Side by side photos of veteran in military uniform and nurse's uniform

Transitioning to Civilian Employment

October 23, 2023

If you are in the process of or about to be transitioning out of the military, it's never too early to start planning your next steps. Civilian employment is a different world than jobs in the military. This article will help you lay the ground work and connect you to tools and resources that are available to help you make the military to civilian transition a smooth one.

Get Up-To-Date On Job Searching

A lot may have changed in the hiring world and with industry trends. A few good places for modern day job search advice includes The Muse and The Balance.

Start by creating your resume, or by updating it if you already have one. Review our Resume Writing Guide. Then read our article on Communicating Military Experience to Employers for tips on creating a resume that civilian employers can understand.

Next, make sure you have an Elevator Speech. This will come in handy whether you are in an interview or networking with employers. It's also a great way to let employers know about your military background.

Finally make sure you're aware of the different types of interviews. Over time, employers have found new ways to interview candidates, and you'll need to be prepared for them.

Have a Strategy

Before you start your search, have a clear goal in mind for what kind of civilian job you want to have. This will let you narrow down each resume to fit those goals.¹

It's extremely important that your job search has direction and structure. There can be unknowns when looking for a job, but structure lets you take control over your side of the process. Set clear goals for your civilian career, and map out exactly how you plan to achieve them. Read more about creating a job search strategy in our article on the topic.

Explore In-Demand Occupations

You'll need to make sure your chosen job is expected to grow over the next several years. After all, you'll need a stable, secure career. Since demand occupations shift over time, it's important that you research them before choosing a path.

Illinois workNet provides two great starting points for researching in-demand jobs. First, the Careers, Wages & Trends lets you look up jobs by their field and view detailed information about them. This includes:

Required Skills, Training, and Certifications.
How to Prepare.
Wages.
Employment Stats.
Working Conditions.

Second, the Demand Occupations tool lets you research any job and see how in-demand it is at a glance. You can narrow your search with filters such as keyword, region, county, and career cluster.

Explore Veterans' Services

While transitioning to a civilian job is a new process for you, there are various benefits and services out there that can help you. If you exited your service on an honorable discharge, you should be eligible for all of these services. Some services even require specific discharge types, such as the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.²

Getting Started

To get started with benefits and services, contact your local Veteran Service Officer (VSO). VSOs are fellow veterans who provide free assistance to veterans applying for benefits. They can also connect you with transportation, educational, and employment resources to help your transition. Some of the benefits they can help you with include:³

Health Care.
Education and Training.
Employment.
Pension.
Housing.

To find a VSO, take a look at the State of Illinois' map of VSO locations.

Examples

There are plenty of service providers in Illinois, many of which provide veterans' services. You can locate these providers by using our Service Finder.

One example of veterans benefits and services is the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Here is a quick rundown.

Post-9/11 G.I. Bill

If you've served at least 90-days of combined active duty after September 10^th, 2001, you may qualify for benefits under the G.I. Bill. The G.I. Bill provides up to 36 months of educational benefits that can help ensure you are up-to-date with the civilian workforce.