Posted on Feb 8, 2017
Transitioning from Military to Civilian: Skills You Bring & Skills You Need
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As a former Marine Corps captain with service in Vietnam, I’ve transitioned into civilian life during a time when military service wasn’t as appreciated as it is today. In the mid 70’s, things were pretty tough for veterans, so I ended up applying to 85 companies. Veterans were often blamed for war back then; they weren’t seen as heroes with exceptional leadership and life experiences like they often are today. Despite the shift in public perception of veterans, the transition from military service still isn’t an easy one today. I’ve been helping veterans transition since the 1991 Gulf War and, though I’ve reworked some advice, I’ve shared the following with countless veterans since then.
If you are currently serving or have recently left service in search of a civilian career, you should know there are many skills you have already learned throughout your career that will be great assets as you transition to the civilian sector. Some of these you may already be well-aware of while others may seem so obvious that you don’t view them as tangible skills. Still, there are many you may not already have but should be looking to refine as you prepare for your next role.
Here are some skills that you already bring to the table as you start your civilian career:
Multi-tasking
In the military, you were always expected to handle a myriad of different assignments and duties. There were very few times where you weren’t juggling a handful of tasks at the same time. This became routine for you, as you became more and more proficient at multi-tasking.
Ethics and an Ethical Basis for Actions
As service members, we swear to live by a code of ethics, and always have an ethical basis for our actions. This is a very valuable asset, as I’ve found most civilians don’t naturally align by a similar code.
Ability to Deal with Stress, in You and Others Around You
Service members are team players, not solo performers. We know that we each hold tremendous responsibility, as do all of those working around us. Because this is a constant in our military careers, we all are generally able to efficiently manage and deal with the pressure and stress placed upon ourselves and our counterparts.
Ability to Prioritize – To Separate Critical from Non-Critical Tasks
Members of the US military constantly have tasks to complete, but skill at multi-tasking isn’t helpful if you choose the wrong tasks to perform.We must know how to prioritize so that critical tasks are always completed in order to support the greater mission. This is a skill that is often lacking in the civilian workforce, especially under stressful situations and comes as a great advantage for veterans.
Leadership Experiences, Building Unit Accomplishment Versus Individual
Leadership is more commonly discussed and coached in the military than probably any other organization in the United States. Early on, we learn that all accomplishments are unit successes, not individual ones. We also learn that the rank we earn is best used to gain resources and empower our subordinates, rather than just a stepping stone to the next rank at the expense of our employees.
Ability to Deal with Complexity in Corporate Organization
Military units are part of the government, so naturally they are complex, matrixed, and often leave you reporting to multiple bosses. This comfort with complex reporting channels is valuable, particularly if you seek to work within a large civilian company or to do business with them.
Ability to Work Long Hours Without Loss of Efficiency
I’ve often been told by civilians that they can’t comprehend what it was like to serve in war. Before I did it, like you, I really couldn’t have known what to expect either. When challenges come our way in the military, we’ve been trained to deflect incoming rounds while still pursuing our mission even after long hours. Even if you are not the most senior person in a group when you join a company, you can demonstrate your aptitude for leadership (and perhaps earn your next leadership role) by making it clear that you’re willing to roll up your sleeves when others are trying to punch out for the day.
Quick Reaction Capability
In the military, things don’t typically go as planned. When bad things happen in civilian life, your experience in making decisions that mitigate damages during bad situations can save your company profits and help you demonstrate why you are the right person for the job.
Administrative Skills
No one in the military can avoid paperwork. Although we may not all enjoy this part of our military training, this is an incredible skill to have for any civilian job. We are trained to pay attention to detail take notes and have exceptional organization skills. These are incredible assets in the civilian world.
Overall, you bring an incredible amount of experience and skill to the table - whether you realize it or not. Knowing that, the next big question you need to answer for yourself is: how will you make these skills known and put them to use?
With the skills you already have, there are many skills that you may still need to refine in order to succeed in civilian life. Here are four of the most valuable skills you may want to refine while transitioning:
Interviewing, Hiring, Firing
In the military, we can’t always control the personnel machine, for ourselves or the people that report to us. These core components to job placements in civilian life are much more complex when you don’t have a massive human resources command identifying and moving people around to open jobs. The process of interviewing and hiring potential candidates to fill a specific role is often incredibly time-consuming and difficult. You must be able to evaluate individuals based on past experience, as well as future potential. With that, you must also be able to gauge whether or not they will assimilate to the culture of your company or team. It’s not an easy task, and neither is firing an individual when they are not meeting standards. Especially if you have P&L responsibility in civilian life, you realize how important a bottom line is to maintain to keep the lights on when that’s never really been a concern in the military. If talent doesn’t perform, you need to counsel/coach them, document shortfalls and ultimately terminate them if they are not meeting standards The more experience you can get interviewing, hiring, and firing smartly, the stronger your skill set will be.
