A Transition Smooth as Silk

I retired from the Navy in 2004. My transition was smooth as silk, and I can attribute this to one fact..... planning.

When I enlisted in 1979, I was 17 with a HS diploma. The big push for recruiters was that "military training gives you everything to succeed." This is true, but only partially. In 1979, to get a good paying career, all was needed was a HS diploma. Twenty five years later, this turned into a bachelors degree or better.

My advice to those transitioning (whether retiring or discharging) is this:

1. Get your education. Many times in my career I've heard "I'm getting out to go back to school." My question back was... who's paying for it? Let the military pick up most if not all of the tab.

2. Find something that interests you and volunteer in the community in that area. This gives you a "feel" if you can succeed, and better yet if this is what you really want to do.

3. Start planning t o get out at least a year (if not two years) before you get out. Time flies when your having fun, and before you know it the big day is here. Retirement helps a little, but it's expensive as a civilian. You can read this as:
- Medical benefits are no longer free
- Civilian employers don't give BAH or BAS.
- You CAN be fired from a civilian job without warning.
- Your boss has their own career to worry about. Most don't have a life or death reason to keep you trained.

4. Decide where you want to live, and visit BEFORE you get out... ESPECIALLY if you are coming out of a deployable unit. Ask about schools for the kids, jobs for you and the spouse if you have them. Will the economy have opportunities in your area of expertise? Will you be able to afford to live there?

WHEW!!!

In conclusion... PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. Have a plan B, have a plan C. Use the resources at your disposal. Don't take TAP class (sorry... Navy-s peak) as a week off. Use your college benefits. Abuse the transition counselors. Do whatever it takes to succeed.

(Submitted by Todd Styles)

Deciding to Stay in After Being Out

I was in the financial world of military, worked in Mil Pay, Civ Pay, Acctg and I was prepared to take on the civilian world. Got my resume ready started visiting Boeing, Microsoft, banks, credit unions for a job. They all reviewed my resume and some got job interviews and basically got the same response. Good resume, but they did not have a position right for my experience.

In 1999 I finally got a job with Capital One in Federal Way, WA. Started as a data entry, ended with an accounting job as the balancer, proving processed checks prior to submission to the Federal Reserve Bank for processing to the original bank. After 9-11 all plans for expansion were limited and in 2005 they closed the site and went to outsourcing to First Data in CA, NB, M O, TX, NC, SC and Staton Island in NY.

I ended up with Reserve/National Guard Pay at Ft Lewis, WA. With the new programs coming up at the end of this year, I am thinking about sticking it out until I'm retirement eligible. The civilian jobs were good, but they have lost their appeal in the past few years.

And that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

(Submitted by Donald True)

From Navy Boilers to Civilian Boilers

When I retired in 1996 i was ready for the change. I left Virginia and moved back to my home town in Kansas with no job or no home, just family. After 2 jobs and a little over 2 1/2 years i landed a job with the Electric Company. I have been employed with them for almost 9 years now and enjoy my work as a control room operator in a power plant. One thing that helped is my experience and training. Walking away from boilers onboard ship and operating the boiler, turbine and generator at a power plant has its good side.  Plus I had been operating chillers up to 1250 tons working in the other 2 jobs.

So put as much experience and training in your resume as you can and you will probably land that job you want soon.

(Submitted by Robert Sartin)

Lies on the Civilian Side

My experience in the active Marines and the Army Reserves has been both fullfilling and rewarding. I never really expected to end up being a lifer but after so much time spent in the military I realized that is exactly what I had become; by the way did I mention that I still continue to serve?

I also had a great civilian job that allowed me to grow and add to the knowledge and experience that I had received in the military.

Things were good until I came back from my second mobilization and found out that my job was being switched around with that of another co-worker.

Now I know the law which states that I'm guaranteed a comparable position but not necessarily the same position. Being in the military I've been placed in this situation before but when it happens in the military, one is given a chance to question certain decisions. Of course you don't always get what you want but at least the procedure is on top of the table and pretty straightforward.

