Tuition Assistance Paved the Way

I retired from the Navy in 2002 but prepared for a new career by taking advantage of tuition assistance. I obtained my bachelor's degree and began applying for Federal jobs about one year before retirement.

I am now a contracting officer (GS-11/12) with the VA but I would not have been hired without a degree in hand. Homeland Security also offered me a job as well as the DEA. I only wish I would have started college earlier. I would have my master's by now.

(Submitted by Ms. Christina Smith)

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)

Six Tips for a Succeeding in the Civilian World

I only did three years of active duty and five in the reserves, but I honestly have to say that it took me a good 10 years to adjust to civilian life.

Here is my advice:

1. Go to school and complete a program of some type even if it's not a bachelor's degree. Civilians value civilian accredited education and they do not care how you did at PLDC or BNCOC.

And while we're on the subject, no, I've never had a potential employer ask to see a copy of my DD214. Most of them have no idea that it exists and the one that I did show it to was befuddled by it.

2. Update your civilian wardrobe to match the styles of today and not of when you graduated high school.

3. If you find yourself missing the camaraderie of the military then join a VFW or American Legion Post. You will never find that in the workforce.

4. Personally, I found that working for larger organizations proved to be an easier transition because they do have some semblance of structure to them. So do most government agencies. There's something to be said for stability.

5. Consider a career in business to business sales. On the face of it, many people shy away from this because you are basing your income on what you produce. But the reality is in the civilian world, nothing happens until a sale is made. In addition to that, there are some very lucrative earnings to be made from sales.

Consider for a moment all of the different people that you've had to deal with over the years in your military career. Besides your work ethic, that is the one advantage that you are taking with you that most people are sorely lacking in the civilian workforce. You know how to relate to different people from all sorts of backgrounds and connect with them. People skills are invaluable.

6. Stay true to your core values that you hold dear and do not compromise them. So you find out after six months that the people you are working for are dirtbags? So what? Move on. Someone out there shares your values and will pay you handsomely for it.

I truly hope that you are able to take one or two ideas from this and apply them to your search for a new career. Good Luck to all of you. Thank you for your selfless service and Godspeed.

(Submitted by Mr. Michael Starnes )

Don't Throw Your College Money Away

Wow ... the transition. Let me tell you. It was twenty years ago. I thought my electronics training and night classes would be enough for success after a one hitch term in the late 80's.

Don't through your college money away. Yeah, I had a nice resume, some decent interviews, but it is pretty competitive out here. Don't get me wrong, most employers are pro-military hiring, but it took a BS in Chemistry to land a job. The promotions came through my military back-ground. Still to this day when I am sitting in the CEO's office, the talk is not about my college education, but about my military time some twenty years ago.

Take advantage of any military eligable money's for a post-military education. You won't regret it.

(Submitted by Jeff R.)

Don't Forget to Get an Education

I was fortunate enough to have mentors and supervisors who encouraged me to take advantage of educational benefits while still on active duty. I also feel blessed beyond measure because I was able to retire from the Air Force as an E-8 after finishing my doctorate.

I encourage everyone at every level to get as much education as possible prior to leaving the military, whether you plan to stay for just a few years or for a career. With online options and the transportability of education so readily available, there really are very few places where you cannot be a student these days.

I know many career people feel it is too late to finish a degree. Never fear!! There are many certifications out there for senior NCOS and senior officers. Check out Society for Human Resource Management, the American Society of Training and Development, and Project Management Institute. Each of these organizations offer certifications based on experience, not degrees. There is some serious study time involved in achieving these certifications, but civilian employers welcome them as solid credentials. Also, those organizations have local chapters and conferences where networking opportunities abound.

(Submitted by Dr. Randy Plunkett)

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)