Why is Military Transitioning Such a Difficult Process for So Many?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 14:58:26 -0400

Why is Military Transitioning Such a Difficult Process for So Many?

By Lance T. Walker
♦ Veterans' Employment Advocate | WeHireHeroes.US, CivilianBootCamp.com | Remote CMO | USAF | Author/Speaker/LION

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-military-transitioning-difficult-process-so-many-lance-t-walker?trk=pulse-det-nav_art

If you are a military veteran, you already know that returning to civilian life can be a bit of a shock. The “real world” seems like a chaotic mess; utterly devoid of order, discipline, or teamwork, and seemingly run by a completely different set of values and rules. It’s easy to feel lost and adrift, a lonely lifeboat in an ocean of confusion.

However, it may come as a bit of a surprise you to know that your debut on the civilian scene may be somewhat of a shock to your potential employer as well. The vast majority of Americans (over 97%) have no military experience at all, which means their only window into the military world is likely to be blockbuster movies and television shows.

Predictably, the picture most civilians have of us is spotty at best. As far as they know, you simply went away for a number of years, and now you’re back. In their minds, you marched around a lot, got yelled at a lot, then went to some exotic foreign destination where you randomly saluted people, wore a spiffy clean, pressed uniform, sat behind a desk drinking coffee, and periodically ducked bullets and bombs whenever you went on a super-secret search and destroy or rescue mission (cue commercial).

In other words, most civilians have almost no clue what military life is really like, what you’ve persevered through, what you’ve accomplished, or who you’ve become. If you are to now become a successful veteran job candidate, it’s up to you to bridge the communication gap with more than the occasional war story. You’ve got to be able to tell them, and show them, what you‘re made of - without intimidating or scaring the bejeezus out of them in the process.

After more than 25 years of “re-civilianizing” as a veteran employee and business owner, I’ve learned quite a bit about the mismatch that often happens when we make the transition from warrior to workforce. The real root of the problem is a built-in miscommunication: the same Federal government that works so hard to turn a raw recruit into a into strong, focused, mission-oriented model of efficiency and effectiveness in six weeks of basic training, has no incentive whatsoever to provide them with a “civilian boot camp” on their way out the door.

In fact, it's easy to assume that those with strong military values are automatically among the best citizens by default - and of course, many do seem to be.

But the re-civilianizing process doesn’t just happen naturally, just like becoming a military professional didn‘t happen naturally. Many of the laudable traits instilled and reinforced in us during our military career have left us quite unprepared for a world where individual accomplishments are often celebrated over the success of the group, team sacrifice is often considered weakness, and the profit motive is the prime directive.

It takes conscious effort, time, and accurate information to gain a balanced perspective and turn ourselves into the successful, accomplished civilian citizens we are capable of being. The challenge is, the information you need is not readily available or buried in a sea of useless data and there are, unfortunately, plenty of unscrupulous people out there who are all too eager to exploit a perceived vulnerability for their own social, political, or financial gain.

There is a remarkable difference between being “former military” and becoming a “successful civilian with a military background“. As I like to tell my coaching clients, “Your veteran status you’ve already earned, but civilian status still has to be learned.” In my opinion, a person with both tool kits is much more confident, sure footed, well rounded, and flexible. They are much more able to quickly and easily deal with any life situation in the most appropriate way possible.

My mission is to share with you some of what I’ve learned during my 20+ years of re-civilianizing, so you can avoid some of the struggles and mistakes I‘ve made along the way. I also hope to pleasantly surprise some employers, recruiters, business owners, and human resources professionals in the process. Many of them are very interested in hiring veterans, but need some clear insight into what it really means to be one in order to make the connection successfully.

Fortunately, a civilian boot camp doesn’t require “breaking you down to build you up.“ The goal is not to replace our military thinking habits, but to augment them so we are able to function more effectively as complete human beings in a variety of life situations. In my work as Managing Director of one of the most popular veterans' career resource sites online, WeHireHeroes.US, I’ve found there is actually no shortage of employers willing to hire qualified veterans.

There is, however, a communication gap that often causes both groups to feel misunderstood by the other. Employers and veterans have a lot to offer each other, and I’ve found that both parties are usually eager to make the deal. By opening a window into each other's worlds through the CivilianBootCamp.com project, I hope to help make that happen much more often - with lasting success.

