What job opportunities are out there for retired E8's and E9's?

I don't see why an E-8/9 can not have a successful career at an executive leadership level as they have for the most part the same level or more experience as an officer in the executive field as well as hands on at lower levels

I knew a retired Chief Personnelman who was a Human Resource department chief and he was a loser! He got his position within the Army Corps of Engineers and needless to say, he didn't last very long.

Yes. There are. Assuming you are curious about a defense company, you could move very quickly into a program management position. The two tracks for retired military are business development and program management. Many NCO's have the discipline and leadership skill to do well managing complex programs. If you do well as a PM, then you can use that to enter executive opportunities. Good luck!

Where to start with a response. My first comment is realize that it takes time to DE-MIL your approach with how you deal with people. When you get to the E6 and above level you stop asking for information.. you require it be provided and in a timely manner. Many of us "grew up" in the military and learned what was effective in a military setting. It took me a few years to learn how to civilianize my approach to my non-veteran counterparts.
Next hardest to deal with was if your status started with an E (E7/8/9) we understood how integral our place was to supporting the executive branch. In the outside world executive is considered O4 and above. An E8 with an under grad degree is still seen as middle management. If you come to the civilian sector with a Masters degree.. then upper middle management.
Some hard pills to swallow. I have been retired almost 15 years and still find myself reverting back to the "if i wanted your opinion, I would give it to you" approach. With todays kids, it doesnt work well. Good luck with the transisiton.

SSgt Melvin Alegria, many good comments in this thread. Do not expect recruiters to be calling whether an officer or E8 or E9 or O whatever or E whatever. It is hard work. Years ago I worked with an Air Force E9 and opened several doors for employment consideration. He found his own position running operations for a public bus company. A few years later I had cause to attempt to contact him to assist another military job seeker and found out he had retired. I was struck by the tone of respect and appreciation of his impact on the company communicated to me by the person who answered the phone. Your peers are you! There are many opportunities. Review position requirements and prepare yourselves by having those requirements especially if degreed or certificated. Think of your responsibilities and how they translate to the position(s). How many resumes do you have? Tailor them. How much networking have you done? Start now. It bothers me when military men and women feel their skills are not transferable, even infantry. At supervisory levels you have supervised a needed experience. Please know that you and your experiences are valued. Networking. For those of you searching, whom have you contacted for assistance? Communities of interest can be most beneficial. Target positions and companies and go after them. Don't like that a position you applied for was wired, then get one wired for you. Many posted positions are targeted. I supported one of our government contract firms based in Tyson's Corner whose financial responsibilities included doing the analysis for base closings. One position had been open for close to 400 days, do the math. I cancelled the position. How many people applied to that position and all the hiring manager was doing was fishing. I had a conversation with the CEO of another firm in the elevator, advised of an executive with 8 open positions, when the executive retired the exec told me that the CEO asked about the 8 positions and had the impression (from me) that since they had been open for 10 years they might not be needed. There are still 8 open positions out in the market for that segment. Overcome it? How? Talk to people and translate your military experiences to private industry. How? Read posted positions and adapt. Just because it is posted doesn't mean it is open on these job boards. Talk to hiring managers, what is it that they are looking for over and above the posting. Had positions open with a trucking firm. Reviewed the candidates for dispatcher position with his direct the VP. President rejected them all. We were both confused. Dropped by the President's office and it turned out he wanted dispatchers with degrees as he had decided that there is a need to prepare to replace terminal managers. How would your experiences fit into that equation. Hiring is a complex corporate process with many avenues to traverse. Smaller firms are more direct.

The most common question I ask when talking to enlisted military retirees is do you have a degree, and afterwards, do you have an advanced degree. The latter is nice to have, not need to have, as it’s more important to have relevant degree. If it's Strategic Policy or some other military related subject, you may have to start again. Civilian jobs and civilian HR officers, unless they were prior military will have a lot of difficulty considering your degree equal to the usual business, marketing or law related degrees they see.
The second issue I see is the age old question for civilian employers - are you military retired or military retarded. That sounds harsh but I heard that exact same phrasing from a civilian HR officer once. So whether you agree with it, think it’s illegal or whatever, that’s what’s going through their minds. It is a factor when sizing you up. Are you going to adapt your military skills for the civilian market or are you going to be the retiree that tries to implement the UCMJ into the office? Worse, are you a SNCO that got promoted based on the Peter Principle and can't really do anything other than look officious and be petty? They’ve been burned before by some of your peers and want to avoid that.

On the plus side, there are many like me out in the civilian world hiring Vets. I got out many years ago, and only after a single enlistment. I went back to college right away after getting out and have been civilian employed for 20 years. So I know what the deal is, and there are lots of vet out there like me who hire veterans almost exclusively when they can. Your job is not to look younger but to adapt to the changes in work force skills and be relevant. Computer/electronic skills are a must. If you can’t operate a scanner, figure out a WiFi connection or map out a printer on a network, you’re in a serious hole when it comes the younger generation. If you aren’t a strong writer, correct that, make sure you’re not misusing your and you’re, too and to, its and it’s, etc. Remove the passive voice from your narratives. You’d be surprise how many don’t bother to pay attention to how important effective and persuasive writing can be.

A previous poster commented on the benefits of hiring an experienced military worker who knows what being on time means and does things like stay late to get a project done. Millennials have, by and large, a heightened sense of entitlement. Employers are definitely waking up to the fact that the younger generation places life event far above work events. They also expect regular promotions, rewards for basic responsibilities and tend to spend a lot of time checking social media at work. Even the hard workers generally lack loyalty in many cases and will leave the minute a bigger better deal comes along. Hiring a fresh faced college grad doesn’t pay when they leave a few years later for a perceived better opportunity. I’ve been burned by Millennials before – spent a lot of money to hire, train and invested resources into their employment only to have them leave when they are offered a slightly better deal. That is becoming a common theme and many are learning that a Vet who’ll stick around for 10-15 years is a lot more cost effective than an endless series of new workers soak up resources when they have to be trained repeatedly. Not to mention the constant massaging of their expectations as they grow up and realize the real world is not groovy as their professors or parents made it out to be. These are generalizations and stereotypes but there’s a reason why they’ve been created.