I enjoyed my previouse position and supervisor and that is never going to come back. The new position is not so bad but not as challenging and interesting as my previous one. All this is acceptable.

What I find hard to accept is in the manner in which I got thrown into it. I was tricked and lied to.  I was told to try the position temporarily and that I could have my old job back if I didn't like it. My new supervisor asked me to do it for him as a freind.

Well I tried it and decided that it wasn't for me and that I wanted my old job back.

That is when I was told that there was no turning back and he hinted that I could quit.

The thing is that he had every right under the law to change my work enviroment; he didn't have to be so deceitful.

I have too much invested in time, money and benefits to leave now, but the incident has left me annoyed, bitter, and distrustful of my new supervisor and the boss that put me in this situation.

Of course the same thing can happen in the military but at least there are steps for recourse that one can take without losing everything in the process.

(Submitted by William Martinez)

The Time to Start is Now!

I recently retired from the Navy after 20 years of military service. My transition to civilian life has been very challenging and at times very predictable.

If you are a separating or retiring from the military and plan on staying in the local area start networking now. If you intend on doing the same line of work, start talking with your supervisors about continuing employment with that same organization as a civilian or federal employee. Your current or past supervisors know you best and know what you are capable of doing.

For those individuals who will be leaving the military and relocating to a different area in the country, start preparing now. Start working on your resumes, cover sheets, reference lists and invest in your business wardrobe.

Everything they taught us in TAP class about resume writing, dress for success, and interviewing techniques has been accurate in my experience. Take good notes and prepare for your transition.
Additionally, take advantage of the many resources available to you. Sign up for the many workshops that the Family Service Centers provide. I attended workshops for Resume Writing, Federal Employment Workshops and a few others that provided me with valuable information.

If you plan on finding a Federal job invest in the following books by Kathryn K. Troutman, "Military to Federal Career Guide" and "Federal Resume Guidebook." These books will equip you with valuable insight on how to write a federal resume and KSA's. Federal resumes are long and require a lot of effort, so start early.

These things really prepared me and have helped me find a great job with a reputable organization.

(Submitted by Steve A.)

The "Real" Rules of the Real World

1. There isn't anyone in charge out here, and those who claim to be don't know what they are doing.
2. There is no such thing as a mission statement.
3. Staff coordination is a battlefield.
4. The paranoids are out to get your job.
5. "Double dipping" is resentment for getting a real retirement when everyone else isn't going to get one anytime soon.
6. Free medical care is an oxymoron.
7. Nobody gives a damn about the time the bad guys almost got your scalp in the Battle of U Dong Do.
8. "Responsible for" on a resume means you sat on your duff while someone else did the job.
9. Seeking out and taking responsibility is poking your nose into what is some one else's turf. Something to indulge in while blaming others is, however, essential to a paycheck continuum.
10. Divide and Conquer is a key management tool and skip the "one for all" bit.

(Submitted by Gordon Fowkes)

Find the Jobs for the Taking

I retired from the Marine Corps after 24 years and started working in what appeared to be a great job almost immediately that was more money than I made gross as an E-9. What a magnificent deal, I thought to myself; I'm living the dream. Then Miss Katrina showed up, and, long story short, we had no house left.

I picked my family up and started from scratch in Texas. The company I was working for offered me a new position in that area so I jumped on it. We moved to Dallas and my job was going great for the company, but something was missing for me. You see I was a consultant, and I learned that as a consultant you are always on the outside looking in. You never make it happen, you simply advise or facilitate others and never get to feel the exhilaration and even the frustration of taking an idea or a plan and then implementing it and seeing it through to competition and beyond.

I had always been the doer, the one that lived for the challenge...and it simply was not there for me. So I moved on to another position. A friend from active duty who retired a year before me was working for a small company and he told me there was an opportunity in the company he was working for. I met the owners of the company and was blown away -- two men in their 30s who were passionate, motivated, genuine, and appeared to have the integrity of those in the military.

