Transitioning to the Civilian Workplace

OK, you’ve landed a post-military job. Congratulations! You are feeling a sense of relief and excitement but now apprehension is beginning to set in. How do you navigate this new terrain?

Veterans get a lot of advice about the "military to civilian" transition. Virtually all of it is well-meaning -- and some of it is actually useful. However, it is a rare opportunity when Veterans who have landed-well in the corporate world can share their personal and candid stories and advice with those in the throes of the transition process.

The RayVets of Raytheon Technologies in Huntsville, AL and Still Serving Veterans have partnered for several years in a series of workshops and job fair panels to provide just this candid, Veteran-to-Veteran practical advice. What follows are the highlights of their advice – in their own words.

Personal Advice:

Anxiety doesn’t go away but being proactive turns anxiety into good energy that you can use.
Ask for help, give help, and take help.
Be patient and learn your new role.
Be patient. The civilian path is winding.
Be willing to diversify your skillsets.
Developing your story.
Differentiate your needs from your wants.
Don’t sell yourself short.
Don’t wait for the next set of orders – you decide your future now.
Educate yourself; adopt civilian standards
Family Needs- They also served.
Get out of your comfort zone.
Get your certifications.
Getting over the level of anxiety from known to unknown.
Getting the position is just the start.
Have a plan on what you are looking for!
It’s the real world “embrace the fluidity.”
Knowing when to say stop vs. working until the project is complete.
Learn to speak “corporate.”
Learning to selectively let go of military mentality.
Look and listen before just diving in.
Map out your career path and know the company's expectations.
Rank does not matter anymore.
Self-reflect.
Take time for yourself.
Translating military experience to civilian experience and translating training into certifications.
Understand your environment.
Understanding that FEAR can keep you unemployed.
You are now in charge of your destiny!
You can’t do this alone!
You own your career!

Organizational Advice:

Career Progression is different. Progression may mean lateral progression or even a step back in order to grow!
Get use to your new everyday structure, or lack of structure.
Learning the company rules and company acronyms/jargon.
Learning the who’s who in the company? Who works where? Who is the boss?
Projects take longer in the civilian sector, so enjoy the wins along the way.
There is no standard operating procedure (SOP) in the civilian world.
Be specific, be knowledgeable of the job, and the company.
Being "in charge" right away may not be desirable; learn the business and the culture.
Civilian companies work on a different timeline (sometimes years); "take victories along the way."
Customer is "right"; adapt to the customer; it is not up to them to adapt to you.
For every task find out the bigger picture. Understand how you contribute to goals/ objective of the organization.
The mission is important, but so too is business.
Program management is very different in every industry.
You may "move up and down" within the company.
Your uphill success could be based on the dollars you manage and not people.

Cultural Advice:

Learn to slow down and readjust.
The sense of urgency often characteristic of the military is often not the norm; "slow your roll."
Embracing the fluidity and understanding there isn’t a clear path in the civilian sector.
Networking in three key areas i.e., technical, business, and cultural.
Understanding that not everyone is prior military, there is a different mentality and structure.
Understanding the sense of urgency is different.

Relationship Advice:

Ask Questions! Let go of your fear of asking.
Get involved and stay engaged.
Network!!! Talk to people – network (in person).
Recognize that there is a need to be tactful and "PC" (politically correct).
Seek several mentors (technical, business, cultural).
Talk to people and Network! Interact Face to Face, don’t just email.
Trust is the foundation! Establishing trust is different in the civilian world. You have to listen and get to know your coworkers.
Watching how you speak to people and getting used to the language.

There is a lot of practical wisdom in this advice. Not every bit of it will be relevant to the new position you are beginning, but the key themes and lessons learned here will not just enable you to become more productive faster but to become more comfortable and confident. Good luck! Still Serving Veterans is standing by to help you not just find “a job” but the “right job”!

A special thanks to Raytheon Technologies for the long-term support and to Redstone Federal Credit Unit for providing meeting space for our Civilian Workplace Transition workshop series. You are making a difference!