This is a short post that is by no means ground breaking in what it relays, but I found that it helped bring something that I knew going through the transition process, but didn’t realize that I knew it until I had a mentor mention it. With my mentor clarifying this information, it brought some sense of comfort, because it helped set the context of the transition process, specifically regarding the job search.
The job search during the transition process is likely a very binary one. By that I mean, you will face constant rejection, until you don’t – at which point, congrats. Hopefully you find yourself in the situation where you have multiple offers to choose from, but several variables could make that not the case. So whether you are excited about the transition and what post military employment will look like, or concerned – know that you will be rejected until you are not. For me, understanding that rejection should be the norm helped with the stress of being rejected.
You will be rejected at different points in the process as well. There’s a good chance your first application doesn’t get a return message, so when you eventually get a phone screen with a recruiter, you’ll feel like you are well on your way. But then the recruiter doesn’t get back to you. As a side note: 3rd party contractors, particularly in the defense industry, I found to be incredibly frustrating with this. They are eager to reach out and talk about a role, but I frequently never heard back.
As you make your way through more processes, you find different rejection points along the way. Many, at least initially, will be new, but don’t let that take the wind out of your sails. Know that the rejection is part of the process, and keep applying and networking. Eventually you’ll get through to the other side, and when you do, six months after you start your new gig you’ll forget about all the rejection you faced, and you’ll find yourself telling others, “no, it wasn’t that bad.”
