A Quick Guide for Military IT Professionals’ Next Steps
The picture above is the day that I left the military. When I left the military, I had a choice to transition to the civilian sector for either a role within the DoD civilian, DoD Contractor, or Civilian sector. Along the way, I have learned to ask key questions to help myself progress through the “ranks,” and other veterans understand key questions they need to ask along the way so they do not hamper their initial job search, salary prospects, and benefits. Within this quick guide for military IT professionals’ next steps, here are the key questions you need to ask yourself before making the next step. Hopefully, you will have the answers before you step out.
Am I qualified?
Let’s get the uncomfortable question out of the way first. You can be the NCO of the Year award winner or ranked one out of ten staff officers with a ribbon rack that rolls over your shoulder, but it does not mean a thing in the civilian sector if you do not meet the qualifications of the posted job requirement. This fact is often a bitter pill for us to swallow, but nothing in life is fair. To ensure you pass the initial screening, you must fulfill the job’s education requirements which have two distinct categories, Degrees, and Certifications. The degree demonstrates that you have a baseline understanding. The certification demonstrates that you have specialized training in the particular subject. If you don’t have both, your resume will not get past the initial screening process.
Special Note: If you don’t have your Security +, did you even do IT when you were in the military?
Why doesn’t the recruiter understand that I was a USAF 3D, USA 25 Bravo, 18 Echo, Signal Officer, USN IT1 or 1853, or Marine Corps 0651 or 0206?
First, did you know what this was before you signed up? Did your job assignment match up to the MOS verbiage? The answer to both questions is probably a hard “Negative.” The private sector lacks the understanding of what you did, the skills and qualifications developed, and the mission impact. You must use an “I” centric approach to your resume. Explain what you did in a “Big Bird” format, and have cause and effect for each bullet. Your TAPs resume will not have this. I encourage finding a resume writer or recruiter to help shape your resume for the position.
Special Note: Spell out your acronyms or find the private sector equivalent. For example, I was an Air Force Computer Systems Operator (3C0), a USCENTAF NOC Engineer who learned to be a Full Stack Developer at HQ USSOUTHCOM. The civilian translation is “I am an IT Professional with extensive network operations background and full stack development experience. This includes working in Central Asia and South America.”
But I had TS/SCI when I was in…
The key word is “was.” For example, you lose your TS/SCI eligibility after two years. A Top Secret clearance expires after five years, and a Secret clearance expires after ten years. Still, the issuing agency determines the exact expiration date. However, in some cases, any changes in your circumstances may call into question your suitability to hold a clearance. Keep this in mind when you try to reenact the scenes from “The Hangover.”
Special Note: Always print out your copy of your e‑QIP.
What are the benefits?
The challenge of comparing military benefits to private sector benefits can be significant because the two are quite different. For example, military benefits are generally more comprehensive and include housing allowances, medical care, and retirement pensions. On the other hand, private sector benefits can vary widely depending on the employer and may include things like health insurance, 401(k) plans, and paid time off. Keep this fact in mind when you pick the next employer.
Special Note: Benefits are negotiable.
The answers to the above questions will help you find the job, pay, and benefits you are looking for. However, there is a lot more to take into consideration when making a move out of active duty. If you have yet to start the planning process at least two years out, the options can be limited when you are out, but you are smarter than that.
January 19, 2023 Leave a comment
Basic Operating Procedures for Seeing the World
I have been to thirteen different locations in the past four months, including multiple countries. In all places that I have been to, there are basic operating procedures that have served me well.
One is basic manners. The power of Ma’am, Sir, Thank you, and Welcome will open more doors than not.
Two, a firm handshake and looking someone in the eyes is a level set. I have meet vice presidents and presidents of companies and countries, dignitaries, operators, scientists, and technologists. Many have storied careers, degrees, and backgrounds that make me want to do better. Regardless, at the end of the day, we are all human. Firm handshakes and eye contact establish common respect.
Third, it is always good to have an exit strategy and be aware of your surroundings. Most of the world is safe, but do not be naive. If you feel that something is wrong, then something is wrong. It is primitive nature telling you something is wrong. People would not be alive today if their ancestors did not listen to their gut feeling.
Forth is to explore and initiate the conversation. The only way to experience life is by living it. One can not experience life by staying in the hotel lobby bar or ordering take-out. This mentality deprives people of what life offers and not meet interesting people. Instead, enjoy what the world has to offer.
November 11, 2022 Comments Off on Basic Operating Procedures for Seeing the World
A Multiphase Approach To Killing the Living Dead
Here is an article that I originally did for AFCEA Signal Magazine in October 2022. Enjoy.
