Celebrating and Saluting Veterans and Their Career Transitions

Making a career change or “re-careering” can be challenging for anyone but making a shift from a career in the military to a civilian career can be a tremendous adjustment. Every day, members of the military begin their quest for a position as a civilian, which can be a daunting task as they hope the skills learned in the military transfer to a civilian career.

BaxVET, one of Baxter’s nine Business Resource Groups, addresses the unique experience of the veteran re-entering the workforce.

Hear from two employees as they share their experiences on making the transition from the military to a civilian career and tips for those beginning this type of job search.

Q: Describe your transition from the military to your first job outside the military.

Brian: My story is unique since I have been serving in the National Guard for 15 years. With that, I have been on several deployments. I have maintained a job through most of my time in the military, so I’ve always been a citizen soldier. Transitioning back into a civilian career after a deployment can be difficult since I’m going from such a programmed day (knowing when, where, what and how) to a more flexible day.

Kristy: The hardest part of the transition is getting used to ambiguity. Civilians often communicate without clearly defining the expectation and they ask rather than tell. While I was serving, there was never a time I was unsure of what I was supposed to be doing, or how I should do it.

Q: What aspects of your military service prepared you most/least for your next work role?

Brian: The military breeds good leaders by fostering an environment that depends on things getting done. I believe the military helped me identify the key traits of leadership and how to put them to good use.

Q: What would you share with those currently out of the service looking for their next work role or those considering or are in the midst of a significant career transition?

Kristy: Due to the size and structure of the military, I think the structure and organization of a larger company like Baxter is easier to transition into rather than a smaller company.

Brian: One of the hardest things to do is go from a position where you are an experienced leader with an outstanding grasp of your field to a new career where you might need to start out in an entry-level position.