Is it hard to return to a civilian job after serving in the military?

Answer 1

my son came out 4 yrs ago and just found a job he wishes he had stayed in

Answer 2

It depends on the individual. People join the military for different reasons. Personally, I found the military to be a babysitter and stifling personal creativity. What I mean is that the military basically does everything for you. It's kinda like having a parent and somebody to hold your hand the whole time you're in.

What I like about the civilian world, it is either sink or swim. Most of the stuff that happens in the military, a person would be fired immediately in the civilian world.

There's some people that find it hard to adapt to the civilian world. Some vets had jobs in the military that are not marketable in the civilian world.

Also, it's a worn out saying, but the "military is a way of life." There are some good points about it. Such as the cameraderie that is sometimes hard to find in civilian companies.

Answer 3

Well, that depends on you. How long were you in? Do you have any recent experience working with civilians?

When I got ready to retire, my wife and I decided that I should continue working for the military as a civilian. Why? The Army was the only life that I had known for 20 years. Other than 3 years working as a recruiter (bad decision), I had no real experience working with people who had no discipline, order in their lives, or a clue about what was happening outside their 4 walls. SO, we stuck around. I'm not complaining. I have a good job, good friends, and I still have a bit of the feel for the Army life.

Answer 4

That really depends on the job you had. As a Combat Engineer, there just aren't the jobs in the civilian sector to emplace and remove landmines and booby traps I thought there would be.....

There are minor adjustments, like I have had to learn that I have to go home at 8 hours. As a senior NCO, your work day could easily run into the 12-14 hour mark 5-6 days a week. Now all I have to do is work 40 hours a week? TOO easy.

Having said that, being marketable is difficult, find some good friends, get a huge bank of resumes built up and get out there. Talk to your local ACAP counselors and believe every word they say, its all true.

I was fortunate enough to get hired on less than 10 days from signing out of the Army. If you have questions, feel free to email me!

Answer 5

To be honest...pretty much anyone who has military experience can get out and become a police officer. I have friends who were part of the Signal Corps and they are now police officers because of the military training they received in BCT. If you're on active duty for a while and get married to your gf, she can move wherever you go but you gotta get married before you joine so she can get added on to your orders right away. You can do the college thing while you're on active duty. Right now, they are working it out to where you can even transfer your GI benefits to your spouse if she decides she would like to go to school. The Army is what you (and your gf) make of it. There will be times where you won't be at home but that's all part of the job. The same way with being a police officer. You could be working a shift as a police officer that might be the total opposite of your gf's. There's always variables to everything. Also, if you join the Army first and then go civilian police, your starting pay will be higher because you received formal weapons training in BCT.

Answer 6

I think it depends on
1) What skills and education you have and how you translate your military skills and education into something a civilian can understand
2) How quickly you can adapt
3) How well you plan

Having an education means something regardless if you're military or civilian. Some jobs are directly transferrable. But some aren't. Nevertheless, there are skills to all jobs that apply across the board. It's up to the former military person to translate for the civilian.

Military encourages leadership and offers a lot of training - that fact alone gives military an immediate advantage over civilians, who seldom get formal leadership training. You just have to translate it on your resume and in interviews.

You have to demonstrate your adaptability (you're not thinking military anymore; you're thinking civilian) and you have to plan for separation well. For many civilians, in their mind there's a stereotype military person: the uncompromising DI. You have to break that perception by demonstrating you have all of the favorable characteristics of being former military (promptness, integrity, can-do attitude, etc.), but none of the negatives (barking orders, rigid expectations, etc.).

Planning is critical. You have to start thinking like a civilian before you separate. If you want a job by X date, you need to start planning and executing those plans, just as a civilian would if he were planning to move across the country and didn't have a job yet.

My husband has been out of the AF for 8 years. Landing that first civilian job post military retirement was a challenge, but he planned well (started job hunting months before he retired), he crafted a resume that translated his skills (security police, instructor/supervisor, MSC) into something civilians could understand and could relate to. He practiced interviewing. And it paid off - he secured his first civilian job before he retired (the employer waited for him) and has been successful ever since.

