Turn Your Transition into a Plan of Action

Special Section: Going Ashore

By Rebecca Perron
Military Newspapers of Virginia

After watching dozens, maybe even hundreds, of fellow service members retire or separate from the military, it’s finally your turn. You’ve enjoyed a great job, with guaranteed pay and benefits, and now you’re ready to be a civilian again, perhaps faced with the uncertainty of what career field you will enter, the job market in the area you will live or what area in which you are going to settle.

The transition can be daunting, especially if you don’t have a job lined up or a college chosen to attend. Whether your last day on active service is next week, next month or next year, it’s never too early or too late to start planning for the career change.

The first step will probably be to decide whether you are ready to jump into a job, or if you need to attend college first to wrap up your degree, or maybe to start a degree from scratch in a different field altogether.

Take the time to determine the skills and experiences you have that may influence your decisions, assessing which skills are important. Research the type of company you want to work for, and decide how you can tailor yourself to fit what they are looking for in an employee. Use your military experiences to your benefit as you prepare to contact companies that have comparable organizations. As most service members have dealt with high-stress environments, you'll be no stranger to a similar environment in another industry.

You may even decide to work part time or as a freelancer in the months leading up to your separation or retirement date. Such work builds your resume and lends you the opportunity to test the waters. Real steps like these create momentum for your career change, show your commitment to a potential employer and validate your plan.

There are other things that can be done to make that transition a little smoother. One is to read up on the subject. There are many books to help guide people into their post-military life.

Try to plan ahead so you can take a short vacation. Besides having some fun, you may come across an opportunity that you would have missed if you were looking for a job.

When you figure out what kind of job you want, begin a job search – there are many websites you can use to find companies that offer that perfect job. Contact employers, use your personal network, and answer ads in the newspaper and on the Internet. You can also post your resume online.

While about 75 percent of your effort should be dedicated to your own searches, spend the other 25 percent with a headhunter. Working with a small local agency as well as a larger, national one should yield the best results. One can offer personal attention, while the other gets you more exposure.

Whether you do or do not know the exact path you want to pursue, don't become frustrated by the feeling of an enormous task ahead of you. Take it one step at a time, and make sure you take advantage of the resources the military offers to transitioning service members – attend a Transition Assistance Program (TAP) class, get help writing your resume at the Fleet and Family Support Center, contact the Navy College Office to get a copy of your SMART transcript, or contact Veteran’s Affairs to find out how to use your G.I. Bill and access the multitude of other benefits they offer. The more resources you reach out to, the easier the transition should be.