Many transitioning servicemembers entering the civilian legal profession struggle with finding their employment niche and advancing in an unfamiliar system. This type of transition can reflect significant cultural, functional, and goal-oriented shifts that contrast sharply with the expectations and roles they encountered in uniform.

 

MOAA addressed these concerns and others in a webinar moderated by Capt. Erin Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), MOAA’s senior director of council and chapter affairs and a retired member of the Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps – one of dozens of webinars on transitioning and other topics available as a benefit of Premium or Life membership. Stone and a panel of experts outlined some of the pathways transitioning servicemembers may pursue. Here are a few of the tips they shared:

 

[PREMIUM/LIFE MEMBER EXCLUSIVE: Career Transition and Advancement for Attorneys]

 

1. It is never too early to start networking. Give yourself an edge by making connections before you leave service; this provides a significant advantage over those who wait. Try to use websites such as LinkedIn to, as Houston-based lawyer David McNeal advises, “find somebody who resembles a job that you may be interested in, and reach out to them, and ask them questions.”

 

2. Getting your first position is important, but you won’t be there forever. The field is competitive. Whether or not you consider your first post-service job satisfactory, it will provide a learning opportunity. You will gain legal experience, and you will know whether a certain work environment is conducive to your values.

 

3. Do not be surprised if you are pigeonholed. This advice especially applies to former JAGs. If you find yourself in a position where you have recently focused on only one aspect of the law, remember to continue your legal training to sustain your skillset, and to investigate the other options you may have in your current position.

 

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4. Seek out the culture you want. While some areas can reflect structural hierarchy akin to what you experienced in the military, other environments are more casual. You may crave either option following service. One example: Sue Stewart, JAGC, USN (Ret), an assistant general counsel for employment law at South San Francisco-based Genentech/Roche Pharma, said her position’s casual environment allows her to wear jeans. Try to figure out if a hierarchical, casual, or in-between environment will be best for you.

 

5. Your military values are some of your most important attributes. Remember what you learned in service. Not only will these values help you identify whether you can thrive in a given environment, your reliability and strong work ethic will help you contribute to the team.

 

Changes in employment can feel overwhelming, maybe even isolating. No matter where you are along the journey, MOAA offers tools, resources, and services to assist you. Premium and Life members can access MOAA’s résumé critique service, while Life members can take advantage of a two-hour consultation with a federal hiring expert as part of your suite of MOAA membership benefits.

 

Need additional advice from financial experts who specialize in serving those who served? MOAA’s Transition and Career Center is a great resource for upcoming events, webinars, programs, and publications.