Understanding “Making Payroll” in a Company
In the civilian workforce, “making payroll” is a common phrase that refers to making enough money to pay your employees. Unlike the military, where the government determines budgets based on expected needs, private sector companies are restricted to hiring only as many employees as their revenues can support. It’s important to understand that private sector companies hire you to fulfill a need that is worth considerably more than your salary to them. Understand that you are being hired to perform something of value - something someone else (a customer or client) should be willing to pay for.
Detecting “Hidden Agendas”
For the most part during our military careers, things are pretty straightforward and clear. People are candid and honorable, and you know how things are supposed to work. Unfortunately, during your civilian career, you’ll quickly realize that many people like to “play politics” and try to leverage situations for personal gain. As you progress and observe more, you’ll get better at detecting these “hidden agendas” so you’ll be able to identify what people are really after, and whether or not you can take someone at their spoken word.
Dealing with New Corporate Cultures
In general, if you were a Marine, a pilot, a tanker or a submariner, you generally worked in a similarly-minded culture throughout your military career. When you get into civilian life, you may find very different cultures if you were to work in the same role in different industries. It’s important to identify the norms of the culture you are joining and establish yourself as an individual performer, but in a way that is very much seen as a team player in that new culture.
Now that you can identify your strong skills, as well as those skills you’ll still need to learn in the civilian workforce, I’ll leave you with a few final tips for your job search as you begin your civilian career:
● Danger points – When a civilian looks at your resume, they may think it’s a sign of poor performance that you change jobs every three years. You may also find yourself being older than the person you are going to be working beneath. Be prepared to deal with or address these issues if necessary.
● The most important thing is to get a job in a company you like, even if it’s not the job you want so that you can get experience and can prove your capabilities. Also important to get “line” (revenue, profit) responsibility early.
● Military people have difficulty selling themselves - they wear their achievements with ribbons on their chests and referring to their experience. Learn how to sell yourself and your achievements to people who don’t understand anything about your military career.
● You should expect some rejection and expect people to not value your military experience. Our society now has only approximately 1 in 25 people with military service experience. Keep that in mind, and keep moving forward.
● Military people have difficulty asking for things such as business and career development. Work on overcoming that so that you can progress in your professional career.
● Figure out a new balance. The military is not a job, but a way of life. On the other side, people in industry and business tend to balance their definition of “life” between family, jobs, and outside interests.
● Success is directly related to your ability to give clear instructions; follow up and take responsibility for your actions. This is no different than early military training.
● Don’t feel bad about leaving the military “early”. Academy graduates especially may experience guilt or have guilt put upon them. Make the best decisions for your life.
● Bigger companies may appreciate your leadership experiences best and these companies have processes (HR, career development, planning, etc.) similar to the military.
-----
I was proud to serve in the Marines in Vietnam, and I believed in our mission. I later went on to a 35-year career in the financial sector, including positions as the chief executive of a Fortune 500 company and the chair of the New York Stock Exchange Group. But I never felt I had as much responsibility as being the commander of the 224 Marines of C Company, who put their faith in my leadership abilities, and entrusted me with their lives.
If you are currently serving or have recently left service in search of a civilian career, you should know there are many skills you have already learned throughout your career that will be great assets as you transition to the civilian sector. Some of these you may already be well-aware of while others may seem so obvious that you don’t view them as tangible skills. Still, there are many you may not already have but should be looking to refine as you prepare for your next role.
Here are some skills that you already bring to the table as you start your civilian career:
Multi-tasking
In the military, you were always expected to handle a myriad of different assignments and duties. There were very few times where you weren’t juggling a handful of tasks at the same time. This became routine for you, as you became more and more proficient at multi-tasking.
Ethics and an Ethical Basis for Actions
As service members, we swear to live by a code of ethics, and always have an ethical basis for our actions. This is a very valuable asset, as I’ve found most civilians don’t naturally align by a similar code.
