New work......

[joemilitary]

So as I posted before I am looking to get out of the military in about a year and half....after more than 20 years in (probably retire as a major (officer))

transitioning makes me somewhat anxious

I work in a field that would seem to translate easy to civilian sector (financial management) except government stuff is so much more different than civilian stuff so it's not like I could be a civilian financial guy.....I am interested in maybe continuing working civilian for the government in a similar field (but the systems changed recently and would require me to re-learn)

I have a MBA from a decent school (not great, but not an online school (no offense))

So if I come off the teaching thing, and government work doesn't pan out....... I would rather do some mid level management type work

could you see companies going for me for that?  or would I be "overqualified" for that?

another idea is some banking management training programs I see advertised....but again I wonder if I am overqualified or too "old" for those....

thoughts?

ETA- I guess I wasn't too clear.......basically if I go regular civilian work (corporate) I am not interested in doing finance stuff or if I do it would be lower level to learn from the ground up

 

[ArchietheDragon]

what salary would you be looking for?

[ken a.k.a OMK]

Companies that do DOD work hire retired military trained in military systems like finance. Understanding the military language and programs are an asset. So look at Lockheed Martin, Grumen, Textron etc.

[justme]

I used to work in financial management on DoD contracts. (Just moved to the private industry) Well over half the people I worked with were former military so that's definitely an option. Only downside would be where you want to live - most of the jobs are going to be near bases.

Oh and in my experience the contract jobs aren't as lucrative as people claim. A former co-worker took a job as a civ and got around a 25% raise and I got the same about jumping to private.

[Deleted]

Not career advice but consider keeping your TSP, I've seen a lot of posts on other message boards of people regretting rolling it to an IRA

[phil5185]

Companies that do DOD work hire retired military trained in military systems like finance. Understanding the military language and programs are an asset. So look at Lockheed Martin, Grumen, Textron etc.

Also General Dynamics, Raytheon, Boeing, Alliant Tech, Nortrop, Honeywell, Texas Ins, Varo, JPL in Pasadina, and many more - I think there is a directory of DoD contractors online.  About half of our Marketing folks were retired military, retired fighter pilots, etc.

[gooddecisions]

Just about everyone I know in the D.C. area gets paid via the defense budget. They work for private companies on government contracts. No, you are not too old. If you can get a foot in the door, you will make good money. Good luck!

[justme]

There's also several companies that do finance that don't actually make stuff too. Techelote, Galorath, Technomics, Mitre, etc.

Eta there's a good chance I butchered the spelling.

[joemilitary]

Salary I am looking for is about $60 K...that's another thing it would be a downgrade in salary.....is that taboo?

with my retirement check, I am looking to press the re-set button, refresh and learn something new.  I realize it will be work, but thinking not as stressful

thoughts?

thanks all

[Ombud]

I'm so glad I hit the reset button. Took 10 years to get back up to that salary. But I do it again in a heartbeat

Will you be able to draw on your pension immediately or do you have to wait a number of years?

[phil5185]

Salary I am looking for is about $60 K...that's another thing it would be a downgrade in salary.....is that taboo?

with my retirement check, I am looking to press the re-set button, refresh and learn something new. I realize it will be work, but thinking not as stressful

I think the opposite is true - ie, the job in the private sector will be more stressful. They have more leverage - the boss can fire you at any time (not subject to cause, reviews, appeals, buerocracy. And the boss can cut your pay, cut your hours - or demand extra hours. In the military, your pay is protected via the 'grade' system, and you cannot be fired. Time in the brig is about all that can happen.

[zibazinski]

See my pm to you.

[joemilitary]

Dec 30, 2014 16:12:33 GMT -5 Ombud said:

I'm so glad I hit the reset button. Took 10 years to get back up to that salary. But I do it again in a heartbeat

Will you be able to draw on your pension immediately or do you have to wait a number of years?

my pension would start immediately

[joemilitary]

Dec 30, 2014 16:21:45 GMT -5 phil5185 said:

Salary I am looking for is about $60 K...that's another thing it would be a downgrade in salary.....is that taboo?

with my retirement check, I am looking to press the re-set button, refresh and learn something new. I realize it will be work, but thinking not as stressful

I think the opposite is true - ie, the job in the private sector will be more stressful. They have more leverage - the boss can fire you at any time (not subject to cause, reviews, appeals, buerocracy. And the boss can cut your pay, cut your hours - or demand extra hours. In the military, your pay is protected via the 'grade' system, and you cannot be fired. Time in the brig is about all that can happen.

ahhh....... I agree and disagree.......they can't deploy me to a war zone, force me to move somewhere every 3 years and stuff like that.....and I also have the option to quit / look for other work........but I agree with your point about being able to fire me, cut my pay, etc......

[gooddecisions]

duplicate post

[gooddecisions]

Dec 31, 2014 8:56:31 GMT -5 joemilitary said:

Dec 30, 2014 16:21:45 GMT -5 phil5185 said:

I think the opposite is true - ie, the job in the private sector will be more stressful. They have more leverage - the boss can fire you at any time (not subject to cause, reviews, appeals, buerocracy. And the boss can cut your pay, cut your hours - or demand extra hours. In the military, your pay is protected via the 'grade' system, and you cannot be fired. Time in the brig is about all that can happen.

ahhh....... I agree and disagree.......they can't deploy me to a war zone, force me to move somewhere every 3 years and stuff like that.....and I also have the option to quit / look for other work........but I agree with your point about being able to fire me, cut my pay, etc......

