Posted in Veterans

From the Military to the Civilian Workforce: Your Guide to Career Transition

As a veteran, you might feel overwhelmed while transitioning out of the military:

You might not have gained civilian work experience before joining the service.
A lack of work experience means never having to interview to secure a role.
You might fear the unknown and the hardships others experienced while transitioning to the civilian workforce.
You could face challenges translating your transferable skills from military jargon to your resume.
Like many veterans, you might struggle with having adequate savings to support yourself until you find your ideal job.

Keep in mind that you developed valuable skills while in the military that can benefit civilian employers. Leveraging your technical training, discipline, team mentality, resilience, and commitment to a bigger mission can help secure employment.

The following tips can support your career transition from the military to the civilian workforce.

Prioritize Your Mental Health

Emotional well-being is essential for professional and personal success. For instance, if leaving the military causes you to struggle with disappointment, you must work through the sense of loss. Practicing positivity is essential for securing employment.

Reevaluate Your Purpose

Exiting the military might mean leaving behind jobs that saved lives to work in low-risk roles. Walking away from high-risk jobs and heroism can severely diminish your sense of purpose and camaraderie. You must find something new to provide a sense of purpose and meaning.

Focus on Your Accomplishments

Whether you faced life-or-death situations or held a desk job, the military prepared you to continue navigating situations until you reach your goal. Similarly, you must continue your job search until you secure your desired role. Feel the fear and continue making progress until you overcome your challenge.

Ask for and Accept Help

Leverage your military benefits to receive job training, career coaching, contacts, and therapy. Even if you don’t experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), therapy can help increase self-awareness and resilience for your job search.

Monitor Your Level of Formality

Your level of formality while interacting with others at work might not change much if you land a government job. However, your interactions might need to be more relaxed if you secure private sector employment.

For instance, you must understand that a leader guiding you is not giving a direct order. They expect you to share your ideas and perspectives, collaborate, and respectfully disagree if you don’t agree with their direction.

Control Your Activity

Although the military conditioned you to take orders, nobody in civilian life can tell you what to do. You must make your own career decisions, decide what the next chapter of your life will look like, and take relevant action. Focus on how your transferable skills, such as navigating conflict, collaborating, presenting, and working with AI, can benefit the civilian business sector.

Network

Join private-sector clubs or sports teams and participate in hobbies outside the military to meet like-minded individuals. Building relationships with civilians can lead to conversations about work. You might learn about relevant job opportunities that fit your goals, skills, and experience, or meet industry professionals who can help you build your career.

Start Job Searching Now

Now is the best time to start looking for a civilian job. Applying for jobs as early as possible, even before separation from the military, increases the likelihood of securing your desired role. You should have adequate time to create your resume, network, and land interviews.

PrideStaff Supports Veterans

PrideStaff owners and staff deeply respect those who served in our military. Some of our offices are veteran-owned and are ready to assist you in your job search.

When you choose PrideStaff, know that you’re partnering with a dedicated team. PrideStaff has been honored with prestigious awards, such as Entrepreneur’s Top Franchises for Veterans, that demonstrate our commitment to providing veterans with opportunities to thrive.

If you’re a veteran seeking a fulfilling career or an employer looking to harness the valuable skills and experiences veterans bring to the workforce, reach out to your local PrideStaff office today.

Leveraging Veterans’ Benefits for Career Advancement