Posted on Jan 30, 2017
What's been the hardest part about transitioning from the Military to Civilian employment?
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Employment
Transition
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Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 35
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The hardest part is teaching companies the value that Veterans provide. As a member of the nation's premier military placement firm, I find the biggest hurdle being able to find a common understanding. If expectations are managed properly, you can build a lifelong relationship and pipeline for Veterans to land careers within a company.
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SFC (Join to see)
CPT Nic Chang Very true Sir. OR (let me throw this one at you). The Comapny "claims" to support Veterans etc, but don't have a clue on how to properly utilize the "raw talent" we bring to the table, and "use" the moniker of a Vet friendly Comapny on the outside, but just rock on with the tax breaks they get for hiring Vets.
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CPT Nic Chang
I can see where your coming from, but I don't think the companies do it with malice or just for the tax implication. Not every company knows that there are Veterans who will meet, and well often exceed, their needs.
I will tell you I find it far more common that companies simply don't know what they don't know. There has to be at least the interest to want to learn about the Veteran community and their value to their specific company, but after that it's just like becoming an SME in anything, they need to continue learning and apply it. If they want a leg up in that fight, there's people like me who bridge the gap and provide guidance.
On the flip side, you know this just as well as I do, not every Veteran is created equal. Some are better than others, its just a fact.
What I'm saying is the candle burns at both ends.
I will tell you I find it far more common that companies simply don't know what they don't know. There has to be at least the interest to want to learn about the Veteran community and their value to their specific company, but after that it's just like becoming an SME in anything, they need to continue learning and apply it. If they want a leg up in that fight, there's people like me who bridge the gap and provide guidance.
On the flip side, you know this just as well as I do, not every Veteran is created equal. Some are better than others, its just a fact.
What I'm saying is the candle burns at both ends.
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PO3 Donald Murphy
CPT Nic Chang - Or being American - they just don't care. Unless they are a mom-and-pop shop, they owe fealty to shareholders. So sadly, most vet hires will be for the extra buck. Or to look good for that government contract they're angling for. Your mileage may vary of course...
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CPT Nic Chang
I disagree Donald. My clients don't hire Veterans simply because they are looking for a tax break or to get a nod from their superiors, they do so because that individual is the best candidate for the job and for future growth within their organization.
Companies are looking to hire the best candidate for a position, not just someone who checks the blocks, if that were the case every company would keep Veterans on the payroll just because, but they don't... they select them to be leaders within their organizations for the next generation. Its just as much about training the organization to understand military value as it is learning the job itself.
I'm a firm believer that Veterans can out perform their civilian counterparts because they possess a variety of soft skills and emotional intelligence that their peers without military experience lack. If you look at most organizations there is someone with a military background at a very senior role within the company, not because the company wants a feather in their hat, but because that dude or dudette kicks ass.
Companies are looking to hire the best candidate for a position, not just someone who checks the blocks, if that were the case every company would keep Veterans on the payroll just because, but they don't... they select them to be leaders within their organizations for the next generation. Its just as much about training the organization to understand military value as it is learning the job itself.
I'm a firm believer that Veterans can out perform their civilian counterparts because they possess a variety of soft skills and emotional intelligence that their peers without military experience lack. If you look at most organizations there is someone with a military background at a very senior role within the company, not because the company wants a feather in their hat, but because that dude or dudette kicks ass.
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No one seemed understand where they fit in the organization while in the military you have a clear chain of command and everybody knows what their job is in the civilian world no one seems to know what Lane they belong in
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The hardest part for me was multi-fold
1. Civilians version of integrity and mine aren't the same (still haven't figured that out)
2. "Selling myself" without feeling like I'm bragging- it seems civilians have no problems whatsoever with this
3. I am way too straight forward, and a woman- therefore I'm an unapproachable bitch. I have been told I'm rough on the furniture, I need to be nicer, when I was with DOC I was even told by a mass murderer that I scared him! (I took that as a compliment actually)
1. Civilians version of integrity and mine aren't the same (still haven't figured that out)
2. "Selling myself" without feeling like I'm bragging- it seems civilians have no problems whatsoever with this
3. I am way too straight forward, and a woman- therefore I'm an unapproachable bitch. I have been told I'm rough on the furniture, I need to be nicer, when I was with DOC I was even told by a mass murderer that I scared him! (I took that as a compliment actually)
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GySgt Melissa Gravila
Capt Tom Brown - yeah...right? LOL I think these people are just too sensitive- they need to suck it up and move on! I'd hate to see what they would do if they got a hang nail- take a PTO day? JEEZ
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PO3 Donald Murphy
The company's main goal is turning a buck and making the share holders look good. Unless you're in a mom-and-pop organization, your lifespan is limited. So why bother with integrity? Zealous Zeb will be laid off the same day lazy Larry is. So the emphasis is on survival. As a former HR guy, the company will pre-tell you what the "reviews" are going to be. The good as well as the bad will get virtually the same pay. This fosters an atmosphere of complete apathy. An annointed one labelled "project manager" or "team lead" will be exhorted to manage an evolution. This is then counter productive as once the job is over, it is realized that you were doing something to make your company more sell-able. So its not that people have no integrity. Its that they don't need it.
