Posted on Oct 2, 2019
How difficult is it for a retired officer to find meaningful employment? How can I translate my military career to catch an employer's eye?
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I announced my retirement after 32 1/2 years of service. The last assignment was too much for me, and I decided I can't continue anymore. To me, the Army now seems to be what it was before 9-11 hit.
My retirement physical starts on Monday morning, and Monday afternoon I meet with my PSNCO to complete my packet. If all goes well, I'll be out of the Army by December. When asked which particular day I wanted, I chose Christmas Eve to be the last official day. In-between, I will be relocating and looking into a civilian career. I've already reached out to Hire Heroes for assistance.
I have an anxiety disorder (now) plus an injury to my C6 vertebrae, and flat feet. My medical readiness officer thinks I might qualify for a 50%+ disability rating (all occurred while on AD). I hear all the nightmares about getting the VA to approve the claim, though, so I would like advice on how to navigate the process as smoothly as possible.
Regarding employment, how difficult is it for a retired Army LTC to find gainful, well-paying, meaningful employment? The Hire Heroes transition specialist talked about an executive-level position, but I don't know that I want another headache equivalent to what I've just been through. He suggested maybe a position with a nonprofit organization. What advice can anyone offer as far as translating my military career into a resume' that will catch a civilian employer's eye?
And what other lessons learned can all of you offer that would benefit my transition? Thanks in advance for your responses.
My retirement physical starts on Monday morning, and Monday afternoon I meet with my PSNCO to complete my packet. If all goes well, I'll be out of the Army by December. When asked which particular day I wanted, I chose Christmas Eve to be the last official day. In-between, I will be relocating and looking into a civilian career. I've already reached out to Hire Heroes for assistance.
I have an anxiety disorder (now) plus an injury to my C6 vertebrae, and flat feet. My medical readiness officer thinks I might qualify for a 50%+ disability rating (all occurred while on AD). I hear all the nightmares about getting the VA to approve the claim, though, so I would like advice on how to navigate the process as smoothly as possible.
Regarding employment, how difficult is it for a retired Army LTC to find gainful, well-paying, meaningful employment? The Hire Heroes transition specialist talked about an executive-level position, but I don't know that I want another headache equivalent to what I've just been through. He suggested maybe a position with a nonprofit organization. What advice can anyone offer as far as translating my military career into a resume' that will catch a civilian employer's eye?
And what other lessons learned can all of you offer that would benefit my transition? Thanks in advance for your responses.
Retirement
Employment
Transition
Benefits
Medical
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 23
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LTC (Join to see) so are you retiring with 32 years of AD or a combination of reserve and active time? Knowing what your start point will Be for retirement would help me provide advice. Been a Blue Card Club member since 2016. If you have 32years active for retired pay and will see retirement on day one as opposed to waiting until 65 is pretty liberating on career choosing. My dumb guy math, 80% of base pay is pretty damn good. Especially if you get 50% of the $2700 for VA.
Determining you are "done" is the first major step. I would advise you to put together an Army JRoTC packet and get certified even if you don't want to do it now. I didn't either, now that it's too late for me, I'd like to have that in my pocket. You can't beat the package, calendar, and the work. You have three years of retirement to get hired by a school district. Regrettably you need to meet HT/WT and or tape for this packet along with a DA photo. Rip off the band aid now. Get your file in at cadet command.
Get a VSO like DAV to help with your disability claim. 30% is the magic number to see any benefits. Get a sleep study before you retire. Sleep apnea, we all have it, can be 50% by itself. If it's in your records, they will not make it too hard. I know people tell the horror stories. Mine was fairly painless. I could fight for more, but I'm good right now. It's not about what hurts, it's about what you can no longer do, challenges to employment, whether you are medicated/use a medical device for the rest of your life, and trouble caring for your self. 100% is like $2700 a month.
With your retirement inside the 50m range, you can't really game your financial posture and leave situation. You got what you got.
Resumes and CVs. You will spend lots of time crafting customized resumes for each job. Build a long CV for each job you had. Civilianize your job descriptions from OERs. Write a lengthy list of accomplishments in STaR format. Use this as a pick and pull for customized resumes.
Make contact with 6-7 bosses and get contact information for references. Employers will want two supervisors and one personal at a minimum. Stay in touch even when you don't need anything. Join LinkedIn. See if there is a veterans organization locally that does transition networking. We have a local VSO here in Colorado Springs that has mixers with HR and business leaders where you have a beer and network. Join USO360. They should be floating around SFL TAP....which you need to use the hell out of, not just for the 5 day minimum DOL part.
