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The Importance of Long Term Goals in Transition

12.13.11

Long-term goals are essential for everyone with career aspirations and military veterans are no exception. It's crucial to plan for life after the military before the transition process begins, otherwise you could find yourself out of the military with no job or career path. This lack of planning makes the transition that much more difficult to adapt to so the best thing to do is to set both short and long term goals for your post-military life.

Short-term goals are a must because you have to do something after leaving the armed forces. Unless there are unlimited resources at your disposal, you'll have to find a job. However, your transition can be less stressful with the correct amount of planning and strong sense of how to accomplish your goals.

Long-term goals are more complicated, however, because you may have to figure in issues like family and career growth potential. It's fine to do something low-key right after transition but what about long-term? You need a career and in some cases, you'll have to move and/or support a family. These require goals that are more permanent and cannot be taken lightly. If it's important to plan for the short-term it's that much more crucial to think about what will happen to you and your family in the long run. . Questions to consider may include work for your spouse, surrounding economy in the city of interest, and even the growth potential with a company you might pursue work with. All of these considerations apply to long-term goals and should be decided in a thorough manner. The less you waver on this issue, the easier the transition back into civilian life.

Obviously, the more flexibility you have the easier it is to set long-term goals. But many people are not like that and have to consider other people, locations, and career options. The best way to make this as stress-free as possible is to not only plan what needs to be done directly after transition but what will happen to you and possibly your family in the next five to ten years. To make your life easier, planning ahead is important, necessary, and, if done efficiently, will make your life much easier.

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Transition Friendly Industries You Might Not Know About

12.13.11

If you have recently left the military and are hunting for a new career path, there are certain obvious industries that are likely to hire veterans of the armed forces. Security firms and government contractors are definitely some of the most obvious hiring industries but what about other, less obvious industries like communications and finance?

The good news is that no matter what your interests and skill-set are, all major industries are looking to recruit talented individuals. If you're interested in the communications field, all of the top cellular carriers are available for career pursuits. Similarly, entertainment industry actively participates in hiring retired military. Below is a quick list of top industries and some of the major companies that hire veterans.

• Finance
• Healthcare
• Phramaceuticals
• Information Technologies
• Retail
• Food and Beverage
• Insurance

The key to having a smooth, stress-free, switch from military to civilian life is planning. There are many industry options available for career-oriented veterans and with a solid plan and a strong work ethic, you can facilitate a settling transition into a civilian career.

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Great Jobs for Transitioning

12.13.11

Once you have decided that after your service in the military that you'd like to transition into civilian life, you have to decide on a career path. Transitioning isn't the easiest thing to do but with solid, goal-oriented planning, you can make it as smooth as possible. Once the decision has been made, then it's time to act and apply for the jobs that interest you most and that you're most qualified for. But what are these jobs?

The jobs available for transitioning military vary widely as nearly all major industries actively hire retired military personnel. The key is to figure out what it is that you really want to do now that you're out of the military.

The best jobs for transitions are the ones that utilize your military training and skill-set. Were you a mechanic in the Army, or an engineer? If so, then pursuing a job in that field will most likely be the best fit. Many engineering firms actively hire veterans for their specialized experience in aerospace, but they also are looking to fill positions such as quality assurance engineers, Business Development and Contracts Management.

The good news is that all major industries actively hire military personnel that are transitioning into civilian life. No matter what your skill-set is, there is definitely a job out there that will suit your talents. The trick is figuring it out and it's best to plan before the transitioning process begins.

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Prepare for Transition Before You Do It

12.13.11

So you've done your duty and served your country and now it's time to leave the military. What happens now? This is a common question for those transitioning from the military, and the process can be hectic. To reduce the stress of moving from one stage of life into another, it helps to be ready. Being prepared when you leave active duty is crucial to a smooth transition back into the civilian world. This requires some prior thought and planning as to what you'd like to do and where you see your life heading after service.

The first thing to do is to really think about what you'd like to do. This is the fun part of future planning because you haven't made any solid decisions or commitments. What did you want to be when you grew up? Perhaps you dreamed of being a doctor, or a fireman, or a chef. The sky is the limit during this pre-decision phase and it gives you the opportunity to really dream big about your future. Pay special attention to what you like to do in your off time and what kinds of skills you've acquired in the military. These can be very helpful when deciding what type of career you want to pursue next.

After narrowing your ideas down to a few career choices, do some research to determine how to go about accomplishing this goal. What does it take to be a landscape architect? Should you go back to school? Make some solid career goals and stick to them. Use the regimented skills the military teaches to your benefit by creating a timeline to stay on track and then go for it.

The military teaches you to be prepared for any and all types of situations and this is the perfect time to put that training into action. Transition from military to civilian life can be daunting. However, planning accordingly for life after the military will ease some of the stress of transition and allow for a more confident start to this new stage of your life.

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Why Your Training is Perfect for Civilian Work

10.14.11

Transitioning from military service to the civilian work can be difficult for many making the transition.  Approaching this transition with motivation and confidence is a must.  Luckily, military training has prepared you do manage time, work and stress and has made you a perfect fit for the civilian workforce.  Here are a few areas military training is perfect for civilian work.

