Transitioning from the Military: The first question...

TRANSITIONING FROM THE MILITARY The First Question You Need to Answer

Contributed by Brian Bilski, USMC (Retired)

Like death and taxes, transitioning from the military is inevitable.

Transitioning out of the military can, and most likely will, be both exciting and stressful. Actions you take now can help relieve some of the stress, enhance more of the excitement, and provide the confidence to tackle new challenges and opportunities that await you following the transition.

Prior preparation and planning are key to setting yourself up for success, and it is never too early to start. The needs of your service will always come first, although having a successful military career and planning for your future are not mutually exclusive.

As with military planning, first, start with problem framing by identifying what must be accomplished. What do you want to do when you leave the military? While establishing follow-on career goals is easy for some, it is challenging for many others.

Fortunately for transitioning Servicemembers, spouses, and Veterans, a plethora of resources exist to support career exploration. Resources include the services transition assistance programs that provide counseling and testing to identify potential careers based on personality, likes, and dislikes. Military OneSource (MilitaryOneSource.mil) has a robust career and education support section, including a digital library, online career coaching, and links to numerous other helpful tools.

There are innumerable organizations that also provide career exploration and mentoring, including the USO PATHFINDER Transition Program, Onward to Opportunity, Vets2Industry, and Veterati. You can also find support from local nonprofits by googling your area.

Next, consider joining or following companies or associations on LinkedIn that are in career fields you’re interested in. Connect and network with former Servicemembers on the site and request an informational interview about their career. On LinkedIn, you will also find many virtual events hosted by companies and organizations that share Veteran transition tips and career opportunities.

In closing, there is no shortage of resources to help you identify potential career opportunities post-military. The key is to ask for help and start early. This will allow you time to develop a plan of action, which we will discuss in the next article in this series of transition tips.

Brian Bilski is a retired United States Marine, the lead military recruiter for a global aerospace and defense technology company, and is a DOD and nationally recognized military transition advocate and expert.

Liberty Life will be sharing Brian’s military transition tips and answering your questions. Submit your transition question to LibertyLifeMedia.Com/Contact-Us.