What is the best thing you did while transitioning from the military?

TSgt Alex Benningfield — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 09:37:57 -0400

I want to hear the best thing you did while you were transitioning (whether retiring or separating) from the military.

Response by TSgt Alex Benningfield made Jun 5 at 2016 9:44 AM

TSgt Alex Benningfield — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 09:44:53 -0400

So here is my story as I started my transition. My DOS is October of 2017. When I took my current assignment I knew it was going to be my last. So I started planning on my separation. Thankfully I was stalking the RP site for tips and advice. So I followed the advice given by so many members here. I have earned my first masters and start my second tomorrow. I will have it done before I get out. That way I will be more competitive, especially with my M.B.A degree. Secondly I made sure my credit was "excellent" and I have as little debt as possible. Currently only debt is car and motorcycle payment. I am networking here and LinkedIn with influencers and daily updating my linked in content to be more professional and "top notch" the master resume is being worked on focusing on what I did and not what I was responsible for. I am quantifying everything with numbers, percentages, dollars etc. Since my terminal leave starts in Aug 3017 I will start actively applying for jobs in Aug so I have a full year before I start leave, thus releasing the "oh crap I have no job and I am on terminal leave already". My plan is to start my new job while on terminal leave.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2016 9:44 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 09:44:58 -0400

Attend your Service appropriate retirement classes! Pay attention too. Some Soldiers just check the block, and sleep in the classes. Believe it or not, there is some great information to be had.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2016 9:47 AM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 09:47:34 -0400

My advice - have patience and don't panic.

You have a good start if you have a plan. Just don't allow a setback or two discourage you.

Response by SP5 Mark Kuzinski made Jun 5 at 2016 9:50 AM

SP5 Mark Kuzinski — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 09:50:51 -0400

I went back to college!

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Jun 5 at 2016 9:53 AM

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 09:53:19 -0400

I went back to Boston College two days after separation from active duty at Camp Geiger NC but there were Korean War Veterans at BC who helped with the transition. Also the VA suggested working part time at the Post Office while going to college. Keeping such a busy schedule with classes and working at the Post Office made the transition rather easy.

Response by SSG Jeff Beltran made Jun 5 at 2016 10:07 AM

SSG Jeff Beltran — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 10:07:07 -0400

Enjoying the full transition of going back as a private citizen and a civilian. Gradually making the transition by sleeping in, spending time with my wife and the pets, growing my hair and beard out and traveling.

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Jun 5 at 2016 10:20 AM

SSG Roger Ayscue — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 10:20:08 -0400

I found something that I enjoyed doing as a hobby and turned it into a second career.

Response by MSG Pat Colby made Jun 5 at 2016 11:09 AM

MSG Pat Colby — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 11:09:52 -0400

Knowing I was going to retire in a couple of years, I purchased a fixer upper house at my last Duty Station. Spent pretty much every waking hour on it when I wasn't on Duty. I sold the place and walked out of the Closing with a check for a bit over $34,000. After paying a few bills, I had $20,000 left over to put a down payment on a Contract For Deed for a small acreage. Two years of hell was worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears.

Response by MAJ Michael Pauling made Jun 5 at 2016 11:20 AM

MAJ Michael Pauling — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 11:20:19 -0400

paid off all bad debt so I could live off of less money

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Jun 5 at 2016 11:24 AM

Capt Brandon Charters — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 11:24:38 -0400

I was on terminal leave and took a trip to Europe with a close friend. To this day, it was one of my most enjoyable vacations. Having my DD-214 waiting for me back in the US helped :)

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made Jun 5 at 2016 11:26 AM

PO1 Brian Austin — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 11:26:54 -0400

Networked like crazy starting about a year out. Listened during the retirement class. Most seemed to treat it as the social hour. Cleared up almost all my debt, leaving a car payment and mortgage. Was fortunate to begin working 10 days after my retirement date.

Response by CW4 Abdulaziz Bulling made Jun 5 at 2016 11:40 AM

CW4 Abdulaziz Bulling — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 11:40:57 -0400

I took classes to become MS network and Workstation certified, and lined up a partime job just in case I didn't find something quickly. As it happens I found a job quickly and had to move up my retirement date.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2016 1:55 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 13:55:04 -0400

TSgt Alex Benningfield I had a good plan in place. I went to school full time and worked full time. Being busy helped me focus on my goals and objectives.

