Military Transition: Prepare for the Unknown

"Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable. "  

  - George S. Patton

When I transitioned from my military career in 2018, I felt like I had lost my identity.

I was suddenly rudderless.

My uniform was my identity, in fact it was a walking resume.

I had spent my entire life competing from a very early age, and just like that the competition ended.

No more physical readiness tests, no more promotion boards, no more evaluations.

But then came  a simple question.

“What’s next?”

A simple, yet anxiety filling query, that most of us feel we should have a ready answer. 

But guess what, it’s okay not to have the answer.

It’s okay to take time off to think about it.

It’s okay to explore your options.

What is not okay is thinking you don’t have resources.

It’s not okay to think you are alone in the journey.

It’s not okay to think you can’t follow or find something you are passionate about.

Not sure where to start?

Then think about starting with your personal brand.

Your headshot, at a minimum it's the first step towards building your personal brand without any input from your previous chain of command.

Whatever you decide to do, that future employer, that board of advisors you want to join, even that dating app viewer, they are all googling you as we speak. They are forming that first impression by whatever images are out there.

You spent your military career curating your image, your milestones, your promotion potential and your reputation.

This is no different.

Invest in yourself.

Own your transition.

You got this.