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Excerpted from the digital ebook, "From Warrior to Workforce: 10 Things Veterans and Employers Need to Know About Each Other". Download your free copy at http://CivilianBootCamp.com .

why-military-transitioning-difficult-process-so-many-lance-t-walker

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2015 2:59 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 14:59:46 -0400

It is always difficult, specially if you have been deployed many times

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Sep 8 at 2015 3:00 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 15:00:51 -0400

It's hard to transition from the structured environment of the military to the laid back civilian world where there is little sense of urgency

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Sep 8 at 2015 3:05 PM

SCPO David Lockwood — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 15:05:26 -0400

Not ready to transition.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 8 at 2015 3:08 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 15:08:14 -0400

I am going to assume some veterans do not care for the corporate culture and values that vary from company to company. I would have a difficult time knowing a company is not value based.

Response by SSG Mathew Ada made Sep 8 at 2015 3:08 PM

SSG Mathew Ada — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 15:08:22 -0400

Sir, I think it's because the misinterpretation and misunderstanding the civilian populous has about the military and veterans. You have people prancing around with disgruntled veteran shirts and a woe is me attitude over social media that many think we are broken. The general consensus about those who participated in war time activities or similar is that of a drone with no social or mental capability. This is a view that must be changed, and many prior military are failing to make it so by their actions and attitudes.

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made Sep 8 at 2015 3:24 PM

1SG Michael Blount — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 15:24:23 -0400

Languages, cultures and occupations are different, though separated by a common language - to turn a phrase from Winston Churchill.

Response by CMSgt Mike Esser made Sep 8 at 2015 3:44 PM

CMSgt Mike Esser — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 15:44:33 -0400

Amen!

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made Sep 8 at 2015 4:09 PM

Maj Chris Nelson — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 16:09:48 -0400

I feel that there are a number of factors involved. 1. lack of military exposure by a HUGE portion of the civilian sector. 2. due to the mission the military plays, there is little room for questioning orders...The successful business is always looking to question their processes looking for a new way of doing things, questioning everything. 3. With the new "doing more with less", and about 28 hours per day workload, military members are 'groomed' early to be efficient time management machines. Not saying this isn't also so with the civilian sector, but probably less of it (and certainly not pushed down to the lowest levels). 4. Military people are VERY used to the "military way", become very 'institutionalized' to the military way of doing things, and honestly, sometimes become stubborn and do not acknowledge that there are other ways of doing things (especially in "for profit" business models that are different from the core tenants of the military). The military vet is the limiting factor for how fast or slow they adjust/adapt....

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2015 4:53 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 16:53:07 -0400

Sir, I've responded to several similar posts, but I think the heart of the matter is that many of us never intended to "leave" that ultimately did. It's probably no easier for the person coming off a first enlistment who joined primarily for the benefits...perhaps more difficult even...but it is likely a very different process for those who were "happy in their work".

For my own part, I gave no thought to "life after Navy"...I intended to be in uniform till the Doc said I couldn't go to sea any longer. Finding myself sitting on a doorstep with all my worldly possessions in my jeep without a job, and considering which point of the compass to head towards was an enormous challenge.

I eventually "made peace" with it, but I cannot deny the fact that there are aspects of my military career that truly resonated with my "best"...and it's been a constant struggle to conduit those "square peg" abilities into the "round hole" of civil life.

Response by SGT John W Lugo made Sep 8 at 2015 5:12 PM

SGT John W Lugo — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 17:12:36 -0400

From my experience I'm not sure if it is part of a threat of having a Military background, or being considered as being over qualified. Recently I've had many places not even give me a call back after applying for Jobs to include some though US Jobs, etc.

I find that the whole slogan " Hiring our Hero's is a joke as many employers don't truly honor it. I worked at Sam's club who claimed to be a big supporter of the Hire a Veteran and on Veterans day it seemed as no took it that serious. I personally would hire Veterans first prior to civilians in positions such as the VA.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2015 5:51 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 17:51:11 -0400

Sir, many of those serving in the military, regardless of service branch, have grown accustomed to a life that doesn't resonate in the civilian world. Blinders, I call it, and its difficult when for 30+ years I have heard how the "active" particularly cant stand civilians (general comment). When forever they have had regimented schedules, most can't transition to themselves being responsible. Not all are like this, but many face the reality of lets be productive in a civilian context.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2015 8:33 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 20:33:05 -0400

I think because they didn't take advantage of the preparation services offered to them for resume preparation to job interview skills. It is a leadership responsibility to ensure this happens. Some think it is irrelevant for them and then get out in the big world and wish they had. A great discussion to have along with 1st line leader exit counseling.

