Military to Civilian Career Transitions

Abstract

Upon release from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), military Veterans can face multiple barriers to employment. Having worked with members of the military population, we have found that in some cases, this is a first attempt to find civilian employment after decades of dormant job search skill development. It can be likened to that of an expatriate plunged into a new country. For these CAF members in career transition, they strive to establish workforce commonalities of language, culture, identity and community. Simultaneously, they face perceived stereotypes from those unaware or misinformed about military roles, culture, and experiences. Despite numerous third party agencies and military organizations seeking to address the issue of career transition, the current infrastructure lacks the cohesion, structure and consistent credentialing required to properly support releasing CAF personnel. This article includes survey data, client conversations and secondary research, and is based on the professional experience of the two authors: a military spouse and certified career professional; and a former serving member (veteran), military spouse, military mother and leading authority on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the military community.