My Transition from the Military to the Civilian World featured

by kuwqlgmy on March 10, 2024

Posted in Career

Do people experience an identity crisis when they leave the military? I feel like that is what I am experiencing right now. Granted, I still have one foot in the door since I’m transitioning into the Reserves, but I still have to find a civilian job to pay the bills.

I’ve served in the United States Navy for about 6 years now. The military lifestyle is all I have ever known outside of high school. I was pressured by my parents to go into the military because they had no money to send me off to college. I didn’t necessarily want to join the military, but I felt like I had to for the sake of being able to leave my hometown as quickly as possible.

I attended a military school for university and then entered the workforce as a commissioned officer. Throughout my time in the military, I realized that I no longer wanted to be constrained in the confines of the military world and I wanted more control over my life. It was difficult for me to move every three years and basically uproot my whole life and start over in an entirely new town or city. I also haven’t had the best experiences in the military. I made the decision to finally leave the military last year when it was apparent that my naval career has never fulfilled me nor made me feel that fuzzy feeling that people feel when they’re doing something they love.
I knew I wanted to make a career transition before I even decided to leave the military. A few years ago, I was on deployment and needed an outlet to share my thoughts and feelings. I came across a counselor who was attached to our ship. During our sessions, I would talk about how much I’ve always felt stuck and hopeless in my naval career. She made me realize my fullest potential by making me recognize that I was following my mom’s dreams, not my own. I came to the conclusion that I also wanted to go into the mental health field and help others realize their highest potential as well. Now I’m well on my way to earning a degree in counseling and helping others do just that!

Thanks for reading and making it this far! Follow me on my journey in navigating my twenties. I can’t wait to get in touch with you!
– Nene