Response by MAJ Anthony Henderson made Sep 9 at 2015 1:35 PM

MAJ Anthony Henderson — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 13:35:29 -0400

It is a difficult process for most because it is all they have known since high school or college. I was blessed that I was able to spend some time in the National Guard and Army Reserve before going back on active duty. That time allowed me to finish college, job seek and interview. But it was even hard for me after I had not interviewed for a job in almost 20 years or focused on my resume. It is a scary situation of going into the unknown but my faith helped me through it. I asked God for help and did the work that I need to do. I chose to stay in the field that I worked in and researched where we should live as a family. Most of us are good when we can focus at the task at hand and my task was to get a job. Some things to thinking about before and after you transition are: first, what do you really want to do in the next phase of your life? Most of the times we chose a job or career that someone else suggested and we have found out that it may not truly be the one for us. Second, chose to follow the career that you are passionate about. (i.e. meaning even if you didn't get paid to do it you would still do it.) If you work in your passion you are not truly working. Third, take some time to truly do the things you have put off while you were in the military. Whether it was traveling, fishing, visiting family, etc… Take this time to decompress and learn who is the new you outside of the uniform. Lastly, be proud of your service. I know it may sound strange but due to the current cuts a lot of people may not feel proud of leaving early and some have made one mistake that has cause an otherwise good career look bad. "Your attitude is the one thing that you can control in any situation." (From the book "The Fish Story" about World Famous Fish Market Company's Philosophy) Your attitude can control a lot of what happens to you.

Response by PO1 Cameron Rhyne made Sep 9 at 2015 2:38 PM

PO1 Cameron Rhyne — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 14:38:32 -0400

IMHO, Culture shock. If you spend 10 or 20 years immersed in a certain culture and way of thinking, it takes some adjustment to get used to something else(and some people never do). A lot of people who spend years in prison have the same problem when they get out. You get used to life away from the world(or in another part of it) and now when you come back you don't feel a part of it anymore.

My other theory is simply reason for being or life's purpose. If you devote a substantial portion of your life thus far to something and now it's over, it may feel like your purpose is gone. The only answer to this is to find a new purpose that keeps you going and striving. What that purpose is will be different for everyone.

I have to wonder how your feeling towards the military and time spent in affects your adjustment, if people who only spent 4 years have an easier time transitioning then people who retire because they weren't immersed that long. On a related note, do people who never really clicked with the military life/military life never clicked with them and left because they were dissatisfied transition easier then people who loved every minute of it?

Just my personal musings on the subject. I'm not a psychologist nor do I pretend to be.

Response by SPC Sheila Lewis made Sep 10 at 2015 1:16 PM

SPC Sheila Lewis — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 13:16:31 -0400

I quickly realized all of the positives I would have to leave behind...

Response by PO1 Glenn Boucher made Sep 10 at 2015 2:16 PM

PO1 Glenn Boucher — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 14:16:51 -0400

I think its just hard to leave what you know so well and to have to venture out and start fresh.
I know that I never gave much thought to retirement until it jumped up and slapped my face.
Sure I had times I thought about getting out because of the BS I was dealing with, but ultimately I stuck it out and made do.
I was even very arrogant in my initial job searches because I felt I deserved more pay and that the work would not be that difficult. Another slap in the face that caused me to see the outside in a whole new light.
I don't think that when I retired in 2004 that the TAP program was very effective, 2 weeks of watching power point slides and someone saying how easy life after retirement is so much better.

Response by Sgt Pedro Jauregui made Sep 10 at 2015 6:17 PM

Sgt Pedro Jauregui — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 18:17:06 -0400

Yes LinkedIn is one of the best sites, but remember to look at Non-Profit agencies that are connected with the VA also. I currently work for the Unites States Veterans Initiative as an Outreach Worker and i still get many of the same Values and Rules as back when i was in the military. Also i get to still help my brothers and sisters that are transitioning out and our more senior Veterans from Vietnam Era that are currently homeless. It makes the job so worth it.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2015 7:46 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 13 Sep 2015 19:46:02 -0400

Since I am in this transition now, perhaps I can answer from a personal perspective. There seems to be a great emphasis employers to display themselves as 'military friendly' and 'supportive of vets', but what does that actually mean? So far I have not seen any actual translation of these pronouncements into tangible, measurable benefits for veterans.

