Indeed, between 15 and 20 million people find themselves unemployed each year. Millions of others try to increase their satisfaction within the workplace as well as advance their careers by looking for alternative jobs and careers. If you are like most other Americans, you will make more than 10 job changes and between three and five career changes during your lifetime. The fact that you have spent many years in the military, where you have already made several job changes, probably means you will make at least two more career changes and six job changes during the rest of your work life. You are now engaging in the first of what may become several job and career changes in your future.
Most people make job or career transitions by accident.
While luck does play a role in finding employment, we recommend that you plan for future job and career changes. As a member of the Army, you can begin planning your luck by using several free or low cost transition services designed for military personnel. Finding a job or changing a career in a systematic and well-planned manner is hard but rewarding work. The task should first be based upon a clear understanding of the key ingredients that define jobs and careers. Starting with this understanding, you should next convert key concepts into action steps for implementing your job search.