100 Things to Know Before Leaving the Military

The advice, resources, and programs every veteran needs to know before they leave the military.

There can always be a concern with veterans about leaving the military. It is common to have worries about what your purpose will be after the uniform and how you will find meaning in your life after serving your country. But understand that eventually you will have to leave and that most likely you will still have a significant amount of time left in life.

The problem of figuring out what to do after the military is coming for you sooner or later.

You are not going to walk off your installation with your DD-214 in-hand to find a fleet of limos with executives awaiting to hand your next career on a silver platter. You are going to have to work for it. Take ownership of the process along with a big slice of humility pie.

Even though your military service may come to define much of your life experience, I would strongly challenge the notion that being a veteran is your identity. It’s likely bigger than that. Maybe it’s “leader” or “servant.” But your identity is not defined by the uniform.

Have worries about healthcare? Retirement? Where to buy your groceries after you can’t go to the commissary? The rest of America figured it out and so can you.

It’s a part of who you are. Embrace it.

No one likes the veteran who demands special treatment because of their status as a veteran.

And you should probably stop carrying a green notebook, Skilcraft pen, and wearing that same digital watch you got before basic. You don’t have to go get a tailored suit from Savile Row, but just like the squared-awayness of your uniform displayed your professionalism in the military, so does your appearance in the civilian world.

Referring to people as “F***face” is probably not going to fly in your civilian job.

More importantly, embrace learning the new terminology. When you started at a new base or new unit, you likely had to learn the new lingo. Same thing when entering the civilian world. You will have to make an effort to update your vocabulary to navigate a new environment and communicate in a new setting.

In the army we could say “Yep, we PMCSed the 1151s and gave the 5988s to the XO” and people would understand that the head of unit logistics received the maintenance paperwork for the Humvees…but not everyone got that. Be conscious of the jargon and acronyms that you regularly use in the military and where someone not familiar with them can lose understanding.

Losing understanding loses you the opportunity you want.

During your last 180 days on active duty, you may be eligible to work at a regular company through the DoD Skillbridge program. For a full explanation of how you can use this program to try working at a major corporation, a startup, or even be a fly-fishing guide, you can read a full post on the program here.

Your service does not have to stop after the uniform.

They are an excellent resource for military veterans to serve communities affected by unexpected events. They also offer programs like the Clay Hunt Fellowship which can help you identify your purpose and sense of meaning after the military.

They can help you connect with local veterans for volunteer and community service activities. They also organize fitness-focused events to help veterans regain the sense of camaraderie from the military.

They organize fellowships to help veterans forge their own path of community service in under-resourced areas.

There is a place for the post-9/11 generation of warriors as well. We are the future.

LinkedIn offers one year of their Premium service free for veterans. With this, you can access LinkedIn Learning to build your credentials, search for jobs and connections more easily, and use InMail to build your network.

People are on there to try and connect for business or professional purposes- that’s the point. So reach out and try and connect with people. Read what others are sharing. Engage and you may be surprised what comes.

It is not a “social” social media platform. It’s for professional contacts. So be wary of posting and sharing about your personal life unless it’s related to a professional context. Avoid politics. And when trying to connect to someone, always let them know why you want to connect. Don’t just send an invite.

You don’t know everything about getting out of the military. That’s ok. But you don’t know what you don’t know. So you need to ask.

They regularly take veterans and athletes, give them training that can be done in as little as 3 days, assign them a mentor, and place them in sales roles where they can earn $100k. You can learn more here.

ACP will pair you with someone for more long-term mentorship. They also host informational sessions to help you learn about certain industries.

And if you really are grappling with this question, start off at the free online course from FourBlock to help you with this process.

They often have unique challenges as well in the job hunt, and employers understand that the attributes they bring are similar to veterans.

It’s not as easy as taking your bullets from your military evaluation report and putting them into a resume. That’s not going to fly. You likely have too many acronyms, too much jargon, and not enough focus on quantifiable results. People don’t care about your level of responsibility nearly as much as they care about what you did with it.

You can work with one of the aforementioned mentorship programs to have a mentor look over your resume.

Heard of Jocko and Leif Babin? Their book, Extreme Ownership, is a huge bestseller. They are co-founders of EF Legion and EF Overwatch along with their former teammate from the SEALs, Mike Sarraille.

Their site has templates and sample resumes based on military specialties, that you can find here. You can learn more about what this company is doing through this article.

