Folks paid to be in charge of others to get things done that their organization needs done are called “leaders” in the military and “managers” in the civilian workforce, i.e., the civilian division, i.e., the “CIVDIV”.  This article explains why the same actor has two different labels depending on whether they wear a uniform or suit, and how this knowledge can help today’s transitioning military member and military veteran speak to civilian hiring managers with greater ease to secure meaningful, lucrative post-service careers.

• People paid to manage others to achieve their paying organization’s goals, strategies, and tactics are known as managers. To do so, managers perform four functions iteratively and intermittently: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.  The management profession, like any other, has its own language, which is business management.

 

• Knowing the language of business management is key to the success of managers, especially those managers entering the CIVDIV from military service.  Managers have to be familiar with key terms such as “P&L”, “fiduciary responsibility”, “JIT”, “AP”, and “AR”, and their application.  Presenting one’s ‘military leadership experience’ in management terms makes this experience recognizable to civilian hiring managers.

 

• Managers develop plans and metrics to judge plan execution, they gather and organize the resources necessary to execute their plan, they assemble, train, equip, develop, and lead individuals and teams to conduct the plans to the performance targets, and they continuously analyze and tweak performance to plan.  This means that all civilian managers lead at times, and that all ‘military leaders’ manage.  They create plans, identify performance targets, create the culture and behavior expectations, identify and apply policies, procedures, and SOPs, train and mentor, and problem-solve and decision-make.  ‘Military leaders’ leadership experience’, i.e. their management experience, is based on formal training and OJT; it’s proven!

Military veterans that discuss their uniformed time “leading” as managing plans, budgets, work cultures and environments, running shops, solving problems, making decisions, and leading projects, individuals, and teams are speaking in terms civilian hiring managers understand.  They’re managers.  They’re doing the same role in the CIVDIV.  Therefore, when they understand your ‘military leadership experience’, and its ready application in their workforce, they value it.  And hire you for it.

Check out our training courses that not only teach you the language of operations management, HR management, cybersecurity management, and project management, but also train you how to literally certify it with the PMP, PSM, ACP, aPHR, Sec+, and CM!  https://vets2pm.com