Preparation is the Key

I'm a former Navy Sailor and currently work as a senior recruiter for a Fortune 100 comapany. I've seen military transitions from both sides of the fence. Preparation is the key to any military transition. The most valuable and overlooked resources for all military personnel is the Transition Assistance Program provided by the various branches of the military (TAP, ACAP, and TAMP).

Anyone transitioning from the military should take full advantage of the transition assistance program offered on base. The transition counselors who run these programs are a valuable resource to help you plan for your transition to civilian life. Here are some of the services you should take advantage of:

Transition Workshop – Provides information on a range of topics including veterans benefits, relocation assistance, using your G.I. Bill, job-hunting skills, dressing for success, and interviewing tips.

Resume Writing Workshop – Provides information about different resume styles and tips on writing an effective resume. Counselors are available to critique your resume and provide advice.

Small Business Workshop – Strongly suggested for anyone interested in starting a business. Provides information on the process of starting a business and the government programs that are available to assist you.

Practice Interviews – Counselors will engage you in mock interview scenarios and provide feedback. I suggest taking advantage of more than one practice interview. You will hone your interviewing skills and become more comfortable with the interview process.

Employer Panels – The employer panels are typically made up of four or five corporate professionals representing companies from various industries. The employers provide their views on resume writing, interviewing, interview attire, networking, and the state of the job market. This is an excellent opportunity to ask questions and network with corporate insiders.

Transitioning from the military to the civilian world can be a confusing time. Transition Assistance Programs and transition counselors can help clear up the confusion and get you started down the right path towards success.

I hope this information has been useful.

(Submitted by Eric Mouillesseaux )

Take it One Step at a Time

At the age of 19 years old, I signed up for the United States Air Force. I served as a cryogenics and fuel specialist for a two-year tour in Germany (Rhein Main AFB) during Operation Desert Storm followed by another two year tour at Norton AFB.

While stationed in Germany, I developed an expanded passion for knowledge in many fields I had not previously had interest in (e.g. self-development, spirituality, world issues, politics, religion, philosophy, and surprisingly fitness and longevity).

Having gone through boot camp, I was forced to toughen up and get in shape. Later, while serving at Rhien Main AB in Germany, I also found a passion for health and fitness. My commanders took note of my passion and offered me my first opportunity to share this new passion of mine, when Lt. Col. Lefevers asked me to be Chairman for the 63rd Squadron's Wellness Committee.

After serving a full four-year term in the USAF, I had to decide if I wanted an honorable discharge, to re-enlist in same field, or to cross-train into a new field. And once I found out they had an opening in the area of my new passion, I chose to cross-train, but this time I enlisted for active reserve duty. Within a month, I was in USAF Technical School at Lowry AFB and later Sheppard AFB studying to become a eietitian with a secondary duty as a combat medic. I completed my training and was stationed as a USAF Reservist at Travis AFB.

Around June of 2004, just months after completing my training, I was offered a fantastic job opportunity, so I requested permanent release from my military duties and got it.

The job I was offered was a position as the Central U.S. fitness director for Gold's Gym and the Nutrionalysis franchise. Unfortunately, the position dissovled within a year. But, it had positioned me for great success in the fitness industry. And, throughout the following full decade (1994-2004), I earned an abundance of fitness certifications and received lots of recognition in the fitness industry for helping many clients, fitness trainers, and fitness companies achieve success.

During this process, I was also exposed to many wealthy clients, which led me to ask one question: "Do I deserve to be wealthy and was I willing to work for it?"

The answer was, "yes." So, I traveled all over the U.S. and spent more than $200,000 on private coaches, seminars, home study audio/video products, and other material in the relentless pursuit of learning proven methods of success.

And as I reached my 30s, I met my wife, Gina. Securing her future was on my mind. Supporting future kids was on my mind. Providing a retirement income for my parents was on my mind. Planning for our own retirement was on my mind. And, having a very comfortable life with abundance was on my mind.

Begining around 2001, I gradually began putting more of my time towards achieving wealth. I was still working in the fitness industry, but only part time.

By 2002 and until late 2004, I was earning more than $200,000 a year, but I made some big mistakes and in no time at all I ended up flat broke by the end of 2004.

It took me until the summer of 2005 to reinvent myself and make some bold moves in new directions, which led me to earn $300,000 a year.

In 2006, I decided I wanted to lean more. So, I spent almost $200,000 on all sorts of good and bad "learning" investments. I earned very little in 2006, because I was learning -- not earning yet.

In 2007, I opened a gym franchise, rented out half a million dollars in investment properties, obtained my Real Estate license and took an excellent job in sales with a large firm.

Now, as I approach 40, I reflect on my blessings. I have a loving, supportive, and beautiful wife, Gina. We live in a large home on a hill in Orange County, Calif. We have a dog, Ginger, and two cats Alex and Charles who love us. I am surrounded by supporting family and friends who love us...and we love our careers.

