There’s nothing quite like waiting to the last minute to get your affairs in order. And if you’re a Veteran about to transition out of the military, waiting until the final hour could set your civilian career path behind. That’s why SAVI advocates starting your transition before you actually transition.

If you’re planning to leave the service within the next year, here are three things that will get you ahead of the civilian learning curve.

Take An Excel Class

Employers continuously rank Excel proficiency as one of the most desired skills in potential employees — and not just for bookkeepers. If you’re looking to go into sales, research, technology, education, marketing, or even customer service, being trained in the art of the spreadsheet can set you apart from other candidates. Luckily for you, there are a lot of solid Excel trainings out there from reputable sources, including Harvard and MIT’s Excel course through its edX program and LinkedIn Learning’s expert-led online Excel tutorials. The best part about these options is the affordable price. In fact, the Ivy League training is only $267 for three graduate-level courses, and LinkedIn Learning offers a free month-long trial that could be used to complete your Excel training.

Make LinkedIn Your Friend

LinkedIn has even more benefits than its useful trainings, including providing essential networks that could land you a job. First, make sure your LinkedIn profile is polished and professional, and have previous military bosses (officers or NCOs) write you recommendations on your profile as well as approve civilian skills for you. If others have endorsed your prior work, civilian employers are going to find you more attractive. LinkedIn also allows you to request informational interviews with people at companies you’re interested in. Reach out and schedule a few minutes of their time to ask them some questions.

One last thing: Did you know LinkedIn offers their premium service free to Veterans? This will be a huge asset as you begin to grow your Veteran connection and build your personal brand.

Build Your Civilian Closet

Because networking isn’t always enough to land that ideal job, you also have to look the part. Soon, you’ll be trading in your military fatigues for civilian business attire. That means you need a good suit and a selection of more casual business clothes. Though your professional clothing doesn’t need to be top-of-the-line, there are a few dos and don’ts of business attire that will get you ahead of the curve a bit. Here are two great resources on the basics of business suits for men and women.

There are also several nonprofits throughout the country that offer free or heavily discounted suits to transitioning Veterans. Check out organizations like Suiting Warriors and Boots to Suits.

Making your transition to civilian as smooth as possible is what we’re all about here at SAVI. Contact us today to learn how we can support you in your journey to get ahead and get hired.

The civilian world is upon you. Either through retirement or the desire for a new way of life, you’ve decided to leave your military service behind and move on to what you hope are greener pastures. Though every Veteran will encounter transition challenges, it IS possible to have a smooth military transition into civilian life. One way to ensure success is to prepare for your departure before you actually depart. By taking care of a few things beforehand, you’ll save yourself time, energy, and a whole lot of stress once you have that DD214 in hand.

As you make your way out of uniform, there are things you have to do (e.g. paperwork, briefings, classes, etc.) and then other things you should do. Here are three things you SHOULD do before leaving the military — preferably a year out.

1. Save Your Money
Yes, your military career came with stresses. It also came with incredible benefits that are hard to appreciate until they’re gone. One of those benefits was military discounts. As a civilian, things like medical care, rent, groceries, prescriptions, and even fuel are going to cost more than when you had access to military base pricing. To offset these costs, start saving money now. A good rule of thumb is to have enough money put away in savings to cover at least three months of living expenses, which includes rent, food, fuel, and other necessities.

2. Explore Your Educational Options
Do you plan on going back to school post separation? If so, educate yourself on what GI Bill benefits you’re entitled to. It’s also important to note that if you wish to transfer benefits to a spouse or other dependent, this has to be done before you leave the military. Don’t be in such a hurry to get out that you miss this extremely crucial step to receiving — or transferring — educational assistance.

Another educational option to consider is an apprenticeship program and/or professional certification course. GenM, a student-to-business matchmaking company, offers apprenticeships with vetted business owners to give students real-world educational training. As a Veteran with SAVI, you can take advantage of GenM’s programs and courses for free. Learn more here about how to take advantage of this partnership.

3. Prepare for Your Future Jobs
Well before you actually get out, you should be creating a plan for military separation. This entails searching for civilian jobs that either interest you or fit closest to your current skill set. To do this, find Veteran mentors to help you create a resume that translates your military experience into civilian speak. Build relationships with these Veterans as well as with professionals in careers you desire. One great way to grow your network and start looking for potential jobs is with a profile on LinkedIn, which offers military members a free premium account for a year. Join and engage with groups that interest you and follow companies you’d like to work for in the future. Check out our previous blog post on networking and growing Veteran connections.

Though far from a comprehensive list, these three items of business will make a huge difference in the success of your military-to-civilian transition. For more information on how to prepare for your departure out of the military, contact SAVI today.

