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After completing over 20 years in the Army, I thought finding a civilian sector job would be a piece of cake. I had leadership and training experience and I could make difficult decisions in very stressful situations without batting an eye. I live by the values I learned in the military. What employer wouldn't want these traits in his/her company? They all say they want to hire Veterans because we bring these intangibles. I led and trained hundreds of troops, so how hard could job searching be? Tough…tougher than anything I had ever done.
The Army trains to prepare you for a myriad of situations you may find yourself in. But when you leave the military, you leave that support group that you had grown accustomed to. You are on your own and it's the most frightening feeling you can have.
I was getting really anxious after 4 months of searching! So much so that when I finally got a job offer as a satellite TV installer, I jumped right on it! I didn't care that I was over 40 with a bad back, arthritic knees (the military is tough on a person), and I'd be installing satellite dishes in the middle of North Dakota winters. I just wanted a job and a chance to prove myself. I would have worked through the pain and been the most dedicated satellite installer in the company! I took some painkillers and pushed myself through the physical and occupational test. I steeled myself for the upcoming training and winter! Luckily for me, I found another job and was hired before I had to sacrifice my body to these installations.
I felt your frustrations. In some ways, I still feel it. More of my life was spent in the military than being a civilian. There are days when I wish I would've pulled my retirement packet and lingered in the Army until mandatory retirement. I still struggle with assimilating but it gets better every day.
If you are still searching and considering relocating, North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate and the fastest growing economy in the nation. There are always 25,000 jobs to be filled, and they are not all oil or energy related. Fargo has a very robust and diverse economy.
If you have time, you can visit: http://www.experience.nd.gov/live/ to learn more or give me a shout. Best of luck!
The Army trains to prepare you for a myriad of situations you may find yourself in. But when you leave the military, you leave that support group that you had grown accustomed to. You are on your own and it's the most frightening feeling you can have.
I was getting really anxious after 4 months of searching! So much so that when I finally got a job offer as a satellite TV installer, I jumped right on it! I didn't care that I was over 40 with a bad back, arthritic knees (the military is tough on a person), and I'd be installing satellite dishes in the middle of North Dakota winters. I just wanted a job and a chance to prove myself. I would have worked through the pain and been the most dedicated satellite installer in the company! I took some painkillers and pushed myself through the physical and occupational test. I steeled myself for the upcoming training and winter! Luckily for me, I found another job and was hired before I had to sacrifice my body to these installations.
I felt your frustrations. In some ways, I still feel it. More of my life was spent in the military than being a civilian. There are days when I wish I would've pulled my retirement packet and lingered in the Army until mandatory retirement. I still struggle with assimilating but it gets better every day.
If you are still searching and considering relocating, North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate and the fastest growing economy in the nation. There are always 25,000 jobs to be filled, and they are not all oil or energy related. Fargo has a very robust and diverse economy.
If you have time, you can visit: http://www.experience.nd.gov/live/ to learn more or give me a shout. Best of luck!
Posted in these groups: 
Employment
Command Post
Employment Command Post
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 13
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Just some info for you. Amazon hires a lot of veterans. On just my shift in maintenance there are 4/9 vets. Our department head is a vet, and my direct supervisor is a veteran.
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I had to dumb down my resume and remove all references to military before I even got call backs....no one wants to hire a retiree......they wan the young veterans.
In the civilian world retiree are a threat for many reasons the least of which is the leadership abilities that top-three have in all services....no one wants to hire someone who can replace them. Also they are afraid that since you have a retirement check you will leave at the first sign of problems.
In the civilian world retiree are a threat for many reasons the least of which is the leadership abilities that top-three have in all services....no one wants to hire someone who can replace them. Also they are afraid that since you have a retirement check you will leave at the first sign of problems.
Suspended Profile
MCPO Darryl Yoes - you are assuming that everyone wants to work in the corporate world. In the real world no one will hire someone who they think can do the job better than them........it's called job security. We have both had legitimate life experience that have lead us to our assertions neither of which is wrong they just differ. Will end by saying I agree to disagree with you before you even respond to this comment...God Bless.
Suspended Profile
SMSgt Tim Bennett - If you know where you are retiring to start the search now.....it's never to early. Part of my problem was we did not decide where were moving until literally 6 months before I got out so put a damper on the job hunt as well.
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If found that two things are crucial, the first is getting away from military bases where you can hire guys at 40k a year. Second is networking with a fellow retiree in the civilian community. Preferably a person that can help you translate your skills into civilian speak and bureaucracy.
I was hired by a top level high school (Magnet & International Baccalaureate) after interviewing with a fellow retiree.
I was hired by a top level high school (Magnet & International Baccalaureate) after interviewing with a fellow retiree.
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