06/01/2003

Resources to Help Military Service Members Make Successful Transitions to the Civilian Workforce

by Larry Woods

With all the media attention on our military service members and their concerted efforts in the war and rebuilding/stabilization in Iraq, now is a good time for career development professionals to familiarize themselves with the resources available to help service members make a successful transition from military to civilian life.

Some of these service members were within days of transitioning to civilian life when they were pulled up short by "stop loss" orders, and will need to complete their transition upon returning to the United States. They will not be given much time to get things in order, so it is important that CDFs and career counselors provide targeted assistance to help them accurately assess their skills and the labor market.

In the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) workshop at Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station, marines, sailors, and their family are introduced to a variety of agencies, places, and tools to assist them in their transition to civilian life. Some of the resources listed below may be familiar to CDF's and career counselors others will add to your repertoire of tools to be used with transitioning service members.

http://www.dol.gov/vets

http://www.va.gov

3. Transition Service Centers These centers located on military installations where 500 or more service members are assigned. They may be called family services, personal services, transition support services, or career resources centers. They provide a staff and resources, libraries, computers, workshops, and job fairs to assist the service member in transition. Service members may continue to use these services for 90 days after they have been separated or in the case of a retired person for the rest of their life.

http://www.naswa.org

5. Veteran Service Organizations. VSO's are located in the community and as such are a recognized link into the civilian community where the service member wishes to find employment. Encourage the service member to seek out a VSO within the community begin establishing a network and becoming an active member of the community There are many VSO, but the big four include:

http://www.vfw.org

http://www.dav.org

http://www.amvets.org

http://www.legion.org

6.Libraries. Too many service members purchase outdated books or subscribe to magazines or other media that contain inaccurate information. The first, and the most over looked resource at the library is the library's reference librarian. Encourage the service member to ask the reference librarian for help in locating current career planning and labor market information.

7. Internet. Caution military service members who may be inexperienced in research and anxious to find employment quickly about Internet scams. Monster.com and CNN recently published a cautionary warning advising job seekers to watch out for job bulletin boards, resume sites and recruiters who asks for your name, date of birth, and social security number. Some are even brazen enough to ask for a credit card number! The four sites listed below are useful starting points in working with military service members.

http://www.acinet.org/acinet

http://online.onetcenter.org

http://www.careerkey.org/english

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/fortune500

Larry Woods is a retired U.S. Marine Corps First Sergeant. Since transitioning to the civilian workforce in 1998, he has earned a B.S. in psychology and is a Certified Labor Employment Specialist, Certified TAP Facilitator, and a Certified Global Career Development Facilitator. Larry works as a Disabled Veteran Employment Consultant for the NC Employment Security Commission and is one of two primary TAP facilitators for Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River. Contact information: call (910) 347-2121 or email at larry.woods@ncmail.net or ltwoods@ec.rr.com