Howdy, I am humbly seeking advice and networking!

I am retiring from the Active-Duty Air Force after 23+ years in June (officially 1 Oct). Having been an AF officer for my entire adult life, (since the day I graduated from A&M) the next step is exciting but daunting. I am currently living in Anchorage, Alaska but am looking to move back closer to Texas upon retirement. Both of my kids are currently A&M students, and I am particularly interested in moving to the College Station area (would jump at an opportunity to live in Aggieland, even for less money). But I am flexible and just want to be close enough to visit the kids and parents in Texas

Over the past few months, I have been working hard on civilianizing my resume, building my linkedin profile and networking as much as possible. I am interested/a good fit in the defense industry but am open to anything. Knowing that I am 45 years old and starting a 2nd career, what tips do you guys have? What should I be doing at 6 or so months out from military retirement to set myself up for success?

My career field isn't an exact match for too many civilian jobs, but I think I'd be a good fit for Project Management, Operations Management, or Human Resources from commanding/leading Airmen.

Any advice from those who have been through this transition or networking opportunities are much appreciated! Thanks and Gig'em.

Corporate recruiter here

Shoot me an email heycoachjeff At Gmail dot Com and ill be happy to give tips on resume and interview preps and answer any questions you may have about navigating that transition

Reach out to companies like NextOp and the like, they specialize in helping with translation of military skills to white collar work applications, and have relationships with big companies that do a lot of hiring.

As a side gig I recruit vets for my company after they get their MBAs and mentor a lot of vet interns and early career employees. The most important thing I can say is that you really have to think through how you want to spend the 9-11 hours a day you'll be working. Some people think they want office jobs because they pay well, then they actually do them and hate it tremendously.

Shoot me a PM and we can talk more, but the key is to really homework the type of work you want to get into (and stay away from) in order to increase the odds of you finding a company and a job where you feel like you belong, vs working at a place that feels soul sucking.

Thanks guys, will do. I agree that I don't want to sign myself up for something I am not going to enjoy. I've already put in a full career and I am blessed in that I don't need to make more than $50K to make what I make now along with my Air Force retirement.

There are a few smaller defense contractors in CS. KBSI, Blueforge, and all the research they have going on at the Rellis campus. Of course, you could throw a rock and hit a number of places in SA or DFW that would at least look at the resume of a retired military officer with PM experience.

If you do land in BCS, check out the American Legion in Bryan. Lots of good folks over there.