Challenges faced by Indian Military Officers During Career Transition From Military to Corporate

   . In this article, we will highlight the various career related problems faced by the military officers of Indian armed forces during their transition from military to corporate. These articles are also published on www.militarytocorporate.net   

 In order to find ways to ensure seamless transition from military to civil, you need to first understand the  peculiar problems related to career transition  faced by the retiring military officers. While some of you, generally Short Service commission officers,  would  be hanging the uniform at the age of 32-36 years with around 10 years of military experience, Most of you would be taking the call  at the age of 41 plus years with 20 plus years of vast military experience under your belt. Irrespective of age bracket you are in and number of years  of experience you have,  Almost all of you military officers will face one or more career related challenges mentioned below:-

§ The single biggest challenge for you related to career post transition  is to find out which industry is most suitable for you. During your career with forces, You have held various appointments such as Staff officer, Company Commander , and other similar appointments. During these appointments you have gained diverse experiences that make you eligible for various industries. Being in Security forces, you not only qualify for the traditional domains such as Administration, Security and Human Resource but also eligible for domains such as Marketing, Logistics, Supply, Hospitality management, Operations, Sales and many more.  You think that you’re fit to be absorbed in anyone of these domains, however, you find yourself caught at the crossroads when it comes to deciding the right path based upon your interests, skills, strengths and weaknesses.

§     Another  common challenge  faced by you, officers of all three services of Indian armed forces,  is how to translate your military skills to corporate job experience.  Unfamiliar with the language prevailing in the business environment, Most of you think that you have the required tools to be successful but are handicapped when it comes to transforming them into corporate job description. Many military friendly companies have informed us  that military veterans don’t convey the skills and expertise  in the ways that are relevant as per their job requirement. Also, Some companies have been candid in admitting the  lack of knowledge and experience their HR recruiters have about the military skills and how to scrutinise them to  identify the best suitable military officer.  Thus lack of awareness on “ how job skills translate from military to corporate” on part of both companies and military persons hinders career avenues for veterans.  The same problem is experienced while writing the job resume. Since you write your resume in military language , HR recruiters don’t understand your skills. Lack of understanding on part of both leaves a lot of scope for compatibility to be achieved

§   Many of you feel that you don’t have the required knowledge to be successful in corporate environment and thus many of you don’t feel ready for the retirement. Some of you feel that you need more time before retirement so that you can either acquire the necessary education(Certified skill centric courses such as 6 Sigma, PMP, Inventory management course etc) or prepare for the GMAT,CATs and other competitive examinations.

§     Many Companies are hesitant in employing an about to be retired or recently retired military leader as these companies are of the opinion that retirement after 20  plus years of military service will take some time for you to adjust and acclimatise from the structural, hierarchical and formal military culture  to the corporate culture, a case felt by many of  you officers too. However, Most of these companies don’t hesitate in employing those who have some  corporate experience post retirement.  Thus, the negative  view point of the HR recruiters of some companies about the  military leaders entering fresh into the market post transition serves as an impediment to your success outside.

§      Many MNCs have informed about the non-availability of a single platform which can help them in finding the suitable military leaders. There are various platforms available online, however, none has been able to provide complete recruitment solutions. When shared with the concept of             M2C( Military to Corporate ), These companies have shown their willingness to recruit veterans through the M2C. Also, lack of awareness about the  opportunities available in the corporate market most suitable to military officers’  profile places you at disadvantage as you are not able to choose from a bigger pool and encash upon the available opportunities . At times, you  apply for positions which are tangent to your profile, channelizing time and effort in a wrong direction. Also, often some of you forward very general resumes for specific skills positions, a practice that leads to rejection and dissatisfaction.

Besides above ,There are many other challenges such as competition with civil candidates having more corporate experience, lack of civil education,  poor economic situation, and lack of military specific resources. All the above challenges in total make the transition process extremely complex and challenging. 

M2C (Military to Corporate )  has been formed with the vision to  provide a common platform for veterans seeking career consultancy and job opportunities and for companies wanting to hire suitable military officers of Indian armed forces. For more info , Kindly visit  www.militarytocorporate.net .