In short – make sure your education is relevant. Do a hard evaluation of your abilities, preferable with a professional career recruiter who’ll be honest. If you lack the skills needed in today’s market, be prepared to go back to school for a few years to become marketable. Adapt and bring only those military skills to the table that are important (being responsible, loyalty, organization, ability to follow orders without questioning everything, etc). Stow your pride and know you may have to start at a lower level than you’re used to. Battalion and Regimental SNCO’s may very well be starting in a position and taking orders from a kid who is half their age – be prepared for that. I am always reminded of the E-7 retiree who once hired, showed up to work and asked where his staff was. I had to say to him, “You are the staff; you have to get these tasks done now.” To his credit, he turned out to be a great guy and moved up quickly.

SSGT Melvin Alegria III, Now you have that chance in a life time to do what you really wanted to be when you grow up. Well, think back as a kid what really interested you as you were growing up If you don't know your strengths, then may I sugggest that you get a hold of Strength Finders book at Barnes and Noble. Then follow your gut feeling. There's lots of E-8's and E-9's that had a very successful career in the executive level leadership. Though I'm retired now and over 60, I still feel I owe it to others to help them find themselves. I retired from the Marine Corps in 1994, then in 2010, with the County of San Diego, CA. So do what you want to do. Semper Fi, JK

SSgt Melvin Alegria III
I've read a lot of on the mark responses from these former and retired members of our armed forces. My question to you is this A). Do you want a job ? B). Do you want a career ? C). Do you desire to make a lot of money for the company your interested in ? D). Or do you desire to make a formidable income for yourself ? You need to take some time and feel this out for yourself, and then go full steam ahead with the same intensity that you excelled within your career.
You could compose a stellar resume and you could enroll in the University of your choice and achieve that, BS, Masters, PHD and all the other degrees that would put you on top of the corporate structured ladder to success ? When it all comes down to the level of reality, what do you want after the military and what is going to make you happy. If you desire to continue to lead people than pursue that venue in a managerial position. The best thing about "Job Fairs" is the one that's held for veterans, and this is where you will see and meet all the corporate recruiters/headhunters that want offer you a second career.
Now if you want to venture out on your own there are always various Franchise opportunities available with an investment on your part both financially and personally, be cautious with these for they can lead to financial ruin if your not willing to commit 100%. Don't focus so much on what is available for retired E-8's or E-9'S, since that stops at and after the retirement ceremony and your re entry into the civilian sector. Not a single employer really gives two shits about your rank or the awards and certificates of accomplishments you've attained in your stellar career. Like previously stated by others it's the bottom line to them how much can you do for us too make us more successful in the market !
This next portion of my suggestion to you will come with, how much of an income level do you feel you would be happy with. If your like me you like money and the more of it the better, well how much of a personal sacrifice are you willing to commit to for one? I have always had a philosophy of work smarter and not harder, for the latter will make you get very old very fast. I will go to the extent of saying do not make the retail industry a career path, the ole adage that the customer is always right is 100% bullshit! I've been in a lot of different industries since retiring and that was by my choice but I've learned invaluable amount of criteria toward the path to success . Network with people of all career fields and you will gain valuable knowledge to lead you into the career of your choice. I have met a lot of former military that have chosen a highly successful career in the power washing industry, and like anything else you need to know how and what makes this a 6 figure + income career ? There are also consulting careers, Home inspection, realty positions and finally "uber", as a driver for uber you can make an average of $1000.00 in a week using your own vehicle. If you'd like to learn more about the things I've mentioned contact me via Rally Point, I'd be happy to help mentor you. In closing take all that has been offered by all of these fine people and put your plan into action.

Just to toss on an example of a different career path after retirement, my CMSgt retired against the wishes of command and took a job digging sewer lines. No responsibility, decisions, sexual harassment/interpersonal conflicts, politics etc. Just the sun and a shovel and pick. Healthiest he ever looked.
6 months later he is a school district maintenance worker.

I've been very fortunate since retirement. LTC Salerno is spot-on with his advice to you. Take plenty of time to figure out what you want to do. Do something you really love. So many GI's jump into a job right away. They usually get lo-balled and ripped off. I'll offer another complimentary perspective. While the civil sector lacks understanding of your leadership skills and background, most retired SNCO's don't really understand that employers don't have to know or offer you that understanding. Most of the time, they are completely indifferent to the rank you achieved. They don't make money caring about that. All that matters is what you can do for them. Many SNCO's (myself in 2000) leave a world with a clearly defined career progression track and culture of trust to a very indifferent world; expecting that same environment outside. That's over and gone forever. Companies offer you a job so they can make money from your skill set. That's it. Forget the hype, don't trust the recruiters or HR. Their interest in in protecting the company. If you are making them company money, you'll have work. If you're not making them money, expect a layoff. Have 6 months pay saved up. You'll need it. Work ebbs and flows. Don't be overly loyal to the company, your loyalty will not be reciprocated. Be loyal to your family and yourself. If you're good, other companies will know it and come at you with better offers. Emotional attachments to an institution are a waste of energy; it's all just business now. Touch up your resume' every month or two. Be good to those you work for, those you work with, and act with respect to your competitors. Your paths will cross again. Find out your employer's biggest challenges, take on those projects. You'll succeed more than you fail and will prosper more than you imagined. That's how you become an Executive.