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In this two part article, we are going to discuss the six key points to help veterans deploy into the civilian marketplace. With foreign wars finally starting to end, thousand of veterans are returning and entering the civilian workforce. And most of them have no idea how to exist in the civilian workplace. This is uniquely illustrated by a story I heard form a hiring manager client. He asked a veteran candidate how he would discipline staff members. The vet paused and said, “Well, in the past I would have told them to give me fifty push-ups, but that probably won’t work in your organization!” This story seems to tell it all. The transition from military to civilian workplace is difficult for the veteran because they have no idea what is expected from their new employer. Here are six key points to help the veteran start to make the transition to the civilian workplace. Rule number one, eliminate military lingo and jargon from your conversation and writing. In civilian life “Roger” is a name not an acknowledgement. If people are in your way, it’s no longer acceptable to yell out “make a hole,” you should just say “excuse me” from now on and in the future. Business people will not know what you mean when you say “Pop smoke” (which means get out, away, off as fast as you can). Drop this one. Troops can use “kill” for its literal meaning or just as a way of saying “got it,” or “hello.” But if you say this in civilian life, they are only going to hear the literal version and you are going to scare them. And what ever you do, do not say “Oohrah/Hooah/Hooyah” anymore, those days are behind you! Do not use “Sir” and “Ma'am” to everyone, only to top management personnel. Otherwise it will just remind them that you are military and probably is just going to make them feel OLD. If you use military jargon all the time, nobody in the business community will know what you are talking about. In the business world, you will have to learn “Business speak” and be aware that every company has their own key words and phrases. Learning how to translate your military skills is rule number two. Officers are often seen as a good fit for middle management while enlisted men can apply for mechanics, electricians, construction, and the electronics trades. Small unit leadership translates well into management for retail, food, service or other industries. And if you have any special security clearances, you have even more opportunities especially in the IT market. There are a number of sites on the internet where you can enter your military job description and get the civilian equivalent. Check them out and you can learn what job titles you should use in your civilian search Jim Stedt is a partner at The Business SoftSkills Company (GetSoftSkillsNow.Com) located in Santa Ana, California. They provide job readiness and workforce success videos for education, business, prisons and individual use. Training is available online, on DVD, or through an affiliate program. These products are the most complete and concise soft skills training packages now available for the price of an average college textbook.
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