Military to Civilian Transition
When a service member leaves the military and becomes a civilian, it is quite a transition. The military to civilian transition is even harder for service members who retire from the military and are out into the civilian world at an older age seeking employment. The military teaches you discipline and commitment, and although most civilian employers value these characteristics and look for them when hiring, not all coworkers share that same commitment, and dealing with those people is very difficult. You will deal with listening to coworkers complain far more than you would ever hear in the military. Coworkers’ attitude and behavior toward superiors, peers, and subordinates are different as well. The lack of respect they have for their job and the organization’s success will make you quickly realize that, for most people, it’s just a job for them, and working there and being committed is not why they have a job there. It is just a place where they get a paycheck!
Transitioning From Military to Civilian
When anyone decides to leave the military and become a full-time civilian, I urge them to seek employment with companies and organizations that welcome or even give precedence to veterans. There are many companies like that out there that want to hire veterans for their experience, their discipline, or most of all, their leadership qualities. Before you leave the military, you should really seek out those companies to know who they are and decide whether you would be a good match for the company and they for you. It will also make your transition much easier if you do not just leave the military cold turkey. If you can, join the Reserves or National Guard or maybe even work for the military or government as a civilian where you will be around lots of other veterans, and you know your job will be run similarly to the military. Life as a civilian employee is very different from life as a military member. When I am asked “what should I do when I get out of the military,” my response has and always will be that they should stay in the military as long as they can. Job security is stronger in the military. The ability to grow as a person and learn many different things allows you to have greater success. And the pride that you have for what you do and the pride a country has in you is far greater than that of any civilian employer.
Civilian to Military
When it comes to transitioning from civilian to military life, this will generally apply to people of a younger age. One of the biggest changes for younger people is structure and time control. The transition from civilian life to military life is much easier than the reverse. The military teaches you discipline, commitment, and being part of a team because this is what the military stands for. The success of a unit depends on the unit’s discipline and the ability of every member to be a part of the team. There are no individuals in the military. The military does everything it can to help each member be successful, but most civilian employers are focused on what others have done for them! The military helps you constantly grow as a person and teaches you values that will last a lifetime. The benefits of being in the military are greater as well since you will have numerous opportunities to gain education, learn different job skills, increase income, and much more.
Before You Leave
I suggest that every service member really take the time to make a decision about the military before leaving and decide what is best for them and their family. Consider taking an extended leave—go visit civilian employers and talk to people who work there. Then you will be able to really see the difference. The numbers show that (apart from retired service members) 65 percent of members who get out of the military try to return at some point, and today it’s harder for veterans to get back in than ones who have never served in the military. You should take at least a year before leaving to really decide what will be best for you. As I stated before, your transition will be greater if you maintain some type of commitment to the military, if only as a volunteer. Whatever you decide, you will always be a veteran, and we will always be proud of your service.
- What’s Missing in Today’s Military: Integrity - March 20, 2018
- What’s Missing in Today’s Military: Honor - March 19, 2018
- Veterans without Care: What’s Wrong with the VA? - December 18, 2017
