SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Act Now Education's transition with us.

SPEAKER_03 0:10

Okay, okay. How's it going, everyone? Thank you guys for joining us for the first episode. This is the first episode.

SPEAKER_04 0:20

Big.

SPEAKER_03 0:20

Yeah, yeah. This is this is the this is a process for us uh for the transition mindset podcast.

Welcome And Why We’re Doing This

SPEAKER_03 0:27

Uh I'm Jay Salters. I'm joined with Nigel, our host, and we're gonna cover some different topics. And um the focus of this is to really just go through our transition. Because we were just talking about this. We don't know what we're doing, we're just trying to figure it out, right? Just like everyone else. And I think this is really important for folks to kind of get a good grasp on what that looks like, uh, share resources, and then you know, see what we come up with. Um, yeah, what you've got to start thinking about what is the process for you in transitioning, or you know, the things that you're thinking about. And like right now we're at the point of okay, we need obviously we need to look at resources and things like that, but what's your thoughts overall on the stuff that you think we should be looking into? And how should we do that, right? We still got some people joining in. But um, we'll tell a little bit about our story and then we can kind of go into breaking down like what we're gonna use in the tool sets and that. And so uh I'm closer to the to the line out, but I'll I'll let Nigel hit up his story first.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

Hey everyone. Uh glad that you guys took time out today and able to join us on this. Um, let's see. So I've been in this euro making about 18 years. Um I can start Skillbridge roughly in about 20 26 months or so. So I'm getting a really early head start on this. Um I've been doing

Our Timelines And Career Directions

SPEAKER_02 2:03

HR in the Navy for my entire career. So I'm very familiar with the HR world, uh, very familiar with uh leading people, different personalities, uh customer service essentially. So when I get out, when I transition out, I'm looking for something maybe in the HR realm, maybe in cybersecurity. Still trying to figure it out, like Jay says, right? There's no rule book on this. So um I'm using the resources that are available to all of us through Act Now. Um, and just building my network. You know, I can't do this alone. Uh Jay's been a really big help, and uh I look forward to the insights and the help that all of you can provide. You know, we gotta go with the mentality one team, one fight. Oh, that okay. I see you, Corinne. I see you, former PS here. That's what I'm talking about, man. PS baby.

SPEAKER_03 2:59

Love it, love it. Yeah, and for me, um yeah, my date is September 1st. That's my transition date uh of 2027, and so that would make me eligible for Skillbridge um around May timeframe. Um, and then that's the one thing, and we can kind of get into this. Like, what does eligibility look like for folks that are transitioning? Um, and we do have a quick uh snap it that I want to bring up here so we can kind of share it. Let me do that real fast. But this this will help you get a better understanding of what it looks like for that. And this is just one of the uh the things that you're thinking about, right? In terms of your transition, uh let me see if I can share this real fast. I don't know if everyone sees this. Shout out to uh Dave Chance for for being being able to create this. Um, he's if you don't know him, he's a um he is the skill bridge champion. Definitely reach out to him, connect with him. But this is a breakdown that he's created, uh, and we just put it out there as well. But um essentially says where you are with your ranks. And you look at it, it's kind of crazy because the the Navy, usually we're not good at things like this. Uh but the Navy, in terms of like so I'm 04 right now, uh, and I'll get up close to 120 days, which puts me at May time frame. Um, but this is really just depending on your service, where you are, where you fall at, what your rank. Um, some commands, you know, they they they're all with it, and some commands aren't. So it really just depends on what is it that uh your command is approval for, the process for you transitioning out, and whether or not there's a need, especially what was going on today in this world. So just wanted to share that so people can have that. We'll also drop that so that people can grab these resources as well as we start to share them. We got a few people on here. All right, we got we got I see uh uh we got a got some NCs in the building too.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Formal man, career counselors, baby. We need you.

SPEAKER_03 5:10

All right, let me add that. All right, and so when you're thinking about the transition process, uh and Nigel, like in terms of it, like we I guess we can go over the checklist, right? And so it's just being able to walk through that process for you, and then being able to identify how best you want to align yourself with what you're trying to do. You should have some goals ultimately. Like, what are some of the things that you guys are thinking about in terms of transitioning, right? I know find my finances, I want my finances to be straight, right? Um, if if I'm I'm making sure I'm taking care of all the documentations, uh, making sure that you know college is good for my kids, uh, making sure that uh I understand what opportunities are available for me, how much is gonna cost once I get out of the military. Um, I don't know what my disability rating will be, and so factoring that in. Um and I I don't, I mean, Nigel is talking about like switching from you know, from uh what he's doing now into HRO, possibly cybersecurity. For me, uh, I don't know if I want to work right away, right? Uh so that those are other things to consider. And some people burn out by just you know going from one opportunity to the next and then trying to get after it. And so I think for me, uh that's really important to kind of consider and and and think about. What's your thoughts?

