Joe Paschall ⋅ Madison, AL nLogic, LLC ⋅ 26 years experience

Hardee, as you may see from the above, you asked the wrong question. The question should be "When do I start Transition Planning" in which case the answer might be "2 years out" and with a timeline like the below:
-24-18 months out get really engaged with LinkedIn, build the network, shape the profile, join groups and engage in discussions...which builds the network.
-18-12 months out start to shape your plan using the info you have picked up from LinkedIn. What are you most qualified to do? Where is the best geo area for your skill set? If you are choosing the geo area first due to spousal agreement, then you have a lot of legwork to shape your job expectations based on what is there, not what you want.
-12-6 months out your resume should already be honed by the changes you have been making to your LI profile and you should have an idea of what to expect in the job market. This is when you get really engaged with your network to determine what types of jobs are out there in your area and reverse-engineer your resume to maximize your impact.
-6 months out it's time to "Hook Up". You may not be able to actually apply for jobs but you can shop the resume around in general and engage in informational interviews.
-90 days out it's time to "Stand, In The Door". You can start interviews and engage although some companies will still not be interested until you are 30 days out.

Ken Henault ⋅ Londonderry, NH Hewlett Packard ⋅ 32 years experience

Now is the ideal time to start networking. LinkedIn is a great tools for keeping track of professional contacts. Who have you worked with out side the military in your field of interest? Who do you know who's left the military recently or is soon to get out.

These people will be ideal connections to the civilian world. The best jobs usually go to someone who knows someone. The more people you know, the more potential connections you have to those best jobs.

Don't just collect names and email addresses. Stay in touch with your contacts, understand what they're doing. Look for opportunities to connect one contact with another.

Rolande Sumner ⋅ Rock Hill, SC U.S. Army National Guard, Sergeant ⋅ 19 years served

I found this very helpful as well. Thank you so much everyone.

Judy Tomlinson ⋅ Dallas, TX Energy Future Holdings ⋅ 25 years experience

I agree with Paul. You should start looking in your field to see what employers are putting in their job descriptions. Then, you taylor your resume to fit those special requirements. Every job type has specific "buzz" words that recruiters look for. Once you identify the job and industry that is your target, I can help you with the resume writing. Send your resume to tomlinsonjk@aol.com
Judy Tomlinson

Scott Goodman ⋅ Waxhaw, NC Siemens ⋅ 30 years experience

Networking is the key. Engulf yourself into the electronic age of all these headhunter and job search engines. Get your name out there, it is much better to recieve a call while you are still on active duty to turn down a position than to be shuffling finacials to get those bills paid waiting for a job offer. start early and network.

Kerry West ⋅ Herndon, VA Accenture ⋅ 13 years experience

The best bet would be 6-8 months out from retirement join Linked-in and The Ladders. You will find free resume writers and most recruiters peruse these websites daily looking for candidates. They also provide great tips upon entering the civilian world. The tool of Linked-in will allow you to connect with recruiters to follow, connect with former colleagues and build your network. Additionally, when you are ready to take the leap into the civilian world, build your network. I agree with Robert, networking is how people will get to know you, what skills you bring to the table and introduce you to other networks.

Frank Aburto ⋅ Jersey City, NJ U.S. Army, Captain ⋅ 6 years served

Just to build on Gail's points, I went through the same issue when I left active duty in 2009. I was trying to be ahead of the game and sent out my resume early to see what I could lock down. I found that this tactic did not work as the job market was still terrible. I changed my tactics and started to network instead. A key trick that worked for me was finding Veterans with my background and asking them what steps they took to get where they were now, what they would change, and what worked well for them. As Craig mentioned, when I sent out my resume prior to returning to the mainland from Schofield Barracks, no one wanted to see it. But when I sent it to people that I had built a solid rapport with they had no issue critiquing it and helping it look good for when I was ready and available.

-Frank

Gail Lesnieski ⋅ New York, NY IBM ⋅ 30 years experience

Never to early to start your networking. Even though you won't be available to hire right away, you can certainly build your network to prepare the ground for employment. Select companies you'd like to work for. Learn what you like about them, see if you know anyone who works there, build networks with those folks through LinkedIn, see if you can schedule an informational interview in advance of your availability to get to know hiring managers needs/wants. That should get you started. Finding the right job is a full-time job.