You will spend lots of time looking for and mulling over jobs, simply to see if you wish to apply. I was all consumed about getting "the" job. I thought I wanted to continue from a supervisory and leadership perspective where I left off. With 22+ years I was a former Garrison Commander and a BDE DCO at retirement. I was sorely mistaken. I was a Director of Facilities. Budgets in civilian life were a nightmare. I was miserable, fighting for my existence every day with little to no backup. After two years I cashed out. My wife got her career going again. I took a year off.
You'll have to cross the rubicon and have to figure out what you want to do, changing career field is hard. Your first post Army job will make you a one of these or one of those and cast your lot on a field. It takes momentum and energy to change fields. I had always wanted to teach at the college level. Unfortunately two masters where I live won't get you hired. I had no network nor teaching experience, three strikes. I didn't have a significant publication since 1999. My Phd is still far away. I applied and applied. One interview from 100s of applications. All of them, a significant time investment with NO success. I joined a VSO, the Scottish American Military Society. My post commander LTC John Russell was retired after ODS and then retired from Denver Schools after 25 years. He was a great mentor and resource. He finally convinced me to look at Troop to teachers and be a HS teacher. I applied for a few teaching jobs without a credential....this is the absolute hard way to do this. Get the financial benefits from earning a credential immediately after retirement if you are interested. I was recently hired in a CTE position and I am really liking it, even though I was convinced I wouldn't. I have an initial credential that will be final after two years, OJT and some continuing ed requirements.
Contractor jobs. Here is what I learned. All the BS schools and certs everyone hates and avoids are what will get you hired fast. CPOF, GCSS-A, security credentials, AT Level III, clearance, BCS in general etc. Bam, hired. If they let you get anything before you retire, take it. It's very regional. Where I live it's all Space all the time. I should have pushed to get my Space Badge...I'd be working there right at it now without a doubt for good money and not a ton of respeonsibility.
Determining you are "done" is the first major step. I would advise you to put together an Army JRoTC packet and get certified even if you don't want to do it now. I didn't either, now that it's too late for me, I'd like to have that in my pocket. You can't beat the package, calendar, and the work. You have three years of retirement to get hired by a school district. Regrettably you need to meet HT/WT and or tape for this packet along with a DA photo. Rip off the band aid now. Get your file in at cadet command.
Get a VSO like DAV to help with your disability claim. 30% is the magic number to see any benefits. Get a sleep study before you retire. Sleep apnea, we all have it, can be 50% by itself. If it's in your records, they will not make it too hard. I know people tell the horror stories. Mine was fairly painless. I could fight for more, but I'm good right now. It's not about what hurts, it's about what you can no longer do, challenges to employment, whether you are medicated/use a medical device for the rest of your life, and trouble caring for your self. 100% is like $2700 a month.
With your retirement inside the 50m range, you can't really game your financial posture and leave situation. You got what you got.
Resumes and CVs. You will spend lots of time crafting customized resumes for each job. Build a long CV for each job you had. Civilianize your job descriptions from OERs. Write a lengthy list of accomplishments in STaR format. Use this as a pick and pull for customized resumes.
Make contact with 6-7 bosses and get contact information for references. Employers will want two supervisors and one personal at a minimum. Stay in touch even when you don't need anything. Join LinkedIn. See if there is a veterans organization locally that does transition networking. We have a local VSO here in Colorado Springs that has mixers with HR and business leaders where you have a beer and network. Join USO360. They should be floating around SFL TAP....which you need to use the hell out of, not just for the 5 day minimum DOL part.
You will spend lots of time looking for and mulling over jobs, simply to see if you wish to apply. I was all consumed about getting "the" job. I thought I wanted to continue from a supervisory and leadership perspective where I left off. With 22+ years I was a former Garrison Commander and a BDE DCO at retirement. I was sorely mistaken. I was a Director of Facilities. Budgets in civilian life were a nightmare. I was miserable, fighting for my existence every day with little to no backup. After two years I cashed out. My wife got her career going again. I took a year off.