I wish you my kind of success.

(Submitted by Chris Paschane)

The 13-Year Transition

I think I could write a book of lessons learned during my transition, but where to start? I’ll just jot down a few thoughts that come to mind.

Lesson 1. Prepare Early

My official retirement date was January 1995. Some would say I am 13 years into the transition but it started much earlier than my separation date.

Like any good operation, preparation is clearly an exercise worth the effort. I took advantage of the Tuition Assistance program, the GIBill, and what little discretionary income I had and invested in an education. Going to night school between deployments meant it took me a while, but it was well worth the effort.

Deciding what to do was not an easy task for me. Some people know what passions they have and how to satisfy them. I needed to do things like “interest inventory” tests. I also read as many books as I could get my hands on. I decided I liked business, but wasn’t sure what industry I wanted to work in, or in what capacity.

The transition is fraught with many false starts. At least I hope I'm not the only one that experienced them. I learned that privately owned businesses, no matter how big, were not consistent with my desired work environment. I learned that I'm more successful in a large publicly held organization. I find that I am able to get more accomplished, probably because I like and understand structure. I believe it was the military training that prepared me for that environment.

I also subscribed to periodicals that I felt would keep me up to date in the latest news and technology in my area of interest. This also provided me with topics of interest that helped me with conversation with persons of interest for my network.

Lesson 2. Learn to network

Getting accepted into your target industry or company is not an easy task. I think the next most important task is networking with others who are already where you want to be -- not an endeavor that most military members are trained to accomplish. That means researching community organizations that will allow you to meet others outside of the military community. Talk about stretching a comfort zone! Online communities can now help you with that effort. Sites like www.Linkedin.com can help. My first two jobs post military, were from a newspaper advertisements. Every other opportunity since has been from networking.

Lesson 3. Learn to be flexible

With more than 20 years military experience and a graduate degree, I had to learn to start over at the bottom of the ladder. A humbling, yet necessary step in where I wanted to go. After gaining a couple year’s experience the rapid rise up the ladder began. Sometimes it meant changing organizations. Sometimes that change was thrust upon me through mergers and restructures. So far, each time I was confronted by organizational change, it has worked out for the best.

Lesson 4. Remember the past, but move forward

Logically, I knew it was time for the transition. I wanted a different lifestyle for me and my family. The emotional separation was a whole other story. I kept second guessing my decision. I was leaving a comfort zone and heading into the unknown. Particularly when confronted with challenges and frustration, the urge to go back to the good ‘ol days is overwhelming. I overcame those urges by reestablishing my goals, continuing my research, re-evaluating results, and taking action. It doesn’t really matter what action as long as it was headed forward towards the goal.

The transition is a journey not a destination. But then, isn’t all of life. Have a great journey! Feel free to visit my military profile on www.Togetherweserved.com

Semper Fi

(Submitted by 1st Sgt. Randy Roffers, Vice President of Finance, Icore Healthcare/Magellan Health Services)

Editor's note: You can also find more than 400,000 veterans to network with in various industries on Military.com's Veterans Career Network.

'Businesses Admire Honorably Discharged Veterans'

I have been out for some time, I seperated 1994 from the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), which is now a man- made reef. I was very unsure of what I wanted to do for a career but realized very quickly that businesses admire honorably discharged veterans!

I utilized my family to network and to get my first position as an administrative assistant for a life insurance / investments company.

For my very first interview I dressed in the nicest clothes I had, which consisted of a pair of slacks, dress shirt, dress shoes, tie and sport coat (I got the job). The tie and sport coat were borrowed from a friend.

My point is that I didn't spend much to look professional. After all, we all had to pass inspection on a regular basis, so we know how to be squared away!

I stayed in the financial services industry and now have more than 13 years experience and a wealth of knowledge. The most important thing for me was making sure I made the most of my military experience and ensuring that potential employers knew how my past military experience would help their company.

Work ethic, discipline and commitment are three of the most sought after characteristics employers look for, and those are core values in any branch of the military. I'm now a first vice president of business development for a nationally recognized investment firm and I truely believe I owe it all to my Naval experience.

Fair winds and following seas!

(Submitted by Steve Prew)

Use Your GI Bill: The Degree Opened the Door

I was extremely apprehensive about my scheduled retirement in November 2004, but I started planning my transition more than a year ahead of time. I basically started with research, and eventually went to a career coach who assisted me with evaluating my skills and writing my resume, as well as turning all the military experience into the similar civilian equivalents.

Be careful though, some of those "head hunters" or similar services will charge you a lot of money and you may not get much for it. Do your research on the firm. Although the services on base are great, and I would never say anything bad about them, it may serve you well to do some research "off base" as well.

It just seems that some of the folks on base are a little isolated from the real information out there, and it gets a little stale or dated. Post-military personnel have a tremendous advantage over many civilians, believe me. I was fortunate to transition right over, and am now the personnel manager for a County, and I see them all.

