The Holistic Transition

MAJ George Hamilton — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:21:00 -0400

As a Veteran transitions out of the service and starts on the path to finding a new career, there is no shortage of things that must be considered, planned and prepared for. The most important in most cases is finding employment upon leaving the service.

Since this is quite possibly the most important thing a Veteran does during the transition, why does it seem that it’s the one thing that most Veterans are most ill-equipped to do? As I have spent the last year since leaving the active Army working as a Program Manager for Veteran Hiring Initiatives, I have noticed some trends in how Veterans approach post military employment.

Here are my observations:

1. Paycheck – The entire reason that we work is so we can earn money and take care of our families and ourselves. In the course of dealing with Veterans looking for jobs, I have noticed two trends that bother me a great deal. The first is the salary/pay expectation of the average Veteran, which seems to be well above their market value. Just because you were a high level manager in the military, does not mean you will get the comparable job in the civilian sector – anymore than the Army would take a corporate executive and immediately make him/her a Battalion Commander if he/she decided to suddenly join the Army. Think about it – you are starting over, and you need to take the opportunities that are presented, even if the salary is not up to your perceived worth. Secondly, and this is the point of this post, pay is only one part of the equation, and I have watched many Veterans throw away opportunities because the salary was 10K lower than they wanted, when everything else was exactly what they wanted/needed for themselves and their families.

2. Location – Are you open to moving to where the opportunities are? One of the most common issues I run into is an unwillingness from Veterans to move to the places where opportunities are the most plentiful. Just because you move to an area of the country that isn’t ideal for you, doesn’t mean you have to live there for the rest of your life, but it may be the best place to get your career rolling in the right direction. The short of it – be open to location.

3. Culture – Does the company that you are attempting to go to work for fit you as a person? Culture is one of the most important considerations that you must think about when starting out on a new career. Do the values of the organization fit with yours? What kind of business goals does the company have, and do they compliment your career aspirations? No matter how good the paycheck is, if you are not a good fit on the team, you will be miserable and much more likely to be unsuccessful in the position.

4. Ask yourself the right questions – When you look at a position as you leave the service, are you really looking at what you want to do for a living? Are you finding a corporate culture that compliments your own values and aspirations? Are you pigeonholing yourself by only wanting to move to a specific city/state? Does the paycheck get in the ballpark of your expectations?

You must look at a career search holistically. Amidst all the noise about resumes, interviewing, and preparing to make yourself attractive to civilian employers, remember to take time to make sure you are developing a situation that is going to be of all around benefit to you and your family if you have one. Flexibility is key, and once you land the position, you can then proceed to show your new employer why hiring a Veteran is one of the best business decisions they can make.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Aug 21 at 2014 11:57 AM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:57:42 -0400

MAJ George Hamilton - this is really well done, thanks. I really agree with this particular point you made (quoted): "The first is the salary/pay expectation of the average Veteran, which seems to be well above their market value. Just because you were a high level manager in the military, does not mean you will get the comparable job in the civilian sector."

I've met several former senior NCOs and senior officers who have had a hard time with this reality.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Aug 25 at 2014 9:58 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 09:58:57 -0400

Sir, you have provided an excellent and, more importantly, realistic assessment of the challenges of transitioning. I, too, work with veterans on a daily basis and while I don't work directly with job placement, I do often hear them speak of their own difficulties in finding employment and have found myself providing some of the same advise, though not nearly as eloquently as you have put it.
I would recommend you consider expanding on your paragraph on Culture to include the potential of 'culture shock', specifically in the work place.
Thank you for sharing your valuable insight into this very real issue!

Response by CPT Richard Riley made Aug 25 at 2014 11:22 AM

CPT Richard Riley — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 11:22:31 -0400

I have taken the liberty of copying this discussion into the veterans resource thread to increase the exposure for more members. I hope I have your permission for that. The entire resource thread can be found here:

https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/resources-for-veterans-service-members?n=216552&page=10&urlhash=216552#216552

If you need me to make any corrections please let me know and thank you for the information.

