Starting a civilian career after military service comes with unique challenges. Mapping your military experience to civilian roles and rebranding yourself as a candidate takes strategy. With proper preparation and dedication, veterans can leverage their exceptional training and experience to build rewarding civilian careers.
Inventory Your Skills
First, catalog the breadth of skills you gained in the service. Technical specialties, security clearances, and equipment operation all translate. Soft skills like teamwork, discipline, problem-solving and working under pressure carry great value as well. The military COOL program matches Military Occupational Specialties to civilian credentials to make skills transferable. The experts at ProTrain suggest listing everything to convey your well-rounded talents.
Align Abilities to Civilian Jobs
Now review job listings that fit your mix of capabilities. Assess how military roles provide relevant experiences. For example, communications specialists possess ideal training for corporate IT jobs. Logistics and supply chain managers oversee complex operations like base infrastructure leaders. Mechanics have deep technical expertise valued by aviation firms. Find where exceptional military skills align.
Research growing industries that particularly value military experience, such as defense contracting, cybersecurity, emergency management, and technical training. Consider roles in project management, operations, quality assurance, and security where military precision and attention to detail are highly regarded.
Update Your Resume
Tailor your resume to highlight applicable strengths. Structure skills-focused experience summaries by occupation rather than military chronology. Emphasize problem-solving accomplishments over combat operations.
Create multiple versions of your resume targeting different industries or roles. Use civilian terminology to describe military achievements and responsibilities and include relevant volunteer work, educational achievements, and civilian certifications. Consider working with veteran career counselors to optimize your resume’s impact.
Address the Cultural Gap
Understand that civilian workplace cultures differ from the structures and values of military service. Expect less direct leadership and flexible norms around hierarchy, planning, and punctuality. Prepare to adjust communication and teamwork styles. Displaying this cultural fluency makes you more hirable. Ask mentors how they adapted after separation.
Expand Your Network
Networking plays a bigger role in civilian hiring than military assignments. Attend job fairs, join professional associations like the Society for Human Resource Management and connect to veteran support communities. Follow civilian leaders in your field online and build contacts and relationships before exiting, then leverage connections during your search.
Practice Interviewing
Master interview skills tailored for post-military transitions. Reframe experiences using corporate language. Prepare stories of succeeding under pressure, executing complex projects, leading diverse teams and managing change. Expect questions about adaptation challenges. Show flexible mindsets around alternative leadership styles.
Research common interview practices in your target industry. Prepare thoughtful questions about company culture, growth opportunities, and expectations. Be ready to discuss how your military experience uniquely qualifies you for civilian roles. Practice explaining technical military concepts in accessible terms.
Consider Additional Education
Evaluate whether additional education or civilian certifications would strengthen your candidacy. Many veterans use GI Bill benefits to earn degrees or professional certifications aligned with their career goals. Programs specifically designed for veterans can help bridge knowledge gaps while building civilian credentials.
Research industry-specific certifications that complement your military training. Consider business fundamentals courses to understand corporate operations. Look into veteran transition programs offered by colleges and professional training organizations.
Conclusion
Following these steps positions veterans to advance their careers as valued leaders in the civilian workforce. Your proven talents working under fire equip you to excel in companies ready to benefit from your unique experiences.
Remember that the transition takes time and patience. Stay connected with veteran support networks, maintain professional development, and remain confident in the tremendous value your military experience brings to civilian employers.
