Resources Manager to Training Manager. One title I found was at first a little puzzling to me  — "Ombudsman." It was puzzling in that the position of "ombudsman" used in the Coast Guard (as well as the Navy) would refer to someone who was working in a volunteer position as a spouse, keeping other members of the military family informed on the service's issues and being a liaison between the commanding officer and the military family. I never realized that such a civilian position as "ombudsman" existed in the civilian employment sector, with pretty much a similar definition, except referring more to serving as an advisor to the corporate/executive management level as a liaison with the general rank-and-file employees of the company. It was quite fascinating for me to make this find, realizing that there is indeed a great number of what is often termed as 'military-specific' positions do translate well in civilian employment.

This little exercise of identifying my military roles and responsibilities in civilian terminology, also helped me in identifying what, if any other needs that were necessary to help me in my transition, such as education, exposure to different types of tasks, such as learning more about government contracting procedures, understanding basic law statutes as well as getting involved with the 'business end' of running the Coast Guard, identifying resources both in terms of people and equipment, planning and tracking the budget process, and the overall strategic outlook of the service's roles, missions and requirements.

So, my view of Admiral Loy's "Preparation Equals Performance" was put to action, by paying close attention to the day-to-day activities of my job, the people who were the principal players of the organization, and a much thorough review of the decision-making process. This practice did prepare me well in my transition, so on July 14, 2002 when I departed active duty for my new beginning, the 9^th MCPOCG got my answer as to what I was going to do after my final salute.

(Submitted by Vince Patton)

Get Focused!

My transition from the Navy to the civilian world went pretty smoothly.  I left as an O-3 in San Diego in 1997 after eight years on active duty.  I worked for three years after college before joining up so I was relatively comfortable with the prospect of interviewing for a job, but it was tougher than I thought it would be.

At first I talked to recruiters that specialize in placing JO's.  Right away it was evident that not all recruiters are created equal.  I geared up to do my own searching and networking in parallel with the efforts of recruiters.  After a lot of soul-searching (what do I want to be when I grow up?  I still haven't figured out an answer to that one) and talking with others that had made the leap, I zeroed in on business consulting as a target job.

 

It's amazing how much more effective I was at uncovering opportunities once I chose an area of focus.  I was able to build a pipeline of potential employers.  Building a pipeline and working it through is a process that is applicable to many jobs, especially sales -- and getting a job is really selling yourself.  There was an added side benefit -- it felt really good to say "no thanks" to opportunities that didn't fit what I was focusing on instead being on the receiving end.

 

Consulting turned out to be a really good bridge to what I really wanted to do, get an MBA.  Many schools frown on applicants who are using them to transition to something else, and military-to-civilian is definitely a transition.  They'd rather take an applicant that wants to use them as a springboard along their already-chosen path.

 

Looking back, transitioning to the civilian world was a daunting task but once I had some focus I was able to break it down into discrete tasks, make a plan, and execute it.  It turned out to be a lot like planning and executing a mission, something the military prepares us for very well.

(Submitted by Harry Hirschman)