Down Range

Afterburner Inc. is currently working with the U.S. Army at the highest levels to develop a transition program for the estimated 1.5 million veterans who will transition from active duty service to civilian careers by the year 2020.  The program that the authors created and delivered to senior Army leaders on April 17, 2013, earned the very highest acclaim by the attendees and their appeals to the highest level of decision makers to make the program available Army-wide.  The reason for the initial success has been because the program empowers and educates veterans that their transition is not a solitary life event, but the next step in their professional career development – one that requires careful planning and life-long attention.  This book is an expansion of that initial program.

This book is intended to provide career planning guidance to U.S. military veterans transitioning off active duty.  It is NOT simply a guide to assist in transitioning from the military to the civilian world. There are many resources, programs and books available to help veterans do that.  It is NOT a guide to getting a job.  Getting a job is easy – getting one that will be enjoyed and provide for the veteran and their family for many years is much more challenging.  This book IS a guide to developing a post-military career, not just for the first few days, weeks or months after a veteran leaves active duty, but for the rest of their employed life. 

This book is different for two fundamental reasons. First, it is written by veterans who have successfully made the transition.  And, second, it utilizes a simple and effective planning process that has been taught to over 1 million business executives in companies all over the world – one born of military experience.    

Specifically, this book will address the following:

• Challenge the reader to change their mindset and understand just how different the “wilderness” of civilian employment is from their military experience.
• Address how business differs from military service.  Provide an appreciation for what’s important and the general functions of a business. 
• Build an adaptable long range career plan called a Career High Definition Destination (HDD) across a spectrum of seven key areas – Interests/Industry, Advancement, Money/Compensation, Security, People/Philosophy, Challenge, and Location (IAMSPCL or “I AM SPeCiaL).
• Identify the common and individually specific threats or obstacles to achieving that Career HDD. 
• Identify the resources available or needed to achieve the Career HDD.  Gather and evaluate lessons learned.  Develop strategic and tactical courses of action that drive the veteran to executing towards their Career HDD on a consistent basis.
• The reader will learn how to develop a variety of Demonstrations of Effectiveness (DOE) that concisely express their value to a potential employer in a powerful way.  These DOE form a “magazine” of “rounds” in the veteran’s interview question response “arsenal.”  Together, they also form the basic components of a targeted Value Proposition that the book will assist the
• As an appendix, we have also developed a comprehensive checklist that the veteran can follow in order to prepare for and execute a winning interview.  A summary version of this checklist has been posted on a U.S. Army website as a result of our recent seminar.