You likely didn’t have to network in the military. And if you did, it was easier than in the civilian world. Everyone was already on the same team and is (at least in theory) supposed to work together. The dynamic in the civilian world is different, because you be trying to connect with someone outside of your organization or even industry.

It’s different, and harder.

LinkedIn research shows that 70% of new hires already had a connection at that company. For more competitive companies, the number can be 95%. Submitting your resume online is unlikely to land you a job. You have to network.

The camaraderie of military service doesn’t end after the uniform comes off. As you think about what you are going to do next, reach out to veterans in industries or companies you are interested in. They will likely take your call and want to help.

You can easily find some on Facebook or LinkedIn, but you may also want to check out Meritorious. They are an exclusive network for high-performing veterans and military spouses.

If you deployed overseas, you likely worked with another country’s military at some point. The camaraderie of arms and those who served for the country is recognized everywhere. Don’t be scared to reach out and connect with veterans overseas also.

If you were a former Surface Warfare sailor, start in that community first. Find people on LinkedIn who used to serve in your unit and reach out to them.

The best way to network is by being able to offer the other person benefit as well. They provide you something, but then you provide them something back. It’s not meant to be a single person providing all the value.

That’s ok. Because of this, be respectful of the time and demands of others. If you are reaching out to someone but don’t have a lot to offer in return, do your best to limit the drain on their time. Start with something like this:

“John- I found you via a search for Army veterans working in Houston in energy. I’m transitioning for the Army myself in 6 months and am interested in the energy sector. I would greatly appreciate grabbing 15-20 minutes of your time to learn more about your work.”

For full details, including word-for-word scripts, on this process, check out this article from Ramit Sethi, NYT Bestselling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich and a successful self-built entrepreneur.

What do I mean? I mean starting off the relationship by having already done something in the interests of someone, or being willing to go the extra mile for them.

I’ve made connections with other veterans through this blog simply by writing about their company or program and then coming to them with an article in rough draft. They always appreciate the extra boost and then want to help.

I recently spoke with a Marine who is getting out and he landed a dream job at a private equity firm in Hawaii (his dream job) by offering to work for free for a few months. If you line this up right, you can do it via the DoD Skillbridge program. But if you are trying to connect with someone (especially above your pay grade), it’s way easier when you can come to them with value they didn’t expect.

Reaching out to someone while you are still in or a recently transitioned veteran is easier than if you wait until later. Veterans are well-respected and people want to help.

It doesn’t have to be a cocktail hour at a local convention center. Networking events like this are obviously a way, but not even close to the only one. There’s direct connections, social media, LinkedIn (obviously), and any other way you can imagine that people interact. I landed a role as an advisor to a marketing company because the CEO and I connected on Reddit. It can happen anywhere- you just have to be looking.

Jobs in the military rarely have an interview as part of the process, so most veterans have little to no interview experience. The good news is that you likely have some characteristics built from the military that can help you be successful in an interview. Timeliness, confidence, and respect will help you in interviews and these are attributes that veterans usually have in spades. You likely need polish and above all, practice.

It’s amazing that you were a battalion commander, or led a Navy SEAL platoon, or flew the F-22. Great. Now what does that do for your next organization after the military? What value do those experiences bring them? That’s what you need to be able to communicate.

This one is tough. We were always taught to think of our accomplishments in the military based on what our team did, not what we did as an individual. But a future employer isn’t hiring your squad or platoon, they are hiring you. They need to know what makes you unique and what makes you valuable as an individual.

According to a big study done by LinkedIn, “Underemployment is when a person engages in work that doesn’t make full use of their skills and abilities.”

Veterans can easily fall into the “just land a job” mindset after the military, but there is a lot more opportunity out there for you than that.

It’s short and only scratches the surface. And as well-intentioned as the instructors are, they aren’t world-class experts on career changes and career hunts. You have to take charge of the process yourself.

You will be assigned a counselor who can help you with things beyond what the DoD TAP counselors can, like finding community resources in your home after the military or evaluating healthcare options.

Through eBenefits you can apply for VA benefits like healthcare and the GI Bill.

Granted, this is based off my experiences so it’s not from an in-depth study. But when you can get to a healthcare provider, they are great. It’s the 1-3 layers of administrators you may have to go through to get there that can make the experience…awful.

Unlike in the military, where your care was usually prescribed to you and the medical system is designed to raise readiness levels, you have to learn to be your own advocate when navigating the VA and other resources. Remember, the VA is there to work for you so don’t be afraid of asking them to do that.

