There's no easy roadmap to a career, and it's not something that we learn in school as young people. Joining the military puts us in a career field and trains us for that military-specific career, but that doesn't mean it's our dream job.
As we learn our military specialty, we are also given unparalleled access to free education and training opportunities. That kind of access isn't helpful if we are unsure of what kind of work we want to pursue in the future. Worse still, some of us get degrees or start degree programs, only to discover that the kind of work we're learning isn't all we thought it was cracked up to be.
If you're in the military, don't think your military occupation is for life and are unsure of what to do next, you aren't alone. Roughly half of the military goes in without knowing what they want to do, and a smaller fraction stays in until retirement. There are resources available to help college graduates, civilians switching careers and anyone else who might be thinking of a change.
Here are just a few options available to veterans and anyone else looking for their calling.
1. Career Assessment Tools
There are hundreds of career assessment and career aptitude tests available, both on and offline. A quick Google search will show so many, both free and for a price, but be warned: they're not all exactly scientific.
Psychologist John Holland developed a system of placing people into six categories: doers, thinkers, creators, helpers, persuaders and organizers. He then created Self-Directed Search (SDS), an assessment based on his research to help those categories find successful career paths. It comes with a fee, but is generally acknowledged as one of the best career assessment tests.
2. A Career Coach or Mentor
Career coaches specialize in helping people find the jobs and careers that will bring them fulfillment. Since their job is to connect people with sectors, industries and individual businesses, they also often have a wide network of individuals and resources to help connect you. These, too, can come with a wide range of fees, but the money might be well-spent. Your local base education office might also have a career counselor you can talk to about your transition.
Mentors are another form of career coach. Who better to help a service member transition out of the military and into a fulfilling civilian job than someone who has been there, done that? Although it might be more helpful to figure out your career path first if your goal is to land a job, a mentor might have been facing the same career uncertainty and can help you find a path that works for you.
3. Interviewing Professionals
If you think you found an industry or career that interests you, but still hesitate, there's nothing wrong with setting up an informational interview with someone already working in it. It's not a job interview, so there's no reason the person you're talking to can't have a frank discussion about their job, their life and their future prospects.
This person might be someone you already know, someone you're connected to or someone you met at a career fair. It's just a simple matter of reaching out to them, setting up a quick 15- to 20-minute conversation and then sending them a heartfelt thank you afterward. Even if it doesn't give you the warm fuzzy you hoped for, it will still help narrow down your decision.
-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.
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