While any transition is clouded with uncertainty, the military to civilian one is often significantly more convoluted. During our transitions from Active Duty, we often found that accessibility and knowledge surrounding transition programs was largely dependent on word of mouth: a friend of a friend did an internship program or saw a flyer at the ed center. With thousands of service-members transitioning constantly from the military (sometimes given outdated information) and navigating their available options, we wanted to try to address this.
We are a small cohort of recently separated or soon to be separated JMO’s (with 4-8 years of Active Duty Army), who want to give back to this community. We have one singular goal - compile the information about transition programs, from anecdotal experience and research, into an actionable, easy to use, reference guide. We are not seeking to replace the education center or any of the other incredible programs out there, but instead want to provide you with a comprehensive list of resources to help you make informed decisions as you prepare to leave the military. We are working to overcome the word-of-mouth referral to certain programs and hopefully increase transparency surrounding the vast amount of resources available to you during your transition.
This guide won’t be able to give you all the answers, but it should help point you in a direction that aligns with your transition goals. What we are providing is not affiliated with any specific DoD, Government, or private industry, and all resources listed should be contacted or reviewed independently to see if it is offered at your installation and is right for you. There are resources and programs for both Active Duty SMs and Veterans. We hope this helps and please share it with your network so that we can slowly overcome knowledge only through word of mouth!
We hope that this will serve as a living document. If you or someone in your network finds new opportunities or resources you would like to share, please contact us so we can add it to the guide and better serve the transitioning military community.
If you visited us and know someone in this audience, please be sure to share the site with them!
Decide how and where you want to transition and whether you want to pursue further education
Choose a refrad date and decide when you want to inform your command of your decision
Create a Linkedin Account: Free premium accounts available to Active Duty SMs
Take resume-building online classes and certifications
Get a professional LinkedIn headshot and update your LinkedIn sections
Inform your CoC of your intention to REFRAD and your desired CSP at the same time
If you are pursuing a graduate program, figure out when to schedule the GMAT/GRE
Decide what role you want to pursue and familiarize yourself with job posting language
Officers: contact your S1 for most recent REFRAD packet documents and requirements
Attend SFL-Tap
Build resume, seek mentors, start networking, and consider a transition program
Submit VA Disability Claim & Schedule Phase 1, Phase 2 appointments
Schedule your ETS move
Earn a free certification from O2O
Consider Veteran Programs, JMO Recruiters, or Entrepreneurship Resources
If you have trouble finding a job or have a gap in employment, you can file for unemployment