Any veterans who can share their plans and execution of said plans, along with lessons learned, as they transitioned from military to civilian, I would greatly appreciate your experience and wisdom.

This is where I'm at:

24 credit hours away from undergrad
8 years of Public Affairs/Public Relations experience

Thanks...

8/21/2012 3:20:12 AM

process out properly if you want to get all your bennies

8/21/2012 4:01:23 AM

Yep! Doubletap your ERB/OMPF, make samn sure it's up-to-date. It's that much harder to fix it once you're out. Also, make sure any service-related injuries are documented, including non-acute things such as hearing loss. The fact that most people leave the military with at last some sort of disability percentage is a topic that's left for Soap Box, but it's a fact of life.

It looks like you're only a year away from graduation, so if you're going to go to school, you might as well stay for the Master's Degree. Especially if you're going the business route. Military leadership is a huge plus for businesses, but they still want to see an MBA. Depending on what you did in the military, you can leverage your soft skills (e.g., leadership positions) in conjuction with PA experience. Many OERs/NCOERs use glowing/impressive descriptions, regardless of your true performance. Within the military, we know the difference between the phrase 'One of the best, outstanding performer' and 'Top X soldiers/NCOs/officers in unit Y,' but not necessarily potential civilian employers.

Depending on where you go, what you want to do, and how much time you have left: If you can wrangle a higher security clearance before you get out, do it. Clearance investigations cost a huge amount of money, and if your future employer can pick up a guy who already has a S/TS, as opposed to another guy who they would have to pay for, they'll take the guy with the clearance.

8/21/2012 8:02:03 AM