What’s the Best Job ‘Fit’ After Military Service?

What’s the Best Job ‘Fit’ After Military Service?

Contributed by Alan Rohlfing

You don’t have to be in transition from active service to be thinking about where you might land your next civilian job, but many folks who are in the process of separating find that much of their time & energy is spent on exactly that: where will they spend the next chapter of their professional life, and will it be a good ‘fit’?

Many people who find themselves looking for work upon separation from active service, also find themselves in one of two camps…those that are planning to slide right into a civilian occupation or position doing exactly what they spent most of their time in uniform doing; or those that want nothing to do with their military skill sets, who seek something shiny and new.

Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve spoken to a whole lot of Troops in both camps…Service Members retiring after 20 or 30 years of active service, young men and women separating after their first enlistment, and Warriors whose careers were cut short due to medical discharge. Thinking about those conversations now, there’s no rhyme or reason about why folks choose to follow a certain path after military service, and how they (or you or me) define “best fit” is very subjective…for some, it’s simply an opportunity to do something new, a break from what they’ve been doing most of their adult life.

If you stay put in a career field where you’ve got history, you may find yourself among the most qualified job applicants out there. On the other hand, if you’re looking to change careers, you may find yourself looking at job offers at low rates of pay, given your experience…or no job offers at all. You may find yourself bitten by the entrepreneurship bug, and have a passion to be a small business owner (more about that at https://militaryconnection.com/blog/a-few-tips-for-the-would-be-entrepreneur).

Wherever you find yourself, take advantage of all the resources you can during your time on active duty: take personality quizzes, enroll in certification programs at local colleges, and get credentialed for your skill sets all throughout your military service. Sign up for aptitude tests, check out projected salary ranges, and participate in seminars and workshops. Check out skills translators like CareerOneStop, a site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Jobs/match-veteran-jobs.aspx). Here you can use their Veterans Job Matcher to “find civilian careers that might be a good match for your military skills.”

I’m a firm believer that those of us in the Military community – which includes Spouses – are more likely to succeed at our vocational goals than our counterparts from the general population. That said, you probably shouldn’t wait until terminal leave starts to figure out what that next chapter might look like. How soon should you start, you ask? Well, an old crusty E-9 once told me that he encouraged Troops to start preparing for life ‘back on the block’ right after the Newcomer’s Brief at their first duty station. And there’s some wisdom to that, even though you might think you’re a lifer.

Prepare for that transition process early, prepare often…and all the while, take stock of where your head is, where your heart is, and what’s wise, regardless of what you think you’re owed.

Until next time…