Transitioning from the military: Making your money work for you

Are you making enough money to comfortably transition from military to civilian life? It can be difficult to know how much money you and your family will need when transitioning, especially because your financial needs will change once you are out.

There are natural lifestyle changes that happen when you transition from military to civilian life, and you will want to have a strategic plan that covers what you need for your lifestyle, needs, and goals.

One of the most common challenges facing transitioning military personnel is finding the best career match for what they want and who they are. Too many people settle for much less because they need the money and simply don’t have a plan. Do you want to just get a job by default? The clear answer is no. Yet maybe you are waiting for something to come your way, or you’re not sure how to make it happen yourself. Do you want to be in charge of creating the life you want? Absolutely. This requires a plan.

In the military you have been told what to do, how to do it, and given the timeline that it needs to get done. Some of you excelled in this environment and are looking for some similar structures in a job. Others are excited for the flexibility and creativity to enhance different skills. Regardless, you are going from one extreme to another: given your directions and duties versus now having to create your own life plan. The key to a successful transition where you have enough money to create the life you want and provide for your family, is creating a bridge and transition plan from military life to civilian life.

Before you get out, decide what your next steps are going to be. When you work with a transition coach like me, you will look at what is important to have while you are transitioning, what companies are you going after, and what is going to make you feel most fulfilled after the military. The key to a successful transition is being empowered and in charge of your strategic transition plan while getting the structured support you need.

Think about it, you were put into a job in the military, how did you show up? Did you make the best of it, improve your job, make connections, fine tune the procedures, make things more cohesive or efficient? How did you drive the process? Or conversely, were you just on automatic and simply did what was told? In the civilian world you have influence and you can be involved in a different way. you have skills from the military that will be perfect for jobs in the civilian world. Regardless of how you showed up in the military you can create what you want now. Learn to interject who you are, your drive, your ambition. Learn how and when to articulate why you are the best so that you get the job you want and have a fulfilling career that provides for your family.

Kevin Tucker is CEO of Service Transitions and has been trained by The Coaches Training Institute. A professional coach since 2004, Kevin has produced unprecedented breakthrough results with a wide spectrum of clients across the country. He is a 20-year career veteran with the U.S. Air Force and now serves as a veteran advocate. He can be reached at https://servicetransitions.org/contact-us/.