Mission Transition: Navigating the Opportunities and Obstacles to Your Post-Military Career

by Matthew J. Louis

Mission Transition is an essential career-change guide for any transitioning veteran that wants to avoid false starts and make optimal career choices following active duty.

Every year, about a quarter of a million veterans leave the military - most of whom are unprepared for the transition. These service members have developed incredible leadership, problem-solving, and practical skills that are underutilized once they reach the civilian world, a detriment to both themselves and society.

Well-intentioned Transition Assistance Programs and other support structures within the armed forces often leave veterans fending for themselves. The mission-first culture of the military results in service members focusing on their active duty roles in the year leading up to their separation, leaving them little time to adequately prepare to join the civilian world.

President of Purepost, a next-generation staffing solution and public benefits corporation, and author Matthew J. Louis guides military personnel through the entire process of making a successful move into civilian professional life.

In Mission Transition, this book will:


Guide you through the process of discovering what path you want to take going forward
Teach you the strategies that will make your résumé stand out
Provide suggestions to help you prepare for and ace the interview
Discuss ways to acclimate to your new organization’s culture and pay it forward to other veterans
Each chapter includes advice from other veterans, illustrations of key concepts, summaries, and suggested resources. Let this well-written and easy to follow guidebook help you transition out from the military and commit to being successful in the next chapter of your life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2019

About the author

Matt Louis is one of the nation’s leading experts in career transition for members of the military community. He coaches individuals on their transition efforts and advises employers on hiring programs designed to successfully assimilate this valuable talent pool. He is the author of the award-winning* and best-selling HarperCollins book Mission Transition, a practical guide for veterans in career transition, and the award-winning** Career Press book Hiring Veterans, a practical guide for organizations on how to successfully assimilate members of the military community.

Matt serves as the President of Purepost, the optimal means for matching the supply and demand of talent in the US, and acts as veteran Transition Assistance officer for his West Point class. He serves on the external advisory council for military and veterans affairs at JPMorgan Chase and advises the board of the nonprofit Soldiers to Sidelines.

During active commissioned service in the US Army, Matt served in the Southwest Asia combat theater and in the 194th Separate Armored Brigade. During reserve commissioned service, Matt served on the staff of the Army’s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, and commanded multiple regions around the country for the US Military Academy’s Admissions Office. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army Reserves.

Matt holds an MBA in Operations and Finance from The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from West Point, and is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College. He is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, a certified Project Management Professional, and holds the APICS organization’s Certified Supply Chain Professional designation.

* 2024 American Legacy Book Awards Winner (Nonfiction: General), 2022 International Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Non-Fiction Military; 2021 eLit Book Awards: Gold Medal for Business / Career / Sales, Gold Medal for Current Events (Foreign Affairs / Military), Gold Medal for Best Author Website; 2023 American Book Fest Best Book Award (Legacy Nonfiction); 2023 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award winner (Outstanding Career/Occupational), Grand Prize (Nonfiction Award, Third Place); 2021 Nonfiction Authors Association Silver Book Award; 2022 Global Book Awards Bronze Medal (War & Military); 2021 Axiom Business Book Bronze Medal (Career); 2021 Living Now Book Awards Bronze Medal (Motivation / Improvement); 2023 North American Book Awards Bronze Medal (Military Nonfiction); 2023 Maincrest Media Book Award Winner (Military Nonfiction); 2023 Book Excellence Award (Career); 2023 Outstanding Creator Awards: Best Military Book, 1st place; Best Self-Help & How-to Book, 1st place; Best Educational & Reference Book, 1st place; 2023 International Firebird Book Award (Career & Military Nonfiction); Pinnacle Book Achievement Award (Career) Fall 2022; 2022 Chanticleer International Book Awards (Military & Front Line, 1st Place); 2023 Goody Business Book Award Winner (Self-Help / Personal Transformation); 5-Star reviews: The Book Commentary, Readers’ Favorite; #1 for Job Markets & Advice – Amazon, November 2022.
** 2024 Nonfiction Authors Association Gold Book Award; 2024 Chanticleer International Harvey Chute Book Awards 1st Place (Business & Enterprise); 2024 Independent Press Award (How-To); 2024 Storytrade Book Awards Winner (Military Nonfiction); 2023 American Writing Awards Winner (Business Sales); 2023 American Book Fest Best Book Award Winner (Business Reference); 2023 Goody Business Books Award Winner (Self-Help / How-To); 2024 Axiom Business Book Awards Bronze Medal (Business / Human Resources / Employee Training); 2024 Book Excellence Award Winner (Human Resources); 2024 BookFest Book Awards - First Place (Nonfiction, Business Labor); 2024 Outstanding Creator Awards: 1st Place (Best Nonfiction Book, Best Business Book, Best Military Book); 2024 Firebird Book Awards Winner (

