Dispelling Civilian Expectations: What You Don't Know You Don't Know

2015-08-11T15:47:12-04:00

A little background on myself: I was an artillery officer in the Marine Corps from 2004-2012. I spent my time as an artillery liaison officer, forward observer, executive officer, and platoon commander. I also worked as an infantry platoon commander in Iraq and a JTAC/Firepower Control Team Leader in Afghanistan. I conducted a total of five deployments: Iraq twice, Afghanistan, and two Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments. I left the Marine Corps in 2012, was able to find a job before my separation date, and have worked in that job for nearly three years now. I work in the manufacturing industry, initially as a shift supervisor and after a promotion, as a superintendent.

I want to begin by dispelling some expectations you may have of the civilian job market place. For starters, no one is obligated to hire you. No one sees that you are a vet and immediately puts your resume in the “to hire” bin. Your status as a veteran does not necessarily help your job search. It doesn’t hurt in most cases, but do not expect anyone to roll the red carpet out for you. I have found that this is a common misperception that separating service members have. To be clear, there are companies that prefer veterans and there are companies that have veteran transition programs. When those resources are available, use them, but don’t assume you have a leg up. It’s better to expect and prepare for the worst case scenario and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around.

Now, as a veteran, you have some disadvantages. First, you don’t speak the same language as the people looking to hire you. Second, your career accomplishments are not in line with what hiring managers are typically looking for. Finally, you probably have a very limited network outside the military. For most of us the military is the only job we’ve known since leaving high school or college. As such, we don’t know a lot of professionals that aren’t family or service members. This disadvantage is probably the most significant, because a network is what will likely get you hired.

That leads me into my first piece of advice: start your transition early! I cannot overstate how important it is that you start transitioning at least 12 months out. That is the minimum. Ideally, I’d like you to start 18 months out. If you have less than a year before you separate I strongly suggest that you try to push your date out. You will need this time to polish your resume, work on interview skills, and most importantly to build the network that will get you a job.

How do you build that network though, and in what field should you focus? I can’t speak to anyone else, but I had no idea what I wanted to do outside of the military. I am willing to bet, though, that a lot of service members are in the same boat. As I said, most of us have never had a career outside of the military and don’t know where to even start figuring out what to do. I think this is why so many people end up in law enforcement, security, and government jobs after separating. There is nothing wrong with those careers, but don’t limit yourself just because they’re familiar.

Fortunately, there are methods to find out about various career fields. I used the local (San Diego) Chamber of Commerce and American Corporate Partners (ACP). The Chamber of Commerce was extremely helpful. They provided me with personality assessments and an idea of what fields I may fit in. They also gave me an opportunity to shadow people in those fields. This was great for two reasons: first, exposure to career fields I may not have considered (or, ones I did consider but was able to rule out), and second, it was an opportunity to start building a professional network outside of the military. The Chamber of Commerce has offices throughout the nation and, from my experience, is focused on helping veterans transition. It is a great idea to reach out to them and see what programs are available, both in the city that you’re separating from and in any city you’d want to move to. ACP has a program that will link you up with a mentor in various fields. This mentor is a veteran with a few years of experience in the field you’re interested in. This can be a great resource for getting some detailed information on a career field you may be interested in, along with advice on how to get into that field and some contacts to help you do so. There are more resources out there, and if you’d like to get in touch I will be happy to provide some links, but I found those two most helpful. Look around a bit, be open-minded, and put yourself out there though you’ll find a lot of people willing to help you.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Aug 11 at 2015 3:59 PM

2015-08-11T15:59:32-04:00

There is nothing wrong with saying "I don't know" as long as you are willing to accept that and learn.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 13 at 2015 2:36 PM

2015-08-13T14:36:27-04:00

Thank you for painting the picture. You are the quartering party that went forth and came back to tell us what is ahead.

Response by SPC David Hannaman made Aug 13 at 2015 3:42 PM

2015-08-13T15:42:08-04:00

Well said.
Employers are looking for.
"Marketable skills"
"Applicable/Transferable experience"
"People that take initiative"
"Team building"
"Strong work ethic"

These are some of the catch phrases that military service teaches in basic training, but seem hard to find in the job market. I have several friends that have a really difficult time finding workers that will just simply show up on time.

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made Aug 13 at 2015 4:23 PM

2015-08-13T16:23:17-04:00

Fantastic advice! I have been working on my resume for about 2 years now.....and will be "forced" to use it upon my retirement in the coming 3-4 months. HOPEFULLY, I have done a good job of polishing it up!

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Sep 22 at 2015 12:41 PM

2015-09-22T12:41:25-04:00

Outstanding advice for those transitioning. Capt. Davis nailed it.

Response by MSgt Danny Hope made Sep 22 at 2015 1:42 PM

2015-09-22T13:42:34-04:00

Great Post!

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2015 1:54 PM

2015-09-22T13:54:29-04:00

Well stated Whit. I appreciate the information/advice.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Sep 25 at 2015 8:53 AM

2015-09-25T08:53:25-04:00

Capt Whitney Davis . All great advice Whitney. I would add that once you have the job the skills you learned in the military will make you far more promotable and you will likely outwork and outperform most of your coworkers (if not all of them). It has been 28 year for me at my current company and once in the door, all those years ago, I found it pretty easy to move up and advance my career. The hardest part is finding the right company and getting in.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Sep 25 at 2015 11:55 AM

2015-09-25T11:55:35-04:00

This is a bit old, but some of the best advice I have seen regarding leaving the military service and how to advance in the private industry. Enlisted members normally have skills that lend themselves to the tech industry. When it comes to the Commissioned Officer ranks, it is difficult to remind yourself, it you are going into the private industry, you have to perform and you will advance rapidly. Bellyache about how the job is below your dignity will leave you unhappy and eventually seeking another job. As a MCPO, I was hired as a Technical Instructor who retired as a CWO4. Five years later I was a Director of Training for a major division of the company, with P&L responsibilities.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Sep 25 at 2015 1:26 PM

2015-09-25T13:26:00-04:00

Excellent advice. It's always best to pay attention to those who have succeeded. Sadly, there are many who are only to happy to lead others down paths to failure. I prefer to listen to those who have accomplished what I am attempting to accomplish. It's also nice to find some who is successful who is willing to share. Many times they like to keep the keys to success a secret as though their secret might be diminished if too many held them.

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Sep 25 at 2015 2:48 PM

2015-09-25T14:48:09-04:00

Thanx Sir Great comments.....I think networking does help & College Alumni Offices have great contacts in the business community. And being in the military may not be as important as your experience but there are now Alumni Veterans Networks at some colleges that do help find jobs for Veterans who are Alumni...Northeastern and Boston College have been doing some good things lately with organizing job fairs and using their contacts in the business communities in Boston as just 2 examples.

Response by CPT Endre Barath made Sep 29 at 2015 3:00 AM

2015-09-29T03:00:24-04:00

thank you for adding to the conversation, your comment is appreciated and it is almost a post by itself:))Endre