SPEAKER_02 6:36

You know, I think um along with the finances and um the disability, I think uh a huge resource for us would be the GI bill, right? So I mean it ties in with the with the disability. I know if we get 100% rated, you know, you have uh 100%, then you have PT, then that ties into the Montgomery GI Bill, sending your kids to school for free. Um the transition is is it's easy paperwork-wise, but there's a lot that we got to prepare for. And I I'm sure there's people in here who I'm assuming have already gone through this process. Has anyone already retired recently or or a while back? Most importantly, the loss. Are we talking about processing the loss from the system to process that DD214?

SkillBridge Eligibility And Command Reality

SPEAKER_02 7:34

Because I know uh from the PS side, if the loss isn't process and the number stays in in the service, um that could result in an overpayment, and then they deduct that from your final pay. So Linda, when you retired, um what was the biggest adjustment for you?

SPEAKER_05 8:12

Okay, I'll come off mute.

SPEAKER_07 8:14

Um the biggest adjustment was the the sense of loss of not having that community. My community all were still active duty. So going through the transition of okay, I don't have that anymore. It's now me on the civilian side, it's you have a true sense of loss of purpose, of mission. I you know, you could put it like that. Uh, when you when you joined this side, it's a it's a major adjustment. And it took me over a year and a half, almost two years, before I finally reached back out and I connected with Jay. Um, I had met Jay in person the like months before I transitioned because I was in Virginia. And then um my husband got orders back to Washington State because he's active duty, and we moved here. And I I literally just I went into a show. I I didn't I didn't connect with anyone for about a year, year and a half. I wasn't even active in act now. And then I just kind of was like, okay, I I I need to do something more. I I need to to get active and I need to start pursuing my own my own things.

SPEAKER_02 9:29

What do you think? What do you feel held you back from reconnecting? Was it like something personal, or do you what was your holdback?

SPEAKER_07 9:38

I'll be honest. I got out as a E6 higher tenure, and it wasn't on my terms. So I was mad. I was mad, yeah. You know, I was uh 11 years every single time making the board and just not making it, and and that was hard because I wanted to retire. My goal when I first joined was retire at least as a chief, and not being able to get that because of you know the rules of higher tenure, that was that was rough. That was rough, and I and I I think in a way I didn't want to connect with the military community because it I was a bit angered, you know. There definitely was some anger there, like okay, how come you're still in and I'm not? Um, but you know, I've I've come to terms with it now, and I think a lot of people, um someone brought it up in another webinar that I was on is where's your why after the uniform comes off? Because when you're in the military for so long, like that's your identity. That truly is your identity. So when you you don't have that anymore, it's it's you have to create a new one.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

100%. I think uh, you know, I was talking about this with Jay the other day that you know we're so used to having that structure and you know that demand for us. But I think uh once you transition, like you said, you really got to tap into your why, find your purpose again. And that is, I'm sure, easier said than done.

SPEAKER_03 11:12

Yeah, yeah. And I I know that a lot of people, and you read some statistics. I I think I read something somewhere was talking about people who transitioned out the military. Um, and this is like mainly senior folks, like uh uh E7, E8, E9, or you know, senior folks, like as soon as they transition out the military, like their life expectancy is not that long from that transition date. They were saying like 10 years or something like that. Uh, don't quote me on that, but I remember like looking at something that says that. And I think that has to do with like the purpose, right? If you've been driving for so long, trying to do this, and then you leave the community or you leave what you know, um, and you're trying to discover who you are. That that that is definitely part of that transition mindset. That is definitely trying to figure out what's out there, what opportunities you can kind of lean to, and you're just looking for something that you know resembles some familiarity, right? Regardless of what it is. And that doesn't only apply to service members, that all applies to military spouses too, right? Everyone goes through these unique problem sets and they try to identify how you know how best to cope, right? You because you're you're you're always transitioning, regardless of what you're doing, you're always transitioning. And it's just how are you leveraging um and how are you taking care of yourself in the right manner to be able to do that? And so it's something that's I you know, I think it doesn't get as much attention as needed, um, but it's important. It's definitely important. Um, yeah, senior members are the most notorious who are in denial when it comes to uh transition in Lori Bell beside absolutely because you know, uh junior sailors or juniors uh airmen or soldiers or marines, you know, they they got resiliency. They can bounce back real fast because you know they're adaptable and they're flexible. If you've been doing something for a long time, and then now you gotta like all that goes away, your rank doesn't go with you, right? No one knows who you it doesn't matter if you was a E9 or E6 or E5, they don't care. Like with the civilian sector, like, okay, uh, are you going to do the work? So that's those things are are things that people really don't think about too much. Um, or or at least I see uh don't put a lot of energy into, and they should because it's it's it's just an aspect that is important.

