Transitioning Out of the Military: A Practical Guide

Leaving the military is not just a career change—it is a life transition.  The structure, identity, and support system you’ve known are changing all at once.  I went through this process 6 years ago and I did not necessarily nail it.  This guide breaks the process down into practical steps so you can move forward with purpose and structure.   

Step 1: Start Earlier Than You Think

The best transitions start 12–24 months before separation.  

This gives you time to:

• Explore what you want out of your next chapter.  
• Explore career paths
• Build a network
• Prepare financially and medically 

Take the time to reflect on your current life situation and what you want and need out of your next chapter.  As our lives change so do our priorities.  What are your priorities for you and your family?  I encourage you to invest time here to get your priorities straight as you move into the transition window.   I recommend you review my 1^st blog post on the first 4 things you need to consider as you step into transition.   You will also want to find a 12-24 month Transition timeline to keep you on track with your major goals and milestones for all things Transition.  

Step 2: Build a Civilian Resume

Your military experience is valuable—but it needs translation.

Focus on:

• Results (not just duties).  
• Leadership and outcomes
• Civilian-friendly language
• Use the STAR method for your accomplishments.  Situation, Task, Action, Result.  For example, instead of stating “ responsible for managing training calendars”.  State “Developed training calendars to coordinate and synchronize the training of 800 employees resulting in 100% of all training requirements completed on time with. required resources, an improvement of 30% from the previous year”.  
• This shifts the focus from what you did to what you accomplished. 

Each job application will require you to tailor your resume to that specific job to ensure you are targeting and reflecting your experience correlation with the advertised position.  This takes a lot of work.   I decided to front load my invested time.  I used my military support forms as base documents, and using the STAR statement approach, created 5-10 STAR statements for each job.  I ensured my STAR statements covered the leadership, personnel, operations, training, & logistics accomplishments while in each position.  This base resume was about 12 pages long.  Do NOT use this for your job application resume.  However, it serve as your base document from which to adjust from.  Based on what kind of job you apply for, you use the applicable STAR statements that aligns with experience outlined in the job description.  For example, if it is  an operations and training job, you will keep those STAR statements.  If it is a logistics job, you will index on those STAR statements while deleting the others that are not applicable.     

Still Serving Veterans (https://ssv.org) is a Veteran non-profit that can assist you in translating your military experience to civilian speak in your resume.  They help Veterans prepare both civilian resumes as well as government, OPM approved resumes.  

Step 3: Build Your Network

Most jobs come from connections—not applications.

Start with:

• LinkedIn
• Veteran communities
• Your peers, supervisors and subordinates that have already transitioned
• Former Service Members in your field of interest
• Research Veteran friendly employers and resources focused on employment 

Don’t be shy!  Tap into your network of mentors, previous mentees, supervisors, friends, and family.  Post an update on LinkedIn about your upcoming transition timeline and what field you are looking into.  Ask for advice and guidance from those that have already transitioned and went through the wringer.  Connect with recruiters from organizations within your field of interest on LinkedIn.  They are everywhere if you look for them.  Once within viable time range for hiring, go ahead and change your LinkedIn profile to “open for work”.  You never get what you don’t ask for.  Now is the time to be bold, fearless and authentic.  If staying local to your area after transitioning, join networking opportunities and social events where you will likely make important connections that could prove useful.  If planning to move to another area, research Veteran friendly employers in the area and connect with them via LinkedIn (if applicable) and look for opportunities to get involved. 

Recruit Military (https://recruitmilitary.com) has a DoD contract with the Department of Defense with the sole purpose of helping Veterans find gainful employment following their transition.  Their extensive Veteran friendly employer ecosystem includes online job opening searchability as well as in person and virtual job fairs.   

Step 4: Use Veteran Resources

There are thousands of organizations—but not all are equal.  Here are some things that you want to look for:

• Proven track records
• Specific expertise
• Hands-on support (not just information)
• Maximize your local TAPs office and attend all TAPs available classes and workshops. 

But don’t feel like you have to do it alone.  

• Your Next Mission®- Veteran Community Support (VCS) Program (https://yournextmission.org/vcs/) They will connect you with vetted Veteran non-profit organizations designed to assist with your specific needs and circumstances.   

Step 5:  Have a Financial Plan

Here are the first steps that you need to take:

• Identify your monthly budget
• Start a transition savings fund (emergency fund)
• Know your Benefits timeline (for filing your VA compensation claim) 

You might be asking yourself, “what does it mean to prepare financially for transition?”  According to the Navy Federal Credit Union, there are several steps you can take.  They recommend saving to build a Transition Fund that covers 3-6 months of cash for living expenses for peace of mind and coverage for potential gaps in employment following transition.  

You will also want to calculate your civilian budget factoring in the loss of BAH/BAS and adding in additional civilian living expenses such as medical.  A sound budget strategy is the 50/30/20 rule.  For this strategy, divide your monthly take home pay into 50% (housing, utilities, food, insurance, medical), 30% discretionary wants (entertainment, hobbies), 20% (debt repayment and savings).  However, if you have high interest debt, you should consider paying that off before your transition to alleviate strain.       

If you were the type to waive off on sick call and gut out physical pain due to your leadership responsibilities, stop doing that.  If you are hurt or have existing injuries, you need to go to the doctor and start addressing them.  This will be crucial for an accurate VA compensation claim. 

Final Thoughts

Transition does not have to be chaotic.  With the right plan and support, you can move into your next chapter with confidence.