Switching from military to civilian life is a grand task. Many former officers find themselves struggling to find a job or adjust to life after years of service. Here are our tips to help transition life after military service.
Get In the Mindset Early On
Transitioning from the military to civilian life is a lengthy process with lots of applications. There is a way to do it smoothly. You need to think about transitioning earlier on and get into the right mindset. What that means is to take care of your documentation in such a way that it prepares you for transitioning.
Take on responsibilities that teach you skills you can use beyond the military, which will shine on your resume. Also, be proactive and learn about all the procedural paperwork beforehand. This way, everything will be ready when you need it to be.
Plan Financially For the Switch
The transition from military service to civilian life can be financially daunting. With proper and timely planning, you can avoid any problematic missteps or hitches on the road. There are a few highlights that come to mind, such as savings for rent, utilities, food, fuel, and insurance.
After that, you need money for a wardrobe for interviews. It’s good to have a balanced life, so there should be something saved up for hobbies and socializing in your spare time.
Hire a Military Transition Resume Writer
Now that you have transitioned to civilian life, you will need a civilian career to go with it. Whether you need a new job to support you financially or you need something to fill your time, you should recruit a professional military transition resume writer.
Resume writing for military transition isn’t all that simple. You need an expert who understands how your extensive military background can be translated into something appealing to the civilian job market. Also, with most job seeking happening online, your resume must have the correct industry-related keywords and content.
Bridge the Skill Gap
Unprepared veterans and retired military officers learn that there is usually a great skill gap between those who’ve served in the military and civilians. Be sure to leverage the Post-9/11/ GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve to succeed in getting continuous education and career development.
Get the education and degrees you need to be as qualified as your civilian competition in the job market and in life. A military transition resume writer would be able to pick out everything in your service history that makes you marketable. However, go the extra mile to bridge this gap on your own as well.
Network Connections
There’s no doubt that the spirit of brotherhood joins every member of military service, active, retired, or veteran. It is important to build connections and keep them close throughout your service and afterward. Consider applying to companies that mostly hire ex-military personnel or have ex-military personnel in executive positions.
When you have representation of your demographic in the executive tier management of a company, you are better understood and cared for in the organization. It will improve your chances of getting selected for jobs.
