WHAT’S NEXT Transition to Civilian Life By Eve Nasby & Kristin Hennessy
Trust HOPE and Manifest your Mindset “I got this,” he said as he pushed himself back from his desk feeling a mixture of hope and frustration. “I did it then, and I can do it now. It can’t be any tougher than what I’ve already gone through.” He remembered having just graduated high school at 18. Many were preparing for the next phase of college life. But, his Mom didn’t have any money for him to attend college. He felt his only option was to enlist, so he did. Two years later, at age 20, he met his bride. By 26, he had 3 kids. The next 25 years were spent traveling the world, taking orders, executing missions and proving himself. He and his family were used to living on the government’s dime. But, then the time came where he had to do something seemingly harder than all of that. Look for a job. You Know More than You Think You Do He’d spent more than half of his life in the military, and realized that the military culture and processes were all he knew. He was overcome with feeling a loss of purpose, an unclear mission, and a lack of vision and insecurity. The idea of his next phase of life was starting to haunt him. He felt so valued in the military, and now he didn’t know his value. This is familiar when transitioning. Change is unfamiliar. There are some tried and true tips that have helped those in transition do so successfully. Much like any mission, there are phases, mindsets and steps to follow. Let’s keep this one simple with an acronym: HOPE. Following the simple HOPE method will keep you focused. 1. Help from your network. Oftentimes we think of a network as something that is already formed. Other people seem to have one, and it seems too late to start now. It’s overwhelming to think all of a sudden you have to attend events to get a network, or start randomly connecting with people on LinkedIn. Then it’s supposed to happen? 38
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The truth is you have a very strong network already. Hundreds of thousands have gone before you in this transition phase, and many of those are in your immediate network. You also have connections with those who have transitioned out within the last few years. Begin there, along with your immediate friends and family. Break it down. Each relative and friend has a job, and an opinion about their job and workplace. Ask them about their work! Try to take interest in their company and ask questions. “What’s the culture like? What kind of roles do they have?” Look on their careers page and see if there is a role that you may be interested in. If so, apply. Then, ask your friend or relative who works there to send in a recommendation for you. If you’re interested in the company but don’t see a relevant role open, still have them make the soft introduction. From there, you can follow that up with a request to the Hiring Manager or HR Contact person for an ‘informational interview’. This is how you start to build your network. If you’re not granted an interview, simply ask them who else they know that may be looking to fill a role with your skills. No one is a stranger in the networking business. As you keep asking around and telling people you are looking for work and have just transitioned out, you’ll be surprised how many people want to help you succeed. 2. Own your shortcomings. These are shortcomings that are normal. You are not a professional resume writer. But it’s easier than you think to find someone to help you write your resume for free. Look for free military resources, or even a friend who’s skilled in that area. You are not a professional interviewer. You weren’t handed a rifle to fire without training, so you also wouldn’t be expected to know the interview tips and tricks without training. There is a tried and true formula to keep you on track and outperform your competition. We have many previous articles on the STAR Format. In short, it means to answer questions in the format of 1) Explain the Situation you were in. 2) Tell what Task you needed to perform. 3) State what Actions you took to perform the task and 4) State what the Results were.