Transition Checklist And Money Planning

SPEAKER_02 13:40

And I think uh one thing I'm like super thankful it for is yes, in the service, you know, you have that camaraderie, you have that um that sense of purpose, you know, uh the the demand for what you do on a day daily basis, right? And once you get out, um I'm assuming, right, from what I've heard, that just shuts off like a light. But um just being part of Act Now, for me, that feels like like uh the camaraderie. Like it's a whole community of us. And a lot of us go through the same thing. A lot of us has have done the transition, we've done the training, certifications, or you know, people have been on the job hunt for a hot minute, and we share that struggle. So, yes, when we get out to service, we'll lose that. But I feel like being part of a community like Act Now, um, it's a lifesaver. I feel like it's it's something great.

SPEAKER_03 14:38

Yeah, that sense of belonging is really important. Um, and just being able to connect with folks, I feel is is definitely that. Um, but yeah, uh, so let let's let's cover down on some things, right? Thinking about the transition for those who are transitioning, um some of the items are things that you probably should consider. Uh because this is the same thing we do, and like I said, and this is more like an open forum. We're going through this process, and we want you know you to transition with us. And so for those who have experience, definitely provide your input. And for those who are transitioning, you know, take these resources and tools and kind of figure out how best you want to maneuver around it. And so let's get the checklist up here. Grab that real fast, and then we can kind of walk through that a little bit so we can kind of understand. Um do a quick breakdown on that. See how beneficial that would be.

SPEAKER_04 15:36

Okay, there we go. Can everyone see that? All right.

SPEAKER_03 15:43

So this hasn't been updated in a minute, but we will definitely update it. We'll definitely get, but we'll still share this out so that everyone has it. Um, but we can kind of cover down and walk through this and why we feel like some of these aspects are really important. And so this is if you are transitioning out within like three years to one year, uh, some of the things that's really important, you know, accruing some leave, right? And so being able to save up leave. I have been um a proponent of using all my leave because I need all that time. So right now I'm at a state where like I I kid you now, I got like three or four days uh leave. I took some leave the last two years, man. I was I was enjoying life. Um, but I gotta crew some leave, and I obviously don't have a lot of time to do so, but you know, uh 60 days is is is what you know is recommended. And then you know, with that, sometimes with your skill bridge, it may be tied into that, like your terminal leave may be tied into that. Like I know for me, my command that I'm at now, they require me to use my terminal with my skill bridge. Um, so uh and permissive TDY. So it's not anything separate, they want you to do all together. Um then we have you know financial prep and savings. Uh, and that kind of goes back to what you said, Nigel. Like, you know, if the command doesn't um process your loss, you know, you can either get overpaid or be paid late as your transition process. And so you want to at least make sure that you know you have at least a few months of of um pay set aside, just in case that they say six months is like recommended, but three months to help at least get you started. So that should be like a game plan, that should be a part of what it is, and you know, touch base with a financial counselor before you go. Um, like I said, you you have all these resources to your tools now, but like once you transition, things are very different, right? What's your thoughts, Nigel?

SPEAKER_02 17:50

I agree, man. Uh, like uh Laura Bell is saying, right, she said financial planning is the foundational overlooked item. I've seen many members do not either pay attention to andor unrealistic in their expectations for separation and/or retirement. Yeah, um, we say it all the time. We got to prep, right? We got to set aside some money, but life happens, uh, situation happens, bills pile up. Um, but I 100% agree with Laura Bell on this. Yeah, you definitely got to take time and set some of that aside because some of this could be out of your control, right? If you're not staying on top of your separation package or the the case that they use in Salesforce now, um, if that's not processed in time, you're getting overpaid for each day that it's not released. And by the time it's released by TSC Norfolk for the Navy, Navy people in here, um, the system will go back and say, okay, this member got out on this date. So all these days that went by, you were overpaid. So now we take that from your final separation pay, and then that just throws a dent in your financial plans. So staying on top of it.

