Myths and Truths about Life After the Military

I always welcome hearing from other's perspective.  In light of that, one of my readers Emma is guest posting about an interesting topic--service members transferring from the Military to civilian workforce.  Thanks for broadening our perspective, Emma!

Emma is a mid 20-something year old with a passion for life, love, fitness, and helping others. She loves to be active and get involved in as many sport and community activities as possible. Emma is currently studying to become a Career & Life Coach, and loves to network with people from around the world! Check out Emma’s blog at http://smileasithappens.blogspot.com/


Myths and Truths About Life After the Military
Every veteran’s situation is unique, some transition from the military after a minimum commitment while others retire after a much longer career. Either way, the transition can present some challenges. Often, these challenges are compounded by the myths you have probably heard concerning the transition. Let’s take a look at a few common myths and learn the truths that can set you on the path toward success.
Myth: Finding a non-military job after a long time in the military will be overwhelmingly difficult.
Truth: Many skills used in the military are transferrable to private-sector jobs. Firms such as Recruit Military specialize in connecting military veterans and military spouses with companies seeking to fill open positions. Recruit Military also offers assistance with resume writing, hosts job fairs and supplies several other job services to veterans and their spouses.
Myth: Job applications are difficult and time consuming to complete.
Truth: Companies today understand the importance of attracting the best employees to fill open positions. In order to do so, many companies have simplified the application process by partnering with mobile recruiting programs, like JIBE to allow job seekers to easily upload resumes and other pertinent information directly from computers, tablets or smart phones.
Myth: Because you were discharged with a service-related injury you will have a hard time finding a job.
Truth: In addition to laws that give preference to veterans applying for certain jobs, the government also has several programs available to assist disabled veterans seeking to reenter the workforce. You may be eligible to receive on-the-job training, vocational rehabilitation, personal counseling and more. These programs are committed to providing disabled veterans with the help they need to find and maintain gainful employment.
Myth: Looking for a job is simply a process of sending out a resume and waiting.
Truth: There’s a lot more to finding a job than simply submitting resumes. You need to network, make follow up calls and sell yourself to potential employers. Attending job fairs and social events will help you get your name into the right circles. Employers won’t be knocking on your door looking to hire you, it is your job to get out there and sell yourself!
As you make the transition into civilian life, you’ll learn about some wonderful resources available to you and in time, opportunities you never dreamed could come your way.