For transitioning Veterans, new and old, summarize your experience from leaving active service throughout the first year of civilian life.

Started school a week after seperating. Put in work on my resume. Landed a GS ladder position within DOD 3 months after I seperated.

I tell people that my experience after getting out is not the norm for many veterans. I know many veterans to this day that work two jobs and still struggle after leaving the service. I try and help them with filing disability claims, resumes and building a USAjobs profile.

When I was looking for a job and I went on my first interview, I was told I was over qualified. On another job, I stayed late to clean out my inbox and I got fussed at for being dedicated. Team work is a BIG FAT JOKE. There are no wingmen, you're pretty much on your own.

I did not receive any exit counseling when I left active duty. I had to do a lot of research work on my own and with many other professionals. In my first year I really didn't experience many problems. A few years later is where I needed our veterans affairs services. I know the exit counseling and screenings are really detailed now.

This whole civilian thing is kinda wacky. You have to get past the new language, new set of priorities, and the new set of values. We did a similar transition before, but we were assisted by nice men and women in Smokey The Bear type hats that spoke loud enough to ensure they were heard in a crowd and took your best interests to heart. Civilians don't seem to have that type of transition assistance.

The first year was definitely the roughest. Most of my coworkers were prior military themselves (I was working for a government contractor) but had been out for a while. While the work ethic was there, there was a lack of team work and camaraderie. I was labeled as being argumentative and making people nervous because I would argue my point when I believed I was right. I also found that people were for a lack of a better term spineless and acted like bitches. If someone had a problem with me they would go to my supervisor instead of me.

That was another thing. My supervisor had a personal problem with me (in my opinion). Whenever he would get a complaint about me he would reprimand me, making it a one-sided conversation and not listening to my side of the story.

Quick(ish) example: a coworker's wife called the shop one day and I answered the phone. He had just stepped out to go work on something, so I told his wife he had just stepped out. i asked if she would like to leave a message or have me page him. She opted to leave a message. The guy came back later and I told him his wife called. 30 minutes later my supervisor is pulling me in his office saying something like "Paul and his wife are having problems. When you say that he's not in the office she thinks he's out playboy'ing around. NEVER tell her he's not in the shop!" I tried to ask what the heck I was supposed to do but he wouldn't let me speak.

Then there was the government employee who was going through my supply cabinet looking for something. I approached him and asked what he needed. He told me and I found the item and gave it to him. That little bitch went to my supervisor and said I had been trying to intimidate him.

Needless to say, I don't work there anymore. I have learned to lighten up a little but luckily I haven't worked with people like that since. Every job I've had since then, if someone has a problem with me or I with them, we go directly to each other and not to supervisors. We all believe in dealing with problems at the lowest level possible.

Scary and Exciting...

Smooth, because I prepared ahead of time.

Odd, because after 33 years, all I knew was being a Soldier.

Not so bad, as I kinda sorta am still affiliated with the Army.

Fast, as I left the Army, and went to work almost immediately.

I also remember, initially, I thought (in my new job/second career) I made a really bad choice... But, soon I realized I had the best job ever - aside from being a Soldier.

The first year wasn't as bad as the second. By the second year I was completely lost and just trying to hold it together. There weren't the same resources as now though, and back in 05-06 there were far less veterans too. Trying to go to school on the MGIB was impossible so that wasn't helping. During that first year though I really just had to figure out what kind of veteran I wanted to be.

I left after 14+ years. but, in reality my first civilian job and my last military one were somewhat comparable. So the transition was not that bad.