Paul McKeon ⋅ Chicago, IL Aon ⋅ 33 years experience

Yesterday. Start the process off by picking an industry that may be of interest (Finance) or job type (Accounting) and start researching now. Get the know the industry or profession so you are prepared and be able to discuss with a future employer what their company does or what is expect from a certian position and how the skills you learn in the military apply to a position.. People are impressed when you know what the company does or broad knowledge of the industry as it shows you have done your reseaerch and indicates to the prospective employer that you will apply those same skills on the job. Have you resume out in the market in your last year of service and be sure to indicate the date you will retire so the employer can see if you fit into their hiring plan

Marc Newsome ⋅ West Monroe, NY CSX Railroad ⋅ 6 years experience

Two Months out

Tom Cal, CFA ⋅ San Francisco, CA Army Veteran, Investment Manager ⋅ 25 years experience

COL Green - have you identified your career goals?

Harry Rakfeldt ⋅ Belfair, WA AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants and related products ⋅ 38 years experience

Colonel,

If you haven't done so already, do go to http://www.moaa.org/career/.
the Military Officers Association of America will be a strong source of information and networking.

Cordially,

Harry Rakfeldt

Casey Neff ⋅ Glastonbury, CT Travelers ⋅ 7 years experience

Hardee, having been in your position, I would say 4-6 months out. Spend time from now until then figuring out what you want to do or where you want to live. From there, start researching fields which interest you and try to narrow it down to 6-12 potential employers. Get several people you trust to help with your resume. Have a 98% solution ready before you contact companies. Contact companies about 6 mos out and see if they have a military recruiter. Start talking to him/her about opportunities and help fine-tuning resume. Most companies will be interested in talking to you only within 2-4 months of your availability, so you'll want help 6 months out from their recruiters to help identify opportunities. Good luck. I did exactly what you're doing in 2007; if I could find a job, anyone can.

Veeron Wilson ⋅ Mechanicsville, VA U.S. Army, Master Sergeant ⋅ 20 years served

Michele, thanks, I am in the same situation and find your thoughts helpful.

Michele Wagner ⋅ Apo, AE AECOM ⋅ 26 years experience

At a minimum, it might be good to create a profile on LinkedIn and start networking that way. Please feel free to connect with me and I will be more than happy to forward your profile to others when the time is right. All the best.

Robert Spicer ⋅ Cleveland, OH Lubrizol ⋅ 31 years experience

I too would not look at a resume outside my time window of interest. However, I would encourage you to network. Maybe even try to get some informational phone interviews from companies of interest.

Charles McGrue ⋅ U.S. Army Reserve, Captain ⋅ 21 years served

All good points in these responses. What I did Sir was started networking. Even now I continue to network. It is essential to establish relationships and maintain them; even if it is just a quick check to see how someone is doing. However, try to keep it guinuine. I'd have to agree with Craig the most though when it comes to actually sending out a resume. The majority of employers I've come across have wanted people sooner than later. I have had a few who have said to contact them when I'm ready to get out, but I'm not even sure when that will be.

The last time I got off of active duty I started six months out updating my resume and getting it on search engines, and reaching out for various companies I was interested in. About three months out is when I got hot and heavy at making sure I was checking out various companies and doing follow up phone calls for those companies I sent my resume too. Just keep in mind, not all companies want you to use the means in which they posted the job requisition. Some will tell you how they want your resume and who to send it to. Communication will be key, and starting off with a phone interview is always an option.

As Gail stated, finding a job is a full time job; which is why I started six months out. And as Paul stated, knowing what the company does, that you are interested in is key; especially if you understand the corporate culture. Most companies have a website that you can browse to learn more about the company, so that will probably be your evening reading as you continue your job hunt.

Charles

Craig Cotter ⋅ Friendswood, TX Oxy ⋅ 20 years experience

As someone who hires, I only want to review resumes of people who I can hire in my window of interest. If you send your resume out, get it out to headhunters and agencies in preparation for entering the market, but as a hiring manager, I would not review your resume 2 years out.