Enlisted service members' transition into the civilian world of work: a cognitive information processing approach.

A variety of resources are available for enlisted service members in transition. The Department of Defense hosts a job search Web site (www.jobbankinfo.org) that is associated with the U.S. Department of Labor America's Job Bank and is designed for service members in transition (CareerOneStop, n.d.). Similarly, Military.com, launched in November 2005, draws upon the resources of Monster.com and provides comprehensive job search resources to connect enlisted service personnel to veterans in the civilian workforce (Military.com, n.d.). Job fairs designed for military personnel or military personnel who hold security clearances might be particularly useful. Corporate Gray Online is one Web site that provides free information on military job fairs throughout the nation (Corporate Gray, n.d.). An example of a program supporting soldiers' transitions is Troops to Teachers. The North Carolina Troops to Teachers program facilitates the transition from service person to educator and provides funding to support service members' continuing education toward teacher licensure (Public Schools of North Carolina, n.d.).

Conclusion

The significant number of enlisted service members in transition from the U.S. military to the civilian sector illustrates a need for career counselors to develop an awareness of the needs and the strengths of this unique population. Career counselors do not need to be experts on the military in order to be effective with this population, but they do need to possess awareness of the wealth of resources available to them and to the enlisted service members. By actively engaging their clients and encouraging them to share their stories, describe their skills, and discuss their experiences in the military, career counselors can effectively help clients further develop their self- and occupational knowledge. Career counselors can then help their clients to consolidate what they know and to make career decisions in the civilian world.

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Elysia V. Clemens and Amy S. Milsom, Department of Counseling and Educational Development, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Elysia V. Clemens, PO Box 26170, 224 Curry Building, Greensboro, NC 27402 (e-mail: evclemen@uncg.edu).