• Motivation and Initiative – Military training focuses a lot of time on motivating individuals to take initiative on in their daily work.  Although military service can have more difficult and stressful every day work situations, being motivated in the civilian workforce will lead separate you from your peers and establish you as a hard-working, motivated individual in your company
• Leadership is a Must – Many times individuals transitioning into the civilian workforce find their daily lives lacking the obligations and requirements that were part of every-day work when working as a service member.  Civilian companies are always looking for quality leadership in their business.  The leadership qualities you developed in service have prepared you for success in the civilian world, so make the most of it.
• Stress Management – Your daily duties in military service we stressful and at times dangerous.  Although these experiences may have been less than ideal, they have prepared you for a positive transition to civilian work.  Although daily stresses involved in civilian work may not be physically dangerous as they were as a service member, they can be stressful in their own right.  Your military training has helped you adapt to working in stressful situations, so finding yourself stressed in civilian work will be nothing new to you.  You’re trained to handle it and should be able to adapt to any work environment you find yourself in.
• Highly Experienced Training – Military training is not only quality, but extremely comprehensive.  Due to the secure and structured form of training you received you’re able to handle instruction well, and will be set to transition into civilian work because of it.  Military training many times includes cross training or exposure to several areas of technical training for a given job.  The more you can show employers your value, the more they will want you to join their team. 

Your military training has been a long, hard and rewarding road.  Don’t leave your training behind when you find yourself transitioning into civilian work.  Using your comprehensive training and finely tuned skillset in your transition will not only minimize the stress of transition, it could lead you down a path of future success in whatever civilian work you find yourself in.

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Preparing Your Military Resume for Civilian Employment

09.14.11

It’s likely if you’re transitioning from military service to civilian work, that you’ll be bringing with you years of highly trained, experienced and accomplished work with you.  What makes transitioning difficult is that civilian employers many times don’t understand military experience and accomplishments and how they are beneficial to their company.  Having a resume that explains your work experience, training and accomplishments is must.  Here are a few simple ways to prepare your military resume for civilian companies.
Demilitarize
The structure and form you’ve used while in service doesn’t help companies understand you, your training and future goals.  Demilitarizing your resume is a must if you’re looking to have employers understand you.  It’s best to assume that the individual you’ll be interviewing with knows little or nothing about the military.  In doing so it’s important to minimize job titles, accomplishments, duties and training to more easily understood terms and descriptions.  It’s important that you help potential employers understand how your skills were developed and honed on the battlefield, and that those skills are applicable in the position you are applying for.  Translating your experiences into terms and explanations that relate to the civilian working world, workload, daily stress management and leadership qualities is a must.  Doing this could be the difference in success and failure in your civilian job hunt.  Help potential employers understand you and your experiences more clearly. 
Make Your Experiences Speak for You
It’s true that every military career has a story to tell.  So tell it.  Allow your work experience to speak for you and your potential to employers.  If you were responsible for a large number of soldiers, handled an entire office of technology equipment, or managed the maintenance of a wide variety of military vehicles explain how these responsibilities are applicable and beneficial to their company.  Civilian job recruiters want to hire well trained, experienced individuals as much as they want to hire someone with years of leadership experience.  Don’t minimize your accomplishments or experiences, show them off.  Recruiters are looking for potential in a number of areas, so make sure you’re comprehensive in you experiences. 
Be Clear with your Objectives
It’s important to be clear, concise and professional about your civilian work objectives.  Expressing long term interest in an industry or company shows employers you’re a long term investment for their company.  Recruiters want to hire committed individuals that will be faithful employees.  Being clear about your long term and short term career goals will help recruiters understand why you’re transitioning, what you’re looking for in the transition and what you will strive to be in the long term scope of your career with them.  Be honest about your goals.  Telling employers what you want to be will only help them understand the full benefit you will provide to their company.

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Top Headaches for Military to Civilian Transitions

09.10.11

Transitioning from military service to civilian employment isn’t easy.  Although it’s often a positive experience for those we work with, transitioning comes with its own, unavoidable headaches.  Here are a few of the top transition headaches you can expect when making the change.

• Demilitarizing Your Resume – It can be time consuming and frustrating but can be the deal breaker when transitioning to civilian work.  Be clear, concise and don’t assume they understand your military activity in the past. 
• Pace of Work – In most cases, the pace of military work is a constant.  There is little or no downtime, deadlines are deadlines, and when in the field can be a matter of life and death.  For many to transition the slower pace of work can be a welcome part of life.  For others that enjoy the higher pace of military work or have become accustomed to the constant, transition can be difficult.
• Atmosphere – Likely the most prominent difference in military and civilian work is the work atmosphere itself.  Some offices me allow for a less structured work day, promote teamwork based roles.  All of these differences can be difficult for those transitioning.
• Rules and Conduct – Military rules and conduct in the work place still follows military values and rules.  These rules are precise, structured and required.  Some civilian workplaces may be more flexible on rules and develop “understood” rules within the workplace. 

Knowing the differences in military and civilian work atmospheres, expectations and conduct could prevent you from experiencing some of the common frustrations many who transition feel.  If you are considering transitioning from military service to civilian employment let DefensePlacements help.  Contact us today. 

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