Michael Filipowicz ⋅ East Haven , CT U.S. Army, Major ⋅ 14 years served

John,

I'm starting to learn so much more about the transition, and I'm glad I'm doing it now and not later. The more people I talk to, the more I begin to believe that you have to create your own reality (ie. business that I run) because no one but myself will understand (nor care) what I can do, and how well I can do it.

I'm very interested in becoming an entrepreneur so when the time is right, I can transition directly into my own business. Relying on the hope that I can find a job that I will be personally happy with, even if I network early on, is dwindling very rapidly.

Thanks for your informative reply. If you're interested, please find me on LinkedIn.

Michael

Michael Filipowicz ⋅ East Haven , CT U.S. Army, Major ⋅ 14 years served

Thanks for your advice Paul, please give me a list of people I can make rich and I will be more than happy to show them how I can do it. :)

Paul Trejo ⋅ Austin , TX University of Texas at Austin ⋅ 40 years experience

Michael,

When it comes to the Executive Suite, my experience in Fortune 500 companies suggests that this is never a matter of 'promotion' in the usual sense. One is rarely *promoted* to the Executive Suite, one is *invited*. If one is not invited by age 40, the odds of being invited approach zero.

Compatibility with the Executives is the highest criterion. Find out about them; their interests and hobbies. Golf with them whenever possible. Marrying into the family of an Executive is almost a guarantee of an Executive position for an ambitious person. (Nepotism is still known in the Executive Suite, so please be advised. Sometimes there are good reasons for "keeping it in the family.")

The most satisfactory route to the Executive Suite, IMHO, is to start your own company. To do that you should have at least some project managerial experience in each of the following: (1) Stockholding; (2) HR; (3) Sales; (4) Accounting; (5) Customer Care; (6) Production; (7) Advertising.

Don't rush to the Executive Suite; rush to the qualifications first. Master all seven of those Departments, and you'll become a super-valuable General Manager. Then, if you're also friendly enough to the Executives of your chosen company, you'll almost certainly be invited to the Executive Suite. Then, remember to remain loyal to them until the day you leave to start your own company.

Best wishes,
--Paul Trejo, MA

Morgan Lerette ⋅ Glendale , AZ AAA ⋅ 6 years experience

Hey Mike,

I think you are wrestling with the same questions JMO's who get out wrestle with. It is the same question my peers and I tried to figure out. It weighed heavily on our decision to stay in or leave the military. After 2 years out, we have gained some clarity on the subject. Some of us took a step up in responsibility and some of us took a step back in both pay and responsibility.

To get to the larger question of lacking "civilian experience", you can liken it to the military. It wouldn't be wise to put an ordinance COL in command of a hospital. He/she may be able to complete the job but it would be a steep learning curve and the organizations would likely suffer more than if a Medical Corps COL was in command.

A retired LTC would not have to start from scratch but they would also not likely be put into the a similar position of responsibility as they had in the military because they would need to learn the business. So you may have to go from civilian LTC to civilian CPT but you wouldn't become civilian PVT.

My best advice is to figure out what your civilian peers who have been promoted to executive level jobs have as far as education and training and attempt to mimic it (not easy with the officer (not easy under DA PAM 600-3). This will enable you to show companies you have the same credentials with the added bonus of military service.

Morgan

Alan Millner ⋅ Lexington , MA MIT ⋅ 40 years experience

I agree with Morgan, and suggest that if you were in a medical specialty in the Army, maybe a medical organization would be the best match to make use of your experience. I know of hospital management and medical service organizations which are struggling with cost containment and the more effective delivery of services in the changing climate. This can be an opportunity; the people in the field have to make major changes and don't know how, so anyone with a strong leadership background and a sharp mind can be competitive. Look for growing health care delivery organizations in the area where you want to locate.

Paul Trejo ⋅ Austin , TX University of Texas at Austin ⋅ 40 years experience

Michael,

If I was leaving the military soon, I'd approach my next move as a "friendly invasion." These would be my rules:

Advance reconnaissance! Be picky. Choose your next host company with care. Read up on all the latest news about that company. Know the names of the top managers by heart. Buy $100 stock in that company -- at minimum -- and never tell anybody how much stock you own. (This is far more valuable than a new suit at the interview). Read their stock reports very carefully when they arrive in the mail.

Also, know the names of the main competitors of the company. Learn to say intelligent, critical things about the competitors. Find out the percentage of market share of your target company and each of its competitors.

Also, remember: the surest way to become rich is to make somebody else rich (i.e. your employer). Convince your new employer that you have only one desire in life, and that is to make him (or her) much richer. Those are the ties that bind.

Also remember that the larger the company, the more fragmented it will be (e.g. like the Military itself). Yet you can work in any of the seven Divisions listed above, and totally lead the whole company from that Division, if you push it brilliantly enough. Aim for that.

Best wishes,
--Paul

Michael Filipowicz ⋅ East Haven , CT U.S. Army, Major ⋅ 14 years served

Paul, these are great words of wisdom. I'm becoming more and more afraid that officers retiring after 20 years are going to be sorely disappointed (and shocked) when it comes to working for someone else at a lower level of responsibility than they're used to.

I believe your recommendation is 100% on the money - start your own company, master those areas, and let that be your resume when you leave active service. Otherwise, you're in line with everyone else scrambling for a job and hoping your resume has the right key words so the "auto-bots" pull yours out of the white noise and present it directly to the HR manager.

It seems that if you don't take these words of wisdom, newly minted retired officers will be forced to work for the Federal Government again through veteran's preference hiring practices.

John Stevens ⋅ Middletown , MD ⋅ 20 years experience

Michael,

Morgan's assessment is on target. DA PAM 600-3 states "Attaining the grade of lieutenant colonel is often considered to be the hallmark of a successful career...lieutenant colonels serve as senior leaders and managers throughout the Army providing wisdom, experience, vision and mentorship mastered over many years in uniform."

Translating that experience level directly to same level in the civilian market is very difficult. In the Army, a LTC is an expert adviser to senior COLs and GOs. They are also leaders to company grade officers. They know the Army, but they don't the private sector industry or company they're transitioning into.

Pick your industry of choice at lease 5 years prior to leaving the service and build relationships, knowledge, and training that fit that industry. That will help your chances for landing a higher position. Private sector HR folks and hiring managers don't know the difference between a colonel or a specialist. Quite frankly they don't care.

Good luck.

Michael Filipowicz ⋅ East Haven , CT U.S. Army, Major ⋅ 14 years served

Morgan,

Thank you very much for such an informative response. Your summary really helps us understand the current state of affairs in the civilian marketplace.

Michael