Ten Tips for Transitioning from the Military to the Private Sector
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, a former Jedi warrior who is a mentor to Luke Skywalker. Obi-Wan introduces Luke to the ways of the Jedi and how to master the use of The Force. This is the perfect metaphor for you to consider as you transition from military service to the private sector.
1. The First Tip is to Get Yourself an Obi-Wan (a mentor).
If you want to be truck driver, find a truck driver to be your mentor, if you want to be an executive, you’d better find an executive to guide you along the path to success. Far too often well-meaning individuals develop programs that lack substance and meaning. I recall a business course that I took in college from a professor who had never worked in business. He taught theory, not real business. While some people “profess,” others “do.” When I was being recruited to my first executive position, I sought counsel from the president of a very successful company. He took the time to coach and mentor me. His advice was right on target. Choose your mentor wisely. Someone who never transitioned successfully to the private sector is not likely to be of much help.
2. Get Over Yourself.
You’ve had a great career, learned a lot, achieved a great deal but now it’s time to move on. Don’t dwell on the past. If you believe you were treated badly, were passed over for a promotion, or got caught up in the latest round of downsizing and are disappointed, get over it. Carrying this excess baggage around will make it very difficult for you to get hired and if you do get hired, it may result in your getting fired. There’s an old saying, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” You cannot excel at anything by being burdened by ghosts from the past. Remember, it’s not what you did in the past that counts, it’s what you can do in the future for the company you wish to work for.
3. Knowing and then Re-Inventing Yourself
Take a personality profile and understand your strengths and weaknesses. We stress this because many companies have you take some type of assessment to see if you are a good temperamental fit for their company. Develop a personal brand. Yes, we all know about company brands like Nike and their mantra “Just do It.” But people have brands as well. Know who you are, what you do, and how you add value. Reinventing yourself is a process in which you try to follow your passion and find something that appeals to you in order to achieve your objectives. How would you answer the questions, “What are you famous for?” and, “Tell me how you are going to add value to my company?
4. Develop a Campaign Plan.
The three skills most military personnel have in common are planning, organization, and leadership. Developing a plan for the future is an essential first step. As you retire from the military you probably have another thirty-plus years of life ahead of you. The first challenge is to determine what you want to do, where, and for how long. You can put your wife to work and play golf all day (not sure I would bring that up!), get a job working for somebody else, or start your own business. Much of this depends upon your financial position and when you want to retire, for good. Planning is the easy part, setting goals and then sticking to the plan takes some serious effort. A key to success is to “plan your transition and then work your plan.”
5. Do your homework.
There is no substitute for finding out what you want to do, for whom, and where. There’s really only two good options (1) move to where you want to live and then find a job, or (2) find a job and go wherever it takes you. The biggest challenge I see is most retiring military professionals know they need a job but don’t know what they want to do. This is where the homework comes in. Reading local business magazines, the Wall Street Journal, and doing online research about companies and organizations is a way you can familiarize yourself with the business world. You need to understand the language, motivation and operation of business to make the case you are the right person for the job.
6. Network, Network, Network.
Informational interviews will help you understand what companies do and what they expect of their employees. It will also open your eyes to the business world. One of the most important considerations for most companies is “Can this candidate fit in with the culture of my company?” Culture accounts for 88 percent of the hiring decision. These interviews are also important because you have a 1 in a 100 chance of getting hired by submitting a resume but a 1 in 7 chance of getting hired through a referral. You get those referrals through networking. I mentioned informational interviews above. These are not job interviews, these are sessions with a hiring manager to learn about their company and become comfortable talking to business leaders. Networking is critical because people hire people, not resumes.
7. The Interview.
The screening process is such that by the time you get to the interview, you have made the cut so you had better be thoroughly prepared. The initial screening process is where HR professionals try to find a reason to reject you—if they can’t match your accomplishments with their needs or they find an error—you’re rejected. Interviews are usually conducted in stages—by phone, perhaps teleconference, and eventually in person. By the time you get to meet the hiring manager, you’re in pretty good shape. Mastering the ability to respond to behavioral questions takes practice, “Tell me about the time you failed, and how you recovered from that failure?” You should also learn what questions you should ask like “Can you explain the opportunities for upward mobility in your company?”
8. Salary Negotiation.
The first thing to understand, is that you are only worth what somebody is willing to pay you. I know, you’ve been led to believe that business leaders will be beating your door down to hire you with a six-figure salary—not so much. Consider this, the median family income in the United States is $53,000. The median for Kansas City is $45,275. Our associates have negotiated their starting salaries in the range of $80K to $165K. While you’ve never had to negotiate for your salary while in the military, you will only get paid in the business sector what you are willing and capable of negotiating.
9. Understanding the Importance of Culture.
Military culture and civilian business culture can be, and usually are, very different. Cultural norms like punctuality, preparation, dress, work ethic, attention to detail, goal achievement and temperament can be very different. After years of having to adhere to strict rules, having clear lines of responsibility and authority some service members struggle with a more relaxed, slow, and at times more disorganized work environment. This can lead to frustration at best or being fired at worst. No matter who you end up working for, expect there to be an adjustment. Be humble, be flexible, and be open to change.
10. When Confronted with a Job Offer, be Prepared to Make a Decision.
It’s not uncommon after several months of networking, interviewing, and negotiating to be confronted with multiple offers. No amount of research and questioning will reveal what a company is really like. Just as you are putting on your best face on an interview, they are putting their best face on the company. Waiting for the perfect job is a fool’s errand. I’ve always advised my associates to take the best reasonable job that comes along and learn how to become a civilian again. The average person rarely stays in a job for more than 2 years, especially those starting out and after leaving military service; you are starting out all over again. Remember that companies often interview multiple individuals, if you waffle and can’t make a decision in the time specified, they will move to the next qualified candidate. Whatever decision you make, stay in the new job at lease one full year.
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Bob Ulin is the Chairman and CEO of the Center for Transitional Leadership. He’s a retired Army colonel, retired Vice President of a technology company, retired CEO of a nonprofit corporation and currently has a consulting firm and serves as a board member and executive of several companies/organizations.
Bob is the author of five books. His newest book TRANSITIONS 2.0: A Field Guide for Mid-Career Professionals and Veterans Seeking New Challenges in the Business World is available from Amazon.com.