Ability to Deal with Stress, in You and Others Around You
Service members are team players, not solo performers. We know that we each hold tremendous responsibility, as do all of those working around us. Because this is a constant in our military careers, we all are generally able to efficiently manage and deal with the pressure and stress placed upon ourselves and our counterparts.
Ability to Prioritize – To Separate Critical from Non-Critical Tasks
Members of the US military constantly have tasks to complete, but skill at multi-tasking isn’t helpful if you choose the wrong tasks to perform.We must know how to prioritize so that critical tasks are always completed in order to support the greater mission. This is a skill that is often lacking in the civilian workforce, especially under stressful situations and comes as a great advantage for veterans.
Leadership Experiences, Building Unit Accomplishment Versus Individual
Leadership is more commonly discussed and coached in the military than probably any other organization in the United States. Early on, we learn that all accomplishments are unit successes, not individual ones. We also learn that the rank we earn is best used to gain resources and empower our subordinates, rather than just a stepping stone to the next rank at the expense of our employees.
Ability to Deal with Complexity in Corporate Organization
Military units are part of the government, so naturally they are complex, matrixed, and often leave you reporting to multiple bosses. This comfort with complex reporting channels is valuable, particularly if you seek to work within a large civilian company or to do business with them.
Ability to Work Long Hours Without Loss of Efficiency
I’ve often been told by civilians that they can’t comprehend what it was like to serve in war. Before I did it, like you, I really couldn’t have known what to expect either. When challenges come our way in the military, we’ve been trained to deflect incoming rounds while still pursuing our mission even after long hours. Even if you are not the most senior person in a group when you join a company, you can demonstrate your aptitude for leadership (and perhaps earn your next leadership role) by making it clear that you’re willing to roll up your sleeves when others are trying to punch out for the day.
Quick Reaction Capability
In the military, things don’t typically go as planned. When bad things happen in civilian life, your experience in making decisions that mitigate damages during bad situations can save your company profits and help you demonstrate why you are the right person for the job.
Administrative Skills
No one in the military can avoid paperwork. Although we may not all enjoy this part of our military training, this is an incredible skill to have for any civilian job. We are trained to pay attention to detail take notes and have exceptional organization skills. These are incredible assets in the civilian world.
Overall, you bring an incredible amount of experience and skill to the table - whether you realize it or not. Knowing that, the next big question you need to answer for yourself is: how will you make these skills known and put them to use?
With the skills you already have, there are many skills that you may still need to refine in order to succeed in civilian life. Here are four of the most valuable skills you may want to refine while transitioning:
Interviewing, Hiring, Firing
In the military, we can’t always control the personnel machine, for ourselves or the people that report to us. These core components to job placements in civilian life are much more complex when you don’t have a massive human resources command identifying and moving people around to open jobs. The process of interviewing and hiring potential candidates to fill a specific role is often incredibly time-consuming and difficult. You must be able to evaluate individuals based on past experience, as well as future potential. With that, you must also be able to gauge whether or not they will assimilate to the culture of your company or team. It’s not an easy task, and neither is firing an individual when they are not meeting standards. Especially if you have P&L responsibility in civilian life, you realize how important a bottom line is to maintain to keep the lights on when that’s never really been a concern in the military. If talent doesn’t perform, you need to counsel/coach them, document shortfalls and ultimately terminate them if they are not meeting standards The more experience you can get interviewing, hiring, and firing smartly, the stronger your skill set will be.
Understanding “Making Payroll” in a Company
In the civilian workforce, “making payroll” is a common phrase that refers to making enough money to pay your employees. Unlike the military, where the government determines budgets based on expected needs, private sector companies are restricted to hiring only as many employees as their revenues can support. It’s important to understand that private sector companies hire you to fulfill a need that is worth considerably more than your salary to them. Understand that you are being hired to perform something of value - something someone else (a customer or client) should be willing to pay for.
Detecting “Hidden Agendas”
For the most part during our military careers, things are pretty straightforward and clear. People are candid and honorable, and you know how things are supposed to work. Unfortunately, during your civilian career, you’ll quickly realize that many people like to “play politics” and try to leverage situations for personal gain. As you progress and observe more, you’ll get better at detecting these “hidden agendas” so you’ll be able to identify what people are really after, and whether or not you can take someone at their spoken word.
Dealing with New Corporate Cultures
In general, if you were a Marine, a pilot, a tanker or a submariner, you generally worked in a similarly-minded culture throughout your military career. When you get into civilian life, you may find very different cultures if you were to work in the same role in different industries. It’s important to identify the norms of the culture you are joining and establish yourself as an individual performer, but in a way that is very much seen as a team player in that new culture.
