Military veterans faceunique challengeswhen transitioning to a civilian job search. Former U.S. Air Force Officer and the current COO ofSpace FoundationShelli Brunswick shared that, based on her own experiences as a veteran-turned-nonprofit COO and mentor for others, the process oftransitioning into a civilian job is not always easy.

“We have to hustle and work harder than other candidates to gain access to the private and nonprofit sectors because our skills don’t neatly fit inside a check-box of typical qualifications,” Brunswick explained. “Fortunately, military personnel are used to creative problem-solving.”

FlexJobs asked Brunswick and a panel of job search experts with expertise in this niche for their top strategies on how to make this transition as seamless as possible.

Find a Mentor, Coach, or Community of Fellow Veterans

Brunswick’s first recommendation for veterans in this position is to find and leveragementors,coaches, andother champions. “These are the folks who can help youbuild your network, share knowledge about what it’s really like to work in new arenas, help you hone the hard and soft skills necessary to succeed, as well as assist in redefining your skill set to better align with job listings,” Brunswick said.

Archie Payne, President of recruiting firmCalTek Staffing, which connects companies with candidates in IT and engineering, agreed. Payne pointed out that since nobody understands what it’s like to过渡到平民生活better than someone who’s been there, a mentor or coach who’s done so themselves can be a powerful ally.

“Mentors can help you find positions that are a good fitand strategies to improve your odds of landing them,” Payne said. “A community of support can also help keep your motivation up and keep you from falling into a negative headspace if you don’t land your ideal job right away.”

Identify and Emphasize Transferrable Skills

While it may not always be immediately apparent to hiring teams,military experience is excellent training for a range of careers. This doesn’t only include soft skills like leadership and teamwork, according to Payne, but the hardskills gained during your serviceas well—particularly for those who worked with technology.

“There is still a skill shortage in many areas of tech, especially in cybersecurity, and military veterans are often well prepared to serve in these roles,” Payne said.

Brunswick added thatthere’s no better time for military veterans to enter the workforcebecause there’s such a wide variety of jobs available. “I, for one, can attest to the fact that the nearly $469 billion space industry is growing rapidly and looking for talent,” she said. “Our doors are readily open to military veterans.”

Be Aware of Your Mindset and Relearn Your Lingo

“Service members leave the military with a military mindset,” said Annie Brock, who is Founder, President, and CEO of theLeader Transition Institute, which helps service members, veterans, and their spousestransition from active duty into the civilian sector.

“It takes hold in their subconscious during their career, whether that is three years or 30—and every decision they make is based on that mindset.” Brock added when a service member moves back into the civilian sector, there isn’t a switch that can be moved in their mind to immediately reset their subconscious. Instead, it takes time for this shift to occur.

“It is the disconnect between what they’re seeing and feeling in the civilian sector with the military mindset in their subconscious that causes them so much stress and anxiety,” Brock said. “When they begin to understand this, find out they’re not alone, and have someone to walk alongside them, it can be life-changing for them.”

One way thatveterans can facilitate this shift as they begin theircivilian job searchis to focus on the language they use. Payne explained that while the military has its own distinctive terminology and way of speaking, that’s also true in civilian industries—particularly in the tech and corporate worlds. Since these languages differ from one another, the key is to make sure you’re using the right language for each environment.

“One way to ensure hiring managers understand the value you bring to the table is to make sure you’re speaking their language,” Payne said. “A coach or community can helpyou with this too. When writing your resume,mimic the phrasing and vocabulary used in the job posting, and make the same updates to your terminology for the interview.”

Be Tenacious

Any job searcher faces the possibility ofrejection from some hiring managers, and since not every organization will understand right away how your military background fits with their goals, it’s important to stay the course and not give up easily.

Brunswick emphasized the importance of being tenacious and not letting a couple of “no’s” or “We really like you, but we don’t know how to use your skills in our organization” type of responses stop you from pursuing a new career.

“Instead, display out-of-the-box thinking to show what you are willing to do to get a foot in the door—even if it’san internshipwith the promise of a full-time position at the end of a trial period,” Brunswick said. “Withconfidence in your abilities, you can demonstrate that you not only belong at a specific company, but also that you’ll be a true asset with a unique point of view.”

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