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Is This The Right Place?

Transitioning from the military is a process, not an event. There is certainly a start point- the day you submit for retirement/separation or when you schedule your first event as early as 2 years ahead of time. I’m not convinced there is an end point for the transition. How long it takes can certainly vary from person to person, depending on a variety of factors. These can be the reason for the separation, how long a person was in the military or a particular unit/community, how close their next career is to the environment where they served, etc. 

Hopefully during the process and as you begin your next career(s), you develop an understanding of what to expect from your next job. This should include everything from salary, schedule, and benefits. Ideally, it also includes some less tangible things like what is your purpose in this new job and how does that compare to what you are accustomed to. Personally, I knew my first job out of the military would not have much of a professional purpose. I talked with some peers doing the job before I retired and confirmed that. This was incredibly helpful because for my entire career and particularly the 12 years I was in the SOF community, my sense of purpose was very deep. The advice I was given by my peer is that while that won’t be matched, I will have time and space to fulfill that purpose in other ways.

When I eventually started this job, it met all of my expectations although it was eye-opening to suddenly join an industry heavily reliant upon unions, a dynamic I had no experience with. Even though I had an expectation regarding purpose, I did not know how much that was going to affect me, or at least my mental health. As a professional, I was used to being mentally invested in my work, maybe even to a fault. While that may sound appealing after retirement, I struggled with how to cope. 

Referring back to my peer’s advice, I was energized to fill my purpose jar. Luckily for me, I knew what that could be based on my experience with the Commit Foundation and prior to retiring did some of the ground work on how to get an Executive Coaching certification and employ that effectively as a “side hustle”. My grand plan is that one career would satisfy my enjoyment of flying and traveling, the other would satisfy my satisfaction in helping others achieve their potential- both of these would capitalize on my strengths, experience, and training. 

So as you are in the transition process, don’t be surprised to maybe try a few different job opportunities in order to find the right place. Also, learn enough to have realistic expectations, but be prepared to be surprised by how those may affect you differently than you thought they would. Lastly, you may not find a one-stop-shop to meet all of your requirements. You may find something that fills a lot of boxes, but others are left empty. Consider what is missing and maybe you can get that from some other activity- a “side hustle”, volunteer activity, or joining some sort of social group.