Military Experience to Survive in Civvy Street
All career guides created by any military resume writing service explain how to apply your extensive training and demonstrate your value with help of military skills in your post-military career. But nobody will tell you in what way the diversity of your experience applies to your life when you are back on the block.
We’ve collected the best pieces of advice on how to translate military skills to life hacks to make your life easier and productive.
#1. Ability to Do More with Less
The first and the most ironic life lesson comes from former Defense Secretary D. Rumsfeld: you are to go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time. As Americans and the five-sided puzzle palace expect their military to win the war, you know that there is no excuse for failure.
The same your supervisor expects more quality leads or faster project completion from you without providing additional resources or suitable conditions. Charlie Mike, you can battle through whatever circumstances would be. The fear of failure is what catapults you forward.
 #2. Embracing the Suck
Everybody knows that the optimism and enthusiasm at the deployment start are totally ruined by the end of the first month in theater. As useless sitting around and complaining about it wasn’t going to make the rest of the time easier, you preferred to act.
This is quite applicable to civilian life. Bravo Zulu, you already know that every job in field op has its suck. Though the prospects can be far from being optimistic like a soup sandwich, a cat in gloves catches no mice. So don’t sit around the clubhouse bitching about problems. Ruck up to deal with them!
#3. Resourcefulness to Bring on the Road
Do you remember how you met different situations at the combat outpost in Paktika Province? Lack of running water, hawk, no air conditioning could easily do with whipping up a gourmet damn delicious lunch, figuring out that Five Finger Death Punch’s song, and updating Facebook status. Resourcefulness is about your ability to cope with difficulties in a creative way.
When the boss sends you on that client roadshow or to a training seminar, resourcefulness comes in handy. The detached duties imply backfired complimentary wifi, a broken treadmill in the hotel gym, and the conference room running out of electrical outlets. The balloon has gone up. Get it done, soldier, keeping your toes tapping!
#4. Ability to Step Up Beyond the Billet Descriptions
Once you got explained in a Barney style that saying “that’s not my job” during your time in uniform had been a party foul. Since that case you had to come out of the lane many times to ensure none of your guys had done things unsat, inadvertently overlooking the duties and responsibilities.
You’ll come across the same situation on the outside. There always will be an airhead who is about to forget a USB stick with files of the meaningful presentation. Or a scatterbrain who left out Item No.5 on the Shiftwork Safety Checklist. If you want to avoid Tango Uniform, solve it.
#5. Realizing No One Above Your Paygrade Knows a Thing
Sometimes your only thought was that the purpose of the chain of command was trying and killing you. The flight lead tried to fly you into the ground. The watch section tried to wash you overboard. And your skipper assigned you for a mission to come hell or high water without any idea what it was going to take to get you safely back.
This is a bright illustration of what is going in the business world. Hit the silk with the same healthy paranoia regarding those in charge. Though the circumstances might be less life-threatening, taking heed drives you, keeps you on your toes, and makes you work harder for your goals, letting you stay on top of your game.
#6. Knowing How Valuable a Good Wingman Is
Do you remember what did it cost for the buds to get you out of Turkish jail? You can’t forget how lucky your squids were getting you back unnoticed to the ship after a great night. Your brothers in arm gave you that short relief when the gunnery sergeant was about to come down on you with both feet.
The unparalleled brotherhood of the U. S. military comes in handy in civilian life. It’s about the men and women next to you put into situations where the camaraderie builds itself, making every team member build each other. And don’t forget that your regional manager might have gunny-like tendencies from time to time as well.
#7. Keeping Smiling Even if The Balloon Has Gone Up
Staying sane in the military is quite impossible, as combat zones can be intense and traumatic. Humor makes everything better, increasing resilience, creativity and trust while decreasing stress, fear, and power distance. Never lose your sense of humor as it along with laughing stuff out is what leads you through all shitty situations.
