Military to civilian transition/career advice

[Sigarms]

Amen! If you don't like your job, it becomes all the more difficult to deal with, even if the money is good.

Given time, doesn't it all become same crap, different company?

That's why it is nice to like what you do. The crap will come...

 

[buickanddeere]

HVAC is one of the nest rackets I've ever seen to make $$$.

 

[brin]

Yes, we all know what fun we had when we were young. Makes you do the hind-sight on your own life from time to time. For the most part, I'm happy with my choices. Went to school for TV and radio repair (anyone get a TV or radio repaired lately :laughing and industrial electronics (motors, controllers, power supplies, etc...). That 2nd degree got me my job in electronic maintenance, which morphed into computer maintenance (computers used to be machines with motors, controllers, power supplies, etc...), which morphed into software maintenance (which was still fun), which in the last 2 years has morphed into "we're moving all your systems into the cloud" which means I'll be unemployed in about 2 more years (or less) in my current capacity. Yikes! Anyhow, the previous 25 years were fun and mentally rewarding. The last 2 years are no fun. I'm riding this out as long as it lasts or until my last child gets into college (about 2.5 years), whichever comes first. If things change, I'll stay. If not, I'll look at truck driving or folk lift operator for the last 10 years of my working life, hopefully a local route to be home nightly (which won't pay that much, but I don't need the money, just health insurance). Anyhow, lots of choices even for an old dog, too! :thumbsup: The best quality that you can have in this area is the ability to PASS A DRUG TEST!!! You wouldn't believe how many job openings that never get filled due to no one can pass the drug test! Good grief.

I agree with you Moss, after much looking back in reflection...even using 20-20 hindsight....I would not change a thing....At first I had regretted not going to Law School....but as time passed I realized how many attorneys were coming to me for work...LOL...So I soon realized that would have not been the right path....I feel blessed and am always thankful...especially for my Mrs. of 50 yrs. come July and my kids and grand-kids...

 

[Sigarms]

HVAC is one of the nest rackets I've ever seen to make $$$.

I've never consider the HVAC industry a racket. Like any business, if you treat the customer like you expect to be treated, and do good work and stand behind that work, you can make money. God forbid people go into business not to make money. I can also give a long list of guys who complain that they can't make money doing it.

 

[charlz]

If you think you might at all go to college and get a degree I highly recommend taking the core CLEP exams while you are in as they are free for Military personnel. Will save you some bucks and some of your GI bill money not having to take these basic classes. I tried to take college courses while in but deployment schedules etc always seemed to have a way of torpedoing traditional length college courses. I did not take the CLEP exams while in but wished I had when I had to pay $$$ to take such basic courses. I recommend this to every young person I meet that is getting ready to go in. Easier when a person is fresh out of high school. Looks like you have been out a while but I would still take them.

 

[mjarrels]

Do your best to stay chair force until the 20+ year mark. fifteen years insn't going to cut it in the long run. I'm retired Navy and have seen so many folks early out and all got screwed in the long run.

mark

 

[ovrszd]

Do your best to stay chair force until the 20+ year mark. fifteen years insn't going to cut it in the long run. I'm retired Navy and have seen so many folks early out and all got screwed in the long run.

mark

Yep and years later they are tying to get back in.

Back in the 90's there was a rather large cash settlement paid to get Military Personnel to take an early out. A lot of those later forfeited the settlement and paid portions of it back to get in again.

Again, we don't know for sure the OP's situation. If it's optional,,,, stay...

 

[HillStreet]

Hi KretZ,

Many of us on here have been in the same boat of leaving active duty and getting back into civilian status. It can be a challenge but there are a lot of opportunities ahead. Search real hard to identify and capitalize on your skills and experience gained in the Air Force. Everything I did in life past the age of 17 was directly attributed to what I did in the USAF (active duty 1970-1976, +3 years reserve, and I just retired in 2012.

Here are some thoughts:
1. Consider federal or state civil service, your 15 years will count for federal, probably state too. (Continuity).
2. Decide if you want to be part of a group that works in similar tasks, or something that can distinguish you on your merit and activities alone. Teamwork is great but people get real ugly when staff is reduced- see number 4.
3. Do you want to report to same location 8 to 5, or work in the field and travel to local sites or cover regional states or half the USA and Canada. Making your own schedule can be tough but rewarding.
4. BE VERY CAREFUL! I worked for one national company ($67B in value) that underwent 8 years of mergers, layoffs, re-engineering, cut 12,000+ jobs, and butchered retirement plans, vacation, sick time, health plans and 401-k plan. The only people that gained were about 10 people in the corporate office that enriched themselves at everyone else's hardship. You are in it for you and your family, fairness in the workplace isn't always so fair anymore.
5. Repeat: consider civil service.

Are you committed to Ohio, or do you have some flexibility in location? Being mobile at least in the beginning can open a lot of doors, especially in civil service. Meet and speak with some HR folks at your facility, ask if there are any priority programs for people in early out status or returning to CONUS.

Lastly, if you have any choice at all, stay with the Air Force and complete the 20, then move forward.

Best of luck.

 

[300UGUY]

Civilian jobs with a pension are almost nonexistent. If you can stay in, I'd do it. I worked in the auto industry, and new hires don't get pensions, or post retirement health care. They don't even get much in the way of pay, I think it's $17 per hour.

 

[Pilot]

Will you get immediate retirement pay? If not, then regardless of what you do full time, I suggest you think about the Guard or reserves to insure you get a pension for your active time. You still get Tricare on retirement which is one of the best deals on health care and our Air Guard unit was the best employer I ever worked for, but that varies from unit to unit. You can cross train to pick up a new trade and get paid for doing it. 15 years active time and 5 years Guard / reserve & you'll get about 90% of your 20 year active duty retirement. And they have good paying full time jobs, too, but most people are part time for awhile and after the unit sees if they are any good, they then get picked up for that technician job.