I think these statements are misleading, presenting employers as more helpful to vets than they really are. It seems like a current compulsion, like putting the flag pin on your suit lapel. When applying for a federal job, veterans get 5 or 10 points extra points, depending on how they served. This, at least, is a tangible measurement of "preference" or "support." A statement from a civilian employer such as "we provide veterans with free training for our jobs," or "of two equally eligible, experienced applicants, a veteran will be preferred" would be tangible measurements of support. I have yet to see such anywhere.

I actually applied to a position with USAA that had "Entry Level" in the title; I was denied because I didn't have enough experience. USAA is #2 on G.I. Jobs' top military friendly employers. If they're not willing to take a risk on a veteran for an entry level position, I don't know what to offer civilian employers.

I am and have been a Soldier for ten years. I am not a PMP-certified, Six Sigma Black Belt carrying, MBA graduated IT specialist. My impression so far in all this is that unless you have connections inside or had the foresight to begin your transition to the civilian world years before you actually ever even thought to transition (hence the PMP certification), you're in for a rude awakening. Because the military doesn't translate very well into the civilian job market, and one week of "transition classes" (ACAP) does not adequately prepare someone to transition into the civilian world.

It's like running on one of those conveyor walking things in the airport and then trying to jump on an adjacent one going in the opposite direction...

Response by CW3 Bill Golden made Sep 17 at 2015 1:06 PM

CW3 Bill Golden — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 13:06:40 -0400

I am retired Army as of April 1996. Going into industry was a challenge and I learned a lot along the way. Since there were so many military in the market back in the mid-1990s, far more than today, then I started a newsletter of my experiences. That newsletter grew into IntelligenceCareers.com (was a 352CCXGMRU) and USADefenseIndustryJobs.com

DOL data show that most military are slow to gain new jobs in their first six months out and a great many, maybe most, are not with their first civilian company at the end of their first two years out of service. BUT THEY DO GREAT afterwards. Veteran unemployment is actually lower than general civilian non-veteran unemployment.

There are several basic reasons that military have challenges transitioning:

#1 - Most entered the military very young and never truly had to compete among their peers to grow within their careers. (There is competition but the process focuses on winnowing out the weak or undesired. Success is guaranteed for most). Civilians have the opportunity to take their boss's job and he/she end up working for them. It is also very natural in the civilian world that what goes up comes down. Short version: military have trouble recognizing their fit within the corporate world.

#2 - Within the military you are part of the machine and most military tend to see themselves as an MOS/NEC/AFSC. They narrowly envision their roles in organizations and are self-limiting as describing to employers what they really bring to the table; a common employer question for mid and senior level jobs: how do you see yourself within our organization and how do your skills benefit our corporate mission?

#3 - Whatever you were, you are not now. Your rank is almost immaterial and often notions of rank, stature and fit within an organization work against you being successful in the short term (<2). Companies do not want to hear that you were a commander, and senior leader, a person in charge ... as companies have very flat hierarchies which often consist of just three layers: CXO executives, mid-level SMEs who are dual-hatted as managers, and 'the workforce'.

I mentioned that veterans actually enjoy lower employment levels than their civilian counterparts after two years: the logic generally being that being stuck in suck situations means regrouping, doing a SALUTE report on your local economic situation, and then giving yourself an objective with you adapting your career growth tactics to the current environment. Veterans kind of naturally fall into this approach ... but the first several years can be challenging as you move 'beyond my paygrade' to 'I want his/her job'.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Sep 24 at 2015 5:09 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 17:09:54 -0400

Same reason recidivism rates are so high amongst parolees... Institutionalization.

Response by MAJ Karen Shive made Sep 24 at 2015 5:19 PM

MAJ Karen Shive — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 17:19:15 -0400

Response by SPC Michael Johnson made Oct 14 at 2015 12:09 AM

SPC Michael Johnson — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 00:09:21 -0400

The lack of brotherhood and honor

Response by SPC John Lebiecki made Jun 28 at 2016 1:59 PM

SPC John Lebiecki — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 13:59:37 -0400

I was unemployed for 6 months once I got out. Even then I had only landed a P/T job in retail. After that, I started making my way up.

Big things to remember:
- Make your resume easy to read for civilians. Not everyone knows what a CO is or what they do.
- The standard resume that you write during ACAP isnt enough. You MUST tailor your resume to the employer's needs or you wont get that first call.
- Education and/or certifications (especially in the technology sector) are needed. Most of the time, certifications are the baseline for any technology job.
- For veterans, the HARDEST part is getting your foot in the door. Once you do that, its all downhill from there.

