Perspective and My Keys to Success for Separating Service Members Seeking Employment

I've been seeing several posts regarding the struggles of veterans securing employment after separation. With that, here is what I would tell anyone?preparing to separate, regardless of their rank and/or position they hold.

1. TAPs is a tool, not a guarantee. TAPs is a glimpse, not a deep-dive. TAPs isn't perfect, but it does arm you with information, resources to consider,?and a look into the civilian sector. If you believe TAPs will ensure you get a job, or that it will be a waste of time because someone in your unit?said "TAPs sucks", you are in a mindset that will set you up for failure. Enjoy the time away from your office, enjoy the day you dress-up to practice?interviews, but most importantly go in with an open mind.
2. Take advantage of the resources available to you. You won't be eligible for everything, but there are tons of resources out there. Use your G.I. Bill,?take part in SkillBridge, sign up for veteran support groups such as Act Now that is tapped in to other educational development/professional resources,?tap in to State veteran resources, apply for VA programs, etc. Again, these are not guarantees but provide avenues to help you get through this period.
3. Accept that you are NOT guaranteed employment because you are a veteran or because you did "x" in the military. Your experiences make you unique,?but you have to still correlate how that experience relates to what you are seeking. Take the time to deconstruct your career in a way you can explain it?to someone else without the use of military jargon. If you can not connect the dots, the employer won't be able to. Resumes, take the dang time to tailor/target the resume for the job you are applying for and read/follow the instructions the employer wants regarding the application package. Same?thing with interviews, the people interviewing you don't owe you anything. Do some additional research on how to conduct yourself in an interview, how?to answer common interview questions, etc. At this point, you have earned an interview because they see something in you (on paper) that appeals to them?with regard to the position you are applying. You owe them a positive attitude reflecting a desire to work, learn, and be a productive member to their team.?
4. Don't plan for what you think you will get from the VA for disability. Maybe you'll be fortunate and get what you thought or higher. Or maybe?you'll have to fight to get the rating you truly deserve. Bottom-line, don't plan for it until you get the paper stating what you are being given. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are resources and support groups available to help you get a solid claim submitted. Finally, be patient.
5. I strongly recommend being flexible and not laser focused on a specific job or company. This reduces the risk of setting yourself up for disappointment and failure. For me, I focused my requirements around my #1 priority, my family. I then targeted my requirements around simple questions. For example, (1) Where are we now? (2) Do we want to stay or move? (3) Are we willing to move? (4) What are our known sources of income after I separate? (5) What is our current financial obligations? (6) What salary/hourly rate do I need to make to make ends meet? (7) How far am I willing to commute for a job? For me, once I had the answers to those questions, I could focus on the opportunities available that fell within those parameters. Notice, at no point?did I tailor to a specific job field, sector (public, private, government), or environment (in-person, remote, hybrid). This is not to say I didn't have specific interests, but I made myself stay flexible. I found opportunities across multiple markets which included software development,?academia, medical, government, etc. All with different jobs across multiple fields that I could qualify for. My first job, once I separated was with a software company that?developed grant management software. I had to learn new skills and it required a 20-minute commute one-way daily. It did hit all the marks for me to support my family and I gladly accepted it. 8 months later,?I got the job I have now that not just met my new requirements but was more aligned with what I wanted for my next career.
6. Control what you can control. You can't control whether or not a hiring official will offer an interview or the job. You can't control job?availability. You CAN CONTROL your attitude, how you dress for an interview, how much time you spend on resumes, how you define your job search parameters,?how marketable you make yourself, and the overall effort you put in. Make the time you spend in this storm as painless as possible by giving max?effort and knowing what is and isn't in your control.?
7. If you are fortunate enough to land in a dream job immediately, awesome, congrats! Expect though you will be with the?majority of us that need time to settle. Expect this period can be hard, demoralizing, filled with anxiety, frustrating from uncertainty, and just?downright a pain in the butt. To use a saying I first heard at USAF Survival School, "embrace the suck". Competition is fierce, you are not owed anything, and?there are no guarantees. Getting a job is and will be hard, accept it, embrace it, and kick it in the a**.

I close with this. The advice and my keys to success that I offer is to be flexible, tap in to resources, prepare, and accept you can't control everything. Regardless of how long it takes you going out the gate, remember everyday is a new day with new opportunities, and how you choose?to pursue it is up to you.