Fixed or growth. These are the mindsets we hear about most frequently in the civilian business world. Having a fixed mindset means you believe your current level of ability cannot be changed, and having a growth mindset means your abilities can improve with hard work. Coming from a career that requires constant training and improving, it’s easy to see which of these stances the military stands on. Hint: It’s growth. By sticking with this Veteran mindset even after your military service, you can apply it to a new environment to aid you in growing your skill sets.

Here are six ways your Veteran mindset plays a role in your success post-separation.

Prepare and Practice
Most of your time spent in the military was in training courses that prepared you for the real thing: deployment. This same strategy should apply to your new life as a civilian. Do you have a big presentation at work coming up? Practice it the way you’d practice the assembly and disassembly of a weapon: over and over and over again. It’s all about confidence, and the more you do something the more confident you are in your ability.

Take Responsibility
When mistakes are made in the workplace, the best thing to do is admit them and take responsibility. Putting blame on others to save face isn’t how you gain respect from colleagues, even if the mistake wasn’t all your fault. As a Veteran, you know this lesson well. On the flip side of this, it’s just as important to not take all the credit when things go well. If you’re the leader on a collaborative project, give credit for its success to other team members. That IS how you gain respect from colleagues, which will make learning from them easier and more productive.

Show Adaptability
We could talk all day about how adaptable the military has made you in just about every aspect of life. Use this to your advantage. The civilian world is full of ambiguity and sometimes even rejection leads to new opportunities. If you hear “no” to a job, project, or business venture, find a new strategy instead of giving up. Persistence and a willingness to adapt to a different way of doing things is usually rewarded in the end.

Serve Others
There’s a reason it’s called military service, as service to others is the cornerstone of a military career. Though it may not seem as obvious as it did in the military, there are plenty of ways to continue serving your fellow man post-separation. Make coworkers feel appreciated through random acts of recognition or pay for a lunch out with a team member who works under you. In your personal life, volunteer in your community and become more involved in your loved ones’ lives. Service to others can take so many shapes, and finding your shapes can make a huge difference in your overall happiness after the military.

Be a Servant Leader
One of the most obvious skills military Veterans bring to the table is leadership. But there are so many experiences — from public speaking to leading troops — that make Vets experts in this area. One way Veterans can demonstrate their expertise in the civilian workplace is by being humble, patient, and honest. These qualities are required by any true servant leader, and that is the perfect way to sum up a military Veteran’s leadership style.

Have Attention to Detail
In the military, the mishap of glossing over minor details could sometimes be the difference between life and death. Though your civilian job will likely not have as much on the line, giving this same attention to detail will serve you well with any project you find yourself working on. Since success often comes from the effort of several small things that add up to a big one, taking extra time to do the little things correctly will set you on a much clearer and more successful career path.

As you begin your transition into civilian life, SAVI can help you translate skills and a Veteran mindset into real-world victories. Contact us today to get started on your success story.

As more business leaders become aware of the invaluable talent the military produces, many of them are looking for recruitment strategies geared directly toward the Veteran population. If you’re a company who values the skill sets often associated with senior military personnel, here are three effective ways to recruit and retain Veterans as you head into the spring quarter.

Go Where They Are
If you’re serious about hiring more qualified Veterans, find out where they are and put your efforts there. For example, there are countless Veteran-specific job fairs and conferences that bring thousands of Vets to a single place each year. This is a highly effective way to recruit and retain Veterans because the pool of candidates has already been vetted. Special recruiting and conference events bring out a very narrowed population, meaning most of the Vets you’ll meet are looking for professional career opportunities to apply their leadership and advanced skills toward. The more serious they are about the job hunt, the more serious you can expect them to be about your company once they get the job. It’s also important to familiarize yourself with online job boards used by Veterans. Yello has a great resource for finding Veteran-focused events and boards.

Sell Yourself
Veterans are mission-driven. They’re coming from a career with great purpose and are looking for that in the civilian world as well. As a company wanting to hire them, you have to sell your brand and vision. Language is your friend when it comes to marketing jobs to Vets. Positions that call for leadership skills, promote diverse teams, and encourage collaboration are enticing to Veterans. Make sure the recruiters you’re sending to Veteran-focused events, as mentioned above, are well-versed in your company’s vision and the purpose it serves.

Advertise You’re Hiring Vets
If hiring Veterans is your goal, talk about it everywhere you can. Your company website, social accounts, and marketing materials should all promote that you’re hiring Veterans. One important aspect of this is to make sure you’re using appropriate terminology to draw in Veteran applicants. Not all branches of the military use the same language, rankings, etc., so it’s wise to keep your ads general to the military as a whole. Walmart does a great job of promoting their commitment to supporting Vets in the workplace.

Of course, there are more than just three ways to successfully recruit and retain top military talent. SAVI’s expert career advisors and business partners are ready to guide you through a more extensive strategy to improve your military reach. Contact us today to learn more.