Posted on Mar 3, 2014
What information does someone who is fixing to retire really need before they hit the civilian world ?
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Based on my experience since I have retired I have realized that alot of my fellow soldiers are not really asking or doing the right things in order to succeed past retirement. This discusssion is for all who are fixing to retire, and want to succeed either in the civilian world, or want to try to GS world. There are alot of us here who have retired and have been through the trials and tribulations you are fixing to go through. We want to help. Ask your questions.
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Posted >1 y ago
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I retired in 2009, the biggest thing I wasn't prepared for was the culture shock. It's been my experience that civilians do not care about each other and will jump over each other to stab you in the back so they can look good for their superiors. All the things I was taught and valued in the Army, like taking responsibility, seeking responsibility, duty, even integrity and honesty mean very little to many I have worked with. Getting ahead in the civilian world can be very difficult as they view our leadership skills as inferior, although we know they are in fact superior. Many managers look down on the capabilities of us as they have never served themselves and do not understand what we are capable of. I have found it extremely difficult and frustrating to break that ideology. Once you begin to break through the culture shock, civilian life isn't all that bad.
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SGT Ben Keen
Great response!
The one thing I've seen effect those of you that choose to retire is you enter the work force with all these great skills and stuff but find it hard to find a job because you are "over qualified". I know when I go speak with different companies I try to tell them that while someone like yourself might be asking for the top-end of the pay scale for the job; there are so many skills you will bring from Day 1 that it will be worth every dollar. Like you said, there are soft-skills such as taking responsibility, that cannot be taught very easily.
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SFC Joseph Bosley
Couldn't agree with you more Ben. After 21 years in uniform and finishing a masters degree last year it's almost impossible to get a good job around here. Everyone is afraid to look at me because I'm more qualified than the person doing the hiring. It takes some finesse to tweak your resume so as to not immediately disqualify you for too much. The soft skills that I was taught over my military career transfer well, but getting people to understand just what they get when they hire a veteran is very difficult. Especially around here with the average pay scale at $10-$15 per hr.
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This type of thing goes beyond those of you that are retiring. Every service man and woman needs to ask the right questions, take the correct steps and complete certain tasks in order to ensure a successful transition out of the military, regardless if you did 4 years or 34 years of service.
Through my work as a Veteran Advocate here in the Pittsburgh area, I cannot tell you how many times I've tried to use the lessons I learned through my transition as an example to others making the same move. Questions ranging from how do I apply for my VA benefits to what do I wear to a job interview are all good questions to ask. The civilian world is obviously much different than the world you have lived in for the past few years or decades of your life.
The best advice I can give to any one looking to transition out is stay connected! Get involved and get to know the people in and around you. You will be surprised by how many other Veterans you come across on a daily basis. Don't bunker down and think you can go about it yourself. While you might be able to make a few good steps; it will be a lot easier if you are connected and able to talk to someone in your area that has transitioned out as well. Don't reinvent the wheel; take their advice and choose how to apply it within your situation. Some things may not apply to your situation but all advice is worth something.
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Great discussion topic. As NCOs, we need to network better prior to retirement in order to better prepare for the civilian sector. Officers do it very well, so should we.
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