Military to civilian jobs
Successful Military to Civilian Transition
If you are considering changing from military to civilian jobs, you are not alone. Tens of thousands are faced with that decision every year. "Should I reenlist?" Or, if you have decided to leave the military, "Which career is best for me?"
And, in the civilian world, many more are making career changes. Many people are forced to change. In industries like manufacturing and administrative services, the jobs have gone to other countries. Half of all workers are dissatisfied with their jobs and many of them are looking for a more satisfying career. Most people can expect to change their career several times in their lifetime.
Regardless of the decisions you make about the military and your career, we know you want to make good ones with confidence. These decisions will change your life, and very likely, the lives of those you love. Reflecting on our recommendations below will help. Start an electronic or paper “career change” folder to organize your work.
Follow the 3 principles of successful career change
In our career change article, we recommend activities for each:
Know yourself,
Know your options, and
Make a good decision.
As part of “know yourself”, reflect why you want to leave the military.
Understand why you are thinking of leaving the military
Are you considering a change because you are unhappy with your current position? If so, you want to read about job satisfaction. It is written for people in civilian jobs, but you can apply much of it to your situation. It will help you understand the source of your unhappiness and whether changing to a civilian career is likely to solve the problem. Be sure to jot down your reactions and put them in your Career Change folder.
Writing your answers to the statements below will help you focus on your career change more realistically.
My career change fantasy is (describe in detail)...
What appeals to me most about the change is...
What I would gain most from the change is...
What is frightening about the change is...
What keeps me from making the change is...
The worst thing that could happen if I make the change is...
If the worst thing happened, then I could do...
If I were really serious about pursuing the career fantasy,
My first step would be...
My second step would be...
My third step would be...
Anticipate potential emotional and psychological challenges
Plan ahead to minimize adjustment problems for you and your family
Life-style changes are among the first of the transition issues you will face. By hard work and years of dedicated service you have earned certain benefits and privileges of rank, some of which extend to members of your family. When you separate, these normal and customary courtesies are no longer available. For example, access to base personnel and services becomes particularly difficult for the spouse and family members. A simple appointment with the base doctor or dentist may become a major ordeal in negotiation and diplomacy.
There may be a substantial change in take-home pay after separation. You may need to relocate to be where jobs are, which may mean the loss of income from the spouse's job. Together, these may affect the kind of financing you can receive for housing in the new location.
The change from Col. or Sgt. Smith to plain Mr. or Ms. Smith may be the most troublesome of the emotional and psychological issues you face. The comfortable routine and prescribed duties, your rank, and the way people relate to you -- define your identity -- and all of these will be gone.
To minimize the impact of these problems,
Begin planning your departure from the military as much as a year in advance.
Make a list of the potential negative consequences of your decision to leave the military. And, write down others as you think of them. Then, plan for how you will cope with each one, if it occurs. Scientific studies of decision-making show that this is a very important and helpful step. See "Quality Decision-Making" for more.
Keep in contact with military families who have successfully established themselves in civilian life. They can be very helpful in giving advice on dealing with the stress and tips on how to simplify the transition.
Use the base family support center. They have experience counselors available to help you and your family deal with these issues.
Consider getting help from a professional career counselor. The military will provide you with some assistance, but you (and your spouse) will likely benefit from the greater depth and extent of a professional counselor to help with career and other transitional issues.
Prepare for Cultural Differences
Learn subtle and important differences between military and civilian employers
In the business world the ultimate concern is bottom line profit or loss, while the military is focused on accomplishment of the mission by whatever means it takes. The difference may appear subtle but the end result is not. The executive would rather abort his mission than risk the loss of profit. The difference lies in their values and tactics.
Military personnel are known and respected for their loyalty and dedication to duty. In the civilian world, this may work to your disadvantage. Will you be surprised if you are laid off even though you are loyal and dedicated? In today's world, you need to think like a professional athlete, a "free agent". Work is an exchange: labor for pay. You have marketable skills and knowledge that you exchange with a company that provides you with the pay and benefits you want.
Stability in the military forces is well known; in the civilian world work life is often uncertain and changeable. When a mission change occurs, military forces are transferred and redeployed. There is no question of "job security". But, when a company's profits are threatened, cutting employees is often the first response.
Discipline is another area of cultural difference. Civilian executives and managers can often be very autocratic and punitive. Unlike the military, where forbearance and time will eventually solve the problem of a difficult superior, the private sector frequently offers no alternative but to leave the company.
Career progression and responsibility are handled quite differently in industry. A military person, by merit of rank and time in grade is usually assured both a challenging assignment and an orderly progression in their career. In your first civilian job you are likely to have less authority and responsibility. Your career progression will be less clear.
You will need to become familiar with the appropriate dress for the industry that interests you. This may seem trivial, but it may be quite important in being selected for that first job.
To minimize the impact of cultural differences, we recommend you
Interview former military personnel holding jobs similar to those you might target and learn what you can about these issues. This is called information interviewing.
Do an old-fashioned reconnaissance mission to several high profile companies in your area. Read about networking; it will help you.
Read recent books on work in corporate America. Browse through the business and work sections of your local bookstores and library.
Parts of this module updated in July 2020 are adapted from an earlier article by Robert E. Rainey: Rainey, R. E. (1992). Military Career: Changing to a Civilian Career. In L. K. Jones (Ed.), Encyclopedia of career change and work issues (pp. 186 - 189). Phoenix: The Oryx Press.