Welcome to Military to Civilian Career Boot Camp where you’ll learn everything veterans need to know to prepare for success in your new civilian career. The first thing we will talk about in this “Boot Camp” is Professional Communication.
Now that you have a strong communication platform established for your job search, you may think you’re ready to go…but not so fast. Do you know exactly what you want to do in the civilian world? Just like in combat or any other military task, you must have a specific mission or target to be successful.
Highly skilled veterans often tell us or ask:
- I have a great deal of career information—but no idea where to start
- My career information is somewhere…maybe it’s mostly in my head
- If I can find my information, how do I translate it into civilian terms?
- How do I even start the job search process?
- Do I apply for every job online?
- What is LinkedIn, and do I need it?
Given the diversity of military backgrounds and the wide array of experiences in countless areas, finding a focus can seem challenging. Answering the progressive questions below will help you in identifying your career path and will get you off on the right foot.
Your civilian job objective should focus on your skills, your needs, your desired location, and your timing. Consider the following questions as they relate to your civilian dream job:
1. Skills
- What makes you uniquely qualified?
- What skills do you bring to a job?
- What can you do better than anyone else?
- What military experience is the most relevant?
- How many years of experience can I apply to the civilian workforce?
- Do you have specific training, certificates, or degrees you can apply to the field?
- Is your skill general enough that it would apply equally well in a variety of industries?
2. Needs
- What are your salary requirements?
- Have you researched what your time and expertise are worth?
- What is the organization willing to pay for someone in that job?
- Do you want to work in leadership or management or in technical or production?
- Do you want to work for a global corporation, small business, or work from home?
3. Location
- What is your preferred locations(s)?
- Are you willing to relocate?
- Not like we all haven’t relocated many times in the military.
- Do you want to stay close to your last duty station?
- Or do you want to move closer to home or family?
- Do you want to work remotely or in a big city?
- Are you willing to commute or want to work in a home office?
- Are you willing to travel a certain amount of time for the job?
4. Timing
- What is your availability to start a new job?
- What is your date of separation?
- When do you go on terminal leave?
- Are you taking a few months off after separating?
- Do you want to hit the job market right away?
- Are you already in or trying to get in the job market and need some help?
Here are some examples for you to see how it’s done.
- I want to use my management and leadership skills as a supply chain director. I don’t mind a commute to a large city or living in a large city. I’d like to make between $70K and $95K a year. I’m separating in 10 months, so I want to start looking now.
- I’d like to go back to the Midwest, such as Chicago, Indianapolis, or Milwaukee. I’d like to have a job within 2 months of my discharge. I want to stay in security. I’d like to make over $100K a year.
- My dream job would be working for the government in homeland security. I want to work in the Washington DC area. I don’t mind a short commute, but I can live in the city. I can take 10 months after separation to find the job I really want. I need to make $130K+ a year to live in the DC area.
Define your needs, and don’t be afraid to negotiate for them
This is YOUR FUTURE you’re planning for.
If you’ve asked yourself these questions and you still don’t feel like you know what to do next, I highly recommend checking out the PreVeteran program at https://preveteran.com/ Their focus is on helping military members avoid the challenging two-year post-military transition period by providing them the framework, individual tools, and support to plan a more successful, fulfilling, and meaningful life after the military.
Written by Cassie Hatcher, CEO of Career Confidence LLC, a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Veteran Career Strategist (CVCS) who translates military leadership experience to ensure your resume is on-target for the civilian workforce. If you would like more information about the services we offer fill out our contact form here.
We have a couple of great resources including a free quiz specific for Military & Veterans to answer the question “What Type of Resume Do I Need?” This quiz takes 5 minutes on average to complete.
Also, grab your Free Military to Civilian Resume Template, where you can insert your experience, education, training, and certifications. Take the guesswork out of securing civilian employment and successfully transition from military-to-civilian employment.
Share your job objective in the comments below, or if you have a specific question, please comment 👇 👇 👇