The Only Thing Holding You Back is You
May 28, 2008
When I retired from the Air Force in January of 2001, I guess I was fairly well prepared, even though I had done a lot of the prep work kind of “last minute.”
I received my CCAF degree – an AAS in Electronic Systems, finally, in July of 2000. Better late than never. That was a lot easier for me than I thought it would have been. After preparing my resume with the help of the base career center, I was able to pursue my second career. With a lot of helpful advice from the base transition assistance program I was able to interview effectively, and had a job very soon. In fact, I was still on terminal leave for the first couple of months on the job.
If not for the CCAF degree, I wouldn’t have got that first job after retirement (technician for General Electric Lighting), because an associate degree was a job requirement. I guess more than anything though, getting the CCAF degree started me thinking how much time I let go by withou t pursuing my education further and I began to regret not taking more classes while still on active duty.
About a year and a half after retirement, my second chance for a college education came. I had applied to the V.A. for their Vocational Rehabilitation program right around the time I was in the process of retiring, and after several months, I found out that I was eligible for a 48-month full ride scholarship at a college of my choice. It didn’t take me long to decide to take them up on it. It was tough, but, after 4 1/2 years of going to school full time, I got my Electrical Engineering degree.
Now I’m enjoying a second career as an engineer at an electric utility – during my last semester, after a few months of interviewing at various companies, an opening came up with my first choice employer and I actually landed the job. Looking back, I wish I had taken more classes while I was on active duty and finished the CCAF many years earlier. Another thing I learned was that you can do anything you put your mind to. The only thing holding you back from achieving your dreams is your own fears and doubts, so think positively.
(Submitted by Mr. Brian Scheer)
