WHAT’S NEXT Transition to Civilian Life By Eve Nasby
Ask, and You Shall Receive
I joined the military right out of highschool and left the military without a civilian job lined up. I’m in debt and am struggling now as I’m paying rent, utilities and other bills I’ve not had to before. Where can I turn?
- Behind in Baltimore You are not alone. Many veterans joined right after high school, so have never interviewed for a job or written a resume. Without this experience, it’s common to assume that finding a great job will be easy upon exit. There’s hope. There are thousands of free organizations that help you get on your feet, such as Support the Enlisted Project (STEP). This month is all about sharing the love. Each month, “What’s Next” highlights stories of transitioning veterans, while providing real-life tips and strategies that help to prepare for transition and execute with purpose. Our readers have written to us with real world questions and struggles. I’m struggling with how to translate what I did in the military to what I can do in civilian life. I’m proud of what I accomplished in the military, but employers want to know what I can do for them today and into the future. How do I effectively communicate that?
- Confused in Cincinnati Knowing your value and how to effectively communicate it is an art, but the art can be easily learned and executed. Let’s start with your resume. Many free professional resume writers help veterans just like you create a resume that translates your past accomplishments clearly to civilian employers. Next, to prepare for the interview, anticipate questions you could be asked by reading the job descriptions carefully. Using the STAR method is helpful to effectively translate your past skills into your future value during an interview. You’ll be surprised how well you can translate leadership, management and task execution accomplishments from the military into relevant answers that resonate with employers. 32
WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBURARY 2021
Behind on payments? Need help understanding how to budget? Connect with Tony Teravanien and team at www. stepsocal.org I’m used to a chain of command and people showing up on time. The civilian corporate world is not like that. How do I adapt?
- On time in Tallahassee Let’s start with recognizing a need to adjust your mindset, expectations, language and responses. It takes some practice, but eventually will feel more natural. Arriving 30 minutes before a meeting is not a best practice in the civilian world. Take a deep breath and study your environment. Observe when people show up, and how they interact. Just as if you were assigned to a billet in a different country, get to know the language, the culture and the people. If you’re leading a team or project where people are chronically late, it’s perfectly acceptable to reinforce the expectations of being “on-time.” I don’t speak ‘corporate’. I don’t know what to wear, how to act and am nervous that once I’m in a company I may lose my job because I don’t know what I don’t know.
– Anxious in Anchorage One simple approach is to search for and apply to veteran friendly companies. They typically have Veteran Employee Resource Groups, where former military employees meet regularly for social or philanthropic activities. Dave Grundies