What are the Top Five Things you need to do to prepare for leaving the military?

When I retired from the military near the end of 2011, I thought I had everything well in hand: my resume was updated, I was working on my MBA, I had prepared my medical records for any VA claims, I had gone through the transition briefings twice...I was ready to meet the new world. "Any day now the phone will ring and we will be putting away my retirement, not living on it." Or so I thought.<br><br>Unless you plan on sitting at home after retirement (or ETS), you need to prepare yourself for Life After the Military. Let me recommend five things you need to be proactive with prior to your last day in uniform. These are not necessarily in order of importance, although #1 probably is the first thing to consider.<br><br>1) Know (or have a pretty good idea) what you want to do after you leave the military. In fact, know far enough in advance that if what you want to do requires a degree, certificate, or other special training/education, you have the time to complete that training. Take advantage of opportunities to let Uncle Sam pay the bill too; it's a benefit you've earned - use it. Retirement/ETS planning really should begin about 4-5 years out with some initial goal setting and brainstorming about life after the military. And for those only doing 4 years and getting out, you might want to think of a good "exit" plan before going in. Your plans "after the military" might have an impact on what you do while in the military (i.e. MOS, duty station, etc.).<br><br>2) Prepare yourself financially. Again, the time needed to do this is all dependent on your individual situation. Pay off debt. Put off those big purchases until you KNOW your income situation is stable. That $50,000+ job that you are certain you will get may not come through as soon as you think. Make sure if you are out of work for a while (0-6 mos) that you can make it. Otherwise you put yourself in a bind and desperate people NEVER make good decisions.<br><br>3) Get your records together. DD214's, Training, Awards and Certificates. And of course, Medical. Those medical records could be worth thousands of dollars to you and your family. Verification of skills and competencies could be the difference between being a team member at $10/hr or a team leader at $20/hr.<br><br>4) Okay, this is actually #4 and #5 because it is VITALLY IMPORTANT: Network, Network, Network! "It's not WHAT you know, but WHO you know." No truer words have ever been spoken. And it's not just who you know, but who you know that has hiring authority or can put you in touch with someone who has hiring authority. Everybody tells you, "Hey call me or send me a resume when you get out." And they're sincere about it. The problem is that most people are not in a position to give you a job. They are still helpful, don't get me wrong; but have realistic expectations about what your friends can do for you and have a plan to find out how to meet the people that can actually give you a job.<br><br>Hope this helps! <br>