We met, and when it was over I was offered a position. But there was one catch: 

“We don't have a job for you, but we'll figure one out.” The long and the short of it was they liked me and I liked them, but there was no opening there was no immediate plan to create a position so we were all in a bit of a quandary. I had a wife (stay at home) and three kids and I had to put groceries on the table. I prayed about it and ultimately took a leap of faith and accepted the job.

It was a small sales, service, and distribution company.  I spent the first two months on trucks with the men, and in the warehouses learning every job in the company. I was responsible for all sales, service and distribution of our product West of the Mississippi. I was also responsible to continue to grow our company further and further west, while leading, training and mentoring the eight district managers assigned to me, the entire sales force, and every person who worked for our company on the western flank.

I am now living the dream. The man (the other retired Marine Master Gunny) who introduced me to the owners now oversees all operations for the entire company, and I answer to him and the owners only. Many times as a career enlisted Marine you ask yourself “I wonder if I could do it better than the Colonel did.” Well I'm getting to find out.  It’s tough no doubt, but I have two main objectives: accomplishing the mission, and the welfare of the employees. I have the responsibility I could never have had as an enlisted Marine. I am in a position to truly affect our organization both good and bad.

We have been prepared for this our entire careers. We do have the leadership ability that is sought after; we simply have to make it known to the right people.

My final advice to you on your transition is trust your God, your heart and your family, there are great jobs out there for the taking. I used to always tell my buddies when I retire I will go to work at Taco Bell and within one year I will be at a corporate level. You have to believe in yourself like that . . . not arrogantly but confidently. God Bless all of you and thank you for your service.

(Submitted by P Cashion)

It's a Scary World Out There

After serving 26 years in the Army and loving every minute of it, it was time to hang up my boots. I had no idea what I wanted to do because I had never held a real civilian job.

I attended several job fairs and passed out resumes, but still felt like I was out there flapping. I went on my first interview, which went real well and received my first offer within an hour of completing the interview. I thought that I was on my way. I almost fell into the trap of taking the first position that I was offered but after careful consideration of everything that was being offered to me the figures just didn't seem to add up. Driving 90 miles round trip every day was not my idea of a good job. I didn't mind that travel that was going to be involved with the job itself, but I didn't like that kind of daily travel. I turned it down with nothing on the back burner.

I know that things happen for a reason just not always sure why they happen but that they do. I went on my second interview, which in my mind went better than the first.  I had to wait a couple of weeks to get an offer, which I accepted and will start work next Monday. I can't wait. As I keep telling my husband now I am somebody!

The hardest thing for me in my transistion was losing my identity. When I was a private I was at least a private. When I retired I was a nobody and nobody seemed to care. I can't wait to get my new CAC card and be somebody again.

Good Luck to all my fellow retirees that find themselves in this situation. Remember everything happens for a reason.

(Submitted by Rachelle Gamblin)

Tackling the Challenge

I am a former Marine who finished my first term in the air wing last June. I chose to get out, move home, and tackle a new set of challenges.

Like many of my fellow Marines, I thought that life on the outside would be cake, that employers would be lining up to have me, and I would sell my skills to the highest bidder.

Along the way I had to pay strict attention to the new set of rules in a game I haven't played in enough years to forget them. For 5 years, I wore a flight suit for Uncle Sam, jeans and t-shirts on the weekends. I had no clue how to dress for an interview. Sure, I knew I had to look good, but when it came time to actually pick out a shirt, pants etc.. I was totally lost. I took my wife shopping with me and she suggested I point out a gentleman I think is dressed appropriately for an interview. Once we agreed on a style, we simply mimicked it.

