Whether you’re reaching the end of your contract or retiring from the military, you’ll need to think about your future career in the civilian world. While transitioning from the military to civilian life can come with challenges, the good news is that serving in the military sets you up for success in your civilian career.

You’ll learn plenty of applicable skills in the military that recruiters and employers love, so it shouldn’t be a challenge to find a new career, especially if you plan accordingly. Learn about some transferable skills you’ve developed in the military and how you can leverage your experience to find a full-filling career in the civilian world.

General Job Skills Earned Through the Military

Many of the skills you develop in the military can correlate with the skills you need to be successful in the civilian workforce. Some of the most common skills that transfer from the military to the civilian world include:

●Leadership

●Adaptability

●Responsibility

●Problem-solving

●Self-discipline

●Determination

●Teamwork

Additionally, you’ll gain specific skills based on your occupation in the military that can help you narrow down a career field once you transition to civilian life. For example, if you worked with electrical components and systems, you could look into a career as an electrician or electrical engineer.

Examples of Military Skills in Current Career Fields

You’ll find many civilian jobs requiring skills that correlate directly with what you learn and develop in the military. We’ve collected some examples of civilian careers to show you the different ways military skills transfer, even in high-demand fields:

●Project management: Previous service members with leadership training are a good fit for project management roles where they’ll be responsible for delegating tasks and managing a team.

●Logistics: Many service members have experience in inventory management, transportation planning, and cargo handling, which makes them excellent candidates for the logistics industry.

●Healthcare: Military healthcare personnel can use their experience in the industry to work in the civilian healthcare world. Many employers will recognize the high level of skill service members with healthcare experience have, whether their occupation was as a direct-care provider or managed healthcare computer networks.

●Information technology: The military uses some of the most advanced technology available. Many service members gain hands-on experience that can help them find jobs in the information technology industry, including cybersecurity, information security specialist, and database administration.

These are just a few fields that service members can enter after their time in the military. Since there are over one thousand jobs in the military, military personnel can find plenty of industries to join once they’ve finished their career in the armed forces.

Tips for Leveraging Your Military Experience for Career Advancement

Service members develop plenty of applicable skills they can use in their post-military job search. However, you need to learn how to leverage your experience to find a good job or career after your time in the service. Use some of our tips below to learn how to leverage your learned skill to find a quality position for your future:

1. Spruce Up Your Resume

Your resume is the first impression you’ll make on a potential employer. When you’re listing your skills, pull from some of the strongest ones you’ve developed while in the service, including leadership, teamwork, and adaptability.

It’s essential to keep your resume straightforward and relevant. For example, you’ll generally want to avoid military jargon in your resume unless you’re applying for a military-savvy company as you can alienate certain employers. Other resume tips you’ll want to follow include:

●Avoid long paragraphs

●Consolidate your skills

●Use relevant language from the job posting

●Create a brief but engaging cover letter

If you need help with a resume, you have plenty of resources to use, including on-base resources you’ll have access to as you start the process of leaving the military.

2. Make the Most of Veteran’s Preference

When the federal government employs civilians, veterans have a special privilege to honor their service called veteran’s preference. While prior service members aren’t guaranteed employment, those who received an honorable discharge are eligible for veteran's preference. If you want to continue to work with the government, you can find high-paying positions easier than some civilian applicants.

3. Plan Before Starting Your Search

Before you start searching and applying for jobs, you’ll want to consider where your skills would be most applicable. For example, if your military career revolved around electrical work, you might want to search for jobs where you’d be doing the same work.

However, you may also want to switch careers. You can always attend college or learn a trade to help you step into a new career.

Once you know what you want to do outside of the military, you should carefully plan your career the same way you might plan a military mission. You can take advantage of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which will help you learn how to create resumes, conduct job searches, choose career paths, and more.

Setting goals, getting help, and creating a career plan can help you leverage the skills you’ve gained in the military to transition into the civilian world successfully.

4. Find Resources Through the VA

As a prior service member, you have access to the various resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA has plenty of resources for service members transitioning out of the military and looking for a career, including:

●Veterans Employment Center for resume assistance, cover letters, and completing job applications.

●VetNet for workforce training and preparation.

●USAJOBS for federal employment for veterans.

●The Office of Veterans Business Development to help veterans start their own businesses

You can find many more resources through the VA to help you find work after your military career ends. Using these resources can help you find a job that you love, whether you want to stay in the same field or you want to branch out into something different.

5. Prepare for the Lifestyle Changes

When you’re in the military, you have a lot of structure. Your professional and social life is structured enough to reduce stress since you’re being guided through life. However, transitioning from a military career to a civilian job can be a whirlwind, and there are a lot of lifestyle changes you’ll need to adjust to.

You’ll have a lot more freedom and flexibility in your schedule as a civilian, but going from intense structure to unstructured can lead to things like alcohol consumption, isolation, and the development of other poor habits and behaviors.

Prior service members will need to plan a structure of their own filled with positive, productive activities they enjoy. Some things you can implement into your schedule to provide structure include:

●Exercising

●Spending time with friends

●Starting a business

●Taking college classes

●Learning a new trade

●Taking on a new hobby

Creating structure around your work life can help you transition from the military into the civilian world more easily and with less stress.

6. Explore Your Options

Switching from a military career to a civilian industry can be disorienting, and you don’t want to dive into a new career without learning about your options. If you already love what you do, finding something similar in the civilian world is a great option.

However, if you want a change of pace, you can use your GI Bill to go to school or attend a trade school to learn something new. You can also find plenty of government positions where you’ll have veteran’s preference if you enjoy working in government. Whatever you decide to do, remember to take your time to explore your options, so you choose the career path that best suits your skills and interests.

Let MLC Help You Through Every Stage of Your Career

At Military Luggage Company, we’re dedicated to helping our service members throughout their time in the military and beyond. Once you enter the civilian workforce, you’ll still need bags, packs, or cases to help you complete your tasks. Whether you’re looking for laptop bags, admin accessories, backpacks, or other items for your professional life, we’ve got your back with many high-quality products to choose from.

We offer a comprehensive selection of gear, whether you’re still in the military or want a high-quality bag for your professional obligations. Check out our selection and show off your branch pride, or contact us with your questions! You can also capitalize on our warrior discounts as our way to say thank you for your service!