Things will change for you after you leave the military. There may be unexpected costs and nuances that you don’t know about. Luckily, there are some great resources out there to help you get your financial house in order before you grab your DD-214.

Military Money Manual is run by a current active-duty Air Force officer. He puts out great information about maximizing credit card benefits as a service member, budgeting, and real estate investing.

The Military Guide can also be a great place to learn more about how your finances might be affected by your transition from the military.

If you want to help other service members learn how to take control of their finances, check out Life Skills for Soldiers to find training programs you can use in your unit.

Applying for disability doesn’t make you weak or a leech. It’s better to go through the process, get possible issues documented and receive nothing, than it is to say nothing.

Doing the latter could result in you having serious frustrations down the road when something starts to flare up but you can’t get help for it. Swallow your pride and do it (learn about the basics of the process here).

Once you leave the military, this all gets harder. It’s way easier for the VA to look at your records while you are still in and connect any medical issues with your military service. Once you are out, it gives them more room to deny you because there is more possibility that your issues came after service. It is absolutely in your best interest to take care of this stuff before you leave the military as you will likely start an uphill battle after that.

VSOs are certified by the VA to help veterans apply for many common benefits. Before you leave the military, you should stop by a VSO office to see how they can help you with VA claims. For a full list of VSOs, visit here.

If you deployed to a combat zone, you may be eligible for VA healthcare for the first five years after your service. To see if you are eligible, visit the VA website here.

You may have some invisible scars. That’s ok.

Veterans can access the VA Crisis Line at 800-273-8255

Headstrong is also a nonprofit that can help you work through mental health issues.

Veteran’s Path helps veterans heal through mindfulness and meditation.

Heroic Hearts Project may be able to sponsor an opportunity for you to receive potentially life-altering treatment through the use of psychedelic therapy.

Based in Folly Beach, South Carolina, the Warrior Surf Foundation help veterans improve mental health through surfing. And if you are a disabled veteran, One More Wave can help get you a custom board to meet your needs.

Live American Yogi is a veteran-owned yoga apparel brand that focuses on yoga and mindfulness as a practice.

No one is going to be holding you accountable for your fitness anymore. There’s no more fitness test and your PT scores will not be on your evaluations at work. But this doesn’t mean that you should let that part of your life fade away. The great part is, now you can do what you want to do. You can organize your fitness around your preferred activities and what keeps you most healthy.

I spoke with a former Tier 1 operator who went to business school. He was expecting that he and the other SOF guys would be the smartest people. Then he met a former Army logistics officer who he said, um, “didn’t quite look like he was in the military.” But that guy was heads and shoulders above everyone else when it came to intellect.

Schools can elect to match up to the maximum payment from the GI Bill, which the VA will then match. That creates some serious extra money for your education. To learn about this at top MBA schools, check out this post.

Some schools have endowments worth millions of dollars just to help veterans attend their school. Click here to see a list.

Pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration is a popular option for a lot of veterans. These schools have scholarships just for veterans. To learn more about pursuing an MBA after the military, start here.

Operated by Bradley Morris, a military talent recruiter, the MBA Veterans Conference is an annual event that just for veterans at top MBA programs to connect with companies who want to hire veterans.

You can crush that interview and land the job of your dreams.

The USC MBV is specifically designed to meet the needs of veterans looking to level-up the next phase of their career.

The Tuck Next Step program is a general management certificate program designed for military veterans and elite athletes who are pivoting into their next career outside the military or athletics.

If you have a desire to live or work internationally, you can absolutely use your GI Bill overseas. You can listen to a former Special Forces veteran talk about getting his MBA in Spain on the Veteran (Semi) Professional podcast here or read this post about a former submarine officer who went to London Business School here.

You can get certified to be an outdoor guide, learn to fly, become a chef, or just about whatever else you want to do.

Service to School can pair you with a mentor to help you through the application process. Their unique VetLink program is also exceptional at helping enlisted veterans access higher education.

Next Step Inbound is run by former enlisted Marines who are now at Ivy League schools. They want to show the path to enrollment at top colleges for enlisted veterans.

They offer one and two-week courses to help veterans prepare academically for starting at a top university.

There are a number of ways for you to get started in coding for free or little cost.

Ever heard of Nike? Wal-Mart? FedEx? All mega-corporations, all started by veterans. Time in the military provides you with leadership experience, an understanding of risk, and a tenacity for getting things done. All this compounds to make someone well-suited for entrepreneurship.

