Getting through the military is quite an achievement. Going through the rigors of basic training to rise through the ranks is not easily done by many people. But, you did do it and deserve a lot of credit. Now, you’re ready to throw on some Marine Corps clothing to let people know about your experience and enjoy life as a civilian.
So, getting back to civilian life after you’ve put your time in should be a breeze. Right? Well, actually getting used to the military way doesn’t really help you get used to life as a civilian afterward. You do get a lot of perks as an ex-military member like getting a job in healthcare or as a firefighter among many others.
Yet, there are some challenges that make the transition difficult for some. In this article, we will give you some tips to learn how to make that transition as smooth as possible.
Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
One of the biggest perks about the military is how they take care of so many aspects of your life. And even transitioning to civilian life is taken care of with this program.
It’s sort of like a workshop that goes through the various challenges that you’ll face and gives you a foundation to build upon. They often start with what your career possibilities are if you haven’t already settled on what you would like to do for work.
Also, they’ll help you write up a resume and give you some job hunting advice so you can land your dream job.
Find your people
Networking is important no matter what you are looking to do in life. Having a group of people that focus on a mutually beneficial relationship is hard to overstate the importance of.
As an ex-military member, you have a ready-made network with others that have been in the military and even your specific branch. Look for these groups so you can start a community that allows you to get help and then help others when you’ve made the transition.
This network can help find you a job or even a place to live. Not only that, but if you end up in an area where you’ve never lived then they provide a ready-made social circle of friends.
Focus on your strengths
You’ve learned a lot of skills while you were in the military. You may have even had a job that works very well in the civilian world such as computer programmer or logistics expert.
Now is the time to brag about your skills and make sure that you give yourself plenty of credit. These skills are highly transferable so you should draw upon them to not only find a job but also help you problem solve in many other areas of your life.
Many people in the civilian world have self-inflicted problems due to a lack of discipline in their lives. You, on the other hand, know a lot about how to stay disciplined so you can avoid a lot of these problems.
