Military to Civilian Career Change – Know Yourself
Understand why you are thinking of leaving the military.
Are you considering a change because you are unhappy with your current position? If so, you want to read Job Satisfaction. It is written for people in civilian jobs, but much of it you will be able to apply it to your situation. It will help you understand the source of your unhappiness and whether changing to a civilian career is likely to solve the problem. Be sure to jot down your reactions and put them in your Career Change folder.
Writing your answers to the statements below will help you focus on your career change more realistically.
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- My career change fantasy is (describe in detail)...
- What appeals to me most about the change is...
- What I would gain most from the change is...
- What is frightening about the change is...
- What keeps me from making the change is...
- The worst thing that could happen if I make the change
is...
- If the worst think happened, then I could do...
- If I were really serious about pursuing the career
fantasy,
- My first step would be...
- My second step would be...
- My third step would be...
Parts of this module are adapted from an earlier article by Robert E. Rainey: Rainey, R. E. (1992). Military Career: Changing to a Civilian Career. In L. K. Jones (Ed.), Encyclopedia of career change and work issues (pp. 186 - 189). Phoenix: The Oryx Press.
