"The 180-Day Rule"

Section 3326 of United States Code Title 5 states that a retired member of the Armed Forces may not be APPOINTED to a civilian position in Department of Defense (DoD) within 180 days after retirement (without a 'waiver').

You can STILL apply!

When I was transitioning from the?Army, I was told I couldn't apply for a GS position for 6-months.

WHAT?!?!

I'm not personally a big fan of people saying I can't do something, so...

I applied for a GS-15 position 45-days prior to my retirement date and still on transition leave.

• I was qualified.
• I knew the hiring managers.
• I was well-respected in the organization.

After 25 years in the military, this would be the FIRST job I targeted.

• I was referred.
• I went through three rounds of interviews.
• I was NOT selected; a more qualified person was.

IF I had been selected (and I accepted), a waiver would have been requested.

That's it.

So...understand the "rules" before you let them deter you from applying for a position.

*Note:?Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) ?and?The Military Coalition ?are working with lawmakers to repeal the requirement for those retiring from military service to wait 180 days before entering DoD civil service General Schedule (GS) positions for GS-13 and below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:?Matt Quick ?retired from the U.S. Army in January 2019 after 25 years of active service and settled near Fort Bragg/Liberty, NC.?He's dedicated his professional life assisting people in taking control of their careers. Matt leads the Project Management Institute (PMI) Military & Veteran Program, is a Certified Career Coach, founded and leads ArmyReenlistment , and volunteers his time the?Dylan Quick Foundation.