SPEAKER_03 19:00

Some of the other aspects that we have in here are um life insurance, will, and testament. Um, those are things that are extremely important when transitioning out. I mean, they're important to have anyway. Um, I looked at my will, I thought I was good to go. Uh, I realized that my will doesn't even have my youngest daughter on it, right? Um it's just things that we need to make sure that we good. And I think I the last time I had my will was for when I deployed that Iraq. I mean, Afghanistan and Iraq. And so um just just making sure that your will and testament is good to go and your life insurance and whatever policy that you want to do. Some people want to get their own uh term or whole life. I'm not here to you know guide you on either way, but just more so like figuring out what it is that works best for you, your children's college, military cool, um, which is a program that you can utilize as long as you have more than a year before you transition, that you can take advantage for free certifications. Uh each service calls it something different. Army calls it um uh Army CA. Um the Navy has Navy Cool, uh, Air Force, I think has uh Air Force Cool as well. So you can touch base on that. Um and then doing your your you know, bringing your spouse, if you have a spouse, bringing them to the sessions as well when you start to do your outprocessing. Because this is a lot. I mean, I don't know if anyone else has sat. I sat in one of the tap classes uh a couple of years back just to see how much it is. And there's five holes of information for four or five days or four days. It's a lot. And if you if you're thinking about a million things, like it's it's hard processing. So that it's good to kind of start that process. Now, building your LinkedIn is better to uh the build it build your LinkedIn and build

Identity Loss And Finding Purpose

SPEAKER_03 20:55

your network before you need it. So better to have a network and and not need it to need a network and not have one. And so a lot of people I come across a lot of people who don't even create LinkedIn.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

Same. Yeah, yeah, that's a totally underutilized resource in itself, right there. And um, again, you know, a long time ago, I remember when you put me onto Act Now and you were telling me about the whole LinkedIn process, and I was like, what? That's crazy. But it pays off, it makes sense and it works. Building your network now is especially for me since I'm transitioning in about two years, right? That'll be my actual outdate. Um just the people that I've met, people that I've worked with, and just that closeness that we have, like that is like I said, that goes back to that uh camaraderie that we used to have in the service. So I'm super thankful for that.

SPEAKER_03 21:51

Yeah. And we'll make sure we'll share this stuff with you guys so you have um uh the documentation as well. But uh when it You look at it, uh, you got your 12 months out, you know, looking at your transition hitting up top class, doing your ACP, you know, touching base with the mentor, um, and then taking advantage of any um starting to look into skill bridge opportunities because you got a few months out from there, making sure your medical is done. That's the only thing I know. Every single veteran tells active duty first, medical, medical, go to medical. Go to use up your pinky toe. Go to medical, yeah. Your toenail fell off. Go to medical for everything. Um, and it's important because we don't do that at often. Like I was looking at how many times I go to medical out of the very fairly. Other other than like the yearly physical exams, I don't ever go to medical. Um, even when I am sick or I need to go, I just like you know, but that's not good.

SPEAKER_02 22:52

Yeah, yeah. You know what it is, too? We get I think we get so caught up in taking care of other people, and you know, our sailors or airmen are our our personnel around us. We get so wrapped up in taking care of other people, we forget to take care of ourselves. So it's important to take that knee and remember to take care of yourself spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, whatever it is. Because if you can't take care of yourself, how are we gonna take care of everybody else, right? And that applies to after service as well, too.

SPEAKER_03 23:24

Yeah, a thousand percent. That's up. So I gotta get on that train for sure. Um, and then making sure you make copies of whatever it is that you're doing as far as your medical record, um, getting a sleep study if you need one. Uh, you know, they're they're gonna change some things with the VA benefits and so uh disability. So it's important to just to make sure you document as much as possible um and you also are up to date on that. Um you want to make sure you register for your e-benefits, and then when we get into like the 10-month mark and stuff like that, it's it's making sure that you are checking to see what opportunities are out there, looking into skill bridge, making sure that you are um choosing you know what type of survivor benefits that you want to utilize, and then getting prepared for your permissive TDY if you're gonna take advantage of that. And then um one of the of the important things that we said before is like your last paycheck is not given to you directly, and so they actually are doing some processes to clear that. And so you want to make sure you have some money set aside, and those things are important to have. And so we'll share the transition checklist and we'll be testing this. Like, I'll go through this and see if it, you know, if there's things that we need to add or things that we need to improve, but it's important to be able to have a clear picture of what you want to do.

SPEAKER_02 24:48

You know, one thing I want to add to with the uh SBP survivor benefits program. Um if you don't whether you okay, so if you decline coverage and you go with your own life insurance that you purchase, you know, elsewhere, cool. If you don't fill out the SBP form or you don't turn it in and your retirement date approaches, um that survivor benefits program deduction will apply to your retirement pay automatically. So just be mindful if you're going through the transition. If you don't want to um elect SBP, make sure that you indicate that on the I think it's a DD2656 form for SBP.

