As a disabled veteran myself, I understand that many veterans have their reasons for not taking the time to research filing for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). You’ve heard all the horror stories of backlogs and denials. And you may think, why apply for a handout when so many others have it so much worse?
If there is one thing I know after recruiting for over two decades in the private sector and defense industry it’s that military service members are an elite talent pool. A talent pool that is largely overlooked due to a lack of understanding of military culture and its ultimate purpose. In fact, service members can contribute a lot more to businesses success than those who have never served at all. The biggest challenge facing service members today is articulating their skills and experiences to be seen as viable candidates to individuals who make hiring decisions. This is why I have dedicated my career in helping service members find meaningful careers after service. So listen up!
If you are in a career transition, before you do anything else, you must first answer this question, “Who am I?”
Transitioning from any position into a new one, unless you are going to be doing exactly the same thing, requires getting this question answered first. Spend time figuring out who you are before you start looking for that next great career step and you will be much happier during the search and especially afterwards. Yes, being unemployed is an awful feeling, however nowhere as bad as how you could feel if you jump into a job you really don’t want. Here are four tasks that will help you answer the question, “Who am I?”
Reading should be a significant component of your military transition and there are many reasons why. It’s imperative to build and sustain daily or weekly habits of improving oneself through reading and introspection. Those that stop learning will become stagnant in other areas of their lives. How do you expect to push your limits past your uncomfortable boundaries into success without persistence, discipline, and determination?
I spent five months unemployed before I started my first civilian job and I wasn’t prepared for it at all. My plan was always to roll right into my next job, and I would have never believed that it would take me that long to start working again. I started planning my career transition a full year in advance to avoid this exact situation. How could this have happened to me?
No one ever told me that I should plan for this. Why would they? Up to that point, my career had been playing out perfectly. My peers who left the military before me were able to get on their feet quickly, or so I thought. The truth is, most service members experience a period of unemployment. It’s not ideal but it’s also not the end of the world. Here are a few things that surprised me about unemployment:
As an HR Director for a growing retail grocery company, I interviewed, hired and worked with lots of people, including several veterans. Each time, I was excited about bringing our shared, time-honored and battle-tested values into my company to help accomplish my company’s mission. When that happened, it was great. However, there were times when it didn’t always work out.
Any major life transition causes a complexity of emotions including fear, anguish and excitement. A military transition is no different and arguably may be more complex. You’re leaving a security blanket and leaping into the unknown. With that comes an unbelievable growth experience that requires hard work, incredible tenacity and thorough self-introspection.
When you came out the other side, what did you learn? What did you learn about the process of the transition? What made you successful? When asking these questions to transitioned veterans, most often you’ll get the high-level responses such as: “I networked or prepared well for my interviews.” I want to take it one step further and dive deeper to provide you with 10 “secrets” or creative approaches that you often may not hear.
Dmitry Rukhlin is one of our Veterati mentors and is a highly regarded member of the veteran community. His commitment to serving veterans led him to write about his own transition in Leaving Active Duty: Real-life Stories and Advice for Junior Military Officers. Dmitry graduated from the U.S Naval Academy in 2004 and is now the Chief Operating Officer of Kraus USA Inc.
Chad Storlie is one of our super mentors here at Veterati and is a highly regarded member of the veteran community. His commitment to serve veterans in any capacity has led him to write two books: Combat Leader to Corporate America and Battlefield to Business Success. Chad is a mid-level marketing executive and has worked in marketing and sales roles for various companies, including General Electric, Comcast, and Manugistics.
He has been published in over 80 publications including Harvard Business Review, USAA Member Community, Military.com, Businessweek, Forbes, and USA Today. Chad’s 20+ years of service in the infantry, special forces, and joint headquarters units has provided him with a unique perspective for transitioning veterans.
1. Take care of yourself and stay healthy. Now, this may seem like your traditional new year’s resolution, but of course there is a military twist. Yes, we all know we are more productive when we eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep. But as a transitioning service member, make sure you get your health check-ups while you are still in. Remember, once you’re out, you may be paying for health care for the first time and those trips to “sick call” will not be free anymore. This is also important if you were injured while in the service, and may need health care from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. If an injury or condition is not in your medical records, you will be hard-pressed to get help from the VA.
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