Survive as a Civilian Post Military

For many military members, making the transition to civilian life can be awkward and sometimes scary. In the military, a member never has to worry about where their next pay check will come from, how the economy is going to affect their benefits or how they will put food on the table for their families. Also in the military, members are given black and white guidelines and structure to follow. Civilian life is much less rigid, and rightfully so. In civilian life and in civilian jobs, it's all about pleasing the customer. In the military, it's all about completing the mission. Learning how to adapt to the changes in the civilian work place will help prior military members enjoy and succeed in their jobs. The simple tips outlined below are a general set that can be applied to most civilian careers and job settings.

1--Relax.

In the military, a constant sense of urgency is needed to make sure that all tasks get done to ensure that the mission is accomplished. If that meant moving supplies from point A to point B, then those supplies were moved quickly so that the members who needed those supplies could do their job quickly. It is an efficient mindset, but can work against the former military member in a civilian business setting. This is not to say that you cannot work quickly at your job (as long as you're doing it right) just to say that you should learn when it is okay to relax. This is very important if you move into a position which has you dealing with customers and clients. People who are going to give you money for a service do not want to be rushed. They earned the money fair and square and they should make an informed and well thought out decision about where they put it. This is not some new age business idea thought up by the latest marketing guru; this is the idea of free commerce. It has been around for years and you aren't going to change it. Take all the time you need with clients and customers, answer their questions thoroughly, and respect their wishes if they tell you "I'll have to think about it." Remember, for whatever business you enter, there are hundreds of other businesses just like yours. The fact that a total stranger trusts you for your product or service should be enough to grant them your full, undivided, and unrushed attention.

2--Not everybody likes to be called "sir" or "ma'am".

In the military, you addressed enlisted members by their rank and officers were addressed as "sir" or "ma'am". It worked well, until you left the base. Ask any military member and they will tell you that they have had at least one person tell them, "Sir was my father," or "I'm too young to be a ma'am!" Whatever the response, keep that in mind in your civilian office. There is nothing wrong with calling a person sir or ma'am, so long as they don't ask you to call them something else. If a person has a personal preference as to what you call them, address them as such. If the person never makes such a request, you should learn the person's last name and address them as Mr. or Ms. People like it when others (especially those they work with) take the time to learn their names. If you don't know how to pronounce the person's name, ask them. It shows that you care and there is nothing more frustrating than having your name mispronounced every day from 9 to 5. Also, don't be afraid to correct a person when they mispronounce your name. If you don't, you may come to find that every time your boss says your name incorrectly, your co-workers will snicker and smile, making the boss feel as if he's the butt of an inside joke. That's not a good message to send.

4--Not everybody wants to hear your war stories.

Just don't be that guy. Most everybody in the office will know that you were in the military through office gossip. You don't have to advertise, this may give the impression of cockiness. Try not to make a habit out of bringing up your war stories or even mentioning your experiences in the military unless you are asked directly or they apply directly to a problem you are trying to solve. If you rely too much on your past experiences, you will force others to see you as having a crutch and being unable to let go of the past. It's no big deal if you want to bring up a few past experiences over a couple of beers after work, but you don't want to be the guy that the rest of the office avoids because you sound like a broken record. You may also find that your stories and experiences may very well frighten, intimidate, or discomfort a lot of people. If you see this to be the case, do your best to politely end the conversation or change the subject.

5--Lose the high and tight.

Your physical appearance will say a lot about the type of worker that you are, especially to your boss. The way you stand up straight, shake hands with a firm grip, and maintain eye contact when in conversation will all be noticed. Don't weaken your first impression by sticking out like a sore thumb with your clothes or hair cut. Try to blend in to what everybody else is wearing. Think of it as camouflage. Try to do the same on an interview. If you're working for one of those dot com techie types of companies, then longer hair and blue jeans may very well be appropriate. If you're transitioning to a sales job, then a conservative hair cut and tie would be in order. On the other hand, police and security jobs may be the best places to sport your high and tight.

6--Why?

Get ready to hear this question a lot. In the military, when it came to doing your job, you never had to ask this question and you never had to answer this question. Saying "why" to a military commander was often viewed as giving him the finger. In the civilian world, this question comes up quite a bit. Get used to answering it, and you better have a good answer or else you may begin to lose credibility amongst your co-workers. Don't take it personally; civilians just like to have a reason behind what they do, even if they should already know it. On the flip side, realize that it is sometimes going to be appropriate for you to ask this question. In matters which need further clarification or when guidance from your boss may seem to conflict with new guidance, asking the question may prevent you from making a mistake on the job. This is especially true when you're first starting out in your new office and are trying to learn the job.

As you can probably see, working for a civilian company is going to be a completely different ball game from having served in the military. It may seem challenging at times, but so were a lot of your experiences in the military. Continuing to adapt to your new environment will be necessary for your success, but the task shouldn't be too difficult. Also keep in mind that the tips above may not always carry over into every civilian job. There are a fair amount of civilian jobs which have adopted "para-military" mindsets and philosophies. In these instances, maintaining a military mindset may prove very successful.