SPEAKER_03 25:31

That's good to know. Yeah, I don't take advantage of that. And then also the the um the deliveries on I mean benefits on um delivery on at discharge, the BDD program, taking advantage of that when you had your six-month window mark. I know that some people, if they miss that, you know, you it's essentially a program that allows you to, as soon as you get discharged, you you get your rating. Even if it's like uh delayed, it's still like you will get it uh roughly around that time frame. And so it's important to make sure that you take advantage of that too. So I'm gonna be taking advantage of that and we'll be looking into it and making sure that I don't miss that window because I know a lot of people, I've heard a lot of people miss their window. They wait until they get to four months or three months, and it's too late to be able to process that.

SPEAKER_02 26:20

Um yeah I seen in I seen in the chat Laura Bell says uh she's been planning her exit since 2013. Wow. Oh man, that's a story I'd love to hear.

SPEAKER_03 26:36

When do you get out? When's your transition date?

SPEAKER_05 26:44

Okay, look. 31 August 2027.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

Okay. So you you definitely down with the crew. You definitely down with you riding with you riding with us. We're gonna be doing this together.

SPEAKER_02 26:56

That's what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_03 26:58

Yeah. I'm gonna share, uh, I don't know if you guys have these resources, but I'm gonna share the resources in the chat so that you guys have them as well. Um I said, feel free to to make changes if you need to. Um, but this is just something to kind of help us gear us and guide us. All right, so we covered a few things, you know, and a few items that's feeling helpful to folks. Um what are some things that you are thinking about in terms of your transition or things that you guys questions that you guys may have um in terms of what it is that you're looking to do or or thinking about.

SPEAKER_04 27:38

Let me grab this one in here too. I think for me, um, one of the other things is having a purpose while you're still in.

SPEAKER_03 27:58

Right? I know some people check out during this time frame or they slow down during this time frame, and this is definitely not the time frame for that. Um, I I would say you you would want to go hard on your transition because once you're done, you're done. Everyone transitions once. Uh so yeah, it's it's something that uh you don't want to take lightly. Uh and let me share this framework. Feeling underprepared no matter how hard I've been working. That is that is true. When when do you transition, Imani?

SPEAKER_05 28:38

Okay, yeah, you're right around the point. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 28:41

Wow. So Imani, I got a question for you, right? So feeling unprepared, no matter how hard you've been working, in your eyes, um, what does being prepared for yourself look like?

SPEAKER_03 28:54

And uh, for those who are watching online, she's transitioning in July 2026.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

That is like right around the corner.

SPEAKER_04 29:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

So, what does prep being prepared look like in through your eyes, through your lens, Imani? What do what does that look like for you? And the reason I'm asking, right, is because like me and Jay, we're going through this process along with many of you in the chat. And we're trying to figure it out. So I'm I just want to get like a uh perspective.

SPEAKER_03 29:28

You can type it. You can type it. We definitely come back to you. You can type it.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:35

But I I know as soon as I read that, July 2026, I put myself there, and I was like, I'm not ready. Where's this reenlistment package at? But that that's a real feeling, right? And that's that nervousness. Like, you don't want to mess this up, you want to get it right. Um and as much as you may want to leave the service, like like you said, as you're going from something you know to something you're the unknown, like you don't know.

SPEAKER_02 30:05

Like um having to learn everything all over again. You know, it's not like it is in the service, it's the civilian side. Like uh an example, uh, Corinne can attest to this. When we were going through the SHERM course with Nicole Donraj, um, Nicole kept telling me in this cohort that, hey, Nigel, you know the HR stuff and the Navy. And I was like, Yeah, you know, I've been doing it for a while. But as we went through the course and I was learning SHERM and the acronyms and just the way things were on the civilian side, boy, that was a whole different world to me. So, you know, we go from operating op tempo up here and then having to come back down here and have a slice of that humble pie and just learn everything from the ground up. That's that's a tough adjustment.

SPEAKER_03 30:55

Yeah, yeah. I I would agree, you know. Um I probably got one more tool to share for the day.

SPEAKER_02 31:05

Um, look, Caesar, we got a comment from Caesar. He separated uh this January, 2026, and it's been an exciting journey.

SPEAKER_03 31:13

Let's talk about that. Caesar. Oh well, that's refreshing.

SPEAKER_05 31:17

Oh yes, hello. Can you hear me? Alright, how's it going?