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That most recruiters and hiring managers only select people to interview with "specific industry experience" for the position they are filling, and military experience doesn't qualify.
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For me it was doing a job interview over the phone. I would much rather talk to someone in person even if I have to walk somewhere to do it. The first phone interview I did was horrible and I did not get a call back. a few more over the following months and I was finally flown from Alabama to seattle for an in person interview and eventually hired. Took a lot of failures to succeed but now I am very happy where I am at.
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Resentment. I have always been proud of my service. I have always put it on resumes and job applications. I rarely spoke about it in interviews unless asked. I actually had a prospective employer tell me that there was nothing that the military does to train for civilian employment...I got up and walked out of that interview.
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You have to break stereotypes to potential employers about the military. It takes work and hustle in finding a good job. Also keep expectations realistic your skills and experience are special but, got to make sure to be marketable. Also remember you're the newbie don't expect the same pay and respect. You got to go back to earning those things again.
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Rethinking how the "pecking order" is determined. The most important thing in most businesses is turning a profit for the owners or shareholders. If you contribute to turning a profit, then you are considered a "good" employee and are well compensated. Further more, if you help grow the business by bringing in more customers and revenue, then you are a "very good" employee and rewarded, and often promoted.
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MSG (Join to see)
loved your statement, but not always true unless you are in a management position, I'm hourly get most of my overtime doing special projects for my department and other departments within the company, they know I can do the jobs assigned but I'm locked into my job description and its pay rate, which I already maxed, there are no special compensations for the extra work I do except for the overtime, my raise every year is 2%, comes out to be .27 cents/hour, but on my annual review I'm rated as very good, the work I do not only improves the appearance of the company but how the equipment runs
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Lt Col Jim Coe
MSG (Join to see), you, sir, are a "good worker" who contributes to the company. Your are fairly compensated for your work and for your overtime according to company policy and perhaps a union contract. If you're dissatisfied with your job and its compensation, then you should look for a job elsewhere.
On the other hand, you might try to move up into supervision or management. As a MSG you certainly should have the education, training, and experience necessary to be a good supervisor. If your company has programs that promote upward mobility, take advantage of them. If not, look for another job.
The great thing about private sector employment is you can work at a job you're good at for many years and the company will be perfectly happy with having you in that job--no up or out. The not-so-great thing about private sector employment is companies are happy to have employees who work dependably in a job for a long time helping them turn a profit and never causing problems. I understand all of this sounds a little harsh, but it's the unvarnished truth from by perspective.
On the other hand, you might try to move up into supervision or management. As a MSG you certainly should have the education, training, and experience necessary to be a good supervisor. If your company has programs that promote upward mobility, take advantage of them. If not, look for another job.
The great thing about private sector employment is you can work at a job you're good at for many years and the company will be perfectly happy with having you in that job--no up or out. The not-so-great thing about private sector employment is companies are happy to have employees who work dependably in a job for a long time helping them turn a profit and never causing problems. I understand all of this sounds a little harsh, but it's the unvarnished truth from by perspective.
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MSG (Join to see)
Lt Col Jim Coe - I have on several occasions applied for management but the job was deleted, I've tried moving up into a different department based on skills and training only to be told that your work ethic is great we don't have enough people in this department to train you at this time but yet they always come to my department to request my skills to get their jobs done, I'm not fairly compensated according to my skills, attention to detail or educational back ground, yes they are perfectly happy with me, and yes I will have no problem getting overtime, I like my job, I wish to go higher or at least compensated for my work, as I stated before I'm maxed at my current position, so the only increase is cola which is 1-2%, that is not how you treat somebody that gives 110% for the company, we have many temps working there who don't know their jobs nor do they care, and get paid almost the same as I do thanks to the minimum wage increase, there is no incentive for them, this is basically my retirement job, in 2 yrs I get my military retirement after 31 yrs reserves and active, plus 50% disability already getting, and overtime will not be needed, but I've always been a team player and love to work, just saying
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Hey Taylor just finding your true self again. FInd something that makes you happy and stick with it
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It's been a while for me, but it was hard for me to grasp how few civilian employees knew or cared about the overall mission of the company. They may be experts in their field but walk them a couple departments down and they become totally clueless. In the military you knew the unit mission inside and out and how your particular specialty fit into accomplishing the mission.
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Taylor Driesell
I agree John. I will say though, that's mainly the company's fault. A lot of larger enterprise companies lose the passion to teach all of their employees the mission and values of the company. If it's not important to the company then the employees are going to come on board and do what they are being paid for.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen I see your point. People and departments do tend to become stove piped. Same is true in the military once you get above the Squadron (Army Battalion) level in my experience. People begin to specialize and tend to lose sight of the overall mission and vision of the organization. It's up to senior management to help them keep the mission and vision in sight through an internal information campaign and other techniques.
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