Army Officer's Goal: Finding A Civilian Job after Retiring

By Perri Capell

Question: I'm a U.S. Army officer with 17 years of military experience. I will retire next year at age 42 and hope to get a job as a relationship manager for a financial firm or as a marketing manager. How do I convince employers that a former Army officer would be a good hire? Where do I start?

Answer: An array of resources is available to help departing veterans like you. By doing your homework and being persistent, it's likely you'll find a satisfying job in the private sector.

For one thing, hiring has been strong for former servicemen and women, partly due to scarcities created by an aging civilian work force. Employers also like to recruit them because of their "soft" skills and qualities: Leadership, motivation, goal orientation, loyalty and a strong work ethic, says Stephen Norrad, a partner with Kaye/Bassman International Corp., a Dallas, Texas, recruiting firm with a military placement practice.

Officers are particularly desirable to private-sector companies, says Bryan Zawikowski, vice president and general manager of the military transition division of the Lucas Group, an Atlanta search firm. In 2006, it filled 1,300 jobs with transitioning military officers.

"Demand is good for people leaving the service, particularly because more companies are seeing them as a great source of talent," says Mr. Zawikowski. (Lucas Group is a partner of CareerJournal.com.)

Starting to plan now for your separation is wise because you have time to research careers in the civilian world. Keep your options open. Learn what it's really like to be a financial or marketing manager before settling on these choices. After more research, you may decide they aren't for you.

Mr. Zawikowski points out that financial customer-relationship management jobs typically are commissioned sales positions. In other words, you only get paid for making sales. "You may have misperceptions about what marketing or financial management jobs are really like," he says. "It's quite possible they aren't the right thing."

If that's the case, think about what you like doing most and learn about jobs that involve those activities. Ask people you know in roles or in industries that appeal to you about what their work is like and the skills and requirements employers are seeking.

Use all the resources available to you prior to your transition. The Department of Defense offers a one-week class on job hunting to separating military. During the week, career counselors from the private sector offer training in resume-writing, interviewing and other job-hunting skills. Prepare a resume that describes your Army career in a way a non-military person can understand.

Make contact with search firms that seek former officers to place into corporate jobs, such as the Lucas Group and Kaye/Bassman. Typically, they'll provide interviewing advice. Some hold hiring conferences designed to link former officers with interested employers.

Check online sites, such as Military.com, that offer career resources and have job listings for former military. The Riley Guide, an online job-search resource, lists reputable recruiters and services for transitioning personnel at rileyguide.com. Never work with companies that charge veterans a fee to find them positions, says Mr. Norrad.

When you separate, get involved with veteran, community, business or church organizations where you can meet businesspeople. Raise your hand for volunteer assignments that allow others to see your abilities. Being helpful to people who may help you in return is called networking, and it's the best way to learn about jobs that aren't advertised. Also seek information interviews, a term used to describe visiting people at work to learn about their industries, who they hire and why.

In the end, you may land work because of your "soft" skills gained from your Army experience, such as leadership and confidence, and not your military past, says Mr. Zawikowski.

"Just about all former military are brought in because they have potential, and not because they could drive a tank," he says. "Eventually, it boils down to how they do during the interview process."