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I've been out of the service for 10 years now and I would tell you it has been a rude awakening but such a rewarding journey. If I had to do it all over again, I would certainly do a lot of things differently such as going straight to college after separating, joining a sorority and going Air Force Reserve just to keep my time going. But that's neither here nor there after all, if I had stayed in or went Reserve. I would've hit year 19 of Big Blue. But I do wish that a lot of the information that's being provided to was available 10 years ago. I mean look how far many of us would've gone as well as it would've cut down on a lot of miscalculations and obstacles. But with all this pre-preparation on how to network, resume reviewing and etc. No one ever really talks about the difference from being in uniform to wearing business casual. No one tells you that depending on where you work you might be 1 of 5 that's served or that you may be in the midst of people who have a distaste for members of the military who feels we are entitled. That's more of their personal problem and not yours. Below are a few takeaways, I've learned from personal experience and personal observations that I think is worth sharing:
💡 Do not limit yourself to who you feel holds the most knowledge. You can/will learn from all levels of experience. 💡Seniority doesn’t always mean wisdom and no one is obligated to set you up for success! 💡There will be multiple ways on how to do things and everyone will do it differently. So, it’s important to find the method that works best for you even if it’s different than how you were taught as long as the end goal is the same. 💡Some people will just be passing the time and others will be somewhere investing in themselves and those around them. Do not get so caught up in what others aren’t doing because people notice who is working and who isn’t. 💡There will be times where you get recognition for your hard work and there will be times where you won’t! 💡Overachieving works for some, in certain spaces and in other spaces, people will be glad someone else is doing all the work. 💡Take the invaluable lessons you learned from being in the military and not all will apply but determine which ones add the best value to the situation you encounter. 💡Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself, no one knows what you need or deserve better than you!