Life After Military Service - What Next?

This question, simple though it may seem, is the biggest question most military veterans have after they complete service. The lifestyle change alone makes living in the civilian world a strange experience, and moving from active duty to an office or factory job can simply be too mundane.

The good news is that although you may not realize it, the Military has trained you not just with some highly sought after skills, but also given you knowledge that may give you a massive edge over civilians in the job market.

If that was not enough, the military also provides benefits to help you hone what you learned in the military through higher education, whether your skills are engineering, comms, or logistics.

Many veterans make the mistake of not showing off what they learned in the military when they first begin applying for civilian roles.  This is a huge mistake, and it is important that you quickly identify and learn to talk about how to showcase your skills and knowledge.

Depending on the jobs you are looking for you can easily talk about enhanced physical fitness, logistics, co-ordination, communication, discipline, time management, organization, mechanical skills, and more. No matter what your role was in the military, think about what you did, and how it could benefit those who want to employ you.  

Just remember that people are looking for why they should hire you.  Make your skill set as attractive as possible.

Under the GI Bill (The Montgomery GI Bill and the Post 9/11 GI Bill) most Military Veterans are eligible for some fantastic education benefits.

This is a highly effective way for military vets to re-enter the workforce, since it allows you to take the skills you learned in the military and re-purpose them for civilian life. The GI Bill gives you a large amount of financial aid to allow you to do this, without worrying about the cost, and it is a great way to re-enter civilian life.

When you are choosing your route through higher education there are some important things to remember.

Firstly, not all higher education courses are academic. There are plenty of practical courses you can take that will train you even further in engineering, construction and other hands on careers.  

The second thing you should remember is that while it is suggested that you re-purpose your existing knowledge, this is also the perfect opportunity to choose a new career if you wish.

Finally, if you are looking to re-purpose your knowledge, make sure that the course you choose is the course that will make the most use of the knowledge and skill set you attained while in the military.