Be positive, confident but not cocky, and sell yourself. Let your interviewer know that you are there to solve problems, and help them to achieve their goals. Prepare, and stay the course. Do not get discouraged if things don't happen quickly. Just get out there and keep plugging away. The Internet is an invaluable resource. Read up on your potential employer, so you can intelligently discuss their business statistics and info.

Much more information is available, just do your homework. Get your education as much as possible, or use your GI Bill. It will make you more comptetive. I did, and boy am I glad. I am a retired SCPO, and my degree is what opened the door. There are opportunities out there, but many more will be there if you have that degree, it just opens more doors.

Most importantly, best of luck, I wish anyone who reads this the very best.

(Submitted by Kevin Fulford)

Top Secret Clearance in ... Retail?

I transitioned into a field I never thought about...retail. My employer highly values the traits with which I left the military.

Pay was a lot higher than expected, this employer does not take retirement pay into consideration when offering base pay and the benefits are terrific. Please feel free to contact me at oriebe@hotmail.com if I can offer assistance during your transition.

The biggest surprise for me was that I thought it necessary to pursue employment that would make use of my Top Secret clearance. I never needed it. If you want to find out more, contact me, I'll give you the straight skinny on what to expect.

( Submitted by Mr. Oliver Riebe)

You'll Change Jobs at Least Six Times

I departed the military from Ft. Rucker Alabama, home of the 229th Attack Helicopter Battalion. My last position was a 52F20 and I was assigned as the Company Tranining NCO. I did not have a college degree, but an assortment of course related material concerning computer programming. I was told by the military that I would not be able to get a job in the civilian sector based on my credentials.

Sure enough, I returned home and could not get a job in the computer field. I started working with an electrician as a helper but put in my resume's at the local job banks, temporary services. One day the temp agency called me and stated that they had a job that paid about $6.50 an hour, working with Lotus 123. I went on the job interview, and, yes, they had a spreadsheet that needed data entry work and the job would only last for about three weeks.

The job was with United Technologies Automotive, a company that made wiring harnesses for Chrysler and Ford. I explained to them if they let me do it my way I could have it done in less than a week. I needed to learn a circuit and splice and the componenets necessary to build a harness. Well, the rest of the day I spent walking around the plant looking at the processes. I came in the next day and completed the job. They took note and recognized my abilities and decided to give me more work programming different processes. I worked in Engineering, Production Control, Maintenance, Accounting etc, writing and streamling processes for the company. I also negotiated a higher salary of $13.50 per hour.

One day the plant had to lay off all the temporary workers and I was the last temporary worker employed, and all the different departments stated that they needed me to continue the work, so they created a slot and hired me full time as the Novell Network Administrator.

During this period I did not stop working on different processes, I took over the AS400 system s, AT&T Definity G3 Telephone systems and they sent me to Texas and Atlanta and trained me on Telephone Administration and Voice Mail. I worked for this company for three years and decided to advance my career. I took a Job as a Network Engineer and worked on Hilton Head Island for a short time, but advanced my knowledge to a higher level.

The hours were long and the number of miles driven daily were too much for my family so I changed jobs again, but this time I went into the medical field and worked as the Network Administrator for more than seven different Novell Networks. The hospital hired me to convert these systems from Novell to Microsoft networks. I thought to myself, if they convert these to Microsoft, then what will be my job? One day they asked for a volunteer and I raised my hand and they wanted someone to take over Cable Plant Management for the entire hospital as well as the remote sites.

I started learning about EIA/TIA standards and horizontal cable distribution for l arge facilities and received more training on the right way to install cabling systems for hospitals based on codes and regulations. I managed contractors and vendors. Additionally, they saw I was doing an outstanding job and they asked me to take over the Help Desk duties as well. In addition to that I also took over the PC Technician workers, so all in all I had more than 14 people reporting to me on a daily basis. T

Then one day the hospital decided to expand part of the hospital and being in the position I was in they "my boss" decided that I should head up a 1 million dollar project installing the electronics routers, switches and coordinate the move for the departments throughtout the hospital that were to move into the new building. Long story short I managed the project and one of the sub-contractors hired me as the Network Manager for an Interconnect company and after about four years of employment they promoted me to vice president of Network Integration. I worked for this company for six years and now I work for my present employer who originally I hired at my other job.

Currently, I am working in Research and Development working in the arena of Voice Over IP and video streaming technologies. I will say the Army has been very beneficial in reaching my goals in life. My last Battalion commander, a very smart man said "Son you will change jobs at least six times in your career after you leave service," I thought, "Yeah, right." But yes it was true.

The military gives you foundation and core beliefs that you cannot get anywhere else in life and you may think the challenges the military presents to you are disconcerting but the fact remains, if I had not went in the military, I would not be as far in life as I am now. "Be all you can be" and more ... I hope this story has inspired others the realize their goals and don't stop until you have "taken the hill."

(Submitted by Mr. Layne Wentz)