Real Stories From Recent Transitions

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Um, so yeah, it was uh very, very exciting. So I I like the the template you guys put out that the uh one year, three months, six months template. And uh I feel like that is like a perfect alignment of where you need to be at engage yourself. Um, but I will say there are some situations, like for my situation, my last year I got set on deployment. So some situations don't allow you to do those tasks um like how we have on those templates. Um so I would say for the people in the chat, take advantage of that. Um you if you are not on deployment on a ship or uh out uh boots on ground or something like that. And I will say one of the things that I personally would do over would be the skill bridge situation. I was coming off a deployment, 11 months on a ship, and last thing I want to do was go on a skill bridge and hey, uh, I want to work more or I want to uh understand a role. I just want to, you know, kick my feet up, relax, and uh mellow out a little bit. And I would do that over again just because a lot of these companies view Skillbridge as an internship and a gateway to step into a lot of these roles. Um, so like for example, when I was uh doing this Thursday with the Vets and Tech situation, a lot of these big uh 500 fortune companies uh in order to step into these roles, a skillbridge situation was really, really easy to do that. Um, another one I would probably give for advice would be with the money situation that you guys talked about. Um, since I've been out in January, I have been job searching since about a week and a half ago, because I picked up a uh PM job about a week and a half ago. So having that backup money to was staying a couple weeks or even months, which I, you know, fortunately was able to do um just to cover either like basic living while you are transitioning into finding a role or getting into a position that will bring in income. Um, so I definitely 100% agree with that. And uh yeah, it's it's it will be for people that are stepping into the civilian side without a position already lined up for you or just something on the other side. I uh have talked to a lot of service members that have been through uh Lockheed or Boeing or a lot of the defensive companies, and they all you know agree that there are times where you kind of get down, you kind of get upset, or there's a lot of times you're maybe even sometimes depressed about I'm not getting a role for a month or not hearing something for two months. But at the there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I was able to get a uh PM job, like I said, with Vet Claims AI. So if any of you guys need any device on top of the claims as well, uh I'll probably put my LinkedIn and we can connect to there as well.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

I'm sorry, did you say vet claims like uh disability ratings?

SPEAKER_01 34:42

So, yeah, so vet claims is a company that deals with um disability ratings for veterans that are having trouble or they don't know where to step in or even where to start. And then uh they able to do it through um the updated AI and also with a lot of the technology that's coming out.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

Oh, wow, that's amazing, man. Thank you for putting that out, and thanks for sharing that. That's yeah, a huge resource.

SPEAKER_01 35:09

Yeah, no problem. It was uh it was founded by a veteran as well, so he knows uh the all the tricks and things that we have to go through in order to get that claim.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

And nowadays, you know, it's it's becoming harder, you know, to get rated for what you deserve, you know, from what I'm seeing and hearing. So all the help we can get, um, much, much appreciated.

unknown 35:32

Right.

SPEAKER_02 35:32

And um, yeah, I'll I'll drop my uh LinkedIn as well into the chat. So, you know, if you're on here, let's connect. You know, let's let's take this and ride this to the end.

SPEAKER_03 35:43

All right, all right. All right, thank you so much. Thank you. Amani, you have your audio back on?

SPEAKER_08 35:51

I do, I do.

SPEAKER_03 35:54

Hey, so let us know how you're feeling with this uh July 2026.

SPEAKER_08 35:59

Well, sorry in advance, it's uh 2 34 in the morning, so I am uh prepared for video chat, but um I think um because I spent so much time um since I've been in service, like 100% like dedicated to the mission and my job, like nothing else. Um, I spent zero time on myself professionally and uh personally. Um and I mean I don't regret it because I signed my contract so that I could, you know, do my job. Um, but I think now that I kind of locked in and made the decision to 100% separate um from the military, it just kind of hit me all at once. And I was like, okay, cool, I'm gonna do this. And now I'm like, cool, I'm not ready to do this, but I don't have a lot of time to, you know, make things happen. And I I have really big goals. Like my dream is to work overseas um and stay where I am or go, you know, to another overseas location. And those aren't um small goals that I have. And I don't know, I feel like I just kind of put myself in a situation where I was not matching the civilian aspect of how great I might look in the Navy. Like I look great in the Navy, I look I look great, you know, as far as like the military stance goes, but as far as the civilian specter, especially being IT, like everything is moving like constantly. It's more certifications every day. Um, you know, it's just it is a big change.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

Imani, you said you were overseas.

SPEAKER_08 37:50

I am.

SPEAKER_02 37:52

Jay, weren't we on the rundown early and there was a sofa?

