Should finding a job be at the top of your resettlement ‘to-do’ list?

Finding a new job is not the first thing to square away when it comes to what you focus on in your resettlement.

There, I said it!

I understand the need for feeling financially secure is a very real one but hear me out.

This very need for job security drives you to busy yourself with a laser focus on crafting the perfect CV, chasing the best advice, researching the best courses, and more. Often leaving little room for thought or awareness for anything else.

These activities are all very well and good of course, but have you taken a pause to consider what you actually want and need out of your new life on civvy street?

Stop what you are doing - it’s time to think for yourself.

This can be a strange concept for those of us that have served and are used to following orders in various ways, shapes, and forms. Programmed to put others and the greater good before ourselves.

Think about yourself.

It's time to develop an understanding of yourself at this moment in time.

The foundations.

Who am I?

What do I want out of my life when I leave the services?

What is important to me?

Why am I leaving the military?

How do I feel about leaving the mob?

Who else do I need to consider at this time?

Thinking ahead.

Where could potential challenges to my adaption to civvy life come from?

Why could that be?

What can I do to preempt them and head them off before they occur?

Who will I stay in touch with?

What habits do I want to take with me?

How can I replicate the things I value from my service life in life on the outside?

If anything was possible how would I like my life on civvy street to be?

I challenge you to ask yourself questions that get you thinking about things in a way you haven’t previously considered.

There are of course 101 questions that could be explored, and every service leaver has their own unique set of circumstances and experiences.

Whatever your situation by taking a bit of time out to consider 'you' you may well discover something that is a cornerstone of your being that you hadn’t previously observed simply because you’d not thought about it before. This new valuable understanding will in turn go towards informing the decisions you make during your transition so you make the best choices for you.

In conclusion, yes, we all need to figure out our employment situation when we leave the services I'm not denying that.

But with a combination of awareness of the effect of leaving the service on ourselves as people coupled with the subsequent action taken towards planning for the impact leaving the mob has on all areas of your life, you will then give yourself a solid base to work from as you embark on your job search.

Having already done the prep work of thinking around the whats, whys, and hows, you are automatically putting yourself one step ahead when it comes to making decisions that ensure you take the best path for you.

Will you encounter challenges along the way? Definitely.

One thing is for sure though, when the time comes that your final day in uniform is done and your i.d. card is handed in you will be able to step out into the world with the confidence that you will be making decisions from a place of consideration for the whole picture, which will always stand you in good stead.