Just my two cents

Response by Claudia Cadamuro made Jun 28 at 2016 5:59 PM

Claudia Cadamuro — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 17:59:49 -0400

I think that Military life is well structured with a lot of rules, day after day.
I can imagine that Civilian lifestyle is much stressful for Veterans, because of much spontaneously taken decisions.

Response by SP5 Mark Kuzinski made Jun 29 at 2016 9:48 AM

SP5 Mark Kuzinski — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 09:48:31 -0400

Good morning and thanks for the question. For me this one is a hard one to answer as I was only in the army for 3 years and my transition was very short. I went from army life straight back into collage and adapting to this was very very short. What helped was I was put on a floor in the dorm with 4 other vets that just got out and - we were put on a freshman floor and all of us were over 21 years of age. Quite the advantage I'd say in so many ways. But I will save that story for another time.

For those that have spent more years in the service than civilian life and I'm sure that the transition would be a tough one. I only hope that those who are looking this move would look at it far ahead and take advantage of all that is out there to help them in this move. There are a lot programs that they can look to, as well as "Those that have gone before them" Networking is a large key as they are not the first that have made this move. Learn from others.

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Jun 30 at 2016 1:06 AM

MAJ Raúl Rovira — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 01:06:11 -0400

Here is the short version. I'm working on the TED Talk.

Accepting how things are. Those of us who serve or served in the military account for about 1-3% of the population in this country. We need to accept that 97-99% of the country do not understand us, and we do not understand them. Lets accept this and not assume that they understand us. Disclaimer, I am not trying to turn this into a them versus us.

Changing our mindset. After 10-20+ years in the military this is all we know. We have to shift the way we think, act, speak, dress, and live. But how do we do this and still be who we are? After all, once a soldier always a soldier and we are today who we are because of the years we served. Some of us are more adaptable that others. It all starts with changing our mindset because America is not going to change for us. There are some similarities with moving into a foreign country and having to learn their ways.

Unrealistic Expectations. We create them because of what we know from our time in the military and how we think things will be on the way out. Mostly, we do this because of everything we do not know. This is where transition education by the right people come into place. Joining professional organizations, volunteering to learn the community and so on. We are doing INTEL work here. Think enemy forces and friendly forces. I teamed up with a career coach that guided me through my transition at certain stages. We connected in random and even today we stay in touch. She gave me tools and knowledge and helped me expand my network in Anchorage.

As a recent retiree I will say that I loved my transition and I had an amazing time. One of the best phases in my life. I made my focus to network in the city, learn about the community, volunteer with organizations, meet random people at coffee bars, and close in to key movers and shakers looking for mentorship and advice versus a job.

To sum it all up. Accept how things are as there are things we can't change in this country. Yet we can change our mind set. Lets make ourselves smart, educate ourselves to avoid unrealistic expectations. Most important, we always have each other for help support.

Response by SFC Louis Willhauck, MSM, JSCM, and ARCOM made Jul 3 at 2016 12:11 AM

SFC Louis Willhauck, MSM, JSCM, and ARCOM — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 00:11:47 -0400

I think it might be that adding a profit motive to everything you do is a difficult concept for some.

Response by LTC Jesse Edwards made Jul 4 at 2016 7:15 PM

LTC Jesse Edwards — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 19:15:58 -0400

I was more spun up leaving active duty than I was jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

You're transitioning from something you know well that puts money in your bank account twice a month to the unknown where layoffs are not uncommon. I left with a wife and a daughter from whom I was responsible. I felt the margin of error was small.

In retrospect, I over worried the transition and should have been more concerned about jumping out of airplanes.

Response by CPT Dent Cermak made Jul 6 at 2016 6:47 PM

CPT Dent Cermak — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 18:47:37 -0400

I think much of this has to do with geographic location. I remember coming home and having to go through LAX. Not much has changed since then, Same rude comments and total disrespect for the uniform. As I headed east, things got better. When I hit the Deep South, people came over to shake my hand and thank me for what I was doing. This was 1969.
In Mississippi MANY local companies prefer to hire vets. The National chains serve under a national policy and there is the problem.
Down here, it's like "Whoo Boy!! Red Necks and beer and you are welcome here."
Just keep your cool and truck on, they're good people every where. You just have to skip the phonies and find your place.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Mar 19 at 2022 10:50 AM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 10:50:43 -0400

Thanks for sharing.