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Had a great weekend getting out and talking to Veterans during Pittsburgh's Veterans Day Parade and activities held downtown. It is always great to get out and talk with Veterans from all eras which is why I love this time of year.
Anyways, I was speaking with a gentleman who served during the late 80s and early 90s. We quickly got talking about our individual transitions and this man's story was amazing and totally worth the time I spent talking with him. Part of our discussion was on transition and the fears we had as we looked at getting a new job and dealing with the civilian side of things. I told him my biggest fear was finding a job that would provide me with the wages needed to take care of my two kids. He said his fear was knowing what to say and how to say it when it came to interviews. I expressed my thoughts on that and we both agreed that the list can go on and on.
As a Veteran trying to help other Veterans with their post service employment, that discussion got me thinking. What else is on that list? Maybe people are fearful of deciding what to wear, or how to act or how to start the conversation with HR recruiters. Maybe others are fearful of writing that resume in an effective manner or not being able to shake the military jargon. So like always, when I have a question like this, I turn to RallyPoint and the awesome members we have here.
So what say you RallyPoint, what are/were some of your fears when transitioning into civilian employment?
Anyways, I was speaking with a gentleman who served during the late 80s and early 90s. We quickly got talking about our individual transitions and this man's story was amazing and totally worth the time I spent talking with him. Part of our discussion was on transition and the fears we had as we looked at getting a new job and dealing with the civilian side of things. I told him my biggest fear was finding a job that would provide me with the wages needed to take care of my two kids. He said his fear was knowing what to say and how to say it when it came to interviews. I expressed my thoughts on that and we both agreed that the list can go on and on.
As a Veteran trying to help other Veterans with their post service employment, that discussion got me thinking. What else is on that list? Maybe people are fearful of deciding what to wear, or how to act or how to start the conversation with HR recruiters. Maybe others are fearful of writing that resume in an effective manner or not being able to shake the military jargon. So like always, when I have a question like this, I turn to RallyPoint and the awesome members we have here.
So what say you RallyPoint, what are/were some of your fears when transitioning into civilian employment?
Posted in these groups: 
Transition
Employment
Transition Employment
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 17
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SGT Ben Keen it was could I succeed in the civilian world with my current skills. With proper preparation e.g, degree and technical skills I succeeded. It's a mind blowing experience, but you have to take one day at a time.
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SGT Ben Keen
Well said SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL. I would say that Veterans need to look at it as a marathon...with hurdles. Each of these fears is a hurdle along the race and your success is based on your ability to jump over them.
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Great story Ben. I've learned that part of the challenge of transitioning from a military job to a civilian one is technical - how does experience as an airborne armor crewman in the 82nd translate into this job for instance - to cultural - can do attitude, get the job done at all costs, military humor, etc. We quickly find out the hard way that neither our technical skills nor our cultural fit is right for most jobs. Despite the slaps on our back thanking us for our service, we don't get the job. The problem is most of us realize these issues too late. It happened to me.
However, there's another way that too many of us don't explore earlier. Owning your own business or being an independent contractor are two alternatives to working for the man. These paths are quickly dismissed by many of us because we think you need a lot of money to start a job, don't know enough about business, or we don't understand the pros and cons enough to make an informed decision. Actually, military service - the ability to make decisions under pressure, get the job done with limited resources, lead others, etc. give us GREAT raw material to be successful on our own. In fact, 9% of the small businesses in this country are owned by veterans, even though only 1% of us serve. Check out VetToCEO.org (free) if you want to explore the idea for yourself. No gimmick - vets helping vets. If not VetToCEO there is a ton of resource out there to help vets explore entrepreneurship.
However, there's another way that too many of us don't explore earlier. Owning your own business or being an independent contractor are two alternatives to working for the man. These paths are quickly dismissed by many of us because we think you need a lot of money to start a job, don't know enough about business, or we don't understand the pros and cons enough to make an informed decision. Actually, military service - the ability to make decisions under pressure, get the job done with limited resources, lead others, etc. give us GREAT raw material to be successful on our own. In fact, 9% of the small businesses in this country are owned by veterans, even though only 1% of us serve. Check out VetToCEO.org (free) if you want to explore the idea for yourself. No gimmick - vets helping vets. If not VetToCEO there is a ton of resource out there to help vets explore entrepreneurship.
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SGT Brian Richardson
I help vets with entrepreneurship. If anyone has specific questions, I'd be happy to help. It can be difficult, but doing a lot of leg work BEFORE opening for business is key. For people looking to transition...start now. Don't wait till you are 30-90 days out. There is a lot of work you can put into a business plan at an early stage.
http://www.VetLaunched.com
http://www.VetLaunched.com
How to start a business for Veterans | VetLaunched.com
VetLaunched.com is a place where veterans can get access to start-up content and tools to create, build and grow their businesses.
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PO2 Robert Cuminale
I got out during a recession but didn't lose the job I went back to right away. Having skills in telecommunications I just took an old Chevette I owned but wasn't using because I had a company vehicle and went to work. I'd borrowed $1000 from myself and paid it back the next month. I went cold calling my old assigned accounts and just walked through office buildings passing out business cards and slicks I'd made up. My admin work in the military work and NCO experience was a big help.
By the time I retired 30 years later I'd grown to six techs ( I didn't want to get any bigger) and retired with a sizable amount of investments we live live on now.
One thing I did was keep my "C" corporation status which I found to be better than the "S" corps. Today it seems the CPAs aren't really advising people of all their options.
You'll get used to some of the terribly immature people you hire and fire. And the "customers" who think doing business is all one way to their advantage. You actually get to feel instinctively when to walk away because you tire of dealing with jerks.
By the time I retired 30 years later I'd grown to six techs ( I didn't want to get any bigger) and retired with a sizable amount of investments we live live on now.
One thing I did was keep my "C" corporation status which I found to be better than the "S" corps. Today it seems the CPAs aren't really advising people of all their options.
You'll get used to some of the terribly immature people you hire and fire. And the "customers" who think doing business is all one way to their advantage. You actually get to feel instinctively when to walk away because you tire of dealing with jerks.
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MAJ Michael Horn
It's fear of the unknown Ben. We need to overcome and minimize that fear. Just like in any mission, we need to understand our goal and move toward accomplishment. I agree with John that owning your own business is a great option that every veteran should consider and pursue. There is plenty of help out there for us to pursue the goal of owning our own business. If I can do it, then so can anyone else. The Army teaches lots of skills that directly relate to business ownership. John mentions an excellent free program (VetToCEO.org) that's available to help transitioning military and veterans achieve that goal of business ownership.
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