Prepare for Transition from Military to Civilian Life

The three key ingredients to finding a successful civilian career are a degree, certifications (specific training), and experience. But when you’re transitioning from the military to a civilian career, it will take time and dedicated preparation to gain all three.
Stay Relevant Through Education and Experience
Earning a degree takes a certain amount of time, but knowledge-building and gaining work experience must be lifelong endeavors. Continuing education and experience provide reasonable assurance of job stability and career progression.
To keep relevant with the ever-changing aptitudes of today’s careers, or to advance in responsibility and pay grade, you need to prepare ahead of time with a degree, continuous job training and certifications.
Prepare Yourself to Talk the Talk

• Research the industry or job you want. Keep up with the required skills, the equipment and software that are used in the position. Learn as much as you can about industry tools and processes to make yourself marketable to an employer – and save time once you land the job.
• Keep current with advancements in the tools and trends. Keep abreast of the tools used now and new tools that are available or pending release. Join blogs and social networks, sign up for industry journals and webinars, earn certifications, and search the Web for information and trends related to your career field.
• Talk to employees in the field. Talk to people who work in the industry about their jobs, the training they need, and requirements for advancing into management. Knowledge and experience in areas beyond your current position can make you a much more attractive candidate.
• Join blogs and social networks, sign up for industry journals and webinars, earn certifications, and search the Web for information and trends related to your career field.

Plan to Prepare for the Job Transition

• Create a timeline for obtaining certifications, degrees or work experience.
• Prepare a list of your skills and strengths so you can align yourself with a potential employers’ mission, vision and culture during interviews.
• Increase the breadth of your knowledge (not to mention your network) by interning, volunteering and conducting informational interviews.

With this kind of preparation, you will recession-proof yourself and build your marketability for new positions and career paths.
The VT Education Connection Center can help you find a school to earn an accredited online degree and certification. Our flexible and affordable programs, coupled with great military benefits, can prepare you transition into a new career.
Be sure to make maximum use of your TA and GI Bill benefits while they are still available!
Tell me your story of how you prepared to transition from the military to a new career.