by Mark Weedon
Very recently, I made the always-bragged-about but ever-scary leap from the comfortable confines of the military, over the cliff of retirement, and into the pool of civilian life. I enjoyed 29 years of a steady income, steady and free medical insurance, extremely low cost life insurance, and a structured work environment (outside of the occasional chaos of combat). All that, and the predictable command and controlled hierarchy, along with a comradery felt by no other organization in the world taught me some important lessons.
There are five fundamental areas I want to talk about: your Resume, your Education, the Interview, Networking, and Serving. I call these the REINS of successful transition from military to civilian life.
The process for successful transition should begin almost immediately upon a new assignment or job/career. That’s right, every time we start a new position, we should always be preparing for when it will come to an end. This isn’t a green light to not give 100% to your current role; it just means you should always expect change will come. That change could come at anytime, from shortly after it begins, to 2 or 3 years down the road, all the way up to 20 or 30 years or more. It doesn’t matter how long it lasts, a good exit strategy will always put you in a better position to make the transition as smooth and beneficial as possible for all involved.
Over the next five issues of Trident TODAY, we will take the deep dive into each of the 5 REINS, and I will share my experience and training. If implemented, this information will put you way ahead of your peers and much better prepare you for your next transition, whatever that may be. Stay tuned!
Who doesn't love saving money?
RETAIL
EDITORIAL
TECHNOLOGY
TRAVEL
Additional Savings - Visit our Student & Alumni Perks Website and take advantage of additional savings now! Go to www.gwperks.com and use organization code 700077 when prompted during the sign up process.