According to U.S. Census Bureau, there are 23.7 million veterans in the country, out of which 11.1 million are under the age of 65. This makes a significant number of workers coming from military.
Ken Betterton, a government and military consultant, suggests these veterans to understand their psychological needs first: who you are, what you want, what you value, what is your expertise etc. If you want you can also take some simple tests designed to establish the psychological preferences. Such analysis will help you to understand the civilian environment.
Next, you have to make a decision of continuing your career in the military or stepping out for a change. As per Mr. Ken Betterton, if you enjoy the challenges of military life, stick to it, if not, then don't be afraid to step out of the box and look for some other career in the different fields in civilian life. Now a day's many companies prefer military people for some of their challenging assignments.
Where the right opportunities are:
Companies are opting to hire military personnel due to their disciplined background and other qualities of team work, leadership, and physical fitness. It is a growing trend and very beneficial for companies as they don't have to invest on the training part. It is also a good signal for military people who are looking for civilian life.
Companies like Con-way Truckload are continuously working with the Department of Veteran Affairs to hire military personnel as the truck drivers for its large vehicles due to their rich experience driving such vehicles in the service.
Due to their physical fitness and experience of team work, combat, and dealing with some of very serious situations, Military personnel are always first choice for Police Department
Technology is another attraction for these veterans due to their vast and elaborate training on the world's most sophisticated technology. Companies will love to hire them on different positions, such as consulting, where they can significantly contribute their rich experience of technological advancement. Take an example of Scott Laliberte, a former information systems security officer for the Coast Guard, who is now working as data security and managing director for Protiviti.
They can also capitalize on their soft skills, disciplined life, and leadership qualities to become entrepreneurs as long as they know the basics of business. Companies are also encouraging these veterans by offering them promotional discounts and training if they opt to open up their franchise on their own locations. At least Pizza chain- Little Caesars is doing the same.
Whereas Steve Yoho decided to have his own business after five years in the auto industry, retired Navy combat pilot Stacie Rine decided to start her own Massage Heights franchise. Air Force veterans Debi and Rick Lajti opened a TSS Photography franchise. You can make a list of such successful entrepreneurs.
Some Important Rules:
However, still there are few thumb rules for veterans opting for civilian life. Let's take the advice of Wendy Enelow, author of "Expert Resumes for Military-to-Civilian Transitions":
- First of all you should clearly understand your area of expertise to target the right job. You should match your skill with available opportunities in the market to set the right balance. You can also look for related and more suitable work by itemizing your skills.
- Secondly, you should be smart enough to translate your experience in terms of employer. Employer always want to hire the right people who will work for them and not a vice versa. As per Enelow, employer is not supposed to research the resume in terms of military background. Rather, one should spell it out in terms of civilian background and how their military knowledge is relevant to their real world.
- Last but not the least, always use the right terminology to get attention of your hiring managers. Replace the words like "command and control" with more relevant "advanced communications technologies", Enelow suggests.