You can learn more about the paths to entrepreneurship for veterans here.

This is a non-profit that puts veterans through a 7-week online program that covers all aspects of entrepreneurship.

Through Bunker Labs, you can connect with other entrepreneurially-minded veterans in your area, as well as use Launch Lab Online to learn more about your idea and if entrepreneurship is the path for you.

Even with nothing more than an idea, you can enter this program and receive a suite of support from Bunker Labs. And the results are amazing:

Over 500 startups to date

-89% of whom have reported the program accelerated their growth

-44% increased their run-rate revenue

-38% hired additional employees

-23% raised funding between months 1-6

Stanford’s Ignite program is specifically for helping post-9/11 veterans pursue their entrepreneurial goals. They significantly reduce the cost of attendance for veterans.

Patriot Bootcamp provides exclusive programming and resources for veteran entrepreneurs, as well as military spouses.

Veteran Ventures Capital

TFX Capital

VetFran connects franchises with aspiring veteran entrepreneurs looking to buy into their name brand.

Are you thinking of buying a business? I recommend taking a look at Acquira and its accelerator as a way to get started. They place you in a cohort with other business buyers, help you vet deals, and then help you put together the financing to close on a business. Take a look HERE and use the link to get 10% off.

Surprise: this is a lot more approachable than you may think.

Amazon wants veterans to run their delivery partners. They know that veterans bring hand-on leadership attributes that can make these businesses successful. They fronted $5 million to offset the startup costs, meaning that veterans can start for as little as $10,000.

That’s something you don’t need to wait for leaving the military to do, either. Just ask David Pere over at From Military to Millionaire.

There are a number of firms that focus exclusively on working with companies to bring veteran talent to their organizations. To learn more about this process and what you should think about when working with one of these firms, read this post.

Input your MOS and “jobs” into Google to find openings relevant to your military experience.

Google may provide up to $1,000 for you to attend a conference or seminar as part of an initiative to help underrepresented populations, including veterans, seek opportunity in tech and business.

Amazon, Accenture, and Johnson and Johnson to name a few.

Deloitte runs the Career Opportunity Redefinition & Exploration (CORE) Leadership Program which helps armed forces members and veterans translate their skills, knowledge, and experiences for the civilian work environment.

Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and J.P. Morgan all have veteran hiring initiatives which you can learn more about here.

Veterans on Wall Street runs informational events and hosts networking opportunities to help veterans enter and succeed in the financial services sector.

Breakline has courses to prepare veterans for a career in the tech industry. But not just interview and resume help, they actively try and land you a job.

The Hilton Honors™ Military Program can provide you with 100,000 hotel points to help you as you travel to look for a job or move to a new location after the military.

Your military service will give you a leg-up in the federal hiring process. Veterans are widespread throughout the federal government. To look for positions you may be interested in, visit USA Jobs.

HillVets can provide you free housing and access to a top-notch network in the public sector if you think you may want to go into public policy

Read this post to learn more about the path to medical school as a veteran. Check out Dental Veterans to learn about a former infantryman’s path to dental school.

There are lots of benefits, including healthcare, additional pay, and continued service.

Learn more about why I didn’t choose the Reserves here.

If you are interested in buying a house as a veteran, you absolutely need to know about the VA Loan. To learn all about the ins and outs of this, I recommend reading this post, from Military to Millionaire, run by an active-duty Marine who is also a successful real estate investor.

Military life can be difficult, both for veterans and their families. You don’t have to immediately rush into your next career right after you pick up your DD-214. It’s ok to take some time to relax, reflect, and connect with family and friends. You can learn more about how to do this here or read this article I wrote for The Military Guide about how I planned eight months of travel after leaving the military.

Rule One Adventure Foundation

Veterans’ Expeditions

Outward Bound

Heroes and Horses

Warrior Expeditions

You are leaving a job and can have the opportunity to cash in as many as 60 leave days to maintain your pay and benefits while you move and look for a job. Most people leave a job and don’t have any of that.

You also have all of these resources listed. That can give you a serious leg-up.

Take advantage of these opportunities to make the most of your life after the military.

The bonds of military service don’t end after leaving the military. Once you get out, look behind you and help those who are about to go through what you did. Reach out to those still in and help them out. Get on a call and let them ask questions.

Your mission won’t stop. It just may look a little different, and so may you.

Go crush it.

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