The U.S. Space Force is going through technological evolution as it continues to grow from its U.S. Air Force roots. One of the major challenges it is encountering is that much of the enterprise relies on legacy technology, which has the foundations of the original Air Force space program. It is not uncommon to see Fortran programmers, IBM mainframes and Switch networks as part of the program. This time-tested and true technology has maintained aspects of national security for decades. Unfortunately, the technologists who have supported the technology stack are retiring, retired or no longer alive. As a result, supporting the legacy network often falls on the shoulders of the younger workforce, who have no interest in supporting legacy technology. This creates difficulty for the Space Force because it will struggle to find a workforce to support its “zombie technology.” For those who are not familiar with the term, zombie technology is a technology that should have been retired a long time ago but keeps returning from the dead.
The question arises of how to kill the zombie technologies. Besides hitting the power button, I suggest a multiphase approach to eliminate the living dead.
Phase 1 — Identify the Target
A conscious effort must be made to phase out all legacy technology over the next five years. Funding must be identified in the Space Force/Air Force Program Objective Memorandum (POM) cycle now and must include training the “zombie killers” to get rid of the legacy capabilities effectively. There also must be funding for learning how to take care of them in the future after the zombies are gone.
Phase 2 — Train the Zombie Killers
The focus of the POM budget is on training and incentives because convincing someone to learn the legacy technology, to be honest, is a hard sell. Traditionally, love of country was good enough to have someone commit to solving this issue. However, COVID-19 and the Great Resignation dramatically changed the cleared workforce. More often than not, a good technologist can and will find a job in the commercial sector that allows work from home. Plus, the technologist does not have to deal with the hassle of working in a classified area while having access to creature comforts that they have grown accustomed to during COVID. This workforce shift has increased the cost of training zombie killers. More importantly, there must be a plan to transition the individuals from zombie killers back to technologists once the zombies are eliminated.
Phase 3 — Killing Zombies
The act of killing zombies is not going to be pleasant. Most senior leaders will want the ‘lift and shift ’ approach (known as brownfield implementation) because it is easier to train the existing workforce using zombie technologies. After all, they have become accustomed to using the tools for the past couple of decades. Unfortunately, lift and shift migrations have a low probability of success. 1) The current technology cannot adapt easily to decades-old technology. 2) It will not have the necessary security controls to meet accreditation. With this understanding, the act of killing zombies will have to be embraced as a new way to introduce technology, starting with the space systems operations and intelligence schoolhouse all the way to advance training.
Phase 4 — The New Normal
While all this talk of killing zombies is fun, we must be conscious that we don’t allow the current technology to become the future zombies. Similar to how the Office of the Director, Operational Test, and Evaluation does its annual reports, the Space Force should conduct board reviews to determine the health of its technology stack to ensure that it does not fall into the same fallacy as before. If not, hitting the power button is always an option if the technology shows signs of the undead.
October 19, 2022 Leave a comment
Life Lessons as a CIO
I have spent the past two years as a Chief Innovation Officer and Director in the hope of making the deputy general manager role. This resulted in spending long hours at work, often sixty-five to hundred-hour work weeks, doing undesirable work, and a lot of time without the family. What did it get me? An excuse from the new general manager was that the customer decided to go in another direction, but I could stay in a lesser role and do all the work I currently do. I respectfully declined, left quietly, and planned my next role in life. Even though the outcome was disappointing at the time, in the long run, the lessons learned allowed for a growth position.
Here are a few hard-fought life lessons, and I fully understand that hind sights are all 20/20.
Life Lessons
1. Was the long hours worth it? Yes, because it allowed me to gain valuable insights and be marketable in my next and future roles. The unpaid hours were an education to allow me to be a better leader in the future. The reversal of this lesson is that I should have been more accountable to myself for my progress versus relying on a corporate evaluation system.
2. Was the extra work of taking the hard roles or the undesirable projects? Yes, because that is where the growth occurs. It is necessary to do the work. The reversal of the lesson is Pareto’s Principle. 80% of the work will be done by only 20% of the workforce. Management will trust the work to be done by this 20% because it is easier than managing the remaining 80%. The increased involvement of HR in day-to-day management will also make it difficult to push out the non-performers. This quandary results in the 20% that is doing the work will become overworked. If you think you are in the 20%, understand your worth.
3. It is necessary to know the difference between management versus leadership. I have met very few Leaders in my life. I have met a lot of Managers. Both managers and leaders have different connotations. Both are human and fallible. Be careful who you decide to follow. The rule’s reversal is that man can not be an island to himself. To be successful in life, vet the right mentors and who you allow in your tribe. This means doing the hard thing of trusting individuals to call you out when you are off the path. I also recommend getting mentors outside the company that does not have bais.
4. Job Is a job as long as you work for someone else. If you are working for yourself or towards your own goals, it is a lifestyle.
5. A company’s political leaning does not match your own; it will be hard to work for that company. I have seen a company dramatically change its culture to the point that it lost very talented people and had to fold a division because it no longer had the talent to win or do the work. The reversal of the rule is all a game. Learning how to play the game or when to step out determines how well you do.