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Jun 5 at 2016 2:25 PM

MAJ Raúl Rovira — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 14:25:29 -0400

During transition I spent a lot of time networking and involved with the community.

I joined a Toastmasters club. Became a Den Leader at my son's cub scout pack. Kept swimming with the base Masters Swim Team. Volunteer with the local chapter of Project management as a military/veteran liaison. Finished my final graduate school class. Had a lot of quality time with my wife and kids during terminal leave and the two months I chose not to work. Free time is amazing what it does to clear ones head.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Jun 5 at 2016 2:49 PM

COL Jon Thompson — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 14:49:47 -0400

I would say keep your options open in terms of what you are looking to do. It may not be the position or pay you want but it can pay off. I left active duty in 1996 after not being selected for promotion. I went back to Illinois with no jobs in sight. A couple of months later, I started working as a manager for Hertz car rental at O'Hare. It was not what I envisioned doing but I stayed with them for 11 years and became the #2 person at the O'Hare location when I left to go work as a contractor for the Army.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2016 11:36 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 23:36:52 -0400

Tied in with the Army Corporate Partners program and took the Boots to Business course to prepare for out of service work.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2016 2:15 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 02:15:39 -0400

Failed. I couldn't find a steady job that provided for my wife and I. I was not accepted to the first college I applied to. I burned through my savings. Failure showed me that success is not easy and being a veteran does not gurantee you anything. I had to hustle, work, and network to finally achieve my goals. It was incredibly hard, but worth it in the end.

Response by Capt Guy Ingram made Jun 7 at 2016 7:56 AM

Capt Guy Ingram — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 07:56:47 -0400

I thought about what i wanted to do after i separated; then started the personal preparation necessary to get that job. For example, I spent my last two years getting a master's degree; I took the time to write a solid resume. I started looking around and found the job i wanted, so when I separated on Friday, I walked into that job the following Monday.

Response by Capt Vickie Adams made Jun 7 at 2016 9:29 AM

Capt Vickie Adams — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:29:10 -0400

I put my paperwork in a full year ahead of time. This gave me time to adjust my mindset and explore my options.

Response by Maj Mike Sciales made Jun 7 at 2016 9:59 AM

Maj Mike Sciales — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:59:43 -0400

I took a 300 mile hike up the length of Idaho. Walked 15 miles a day as I left behind all things military. I completed the journey as a long haired, bearded guy. It was great.

Response by Col Paul Schubert made Jun 7 at 2016 10:20 AM

Col Paul Schubert — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:20:05 -0400

I went to the Wharton School and got an MBA. It was the perfect 2 year transition from active duty USAF to Banking. I also stayed in the Reserve, which did my heart a lot of good over the years as I found Banking to not be as trustworthy as my old USAF associations. I developed a plan while active duty to maximize my education and determine what civilian job fit best with my USAF experience. As a contracting officer, I was already and Air Force "businessman" doing deals so Wall Street and deals seemed a fairly natural transition. I made sure I spoke with people with whom I had some trust that had already made the transition. Several of my best networking groups were the West Point Society of New York and the Naval Academy Alumni Association of NY. These "older schools" had a fair amount of people on Wall Street and helped me more than my Wharton contacts/alumni did.

Response by SMSgt James Yearsley made Jun 7 at 2016 10:20 AM

SMSgt James Yearsley — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:20:51 -0400

Actually, after 20+ years of mission first, everything else second, teh best thing I did at retirement was to take nearly a year of not working to learn how to be a husband and dad first.

Response by SMSgt Diana Pasterchick made Jun 7 at 2016 10:34 AM

SMSgt Diana Pasterchick — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:34:34 -0400

Be prepared for your plans to be rerouted. I thought I had done everything right. As a single parent to a 6 yr old and unlike some of the other responses I knew that I would not be able to relax. However I was confident I would find a job--I had gotten my degree, taken my TAP classes, started networking and worked on my resume for almost a year to get it right. The result of my preparation was two years of unemployment and having to move my little family from DC to family in Upstate NY. The BEST thing I did was stay positive and motivated. While I was unemployed I enjoyed the extra time with my daughter but kept pressing. It has worked out--I have a great job now and my family is happy. Have a plan B and C and know that your life will end up as it should be.