SPEAKER_03 37:56

Yeah, sofa, yeah. We've talked about sofa agreements and a sofa visa. So yeah, sofa visa. Yeah, is uh knowing that and knowing the process for that and just being able to work under that um and some disclaimers with that. But it it is like you said, it and that's that's the thing that a lot of people definitely want. Some people want to be overseas because the quality of life is better, um, and you know, the opportunities, but how do you do that? And I've I've from what I've gathered, like they've told me as you transition, you got to come back to the state side, and then you got to find the opportunity that pulls you overseas. Um, and you got to be looking for that stuff like as you transition. And so there are some tools definitely that you can kind of take advantage of um that that have list opportunities overseas. Like if you go to it's called NLX uh jobs, they have a bunch of jobs that's everywhere around the world. Um, and they do have some things that you can find that's like overseas that can kind of help you. But then like the other thing is you're looking at companies specifically, like what companies have what contracts at what basis. Uh we were talking about that earlier, and so that's just another thing that it's a it's a process, right? Is it's definitely a process. Um, it's not easy, but it is it's just something that to kind of coordinate and go through. Um, but one thing that I would say that could definitely help with that, and uh it's it's a I share this a bit, but I'm gonna share it now, is a focus framework uh that I've talked about. Um and you kind of hit on it, right? You you spend eight hours a day focusing on mission, and a lot of us do that. It's kind of hard to detach yourself as you're transitioning and you're still in the role and it kind of focused on you know the stuff that you have because you you you want to act like you're still working, but you got things to take care of. And and for the most part, like we kind of push those things that we have to take care of for ourselves off. Like, yeah, I know I gotta go to medical, but you know, who's gonna do this paperwork that needs to be done, or who needs to coordinate this, or you know, who and so we put ourselves in a position predicament that it's just hard to kind of control. And so what I want to talk about for here is, and this is something I use to help me. So, like if you spend eight hours a day, you know, supporting uh a company or organization or whatever, whatever

Overseas Goals And The 3-2-1 Framework

SPEAKER_03 40:25

it is that you do, you should at least have two to three hours a day for yourself. It's important to factor that in because you need to be able to build whether you're staying out or getting out, you still need to be able to build that. And so this framework it focuses on um three focus areas, and the way it breaks down is the first thing is touching base with people in the industry that you want to go into. So for like a money situation is just reaching out to possible contractors that are in the roles that she wants to, you know, apply to, or talking to different companies overseas um and get doing like informational interviews. How did you get there? What was the process? Can you let me know what that looks like? And making sure you have those three conversations each month, right? So at least at the very minimum, have three conversations a month with individuals that's in the industry that you you care about so that you can kind of like guide yourself on that. You can use you know platforms like Mill Mentor or ACP to touch base with folks for free and get a good understanding, but that'll help guide guide you as you transition. And then the other thing is going to two events, like attending events. It's important to be able to attend events, especially for companies that have opportunities or resources, whether it be resume building, your LinkedIn, whatever it is, these things are going to help you refine. And so those are things I plan on incorporating once um uh as I see different schedules come across. And then the last thing is like I have a monthly goal. Every month I have one goal that I work at and I attack. And so I work on that goal, whether it's you know, I'm trying to build out something or I'm trying to implement something that's gonna help me in my transition, or it's gonna help me in one of the businesses I'm running. All those things collectively together. And if you look at that, depending on how many months you have left in, you can think it like if it's within a year, you have 36 people that you've contacted, right? You have 24 places or 24 events that you've been through, and then you have 12 goals that you accomplished. That's just breeding success for you. Uh, what's your thoughts, Nigel?

SPEAKER_02 42:39

I think uh, you know, the 321 focus framework, if you stick to this, this this will get you on the right track. Like, you know, having the uh the intentional conversations, right? Um, connecting with people, um, updating the resume on LinkedIn or building one partnership. I just built a partnership right now with Caesar, you know. Um resume updates. Jay, are we are we still cleared hot on Career Flow?

SPEAKER_03 43:09

Yeah, we are.

SPEAKER_02 43:10

We are, right? So for those of you that are still um in the market looking for a job or pivoting into something different, um let's connect on LinkedIn. Let me know how I can help. You know, I have the database that uh Jay was talking about earlier with NLX. Um I can help along the way with you know the optimization. Um message me on the side. Let's connect and then you know let's work together on that.

SPEAKER_03 43:42

Yeah. And if you guys have any questions for us, we did create an email for this podcast. Um, and it's it's it's just tm at acnoweducation.org. Um, and so please feel free to to to reach out to us and we'll be able to help you and respond to that as well. But like I said, the goal is just to To bring in resources is not going to be like a heavy lift, but it's essentially being able to collectively as a community transition together. Everyone's going to be at different stages, everyone's going to be focusing on different things, but collectively we come together to kind of figure out how to make this work. Um, we all will have a better successful outcome.

SPEAKER_04 44:18

Don't do it alone.

SPEAKER_05 44:19

Um, Corinne?

SPEAKER_06 44:25

Um, I my question is for male spouses. Like, how can you help male spouses on their transition, either out of the military with their spouse or just on their own?

