What would you do 2 years from retirement?

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 09:49:49 -0400

I plan on retiring within the next 2 -3 years, and was wondering what do I need to do to get ready to transition back to civilian life?

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made Sep 13 at 2014 11:15 AM

CPT Jacob Swartout — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:15:44 -0400

MSG Private RallyPoint Member I recently spoke to some ACAP civilian personnel here and they said it is always good to start looking into the area(s) you want to live at and research the job market trends. Know what you might want to do and see how well that organization/company has been doing for the past few years. If the company is growing than it could be a good fit. Research is the key though for a successful job hiring. Find out about promotions and what they look for in Vets that are transitioning into the civilian sector. Hope this helps out some. Good luck and take care.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Sep 13 at 2014 11:43 AM

SGT Richard H. — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:43:00 -0400

Start researching companies that you may want to work for, and looking into their locations. this may influence where you decide to live. Checking out USA Jobs may not be a terrible idea either. If I'm not mistaken, regardless of the GS pay scale, you would land at the "over 20" pay level on that scale, on top of compounding your retirement by finding a federal position.

Also, if you don't have a great looking resume, get one drafted up. There's a post on here by LCDR Ryan Haag with some great advice on this. I think the title of the post is "Resume advice from my wife". Once you have a great resume, I would say to start sending them to your target audience with a well written cover letter about 6 or more months out.

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made Sep 13 at 2014 11:58 AM

SGM Matthew Quick — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:58:11 -0400

Contact your local ACAP office early and take advantage of EVERY class/course you can. Too many fail to take full advantage of all ACAP has to offer.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2014 7:23 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 19:23:48 -0400

Assuming you want to continue working in your field, MSG Private RallyPoint Member, don't overlook the DoD/DA civilian or DoD contractor option. You're well positioned to know about DoD civilian and contractor positions in your field. Starting early and networking are definitely two steps in the right direction.

Response by LTC John Weaver made Sep 15 at 2014 7:17 PM

LTC John Weaver — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 19:17:22 -0400

Network, Network, Network!

the law of 6 degrees of separation is always in effect.

john

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2015 9:54 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 21:54:54 -0500

I have been working in the financial field, and I would recommend getting your finances in order, in a big way. If you haven't already, consider insuring your military pension. Keep in mind, it's expensive to do. Make SURE you are taking advantage of the military ROTH account! Max your yearly contributions before it's too late, and make sure you will be able to reach your financial goals when you get out, if not you may need to stay in a bit longer. If you don't already, please have a 3-9 month cash reserve...just in case. It can take 6-9 months finding a job. So, start looking as soon as possible to mitigate that possibility. Good luck, congrats and thank you for your service.