Transitioning

Regardless of how successful your military service is or was, some day it will end. there will be a day that you walk away from the profession of arms and as soon as the door closes behind you it is over. For some, the transition into civilian life is catastrophic. The loss of status and mission creates conditions that are very hard to repair. For others, leaving the service is just the beginning of yet another adventure.

This is slightly premature but I wanted to share some of the things I have done to set favorable conditions for my own inevitable departure from service. While I do not have a locked in job waiting I do, at 6 months out, have several interviews happening over the next few weeks in an industry I love. The best part is these very impressive companies contacted me. They also contacted me well prior to my timeline to begin my job search. This alone validates many of the things I have done over the past five years. In fact, there was a nibble here on LinkedIn and a separate phone call during the writing of this article.

That being said, let’s get started.

1.      Decide what you want to be when you grow up

I know military service is a grown-up job. We have huge responsibilities and very real consequences for mistakes. Hear me out though. Over the time in the military, our path was laid out. This school followed by this job followed by this school results in promotion or awards. The thing is that path is for success in the service, not outside the service. Yes, many jobs translate but the path is to keep you performing IN the military, not after. You need to decide what your post military life looks like and begin to do the same sort of planning you are trained for to achieve that goal. The difference on the outside is you are the commander and there is no staff to help you.

2.      Make a plan

Once you have decided on post military career, you need to research on the requirements for that profession. There is one job your military service directly prepares you for. That is the Military. Every job outside the military has requirements and norms needed to get your foot in the door. There are credentials and skills needed to perform even the most basic things that you have been doing every day on the outside.

3.      Identify the players

Who are the leaders in your chosen field? Are they multimillion dollar international companies? Are they celebrity level personalities with huge followings? Do you want to compete with them or work for them? Are you satisfied with eating the scraps from their table? All these are questions you need to answer. Once you decide those you can look at what they are doing and how they conduct business. Knowing this also lays out the who’s who and allows for networking opportunities. Networking is everything and just like any other conversation, you can’t just jump in and expect to be heard as the unknown person. You may have the power to do that in the service, but your power is useless on the outside.

4.      Network

“if you are conducting business on Instagram you are doing it wrong” – random quote from successful firearms company rep

Social media is a great platform to network once you have identified the players. It also allows you to see how the game is played. The rules are different in every industry and you can get to know those rules in observation and research. You can also see who your customers and clients could be, where they hang out, and what they expect. You can join in on conversations here and be able to establish yourself and get to know the people you are seeking. This takes time. A significant amount of time. Over 5 years I have seen exactly zero industry leaders breathe a sigh of relief and welcome someone who comments on a Facebook post that they have never heard of. Work your way in, provide value, and pay attention. A caveat to this is that you must filter your presence on social media. If you are talking to or have prospective employers on your social media accounts, every post matters. They are getting to know you, even if they don’t respond of comment.

5.       Translate your skills

You need to take the time to learn the industry and be able to translate your value to that industry. Do not expect people outside the military to understand what military job was. I was a squad leader during the deployment means nothing but I was a lead for 9-person team overseas means something. We know a team leader is a lessor job than a squad leader, they don’t. LinkedIn has valuable resources such as Lynda.com that will help you do this. You must do the translation and as you do look for the ways to make it as real as possible. If you did an outstanding job translate it accordingly. I was a lead for a highly successful 9-person team under highly stressful, dynamic conditions says significantly more than I was a squad leader. Lay it out and be honest.

Closing

All the above takes time followed by more time. As you gain momentum, things will go faster. Suddenly, you will be the guy who doesn’t even bother to close the door behind you on your service. You will have done the work and prepared for your next mission. Lastly, accept and understand this. It is up to you and you alone. During your service, there has always been someone in a leadership role responsible for your wellbeing. They made sure you did the things needed to be ready and survive. You leave that behind when you get handed the DD 214. You will either be hero or zero at your own hands. Take care of you. Do the work and reap the rewards.

-Ash Hess