You'll have to cross the rubicon and have to figure out what you want to do, changing career field is hard. Your first post Army job will make you a one of these or one of those and cast your lot on a field. It takes momentum and energy to change fields. I had always wanted to teach at the college level. Unfortunately two masters where I live won't get you hired. I had no network nor teaching experience, three strikes. I didn't have a significant publication since 1999. My Phd is still far away. I applied and applied. One interview from 100s of applications. All of them, a significant time investment with NO success. I joined a VSO, the Scottish American Military Society. My post commander LTC John Russell was retired after ODS and then retired from Denver Schools after 25 years. He was a great mentor and resource. He finally convinced me to look at Troop to teachers and be a HS teacher. I applied for a few teaching jobs without a credential....this is the absolute hard way to do this. Get the financial benefits from earning a credential immediately after retirement if you are interested. I was recently hired in a CTE position and I am really liking it, even though I was convinced I wouldn't. I have an initial credential that will be final after two years, OJT and some continuing ed requirements.
Contractor jobs. Here is what I learned. All the BS schools and certs everyone hates and avoids are what will get you hired fast. CPOF, GCSS-A, security credentials, AT Level III, clearance, BCS in general etc. Bam, hired. If they let you get anything before you retire, take it. It's very regional. Where I live it's all Space all the time. I should have pushed to get my Space Badge...I'd be working there right at it now without a doubt for good money and not a ton of respeonsibility.
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LTC Jason Mackay
COL David Turk - my rate was a little dated. When I went through the VA Disability process it was a percentage of the disability rate.. When they talk percentages. It isn't based on your paygrade. It's based on a standard amount, at the time it was $2700. It's up to about $3000 now depending on which line you fall under. https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/resources_comp01.asp
Veterans Compensation Benefits Rate Tables - Effective 12/1/18 - Compensation
Index of current and historical compensation and pension rate tables
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COL David Turk
LTC Jason Mackay - are you’re sure you’re talking about VA rating rather than medical (DOD) rating? For example a 50% VA disability rating does not get half the monthly payment of a 100% VA disability rating.
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LTC Jason Mackay
COL David Turk - I'm talking about the VA Disability Rating. I am not talking about the DOD awarded disability, which tends to be abysmal and a lesser included case.
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CW4 Craig Urban
I am not disabled but my 26 years of active duty, 18 years as a GS12 and social security gives me a healthy check. Plus I live in Thailand. I was diagnosed as bein.g BI Polar and will file soon
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Sir,
If you have not made it to SFL-TAP, make the call ASAP! This is imperative to a good transition. Based on your rank, ask for the executive session, and you will be well informed as well as having a functional resume. Best of luck on your retirement.
If you have not made it to SFL-TAP, make the call ASAP! This is imperative to a good transition. Based on your rank, ask for the executive session, and you will be well informed as well as having a functional resume. Best of luck on your retirement.
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LTC Jason Mackay
LTC (Join to see) - make sure you look at not only the supplemental classes for small business, college track, and government service, but many SFL TAPS offer mock interviews, network events etc. also you can cont Nude to use SFL TAP as an alumni. So say you move from from where you are now to a new area, you can use a nearby bases SFL TAP or service equivalent. There is a lot of value here depending on what you want to do.
Also hear out Troops to Teachers. I believe they might even have a stipend whilemyou credential if you do it with in 3 years of ETS.
Also hear out Troops to Teachers. I believe they might even have a stipend whilemyou credential if you do it with in 3 years of ETS.
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This goes for those that ‘getting out’ is far in the future - from Day 1!
For best case timing on VA claims, get copies of EVERYTHING medical you possibly can BEFORE you get out. Clinic visits, prescriptions, LODs, temporary profiles, etc., etc. A lot of time is wasted by many afterwards trying to get copies of medical info into the hands of the VA-rating personnel. Do NOT downplay or sign off on being good-to-go just to expedite your departure... they can and will use it against you. Even if something isn’t currently causing a tangible impact, but did - state it. You may get a 0% rating now, but if it comes back or acts up in the future it’s already documented as service connected. Best wishes!
For best case timing on VA claims, get copies of EVERYTHING medical you possibly can BEFORE you get out. Clinic visits, prescriptions, LODs, temporary profiles, etc., etc. A lot of time is wasted by many afterwards trying to get copies of medical info into the hands of the VA-rating personnel. Do NOT downplay or sign off on being good-to-go just to expedite your departure... they can and will use it against you. Even if something isn’t currently causing a tangible impact, but did - state it. You may get a 0% rating now, but if it comes back or acts up in the future it’s already documented as service connected. Best wishes!
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LTC (Join to see)
Retirement physical starts Monday. All of the conditions were recorded while on AD. I SHOULD be okay, but I'll work with the provider and my medical readiness officer to ensure I have everything I need. However, she informs me that an anxiety diagnosis prevents me from owning a firearm for protection. I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.
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