Serving your country is a great personal sacrifice. You spend several years performing military service, during which your life is mostly planned out for you. You are told where to go, when to go there, and what to do while you’re there. The military is known for its structure, making it hard to adapt when you suddenly leave the service. If you’re wondering how you can adjust to civilian life after your military service concludes, here are some tips you can use.
Use the Resources Available to You
To start, the military offers plenty of services for retiring military members. They have services in place to help you find a job, handle any lingering medical issues or connect with other retired military members in your area. You don’t have to go through the transition alone – use the services and resources available to you and make the transition a little easier.
Here is a list of some resources provided by the military to get you started
Entering the Workforce
One of the top priorities for many returning veterans is to quickly find a job. For the past few years, you’ve spent your days serving your country, and now you need to find another way to contribute to society. Luckily, many businesses are looking to hire veterans due to the skills you acquire in the service, such as leadership and communication.
To start, you’ll want to work on your resume. Make sure it’s up to date and includes everything you did while in the service. You can use this guide on how to style your resume if you were in the military. After your resume is complete, you should begin searching for jobs online. You can use sites like Indeed.com to find local jobs in your area that might interest you. You can even upload your resume so potential employers can learn more about you.
There are plenty of jobs for veterans out there, you just have to look for them. Think about where your skills lie or what it is you’d like to do now that you’re a civilian. The job search can take some time, so just stick with it and keep applying until you find something that’s right for you.
Creating a Structure
A big part of transitioning into civilian life is creating a structure for yourself. In the military, everything is on a tight schedule and this disappears when you leave. Many veterans find it’s helpful to create a structure for themselves that they have to stick to. Try to schedule each hour of your day, including work, meals, exercise, time with your family, and any hobbies. There are some great scheduling apps you can get for your smartphone, or you can do it the old fashioned way with a pen and paper. It may take a little while to adjust to your new schedule, but if you stick with it, eventually it will become a new habit.
Finding a Community
Another big part of the military is the community aspect. Being in the service is like being in a second family and it’s tough to transition away from them when your service ends. To help make your transition easier, you should find a new community for yourself. This can consist of friends you made while in the service, others who have served in the military, or even people who have never served. Perhaps there is a local group in your hometown that’s pursuing a goal you want to help with. You can join this group and find the sense of community that you’ve been missing. Many military members feel isolated after their service, but you don’t have to. Spend some time developing a community for yourself and get back that feeling of family you felt during the service.
Taking Care of Your Health
Finally, don’t forget to take care of your health after you leave the service. Many members deal with lingering physical issues and psychological issues as well. To properly transition into civilian life, you need to take care of your health most of all. Talk to any doctor necessary and see a therapist if you’re struggling to adapt. Doing things like finding a job and joining the community become a lot easier if you’re in a better place physically and emotionally, so don’t forget to take care of yourself when you leave the service.
Hopefully, these few tips will help anyone who is looking to transition have an easier time doing so. Just remember that there are plenty of services out there to help you along and that you don’t have to go through this period alone. Good luck!
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