When I joined the military out of high school it was the last thing I ever thought I would do, but it ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. I severed 5 years in the United States Air force in Logistic Management. This was not a job I chose, it chose me. When I joined I was looking to leave right away which meant I needed to quick ship and I would find out what job I was going to do when I got there. Now, Logistic Management when I did it, I hated it! but it turned out to be a skill I used through out my life. Never under estimate how a skill you thought would never serve you can be transformed into a skill that opens all kinds of doors that lead to different opportunities.
Many people are surprised to find out that I spent such a long time in the military but the question I get asked a lot is “how did I transition out of the military successfully?” Looking back there were so many different things I did to ensure my success but, I wanted to share the top 5 that really made the most impact on my life at that time. I can hopefully help you if you are looking to get out of the military or if you know someone who will these tips should be helpful.
No matter what stage you are in, in your career in the military here is one tip that can be useful at all stages:
- Always know what ALL your benefits are and use them! Normally in the military you have the benefit of tuition assistance which pays about 75% of your cost to study so, if you can take classes online or on-base in some cases DO IT! every new skill you learn will either advance your military career or give you skills that you can use when you get out. Skills are invaluable the more you have the more adaptable you are to explore the diverse opportunities that may be presented to you.
- Start to prepare for your transition if possible a year before you get out. Start by getting a place off base that would be affordable that you could maintain even if you worked a part-time job. It is easier to find an apartment when you have job than not! It is important to make sure you take something you can maintain during the time you are looking for work so, it is better to keep your expenses down and know that you will transition to something better once you settle in your new life but you want to remain as flexible as possible.
- Start working on getting your expenses down as low as you can. You never know how long it will take to find a new job so the more resources you have the better. The last thing you want to be is stressed out looking for a job. People can smell desperation. So make sure you are in the strongest position possible when looking for a job. Get rid of as many payments as you can. So you are cash fluid. Even if you find a job right away this money will be there to help you start your new beginning.
- Prepare to translate all your military qualification in to language for the private sector. Knowing what you exactly have to offer will help you be confident when getting out there and it also makes it easier for an employer to see what you can do and why.
- Start researching the job market. When I was in, you could get authorization to work a part-time job in your free time. This is something that I did and I actually was never without a job. When I got out I was already working part-time in the sector I wanted to, so when I got out and I was able to cross over without ever being unemployed until I chose to. Once I decided what I wanted to do I used my 6 months of unemployment to transition into my new life with very little stress. I felt grounded. Being on stable ground if possible is where you want to be. So if you can start working already before you get-out this helps to give you some stability and time. But if this is not an option start registering with all the recruitment agencies you can and start sending out your resume/cv to see what you prospects are and this will give you time to adjust your resume/cv if need be for the market.
When I joined the military out of high school it was the last thing I ever thought I would do, but it ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. I severed 5 years in the United States Air force in Logistic Management. This was not a job I chose, it chose me. When I joined I was looking to leave right away which meant I needed to quick ship and I would find out what job I was going to do when I got there. Now, Logistic Management when I did it, I hated it! but it turned out to be a skill I used through out my life. Never under estimate how a skill you thought would never serve you can be transformed into a skill that opens all kinds of doors that lead to different opportunities.
Many people are surprised to find out that I spent such a long time in the military but the question I get asked a lot is “how did I transition out of the military successfully?” Looking back there were so many different things I did to ensure my success but, I wanted to share the top 5 that really made the most impact on my life at that time. I can hopefully help you if you are looking to get out of the military or if you know someone who will these tips should be helpful.
No matter what stage you are in, in your career in the military here is one tip that can be useful at all stages:
- Always know what ALL your benefits are and use them! Normally in the military you have the benefit of tuition assistance which pays about 75% of your cost to study so, if you can take classes online or on-base in some cases DO IT! every new skill you learn will either advance your military career or give you skills that you can use when you get out. Skills are invaluable the more you have the more adaptable you are to explore the diverse opportunities that may be presented to you.
- Start to prepare for your transition if possible a year before you get out. Start by getting a place off base that would be affordable that you could maintain even if you worked a part-time job. It is easier to find an apartment when you have job than not! It is important to make sure you take something you can maintain during the time you are looking for work so, it is better to keep your expenses down and know that you will transition to something better once you settle in your new life but you want to remain as flexible as possible.
- Start working on getting your expenses down as low as you can. You never know how long it will take to find a new job so the more resources you have the better. The last thing you want to be is stressed out looking for a job. People can smell desperation. So make sure you are in the strongest position possible when looking for a job. Get rid of as many payments as you can. So you are cash fluid. Even if you find a job right away this money will be there to help you start your new beginning.
- Prepare to translate all your military qualification in to language for the private sector. Knowing what you exactly have to offer will help you be confident when getting out there and it also makes it easier for an employer to see what you can do and why.
- Start researching the job market. When I was in, you could get authorization to work a part-time job in your free time. This is something that I did and I actually was never without a job. When I got out I was already working part-time in the sector I wanted to, so when I got out and I was able to cross over without ever being unemployed until I chose to. Once I decided what I wanted to do I used my 6 months of unemployment to transition into my new life with very little stress. I felt grounded. Being on stable ground if possible is where you want to be. So if you can start working already before you get-out this helps to give you some stability and time. But if this is not an option start registering with all the recruitment agencies you can and start sending out your resume/cv to see what you prospects are and this will give you time to adjust your resume/cv if need be for the market.