Just to warn you, shady, political crap happens in the private sector as well. There are horrible bosses, toxic co-workers, difficult customers and so on. If you are lucky, you'll find a place that isn't dysfunctional.

I witnessed a very similar scenario to the one you posted on messed up at work. It wasn't me, but my boss. Like you, he did the right thing and went to bat for his direct report and ended up demoted. Next thing we knew, he was out on a 6 week leave of absence for stress. He was passed over for numerous promotions and it took him 4 years to get back to the level of his old position. Not surprisingly, it wasn't until after his former boss left the company. It's not always so easy to just go out and find a new job, so you learn to walk the walk and talk the talk.

[Ombud]

joemilitary, so it doesn't matter if you make less. Your only looking to replace the difference between what you currently earn and the pension. This also alleviates a lot of the stress on the new job if the pension covers the basics: housing, utilities, food. Things get bad ... you change jobs

[justme]

Dec 31, 2014 8:56:31 GMT -5 joemilitary said:

Dec 30, 2014 16:21:45 GMT -5 phil5185 said:

I think the opposite is true - ie, the job in the private sector will be more stressful. They have more leverage - the boss can fire you at any time (not subject to cause, reviews, appeals, buerocracy. And the boss can cut your pay, cut your hours - or demand extra hours. In the military, your pay is protected via the 'grade' system, and you cannot be fired. Time in the brig is about all that can happen.

ahhh....... I agree and disagree.......they can't deploy me to a war zone, force me to move somewhere every 3 years and stuff like that.....and I also have the option to quit / look for other work........but I agree with your point about being able to fire me, cut my pay, etc......

Just an fyi, government contractors live and die by contracts. I was with my company for four and a half years. After losing two contracts for reasons that has nothing to with our performance I was given a move or laid off option.

[joemilitary]

Dec 31, 2014 9:09:09 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

Dec 31, 2014 8:56:31 GMT -5 joemilitary said:

ahhh....... I agree and disagree.......they can't deploy me to a war zone, force me to move somewhere every 3 years and stuff like that.....and I also have the option to quit / look for other work........but I agree with your point about being able to fire me, cut my pay, etc......

Just to warn you, shady, political crap happens in the private sector as well. There are horrible bosses, toxic co-workers, difficult customers and so on. If you are lucky, you'll find a place that isn't dysfunctional.

I witnessed a very similar scenario to the one you posted on messed up at work. It wasn't me, but my boss. Like you, he did the right thing and went to bat for his direct report and ended up demoted. Next thing we knew, he was out on a 6 week leave of absence for stress. He was passed over for numerous promotions and it took him 4 years to get back to the level of his old position. Not surprisingly, it wasn't until after his former boss left the company. It's not always so easy to just go out and find a new job, so you learn to walk the walk and talk the talk.

yeah that's the part I missed.......the walk the walk and talk the talk......

[ArchietheDragon]

At $60k, you may be overqualified.   You should be thinking more like $120k. 

[joemilitary]

Dec 31, 2014 11:18:38 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

At $60k, you may be overqualified.   You should be thinking more like $120k. 

yeah Arch. that's my issue....doing what exactly at $120 K?

[ArchietheDragon]

Dec 31, 2014 11:24:02 GMT -5 joemilitary said:

Dec 31, 2014 11:18:38 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

At $60k, you may be overqualified.   You should be thinking more like $120k. 

yeah Arch. that's my issue....doing what exactly at $120 K?

Middle management at a big multinational defense company. 

[milee]

Agree with Archie that $120k at a big multinational defense co is a reasonable target.

If you're looking to make a total break and not go into military related work, though, the $60k - $70k is a reasonable target for private, non-defense related industry in most MCOLA areas. There's a wide range of jobs in that salary band so you'd have a huge amount of options.

[joemilitary]

Thanks milee, but I do wonder about being "overqualified" regardless.....but if I highlight the change of work do you think that would go over OK?

[justme]

As a point of reference I was offered a mid level government contract job in finance just outside of Boston for 70k. Also a mid level an hour south of D.C. for 63.

The manager did mention that they low bid the rates for that contract, but if anything rates are going down all over. You're not losing contracts on technical merit, at least on the cost/finance/pm side, you're losing it purely on cost.

[wvugurl26]

I would imagine most contracts probably aren't like mine. Cost was not the sole deciding factor for us. Then again no two bids were identical. I could see something like a call center or IT coverage being more equal. I'm not looking forward to rebid and evaluation. I know in some they have to go by costs.

[justme]

It's not the sole factor, but they are in a LPTA phase - lowest price technically acceptable. So most of the time the contract that wins (again, speaking to service contracts not builds) bid the lowest rates.

There's other technicalities like not being on the right schedule or your mid levels having only five years instead of the eight they required. But from my experience cost is a big factor.