Welcome! Yes, something new is coming! I prepared this site mainly for military and their families, but most of the lessons apply to everyone. There are many programs and books that tell you all you want to know about MAKING THE TRANSITION, but not a whole lot that explains the importance of and the how to of PREPARING FOR TRANSITION.
There is a huge difference in the two. Making the transition involves learning write resumes and go on interviews. It is about learning to dress properly, talk properly, and convert your military skills to civilian equivalents. It is about getting all your career documents in order and filing claims with the Veteran’s Administration. It is about getting that first job after the military.
Preparing for transition is a whole different ballgame. In fact, if you don’t prepare for transition, you may find yourself playing the wrong game in the wrong stadium. To me, the “aha” moment came at the end of a parachute jump. Mine ended fine, but others did not. I distinctly remember realizing that my career was truly a dangerous one that could end suddenly and without notice. Or, it could continue until I retired. However, I was not in as much control over the situation as I hoped.
My purpose is to help you prepare for transition. Most of what I post will be from personal experience, either my own or experiences I watched others go through. When I retired from the Army, I ended up writing a book by accident. It started with a collection of my notes from the Transition Assistance Program. I spent some time writing out explanations to the notes, then tying the notes to my experiences and suddenly…a book! This is not a book on how to write a resume or translate your military skills into skills for the civilian job market. It is all about preparing yourself and your family, well in advance of transition, for that transition.
In the meantime, I will be posting regularly (two or three times per week) on topics associated with preparing you and your family for Part II of your professional life. I hope you enjoy what I have to share and would love to get your feedback and thoughts.