So you’ve decided to leave the defence forces and now it’s time to make the most of it. However, Transitioning from a defence career to the corporate world can be a challenging process. In addition to networking into new professional circles and learning new cultural codes, and answering the even more fundamental questions: what career will be best suited? Yes returning to civilian life can be a big change and challenge — but here too, a little planning can go a long way. Here are some tips, that can come handy to make the changeover as smooth as possible
1. Fear is Okay: Recognize the value of your experience.
Yes, and everyone would agree, that leaving the familiarity, camaraderie and comfort of a community and systems you’re familiar with isn’t easy. You may also harbour feelings like “I don’t know what I’m getting into … I feel unprepared for what comes next… I feel safer staying in uniform.” Tackle it
Leverage your invaluable experience, of being trained for many scenarios- from the mundane to the mission-critical. Apply the same confidence to risk everything for the mission, and team.
2. The choice is paralyzing: You don’t have to take the straight path.
Choice can be paralyzing. Here is what can help, try making the following two lists: (1) what are you most excited about in changeover? (2) What are you most worried about? Doing so you would always be confronted with the one-word choice, well don’t be intimidated be excited about it.
You get to choose what time to get up, choose where to live, choose what kind of company to work for!
Make the most of completely blank, wide-open landscape in front of you,
3. “Want” to be liked – Familiarise yourself with corporate jargon and fast
Changing from the brotherhood of the defence forces to a culture where established norms, protocols and systems might not seem intuitive will take a toll on your emotional vulnerabilities. Do not fear to look weak or vulnerable. Instead be guided by the fact that you too have a heart, feelings, goals, dreams and a desire to be accepted and affirmed just as anyone from any culture, community or country would. Well, accelerate the process, start with adopting the right body language and speech, do away with the military jargon
4. You have stories, share them: Bring out your transferrable skills
When during an interaction you are asked questions like, “What did you do in the Navy?” or “How long did you serve?” Describe your military experiences for a corporate role Take for example:
- If you trained over 100 cadets in the military academy, narrate how your training preparation, delivery, and results could apply in a corporate classroom setting.
- If you helped the Army save a million rupee or more by administering separate and large in numbers of government travel accounts, explain how this experience could apply to a financial controller position.
- If you were responsible for Aircraft Engineering and repair department, illustrate how the Six Sigma principles you learned could apply to a manufacturing or operations job.
5. Directness and Candour are Good.
Play up your strengths as an ex-defence candidate. Showcase your ability to disseminate, information and communicate efficiently and effectively, Quick thinking, problem-solving skills and leadership are required to protect the mission and the lives of the individuals involved and a civilian would probably be scoring a low in here. So brave it up
6. Networking is Good.
Going digital may come across as the most popular and efficient way to get jobs, but the reality is it does not work in isolation. For any given job opening, there are hundreds, possibly thousands of applicants. To rise above the din, you’ll have to network.
Start with veterans who are serving the corporate world. Don’t rush to ask for a job. Take time to get accosted with the person. Ask how they dealt with the transition from military to a civilian career. Only at the end of the conversation is it ok for you to ask whether or not they are aware of any job openings to suit your profile
It’s comforting to assume that our career transitions will be linear and orderly. But that’s rarely the case, whether you’re shifting between corporate roles or from the military to civilian life. By recognizing that there’s no one “perfect transition,” it becomes easier to do the deep work necessary to find the right job and career for you over the long term.
Coming soon: VETERAN’S CONCLAVE
RE-ATTIRE, RE-ARM, RE-AIM… BULLSEYE IN CIVVIES for Veterans & Going to be Veterans
- Date : 23 Feb 2020
- Venue : Gurgaon
- Cost : Rs 1000/- per head (includes lunch)
- For bookings call Col. Manish Kumar 98000 78621
Among various questions that the seminar would try to seek answers are:
- Sectors/ industry where veterans can be absorbed
- Companies looking to hire a veteran
- Shortcomings found after employing a veteran in the corporate
- Reasons for companies’ reluctance to offer a job to a veteran although they are always in so much of praises of our armed forces
- Fear amongst the corporate to hire a veteran despite qualities like leadership, honesty, integrity, dynamism etc.
- “Unlearn and learn” versus “Realign your learning”
- Why is an officer generally thought to possess high ego, and being unapproachable and difficult to handle