6. Get paid for what you are worth. Payment can mean money, education, and benefits. If you can not find your worth within the company, move on. In the age of stockholder value, a company will do its best for the company. It would help if you did the same for yourself.
This is not the culmination of the life lessons learned. But it is also important to document my lessons for others to learn.
August 24, 2022 Comments Off on Life Lessons as a CIO
Pueblo Lake State Park
I decided to get away this weekend to do some camping, hiking, and fishing at Lake Pueblo State Park in Southern Colorado. Lake Pueblo is a reservoir that damns the Arkansas River for hydroelectricity and agricultural use, along with providing recreational fishing.
With several trails along the park, I decided to hike 13 miles of them. I recommended packing extra water, electrolyte powder, socks, and sunblock through the park’s hot and arid conditions. There is no cover on the trails except for the park benches, but water stations at the campgrounds refill your packs.
Also, the park is susceptible to high winds being on the front range. Ensure that your campground is secured, or you will sorely regret it. I had to wake up in the middle of the night, throwing all my gear into the tent. I would also make sure your campfire is completely out before turning it in for the night. The conditions out along the front range are extremely dry. For aspects of fishing, not much I can report. Unfortunately, I did more nature watching than fishing. Regardless, it was a good trip and I would visit again.
May 9, 2022 Leave a comment
Apple Tree Fable
Apple Tree Fable
A farmer worked day and night to carve out a living for his family. On his farm was an apple tree that the farmer relied on to feed his family. During the spring, the tree blossomed, bringing joy to the farmer’s wife. By fall, the farmer’s son would pick apples so the mother could use. During a dry season, the apple tree did not bear fruit. The farmer’s son did not understand why the tree did not bear fruit and blamed the apple tree. In his short-sightedness, he took his father’s ax and cut down the apple tree. Upon discovering his son’s actions, the farmer scolded his son.
Current Day Lesson
A small business is often a community’s apple tree. When a protester tears down a small business in a protest, it demonstrates short-sightedness and often harms the local community. When a business closes, it deprives the local economy of a positive impact on the community’s jobs and services. Keep this in mind when you watch the news and watch protestors destroy their communities.
November 12, 2016 Leave a comment
The World Is Yours
This election has brought out the worst in people. Family, friends, and strangers insult each other because their ideology does not align. If you are serious about making the world a better place, educate yourself. Pick up a book and read. Read books with different views than yourself. Challenge your understanding and understand the opposing argument. Lashing out at the other person because they have an opposing view show that you lack understanding of the topic. Understand Morality. An opposing view does not make the person evil. It also does not make it right or wrong. Practice common sense. If you call a person a racist, bigot, or homophobe, what makes you think they will want to listen to you? Listen. If you have already formed your arguments before the other person has finished talking, are you truly listening? Let it go. When a wise man argues with a fool, it’s hard to tell who the fool is from a distance. It is better to walk away when you realize the other person is stuck in their ideology.
Lately, I have been letting it go. Ultimately, time is precious. I rather focus on improving my understanding or making me happy.
November 12, 2016 Leave a comment
L.I.O.N or Not
I am contemplating this idea with LinkedIn lately, and I want to ask the community’s opinion. Within LinkedIn, there is a LinkedIn Open Networker or L.I.O.N movement in which members are willing to accept invites from anyone. The proposed benefits of being an L.I.O.N is that it increases an individual’s business network in which they can cultivate for either business leads or job opportunities. The negative is that the LinkedIn Update feed is overrun with updates that do not target a person’s interest. In my effort to improve my LinkedIn Update feed, my thoughts are to reducing my number of connections and who I follow. My question is by doing so, do I harm my LinkedIn experience in the long run?
November 16, 2015 Leave a comment
Life Experience versus School
As my son starts his education journey, I am starting to identify the same issue in the current public education system that turned me off from school. Instead of speaking to the student, school speaks down to the student. Instead of being spoken down to, early in life I decided to pursue life experience over academics.
I am not saying that school is a bad thing, though. I learned the value of education once I was paying for it. What I am challenging is how the current public school communicates with students. It is catered to educate the masses, not the individual’s need or interest. It will be my responsibility to fill the gaps and ensure he stays motivated during challenging times.
October 11, 2015 Leave a comment
New Direction
I am going to separate the IT articles from my personal blog, ClintonAustin.com and move the tech-centric articles to AustinITConsulting.com/blog. When I first made this decision, it comes with some reservation. Information Technology has long been an intellectual pursuit of mine that has carried me far, but I am trying to separate the two from my other pursuits. I would like to shape my personal blog to be more like other great blogs like Brett and Kate McKay’s Art of Manliness or Tim Ferriss’ Four Hour Work Week. Both blogs have influenced my life in the past four years (even listing the authors in my graduate application).
So please follow ClintonAustin.com to know what I am trying to pursue in life. Please also follow AustinITConsulting.com/blog for the tech reviews and opinions on the IT industry. Regardless, thank you for reading.
April 17, 2015 Leave a comment