Not in Love With Your First Civilian Job? What to Consider Before Calling it Quits

Not in Love With Your First Civilian Job? What to Consider Before Calling it Quits
If you’re not adjusting to your first civilian job, try talking to another veteran on staff. A mentor, especially one who’s made the transition from the military, can help assess whether you can overcome the challenges you’re facing in your new gig. (Shutterstock)

By Lt. Col. Justin Constantine, USMC (Ret)

Starting your first job after the military can come with some culture shock.

Most veterans leave their first job after the service within a year, according to a recent study from the Center for a New American Security. That's not always a bad thing - many leave for better pay, a gig with more responsibility, or a new location, according to the study.

Still, about one in five veterans leave their first job out of the military within a year because it doesn't align with their expectations, according to another study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. If you're in that 20 percent, it can be tough to know whether you need time to adjust to a new civilian career, or if you should move on.

Here are three things you can try before calling it quits.

1. Chat with another vet on staff. If your new organization has a veteran-employee resource group, that can be a great tool for mentorship and onboarding. Even if there's no such group, find another veteran on staff and open up about the challenges you are facing. Based on your shared military service, chances are the other veteran can offer some good advice, and potentially help you identify whether you're facing a temporary problem or something that won't ever change.

2. Tap into mentoring resources. If there isn't another veteran on staff, you can easily connect online with business mentors around the country who want to help veterans like you. MOAA members have access to mentoring services through American Corporate Partners. The nonprofit assists veterans in their transition to the civilian workforce through yearlong mentorship services with corporate partners. Visit acp-usa.org for more information.

You can also visit Veterati.com or YourJobPath.com to tap into databases of veteran and civilian mentors who are happy to talk with you via medium of your choice: text, email, phone, face-to-face, or video chat. The mentors on those sites have solid business experience and want to help you make the right decision.

3. Know the ramifications of leaving a job too quickly. In the military, we often have little say about our assignments and time on station. How long we spent in a particular command won't typically affect our promotions unless we left under a dark cloud. In the private sector, though, future employers might be weary of hiring you if they think you'll only stick around a few months or until something better comes along. Retention is a big deal for most human resources departments, and turnover can be costly in terms of morale. Other employees often have to pick up the slack caused if a position is vacant and training new replacements takes time

Chances are you're going to face some growing pains as you leave the military and enter the private sector. Give yourself time to work through those challenges. They might not be related to your new employer - sometimes it's just part of our transitions into civilian careers.

Lt. Col. Justin Constantine, USMC (Ret), is a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and now a motivational speaker and veteran advocate. The Society for Human Resource Management will publish his upcoming book on veteran employment in 2018. Learn more at www.justinconstantine.com.

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