Pink Slips And Military Downsizing: How to Prepare In Case You Get The Boot

military-veterans-imageThe recent news tell of downsizing in the army. Even if it is just the army (for now), we feel that this is a topic worth discussing.

As everything is starting to wind down it is only natural that downsizing happens in the military.

Pink Slips are being given to thousands of military soldiers who have just served from Afghanistan.

This will mean that there will be about 70,000 men and women coming home and looking for a job.

Aside from that, new recruits will also be affected as well as senior officers and middle officers.

Clearly, this is really not the best situation for our guys.

The question remains “What do you do if you get that pink slip?” And this is precisely what we will be discussing today.

Let’s say you’re the guy who gets the pink slip and you basically have about 6 months left.

Click here to listen to the iTunes version of the podcast Pink Slips And Military Downsizing: How to Prepare In Case You Get The Boot

Click here to listen to the Stitcher version of the podcast Pink Slips And Military Downsizing: How to Prepare In Case You Get The Boot

 What can you do in the time you have to start getting ready for the civilian world?

1. Start now. It is just a bad idea to wait for the last moment before you start looking at your options. If you know you have 6 months, start your transition preparation now.

We have basically compiled a list at High Speed Low Drag at some of the things that you need to start thinking of so go ahead and check out that list and figure out what you can start doing today. Start by getting things in order.

Basically, this means to get your finances in order. Look at where you can cut expenses and save up so that you will have something to use later to sustain you.

Be ruthless! Cut cable. If you have a family, live on the base. If you’re single, consider living with family. These small things do add up and allow you to save a lot.

 Work with the context of having at least 6 months of savings before your job goes so that you have that safety net.

2. Change your mindset. You may have a certain mindset of your place in the world but one of the big things about getting out of the military is realizing that you may not be on top of the world. When you’re out in the civilian world, this may not be the case and that realization may be painful.

If you go out with a changed mindset, you will deal with the world more realistically and you won’t carry around this sense of entitlement that could oftentimes lead to disappointment.

Don’t take this to mean that you are less important. What we want to make sure of is that you don’t take your ego out into the world because this can be looked at negatively by so many people.

13271654653_2641c571f5_z3. Get your medical affairs in order. It is so important to take advantage of the medical services that are available to you while you are still in the military.

If you know that you will be given the boot soon, get a move on with settling your medical affairs.

If you need surgery, get it while you still can. If you need a bump removed, schedule the procedure. The same goes for dental.

Get your final medical exam and get copies of all of your paperwork because this will cost you a lot of money if you wait until you get out to do that.

4. Take the time to think about what you really want to do in the civilian world. Look back to when you were a child and think about what you really wanted to do when you were a child.

We get so busy in life that we can forget about these things. Well, now is the perfect time to revisit these things.

Start thinking about the people that you respect and whose careers you admire.

Never go down the path of thinking where you can get the most money from.That is just a recipe for disaster and you may end up doing something that you feel miserable about.

In a nutshell, that is really it. Getting the boot can suck big time but that doesn’t mean that each one of us is helpless to do anything about the situation.

If this does happen to you, keep your chin up and get prepared! These steps will help you and ensure for a smoother transition into the civilian world!

Until next time!

Click here to listen to the Stitcher version of the podcast Pink Slips And Military Downsizing: How to Prepare In Case You Get The Boot

Click here to listen to the iTunes version of the podcast Pink Slips And Military Downsizing: How to Prepare In Case You Get The Boot

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