Deciding to get out of the military is not as simple as asking yourself a simple yes or no question. Hunter Walk, a venture capitalist who started his investing firm after deciding to leave Google, talks about making this decision in a post on his LinkedIn
page.
While Hunter is referring to his friends in tech, I think this perfectly applies to those making the decision about getting out of the military. Most vets will look back at their time in the
service very fondly because of the things they accomplished. Looking elsewhere for new challenges and responsibilities is a positive thing!
But when these folks approach me for advice as to what to do next, there's one question most haven't asked themselves. And it's a critical question...The question is, What Are You Optimizing For? Now let me caveat that his question is most important when you're deciding between several good opportunities.
Ah, great point. So what is it that you are looking for next? You have the sense that there is more out there, but what do YOU want? Optimizing is the perfect way to put it. The decision to leave the military for officers probably comes around the height of your career up to this point. You will likely have more responsibility and a wealth of experience to back it up and you will be making enough money to be comfortable. If you stick it out now, make the right moves, who knows, you might see some stars on your collar one day. OK, maybe making General or Admiral is not that realistic, but Colonel or Captain is definitely a possibility. You could oversee campaigns in strategically critical areas, command the finest of America's soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, or advise at the highest echelons of the Pentagon. But will these things challenge you in the way that you are looking to be challenged, or do you want someting else? Because just as there is a lot of good that you can do if you stay in the military, there is also a lot of good you can do if you get out of the military. You're not deciding between a good thing versus a bad thing.
Choosing between a good option and a bad one is easy – don’t do the bad one. However when you’ve got multiple intriguing roles available to you it’s not a question of good vs bad or right vs wrong. It’s a question of which one is best for you in this next phase of your career.
This is where some soul searching comes into play, although it does not have to be dramatic or complicated. Hunter has a few suggestions on how to prioritize and narrow down this list. I recommend you check it out, but I think you get the general idea, so I won't go into detail here. What I want to emphasize is how important this step is to the process of getting out of the military. While it may be enticing to take the plunge into the most attractive option available to you, whether it be a top business program or a plush career field, remember, you have the luxury and burden of choice. Only you can figure out what will make you happy. Figuring this out brings in much of the rest of your transitioning plan in better focus.
Consider yourself fortunate and successful for being able to make a decision between some very good options.
Check out the full article here.
photo: svilen001/stock.xchng
I love when people leave a job because they've made an impact and want new challenges; or feel they could be accomplishing a greater number [of] their goals somewhere else.
While Hunter is referring to his friends in tech, I think this perfectly applies to those making the decision about getting out of the military. Most vets will look back at their time in the service very fondly because of the things they accomplished. Looking elsewhere for new challenges and responsibilities is a positive thing!
But when these folks approach me for advice as to what to do next, there's one question most haven't asked themselves. And it's a critical question...The question is, What Are You Optimizing For? Now let me caveat that his question is most important when you're deciding between several good opportunities.
Ah, great point. So what is it that you are looking for next? You have the sense that there is more out there, but what do YOU want? Optimizing is the perfect way to put it. The decision to leave the military for officers probably comes around the height of your career up to this point. You will likely have more responsibility and a wealth of experience to back it up and you will be making enough money to be comfortable. If you stick it out now, make the right moves, who knows, you might see some stars on your collar one day. OK, maybe making General or Admiral is not that realistic, but Colonel or Captain is definitely a possibility. You could oversee campaigns in strategically critical areas, command the finest of America's soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, or advise at the highest echelons of the Pentagon. But will these things challenge you in the way that you are looking to be challenged, or do you want someting else? Because just as there is a lot of good that you can do if you stay in the military, there is also a lot of good you can do if you get out of the military. You're not deciding between a good thing versus a bad thing.
Choosing between a good option and a bad one is easy – don’t do the bad one. However when you’ve got multiple intriguing roles available to you it’s not a question of good vs bad or right vs wrong. It’s a question of which one is best for you in this next phase of your career.
This is where some soul searching comes into play, although it does not have to be dramatic or complicated. Hunter has a few suggestions on how to prioritize and narrow down this list. I recommend you check it out, but I think you get the general idea, so I won't go into detail here. What I want to emphasize is how important this step is to the process of getting out of the military. While it may be enticing to take the plunge into the most attractive option available to you, whether it be a top business program or a plush career field, remember, you have the luxury and burden of choice. Only you can figure out what will make you happy. Figuring this out brings in much of the rest of your transitioning plan in better focus.
Consider yourself fortunate and successful for being able to make a decision between some very good options.
Check out the full article here.
photo: svilen001/stock.xchng