Now that you can identify your strong skills, as well as those skills you’ll still need to learn in the civilian workforce, I’ll leave you with a few final tips for your job search as you begin your civilian career:
● Danger points – When a civilian looks at your resume, they may think it’s a sign of poor performance that you change jobs every three years. You may also find yourself being older than the person you are going to be working beneath. Be prepared to deal with or address these issues if necessary.
● The most important thing is to get a job in a company you like, even if it’s not the job you want so that you can get experience and can prove your capabilities. Also important to get “line” (revenue, profit) responsibility early.
● Military people have difficulty selling themselves - they wear their achievements with ribbons on their chests and referring to their experience. Learn how to sell yourself and your achievements to people who don’t understand anything about your military career.
● You should expect some rejection and expect people to not value your military experience. Our society now has only approximately 1 in 25 people with military service experience. Keep that in mind, and keep moving forward.
● Military people have difficulty asking for things such as business and career development. Work on overcoming that so that you can progress in your professional career.
● Figure out a new balance. The military is not a job, but a way of life. On the other side, people in industry and business tend to balance their definition of “life” between family, jobs, and outside interests.
● Success is directly related to your ability to give clear instructions; follow up and take responsibility for your actions. This is no different than early military training.
● Don’t feel bad about leaving the military “early”. Academy graduates especially may experience guilt or have guilt put upon them. Make the best decisions for your life.
● Bigger companies may appreciate your leadership experiences best and these companies have processes (HR, career development, planning, etc.) similar to the military.
-----
I was proud to serve in the Marines in Vietnam, and I believed in our mission. I later went on to a 35-year career in the financial sector, including positions as the chief executive of a Fortune 500 company and the chair of the New York Stock Exchange Group. But I never felt I had as much responsibility as being the commander of the 224 Marines of C Company, who put their faith in my leadership abilities, and entrusted me with their lives.
Transition
Civilian Career
Jobs
Career Advice
Command Post
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 14
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Captain Carter, this is a wonderful piece. The challenge is how do we get your message out to a broader cross section of active military about to transition and the population of separated military looking for work...and perhaps, more importantly, how do we get this message out to prospective employers? The value of military experience is real, unfortunately it is still under appreciated.
(7)
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Great Post Captain! When I was discharged, I had a goal of going to work for the Space Program and knew that I needed a degree. I interviewed for a high paying operator job at a chemical plant, with 100 others. I had three interviews and one of the interviewers tried to rattle me by asking me if I was stable after my Vietnam experiences. I answered his questions in a calm manner, but still knew that he did not like the military. The other two interviews went very well, and I was hired. Five and a half years later, I had my degree and started working on the Space Shuttle program, where I stayed until the end of the program. In college, I caught grief for being a Vietnam Veteran, but I stayed the course. Going to school and working helped me because I was too busy to dwell on things that I could not change. Hard work and discipline will work wonders in accomplishing your goals.
(6)
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SSgt Robert Marx
The space shuttle was a fantastic program. The government would have gotten its money's worth with the shuttle if the catastrophic loss of two shuttles had not occurred. The one shuttle that exploded over Texas had lost protective tiles in a critical spot that caused fire to enter the inner workings from the heat of reentry. The Challenger blew up shortly after take off back in April 1986 due to an ice build up in a critical joint in the fuel system. To lose so many brave men & women is so beyond tragic! I understand that the later loss included a torah scroll that had survived the death camp Auschwitz that had been taken by a Jewish astronaut.
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Sgt (Join to see)
SSgt Robert Marx - After the loss of Space Shuttle's Challenger and Columbia, the Shuttle program was grounded for a combined five years during the investigation, findings, engineering and procedural changes. Return to flight was a lengthy process.
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SSgt Robert Marx
Sgt (Join to see) - I followed the shuttle diligently in the news and could actually see many launches for I lived 100 miles from the space coast in central Florida for 5 years. Many of us grieved the loss of those two shuttles. I am glad the government took down the program before a third loss occurred but I would have loved to see a few more flights.
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Sgt (Join to see)
SSgt Robert Marx - Space flight is risky. I wanted the program to continue until a replacement vehicle was built so that we did not have to rely on the Russian spacecraft. I worked in Houston, and went to Florida to see three launches. One was delayed, but I did see two launches, including the last Space Shuttle launch, Atlantis, in July, 2011.
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