Response by SMSgt Diana Pasterchick made Jun 7 at 2016 10:45 AM

SMSgt Diana Pasterchick — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:45:31 -0400

Sorry had already responded

Response by Capt Chuck Ward made Jun 7 at 2016 10:48 AM

Capt Chuck Ward — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:48:04 -0400

Grew a beard

Response by Sgt Jason Edwards made Jun 7 at 2016 1:14 PM

Sgt Jason Edwards — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 13:14:18 -0400

Gathered all my training certificates, college transcripts, copied my medical folder then took two weeks off. Took advantage of the unemployment that had piled up while I looked for the right job.

Response by Capt Christian D. Orr made Jun 7 at 2016 6:37 PM

Capt Christian D. Orr — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 18:37:32 -0400

(1) Getting a Federal GS-series civilian law enforcement job with DHS (CBP) about a month after separating (I'd started the application process 6 months earlier) in Nov 2006.
(2) My $50K (after taxes) Voluntary Separation Pay (VSP) Separation package under Force Shaping.

Response by MSgt Walter Thomason made Jun 7 at 2016 10:49 PM

MSgt Walter Thomason — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 22:49:43 -0400

#1 item on my retirement plan. It started the day I realized it wasn't fun anymore and I put in my retirement papers. GET AS DEBT FREE AS POSSIBLE. I cut back on non-necessity spending, then I started by paying off the lowest bill at first. When that was paid off, I added that payment to the bill with the highest interest. When that was paid off, I added what I was paying to the next bill, and so on. When I retired, I had no bills whatsoever. I also learned a few good habits in the process that carry on until today. I don't allow credit card debt to accumulate. If I do you one, I pay it off as soon as possible.

Response by Capt Ed Piatek made Jun 8 at 2016 12:01 AM

Capt Ed Piatek — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 00:01:39 -0400

Registered with my college placement office after 14 yr absence and located a position in the semiconductor business that kept me running constantly to keep up with younger peers whom I outlasted.

Response by Capt Timothy A. Grimes made Jun 8 at 2016 5:29 AM

Capt Timothy A. Grimes — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 05:29:05 -0400

Know that your first job out of the military will most likely be a transitional job and not the one that you hold for years. It may not even be in your chosen career field or industry. However, the bills still have to be paid, and it's easier to get a job when you have one, plus you won't come across as being desperate when you interview, strengthening your salary negotiation position.

Response by SMSgt Steve Neal made Jun 8 at 2016 9:24 AM

SMSgt Steve Neal — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 09:24:56 -0400

Learn to "let it go"... After 27 years of military order and discipline, being able to control or at least affect the behavior of others, I learned to stop trying to do that. Civilians in DoD and other federal agency workers DO NOT follow orders or respect a chain of command like we did. Just let it go...

Response by Sgt Darlene Wilson made Jun 8 at 2016 10:52 AM

Sgt Darlene Wilson — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 10:52:31 -0400

Plan early as possible. I decided where I was going, checked out the job market and sent out resumes. The day after I got home I had an interview lined up and 21 years later I am still with the company. I paid off all of my debt before I got out so I had less financial burden to worry about. I also had six months living expenses saved up in case it took me a little longer to get a good job.

Response by SrA Amy Crews made Jun 8 at 2016 11:19 AM

SrA Amy Crews — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 11:19:30 -0400

Checking in with the local veterans office when I settled in to my new town. It put my name on a jobs list which landed me a contract position which became a federal position. Still here 10 years later. But I was a young airman, everyone's situations are different.
Still took nearly 4.5 months to get the job (the longest I have been out of work since 12 yrs old, whew that was tough) but that gave me time to recuperate as I was in pretty poor health, and to do some volunteer work.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Jun 8 at 2016 11:46 AM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 11:46:37 -0400

Well the best thing I did while transitioning was delivering my 2nd daughter into the world. She was literally due 2 weeks before my EAS.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 8 at 2016 8:11 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 20:11:48 -0400

Joined the reserves, WITHOUT a break in service. Flying two weekends a month get the money coming in while I was establishing a new career

Response by SPC Lyle Montgomery made Feb 17 at 2022 6:54 PM

SPC Lyle Montgomery — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 18:54:36 -0500

When I got out I broke up with my girlfriend or she broke up with me. Anyway it was mutual. I met my new girlfriend and have been married to her for 50 years.