Thank you for your service to your country. Regardless of how you served or how long, you did something special. You deserve to enjoy what life has to offer after your time in uniform is over, but the transition to civilian life isn’t always a simple affair. There are four pertinent plans to execute after your military service.
Attend a TAP Workshop
Your military service will give you many transferable skills that help you succeed in civilian work. However, you’ll still need more than just your military training. The Transition Assistance Program offers three-day workshops for veterans to use within six months of leaving the armed force. These workshops cover topics such as exploring new careers, strategies for job hunting, preparing for cover letters, resume writing, and job interviews. This is a great resource for all members of the military to take advantage of. There are many ways to utilize this so you can use it to help you get ahead in life.
Learn a New Language
The military has a language all its own. Some terms and customs will change based on the specific service you are in, but once you’re a civilian, there are some changes you will have to make. For starters, you’ll have to get used to civilian time, which only goes up to 12 hours and then restarts at noon. You also don’t need to call your boss “Sir”. Learning the language of the military and how to transition from it back to normal language may be a bit of a challenge at first. However, practice makes perfect, so get out there and practice as soon as possible.
Use Online Colleges for Military Personnel
Online colleges for military personnel are something you can use while still in uniform or after. Classes at online colleges for military members can happen in both a hybrid and an online format. That way, you can learn wherever you are deployed or where you wind up after discharge. Many such programs offer tuition discounts or assistance for those with service records, and some of your military training and experience can count towards certain degrees. Speak to individual colleges and/or programs to learn more.
Figure out Where to Live
No matter how long you spent in uniform, it was the Pentagon or a person much higher up the chain of command who usually decided where you were going to live. Whether it was a base close to home and family, or an overseas installation many time zones away, you went where you were told to. Now that you’re a civilian, you can choose where in this country you want to live. Figuring out where to live is a great idea after military service.
Getting back to civilian life can be hard after military service, especially if you enlisted before you really got to know what civilian life was like. There are many freedoms that come with it, though, freedoms you once defended. Enjoy them, because you’ve earned them.
