My Transition To College

I wanted to share some thoughts with my network as I transition from the military as these ideas are fresh in my mind, and I have ample time to reflect on as this chapter of my life as it concludes. Many service members like myself start their military careers without definitive direction on if their career goals are going to be either short or long term. I was the indecisive Airman, and there are thousands of servicemembers now who are as I once was. And during my transition hiring managers and recruiters have made me feel that my search of where I belong to my organization has impacted my transition to the civilian sector. I didn't start off with ambitious goals; I wanted to master my craft before I could visualize future roles and ranks, and even while learning my role as an
Airman I still considered myself a high-speed, low drag individual in all 4 of my respective career fields. You read correctly I did not remain in one particular MOS, AFSC, etc. for extended periods of time and became the Jack of All Trades and Master of None as told to me by a recent hiring Manager. I was amazed by this mindset and felt that my adaptability and my willingness to embark on new ventures showed my commitment to making my Branch of Service better by filling hard to fill roles and bringing a positive can-do attitude and experience to a new career field. A vast majority of times my initiatives got derailed due to my lack of relevant experience and rank but that never deterred me from accomplishing my primary mission and growing as a person and leader. And as a result, I sought opportunities to enhance and develop my skills and leadership abilities thru various resources and the most important factor was seeking a trusted mentor. As my career progressed and 15 years on the job, I discovered truly what my life's path was meant to take.
Thru analyzing my life before, during and my impending retirement, it revolved around my boundaries of my idealism. Who I am and what brings me happiness is that of helping people realize their potential and developing it. My desire for success and happiness had to include the happiness and success of the members of my team. As I sought to develop myself as a leader and manager and bringing my peers along with me sometimes by force (lol) on this journey it gave us new experiences and growth opportunities. It exposed us new avenues to explore and enlightened hidden virtues and skills that would not have been discovered if we didn't take the risk at that point in our careers. I constantly tell the people who work in close collaboration with me, that it is never too late to diagnose your life and future career goals! Analyze what you stand for, who you are, and use that discovery to develop yourself into what you want to be. We all have talents and skills we have not even tapped into and being open to nurturing and blueprinting them can only reap the rewards of personal and team
success. Witnessing successes of my peers has been the most rewarding aspect for me in my time in the Armed Forces, and to those I have led, mentored and served let nothing disturb your journey forward in life because with every obstacle there is always a chance for opportunity! My career can be summed up as being of Service, to not only my country, its people, its allies and those in need of our assistance but the members I serve with as well. Never forget that when we serve others, we serve ourselves, and that has been the most rewarding accomplishment I have ever been a part of.