Military Career Transitioning
Military career transitioning refers to the process of moving from military service to civilian life, which entails adjusting to significant changes in various aspects of life, including employment, housing, and social interactions. This transition can be complex, as service members must adapt to a less structured environment, where they are responsible for their own employment and healthcare needs, in contrast to the support systems provided in the military. To facilitate a smoother transition, experts recommend starting the process at least a year before separation, allowing service members to explore options, gather information, and make informed decisions.
Several government and private programs are available to support transitioning service members and their families, including the Transition Goals, Plans, Success (Transition GPS) program, which offers career counseling, workshops, and resources related to education and entrepreneurial ventures. Networking with civilians and former service members is emphasized as a crucial strategy, helping connect individuals to job opportunities and community support. Additionally, online resources, job training programs, and initiatives promoting veterans’ skills can provide valuable assistance throughout the transition process. Overall, successful military career transitioning requires preparation, engagement with available resources, and proactive networking to foster independence and build a fulfilling civilian life.
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Military Career Transitioning
Leaving the military and returning to civilian life requires adjusting to a plethora of changes, including a new job, a new home, a new lifestyle, new friends and neighbors, and even a different way of communicating. The military and other government agencies offer multiple programs and resources to aid the transition and provide support to transitioning service members, their spouses, and family members. Some of this support continues after they have retired or have been discharged.
Experts recommend that service members begin the transition to civilian life at least a year before their separation date so that they can gather information, learn about and consider options and available resources, and make decisions. This preparation also allows them to transition gradually and make connections with people outside of the military.
Background
While life in the military is similar to civilian life in many ways, there are major differences. Both civilians and service members work, but work for service members is more structured, disciplined, and team oriented, while work for civilians is typically more casual and individually oriented. The military takes care of many aspects that civilians have to handle for themselves, such as housing, health and life insurance, and guaranteed work opportunities. Civilians have full responsibility for finding employment and housing as well as health insurance and medical care.
The military also has a unique environment, where service members form close relations with their comrades, live in communities with other service members, and share the same culture and style of language. Most service members become accustomed to military life and know what to expect and how to behave. Civilian life, with less structure and fewer clear-cut expectations, is less predictable and requires more self-reliance and independence. It also often has less evident support systems than the military. Additionally, several service members who have experienced combat while in the military may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, making the transition to civilian life even more challenging.
Several US government agencies provide programs that offer a variety of resources to help service members transition to civilian life. These programs focus on transitioning to work, home, and life. Some programs are geared toward service members with special needs, such as disabled service members and those transitioning after combat duty.
Most service members are required to participate in Transition Goals, Plans, Success (Transition GPS), which is a joint program by the Department of Defense (DoD), Veterans Affairs (VA), and other federal agencies. Formerly known as the Transitional Assistance Program (TAP), this program provides career counseling; information about benefits; and workshops about career training, educational assistance, or entrepreneurial preparation. Part of the program is an optional three-day Department of Labor Employment Workshop with three tracks: career technical training, education, and entrepreneurship. Transition GPS is available on numerous military installations around the world. It is also available online via webinars for those without access to the onsite programs.
Overview
Three of the most cited strategies for a successful transition from the military to a civilian career are to start transitioning early, to take advantage of available programs and resources, and to network and connect with civilians long before reentering civilian life.
Creating a timeline of transitioning steps long before separation can help smooth the process and build for success. Service members will create individualized transition plans through the Transition GPS program beginning during their service but should focus on expanding those steps to encompass all of their vocational, educational, social, family, personal, and emotional needs. Starting early allows service members to assess—and reassess—skills and interests; identify transferrable skills, including intangibles such as teamwork, leadership ability, and responsibility; and practice career-readiness skills, such as interviewing and speaking as a civilian, prior to separation.
Numerous resources are available from government and private sources for both transitioning service members and veterans. Examples include the US Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS), which offers support to veterans not only in job hunting and training, but in finding homes, and American Job Centers (AJC), a government program that consists of a national database of jobs, including positions for veterans. It also offers help with job-hunting skills, such as résumé writing, as well as information about job-training programs. AJC is available online and in brick-and-mortar centers in nearly 2,500 locations throughout the United States.
The National Resource Directory is an online resource provided by the VA and DoD that offers information about benefits and compensation, education and training, housing, homeless assistance, and other topics. Its goal is to connect service members and veterans with support services.
Private sources of assistance include recruiters and placement companies that specialize in supporting the military, such as Lucas Group and Bradley-Morris, and online media sites that provide news, job boards, and networking opportunities for service members and veterans. Beginning in 2013, the Clear Channel Company launched an initiative titled "Show Your Stripes," which has used the wide scope of broadcasting and celebrity endorsers to highlight veterans’ abilities to translate their military skills to the civilian workforce, showcasing real-life examples.
Transitioning service members should use such government and private resources to find employers who hire veterans and to seek out resources and groups that support veterans. These groups can be especially helpful in providing a connection with former service members who share a common background and culture.
Networking, both socially and professionally, is key to building contacts who can help with job hunting, reconnecting with former friends, and creating new friends and contacts who can provide camaraderie and community to replace the lost connections with the military. Engaging in social media prior to separation helps to build a civilian presence, which can be beneficial in providing job leads and referrals as well as researching prospective employers. It also provides practice in transitioning to civilian life and allows for gradual integration while ensconced in the familiarity of the military environment.
Bibliography
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Tarantino, Tom. "The Ground Truth on Veterans’ Unemployment." Time. Time, 22 Mar. 2013. Web. 24 Aug. 2015.
"10 Tips for a Successful Military to Civilian Transition in Corporate America." Bradley-Morris. Bradley-Morris, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2015.
"Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Information." United States Department of Labor. US Dept. of Labor, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2015.
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Wolfe, Tom. Out of Uniform: Your Guide to a Successful Military-to-Civilian Career Transition. Washington, DC: Potomac, 2012. Print.