So you’ve decided to leave the military and you’ve decided that you’ll get a job after you’ve left. Sounds simple, right? Not necessarily. Up till now, you’ve had the military telling you where to live, what to do and when to do it; while this lack of decision making may have frustrated you at times, believe it or not, there’s some security in it! Once you leave the military, you’re faced with the prospect of doing whatever you want to do, wherever you want to do it. You can get a job in line with what you’ve been doing in the military or decide to chase a completely different dream. The hard part is figuring out exactly what it is you want to do.

The key to the entire process is to start early. I can’t reiterate this enough. If you wait till the last minute you will find yourself scrambling to get things like moves, final pay, etc., taken care of at the same time you’re trying to find a job. I started contacting headhunters for my husband’s separation about a year out. While they can’t necessarily have a job ready and waiting for you at that point, they can get you registered and tell you all the information they need from you (evals, references, etc.). This gives you plenty of time to get these things together and also to feel out the recruiter to see if you’d like to work with them. The three main ones we’ve worked with that I would recommend are Orion International, Bradley-Morris, Inc., and Lucas Group. You can find their links at the bottom of the article. They were efficient and professional. These groups can help you narrow in on what you want to do and how your military skills can translate. Keep in mind, however, that while headhunting firms have their place, they should not be your only avenue to job hunting. Continue to look for things yourself and to network, you never know what you’ll find.

Be sure to check out job search inventories and other resources that can help you translate your military skills and show you what fields you might enjoy working in. Take the time to evaluate what makes you happy (money, location, time with family) and look for work that is in line with those values. Is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to live but couldn’t? Look into the area, what’s the harm? You may find that you can get a job there doing what you love and in an area you enjoy. Is there a field you always thought you wanted to work in? Research it; it can’t hurt anything! This is where starting early helps you; you have the time to focus on various areas and find out if there’s something you’d need to do or learn to get there.

There is so much more to this whole process, which is why I’m putting together a course for BellaOnline’s Military Families site. The course will focus on all aspects of the separation process, all the things that nobody ever tells you, all the things they don’t cover in TAP class. It will be conveniently located in one place for you to reference. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions about the process or ideas on things that you’d like to see in the course.