Best resources for Veterans & Service Members | RallyPoint

Without a doubt, there are truly some great resources available to active and Reserve component personnel and veterans. Of course, if folks don't know that they're out there, members and their families couldn't possibly benefit from some of these amazing offers and services. So, the idea here is to share those helpful tidbits of information, tips, links, lessons learned, processes, resources, wisdom and/or POCs to help members find the...

Response by LCDR Mike Roshaven made Aug 25 at 2014 7:34 PM

LCDR Mike Roshaven — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 19:34:00 -0400

George, you hit the nail on the head. If your ears are ringing over the next few days it's because I'm talking about your post. In fact, I've used that comparison of a 20 year civilian VP expecting to go into the military and command a O-5 to O-6 unit as a way to make transitioners understand that there are aspects of any business that they just have to get to know over time.

Response by SrA Erin Hood made Aug 25 at 2014 11:51 PM

SrA Erin Hood — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 23:51:36 -0400

After 19 years of separation, I can say that I've gotten more offers from people simply buying me a beer than I have from any formal program related to prior service or anything else of that ilk.

Yes, it sounds dumb, but it's not too much of a stretch..

Since most folks don't know military life first hand, they simply have no experience base to relate with, yet they believe n nationalism enough to "support our troops".

I can also say that I have realized almost ZERO benefit from being an active duty veteran. Yes, I did get an account with First Command Bank, and qualify for (and have used) USAA's insurance, but that's about it.

Honestly, if you don't get banged up, don't expect anything.

Transition was the topic, frankly I wonder why the disparity is so prevalent.

Anyone?

Response by Capt Whitney Davis made Aug 28 at 2014 2:37 AM

Capt Whitney Davis — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 02:37:37 -0400

I agree with all of your points, but have to say that number 3 and number 4 are very difficult to ascertain for most individuals leaving the military. Without any stats handy I will venture to say that the vast majority of individuals leaving the armed forces have had exactly one job since finishing high school or college. When reading about every job opportunity I was interested in I was impressed with that company's goals and stated culture. Thus, I was (and I imagine most others are) ill equipped to judge corporate culture or to have a good idea of what we want to do. I would wager a guess that this is why so many end up in law enforcement or government contract jobs. It's familiar.

In an attempt to not mention a problem without a solution: I strongly recommend that everyone tries to get some feel for a few different employment sectors before transitioning. This can be difficult, but reaching out to the local Chamber of Commerce (in San Diego) helped me. They set me up to shadow individuals in different fields. There are other options out there as well, I imagine.

Finally, keep in mind that all of CPT Hamilton's suggestions mean that you need to start your transition a minimum of 12 months before EAS. Really, 18-24 months would be best. You'll need this time to build a network, figure out what you want to do, prepare yourself for the hiring process, and to take as many interviews as possible. Remember, no one is there to take care of you in the civilian world. Veteran friendly or not, you have to have something to offer a company before they will hire you. Figure out how to sell your strengths and you'll find a place to start.

Response by CPT Michael Arsenault made Sep 5 at 2014 7:19 PM

CPT Michael Arsenault — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 19:19:37 -0400

George,
Great post and appreciate you putting this in writing. I would add that you shouldn't pass up an interview or the opportunity to make a connection. You won't be 'forced' into taking something that's not for you and I've had countless situations where someone interviewed for 'position x' and ended up getting an offer for something else.

I've found that most military professionals do not have a hard time in the interview itself..... speaking across the table or on the phone with a hiring authority and explaining to them where we've been, what we've done, how we're prepared to perform certain roles/tasks, etc.

The hard part is getting the interview in the first place - that one-on-one meeting or engagement with a decision maker for an organization.

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Mar 1 at 2016 6:14 AM

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 06:14:05 -0500

We have a Center For Holistic Stress Management near my home in MA & It is free for Military, & Veterans so I plan to go and will provide you guys some feedback..if you are interested. I also started a thread about this today