Certainly it is a challenge, but it's not any harder than what you've already done in the military. Remember boot camp?! Good luck.

Answer 7

Yes, it is.

The experience that I had, and many other vets I've talked to about it agree, is that the military teaches people to take individual responsibility and make decisions. The civilian world is more geared to avoiding both. Upper levels are always happy to oblige anyone willing to take blame, so such people do not last very long.

Most of the vets I know that have adjusted to working in the civilian world have either started their own business, or work in companies that are run by other vets, who think along the same lines of taking responsibility and giving credit for work well done.

Give serious thought to opening your own business. If that's out of reach at the moment, look for a recruiter that specializes in placing veterans. They do exist.

Answer 8

I found there was a great need for MK10 GMLS Terrier missile techs in the civilian world, when I got out...LOL
In all seriousness, you will be pissed off about having to work around alot of slothful people. You are used to regimentation, PMs, and doing things right the first time. You may get fed up with the mediocrity of the working force when and if you rejoin it.

Answer 9

I come from a family of military veterans that made the transition successfully to civilian life. My Dad was military retired and I myself served overseas, went through Airborne School at Fort Benning GA and also with the 9th Infantry Division in Fort Lewis, Washington. My oldest son enlisted in the US Marine Corps and went through Parris Island SC Boot Camp as well as Camp Lejune NC.

Success in job transition depends on a number of factors: (i) what job skills you have and picked up while in the military and if those same skills have a civilian equivalent? Unfortunately not all do... (ii) if they don't, then to climb and go anywhere up in life requires a college education and degree, truthfully! It certainly does NO mean a veteran can not make the most of what you learned in the military, mainly being responsibility and having perservance bec again, DETERMINATION that you have the mental willpower to succeed and overcome challenges like a tough college course, exam, say when your job might be on the line due to reduction in force etc.

Anything is possible! Here are a few tips that I consider important in terms of getting hired and eventually moving up the ladder in terms of salary and job advancement: (i) having a good attitude and being grateful by showing up on time and working diligently in accordance with your job description; (ii) first impressions that you are a hard and dependable worker; (iii) reliability that your boss has experience and knowledge in knowing what's best given the situation(s) and you do whatever tasks he/she asked you as long as they are legal.

Bottomline, Do A Good Job! and Keep Your Eyes Open for other BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES at the same time make wise use of your spare time and possibly take some college courses! As you mature and get older, eventually you might later marry and take on more responsibilities. In doing so, having perserverance to overcome that bad times and stress brought on by difficulties & mistakes is so important for you to succeed and be happy in life recognizing that God has a plan for each and every one of us!

By the way if you are lucky to have good technical skills based on your many years of experience, in all honesty I believe some have the wrong impression about private sector office guys doing nothing bec it's definitely wrong and no one company can afford to pay some manager a nice $alary if what work he performs on a daily basis does NOT contribute and add to the company's bottomline in terms of profit$ bec if so, he would most likely be the first to go when going gets tough unless of course your're the owner or have some close relationship. I recommend you take some college courses and get some expert to help you craft your resume, then once you get "in" certainly jump in with both feet and demonstrate to your boss, his boss and the owner that they will not regret their decision to hire you. Keep track weekly of YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS bec when your performance review time comes up, it will just as important as volunteering and working late to MAKE and KEEP that GOOD IMPRESSION that hopefully your bosses will know you are underpaid and if they don't do something about it, a competitor will sweep right in and make you a deal you can't refuse. Hopefully my brief thoughts were understood rather than challenged bec much of life and how far and high you happen to go is determined by attitude and mental perseverance which is something anyone who served has in their bloodstream!

Best of Luck!

Answer 10

I had a hard time. There are not many jobs out there is the civilian world that let you load bombs/missiles/counter measure ammunition on aircraft. I went to a totally different job in the civi world by networking; "Mom I need a job can you get me one?"

Answer 11

It depends on the individual. But for me...no. I will enjoy the civilian life when I get there. The few things I will miss are worth the change in lifestyles...primarily, watching my children grow.