If, on the other hand, you did not reach your full potential while in the military, the slate is wiped clean and you have a new opportunity to excel. Few jobs are available for me in today's competitive job market. This may be true if you lack marketable skills and insist on applying for jobs listed in newspapers, employment agencies, or personnel offices. Competition in the advertised job market usually is high, especially for jobs requiring few skills. Numerous jobs with limited competition are available in the hidden job market.
Jobs requiring advanced technical skills often go begging.
If you are interested in a particular field of employment but don't currently have the skills or work experience required, you might consider going to school to attain the certificate or degree required. We recommend you talk to an educational counselor prior to separating or retiring from the Army to ensure you know the educational benefits for which you qualify. Participation in some of the educational benefit programs have stipulations that require you to take action within a certain time period. For example, many of today's unemployed are highly skilled in the old technology of the industrial society, but they live and own homes in economically depressed communities. These people lack the necessary skills and mobility required for getting jobs in high-tech, growth communities.