Dressing is one thing- actually getting an interview is a whole different animal. I started my search knowing exactly what goals I wanted to accomplish. I targeted employers that I wanted to work for, and I targeted the open jobs within. I spent many many hours perfecting my cover and resume. Probably the most important writing tool is showing your work to other people. We spend so much time trying to perfect our creation that to the casual reader it's conveying something different than what we want. We become blind to its imperfections. After a while, I only needed to change verbage on two or three sentences regardless of where my package was going.

I started my hunt around warehousing/logistics because that's what I did before the Marine Corps. While I was in, I was a helicopter crew chief. I didn't hold the necessary certifications to work on civilian planes so pursuing that avenue was out of the question for the time being. I got a few leads that I respectfully turned down before I wasted any more HR time than necessary. I simply wasn't finding anything close to my (what i thought was) realistic goal of $15 an hour.

I exhausted just about every online job bank on the internet and even resorted to just driving around, writing down companies names, to later go home, research them and their openings only to write more dead end letters. I opened the Sunday paper and sent a letter into a company advertising an open warehouse position. It was close to school, close to home- so I figured why not?

I got a call from a company and I participated in a phone interview. That went well and I proceeded to the face-to-face with my snazzy new outfit. I knew the interviewer would know my background and I used it to my advantage. My "gig" line was straight, my shoes laced left over right, and there wasn't a wrinkle on me anywhere. I knew they were expecting a certain appearance. It worked.

The interview was flawless and I expected an employment offer. A few days passed and I got a phone call from a woman told me I hadthe job if I wanted it, but they were interested in trying me out for something else. I proceeded with a few online screening tests, and another interview. All went well and I landed a job as a Technical Associate at an automation solutions company. This was a shock to me as this job had absolutely nothing to do with my work experience.

What it did have to do with was my proven ability to learn new things. I remember in my interview they asked how long it took for me to learn my helicopter, and if I had a background in aviation before the Marine Corps. There weren't interested in what I knew- they were interested in how well I could learn what they had to teach me. They started me at $39k a year, which more than matched my Sergeant pay, including BAH and all that extra stuff. No nights, no weekends, and very light travel. I'm actually going to the Twin Cities tomorrow for a day, and next month down to Florida for some training.

I've been there for almost 6 months, and it has had its ups and downs. At first I felt inadequate because all of my coworkers are mechanical or electrical engineers. My boss sat me down once and told me that I went to college, just not how the rest of these folks did- in reference to my time in the service.

Another road block was going from a flight suit in a hangar to civiies and a desk. Office life is totally different than anything I was used to before. I survive in that respect because of the fundamentals of professionalism. Sometimes I find it difficult not to drop f-bombs every sentence, but it gets easier with time.

I'm glad I found an employer that values veterans and their potential for success "on the outside." Some added perks for them is that I will never be late, I will never call in sick, and I will give 100 percent in everything I do. These are some core competencies that every employer knows a veteran will deliver.

Don't be afraid of transitioning out, but be warned: It's an entirely different game out here. But, keep true to your core values and you will be just fine. You'd be amazed with what can be accomplished with the most basic interpersonal skills learned in the military. Tact, respect, and bearing. Look people in the eye, give a firm handshake.

Good luck!

(Submitted by Pete Glowinski)

Getting Into the Transition Mindset

When I retired in 2001, I thought I was ready for the civilian work force, I was wrong. My first job (in charge of civilians at a school) was quite different, I had gone from one extreme to the other, from a well organized outfit to a disorganized one.

A fellow veteran told me that I would never would see the level of cooperation I saw in the military, and he was right.

I found work in law enforcement, more related to the military mindset. You may not realize that you have changed until you transition, but don't fear it.  Just understand that your former title will mean little to most employers. You may experience age descrimination.

I also recommend that you have retirement ceremony, to get you in the transition mindset.

There are certain jobs that are easier to transition into, for example organized labor like the brotherhood of electrical workers and police or fire departments.

But no matter what you decide on, there will be an adjustment.

(Submitted by Paul Cook)