What was your first job when you separated from the military?

I retired in October of 2011, couldn't find anything in the Hampton Roads, VA area and ended up leaving my family in VA and taking a 4 month temp job at Joint Base Charleston, SC as a GS-5. Just as that 4 month job was ending I was fortunate enough to be picked up by the Department of the Navy as a GS-12. It sounds like a walk in the park, but it was challenging just trying to breathe through it and having faith that everything will work out.

I was pretty lucky in listening to my Mom to got into the Medical Corp. When I got out I was allowed (based on my Military service) to sit for the LVN exam. Which I passed. Meanwhile I was working as an Orderly in a hospital in my home town (and being generally 'dis'd by the Nurses Aids) and then ... Bing .. I was a Nurse and slid into a slot above them .. That was sweet!

Thank you US Army :)

Technically my first job was a short term contracting job doing exactly what I did in the military... my first "real" job outside of the government was as an internal auditor at MCI in Atlanta.

A garbage man. Better know today as a sanitation worker. Hard work but actually one of the best jobs I ever had. At that time not much is a future in it and was a small townwent back in the military.

Safety Manager for a Catholic Hospital, making twice what the AF was paying me plus a retirement check. Oh, and within 6 months I met my wife who was doing her Family Medicine Internship at the same hospital.

Made a smooth transition into working for a Government contractor. Hired to help write Information System requirements for a government system I worked with on active duty. Almost all of my coworkers were retired military.

I am occasionally asked why I didn't fly for the airlines. When I retired a First Officer with a major carrier was making about $35K/yr. The Government contractor offered me $55K. I had a family with financial obligations. Easy decision.

Last job before joining the Air Force was Assistant Manager at a restaurant. Worked about 35 hours per week and carried 15 credit hours my last semester. Starting pilot training with 10 to 12 hour days, 5 days a week, was a piece of cake.

Overnight receiving clerk at a warehouse was my first job after active duty. I managed to find the work easy enough, but this was also 18 years ago. While in the National Guard, and college, I worked more than a few different jobs. Everything from assembly line work to waiting tables. It seems like the military service made things easier than they were before.

Before coming into the military I was a police officer for about five years.

LINEMAN,AMTRAK... 1993-2003

I had a hard time finding a job after I retired. I had 120 days of terminal leave and spent all of it job hunting. I was a new single father with 2 teenagers after I separated. So I was on my own. I finally picked up a contractors job aboard 29 palms policing ranges for a year. After that I moved where I am today. I struggled once again trying to find a job. After 2 months of searching I landed a horrible job. Only took it because I needed a job. About a month into the job I was so sick of it I was ready to quit. Then a recruiter saw my Linkedin profile and contacted me. A few weeks later I was hired on with Papé. I have been there a year and love it.
Retiring after being in for so long was scary. Job hunting is a bitch!