SPEAKER_03 44:39

Yeah, I feel like honestly, I feel like there's no big difference. Um, the the I mean, for spouses, uh, the

Spouses Support And Closing Resources

SPEAKER_03 44:48

the key difference is the support line, right? For the military, we have all these different avenues that you can kind of touch into, but spouses are trying to figure out what resources are available to them. And so for us, working on your resume, um, being able to provide you some resources and tools that help you align what opportunities may be available. Um, just like we have Skillbridge, there's fellowship program with MSEP, um, and we have connections to that, and that's the career accelerator program that they have that you can get 90 days working for a company, uh, and there's a list of different companies that will take you on. And so just having a game plan for your transition, um, because whether you are getting PCS or you know, your spouse is actually transitioning out the military, there's things that spouses need to do for themselves because a lot of times you've sacrificed your career, your time, and your energy to support your service member. And that that that and then when it's time for you to focus on yourself, you don't know what that looks like because you haven't done it, right? And it's not something that you've been worked on. So it I think, in a sense, it's the same thing, finding that sense of purpose. What career fields am I interested in? Who should I be reaching out to? And I think that framework, the focus framework works for anybody and everybody. And so we'll be able to kind of talk about those things um and touch base more on those opportunities as they come through. And then for spouses that are interested and kind of like going through that process of, you know, how am I landing a job? Um, it's just like what Caesar said, she said, like, you know, that one a month, two months where you're not getting a call back, you know, that's fine. Danny, it gets you scared a little bit. But if if six or eight months have gone by and you haven't received a call back from a company that you're reaching out to, that could be, you know, devastating. Um and it could be extremely scary if your transitioning service member is getting out and they're looking for a job, and that's the only set of income that they have is maybe their disability and their retirement pay, or if they may not have retirement. And so, how do you kind of work through those those concerns? Because it's the the pressure is still there. The bills are not gonna go away. You may be transitioning, but those bills are not gonna go, they're gonna be there for you waiting. So, like, look at that process. And so that's what we're gonna try to help for whether you're a spouse transition service member, um give you some of the tools and resources, and then for the veterans that join, listening to what they have to share uh so that we can be able to take advantage of that.

SPEAKER_06 47:25

Yeah, I just wanted to bring that up just in case we have spouses joining in or in the future segments that spouses pop up. But Imani, I also in Europe, it's almost three. I'm still up in the hotel lobby. So yeah, I haven't left the couch because I've been telling everybody about AE passing in. So I've still been here from the rundown. So yeah, I haven't been to my room. Just the dedication, you know.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

Yeah, that is motivation and dedication right there.

SPEAKER_03 47:59

Well, we're gonna hear wrap this up, you know, and this is just our first of many episodes as we start to go through the transition process, and we want to like say always keep it like an open forum. Um, because we really want people to get the most out of this. We want to talk to anybody, even though there's a lot of resources that threw in there. We really just want people to be able to understand the transition. Because as I go through this, I'm trying to figure out what my left and right limits are. What do I need to focus on? And you know you can't do everything. You try, but you know you can't do anything, everything. So you have to kind of figure out what works for you based off the time, what's important, what's not.

SPEAKER_02 48:38

Um I think, you know, we were touching on this earlier, you know, people applying to jobs and not hearing anything back. Months go by and you don't hear anything back. Um that could be a lot of pressure when you're transitioning out. But I think from what I've seen, um the applications are good, but they don't always necessarily get you in the room. It's the relationships. So let's, you know, keep building the network. Uh, like Jay said, this is just an open forum discussion. There's no right or wrong answers, you know. Let's all uh learn from each other and help support each other. And I'm looking forward to it every week. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:21

We need to do this so that we can stay on top of our kind, our game as well. So absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 49:25

Help hold us accountable, man. We we don't know what we're doing.

SPEAKER_03 49:29

We're trying to figure it out as well. Um but we appreciate you guys for joining our first session. Um, we look forward to to continue this conversation. And please feel free if you got any questions or topics that you want us to talk about, definitely email us at you know tm at acnoweducation.org. Um uh that's tangomic at acnoweducation.org, and we'll take a look at it and we'll make sure we incorporate it. But we got a few sessions to do uh before I transition and then um you know Nigel transition and then you know we hope to keep this going so people can get a lot of value out of it. So I appreciate you guys for joining. Thank you for tuning in, and I want you guys to have an awesome rest of your week. Uh and yeah, we'll follow up with you later.

SPEAKER_02 50:15

It's been real.

SPEAKER_03 50:16

Yeah, real fun. All right, everyone.

SPEAKER_04 50:19

Bye everyone.

SPEAKER_00 50:22

Thank you for listening to ACNow Education's transition with us. We hope you learned and were able to connect with others today and gain some awesome resources. You can go to our website at www.acnoweducation.org to sign up for our newsletter and also join us on our private Facebook group where we provide more resources and have more interaction with our community. So until next time, take care.