Reviews

[Jean-Paul Dube · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good bridge between the military perspective and the civilian perspective of military transition

Louis does a good job about explaining both sides of the transition process. The fears, concerns, misperceptions, and the realities of both sides (military vs. civilian). The quotes and other references included by other military transitioners provide a full spectrum of people's perspectives (and the big a-ha moment is your rank has nothing to do with it).

Like most how-to books, they only work if one does the recommended required work.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive guide to making the transition, mentally and vocationally, from the military to the civilian world. It gives the reader the tools to do more than just assess strengths and weaknesses. The book prompts important questions about who the reader wants to be (not just want they want to do) post-military, how the reader sees himself/herself, and how they can leverage this new understanding towards building a resume, conducting an interview and engaging in negotiations about salary and benefits. I agree with the author that it is crucial to work on identity, post-military, particularly for those who have served more than 20 years. Our identity is inextricably linked to our uniform and military culture. It is important to shift from that vision and define ourselves independent of our service. Otherwise, the transition will be uncomfortable and perhaps unhappy.
I also appreciate the overview of differences in expectations and customs. Things that we take for granted in the military, such as family involvement in the organization and social events throughout the year likely won’t exist in life after the service. Learning the soft skills required to influence rather than direct will be important. Demonstrating patience, adaptability and flexibility is likely expected in a civilian environment more so than it is in the military. Matt does a great job describing how to make these transitions!
Great book, Matthew Louis!

[Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)]

MWSA Review

Mission Transition: Navigating the Opportunities and Obstacles to Your Post-Military Career is a comprehensive guide and resource for all transitioning military—enlisted or officer—whether leaving after the first hitch or retiring after a long career. The author made a highly successful transition from retiring as a field grade Army officer and becoming an executive in a very prestigious Technology Fast 500 company.

Rather than writing the typical job search, resume, and interview transition book, the author takes on the trend of many veterans finding themselves going through several civilian positions before finding their true career calling. He does this by encouraging those leaving military service to start by using the tools and processes, included in the opening chapters of the book, to focus on career fields best suited to their personality and work/life goals. This approach should be extremely helpful for military members coming from military occupations such as combat arms, which do not have easily translatable skill sets applicable to the civilian world.

In addition to immediate transition, the book is filled with real-world advice for career success and progress. Most notably, the author then encourages veterans who successfully achieve their civilian career goals to “assimilate and give back” to those veterans coming behind them.

Lt. Col. Lewis should be commended for his dedication and hard work in producing this book for his fellow veterans and maintaining the accompanying website that is full of useful resources.

Review by Terry Lloyd (May 2024)

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mission Transition is a solid read with practical advice for those getting to the end of their military service. Authored by a fellow veteran, Louis writes clearly and understandably to his audience. This is a must-have book for those getting out of the military. Whether a short stint or a retirement, Louis provides a lot of information in an easy-to-read format. My copy is underlined, highlighted, and tabbed. That said, Louis doesn't provide the complete answer to our transition needs and I think he'd agree.

This book supports a broader effort to understand the transition. I also used What Color is Your Parachute?, several websites (including Louis'), the transition class material, the VA, and anything else I could get my hands on. Mission Transition, however, was where I started. Though extremely useful, it has its limitations. I found the first three sections not specific enough but only caused me to research elsewhere. The resume' and networking sections were good, particularly the tools Louis has on his website. And so far, I haven't found anything better to describe how a military person needs to approach the interview and start a new job.

Overall, a great book that is certainly worth the purchase.

[Matthew Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Very well-written and easy to follow guidebook for servicepeople leaving the military and committed to being successful in the next chapter of their lives. After WWII, Korea and Vietnam, it was tough for returning veterans to find civilian work, especially for those with still-healing wounds. Fortunately, in 2020, there is a guidebook to assist in segueing into civilian life. Mission Transition by Matthew J. Louis, Lieutenant Colonel (USA Retired) ... suggests that though a job may be a necessity upon leaving the military, taking time to search for a career for the rest of a lifetime is another choice. Mission Transition can help with that search."

-- Nonfiction Authors Association Book Awards Program (Silver Award)


-- 2021 Axiom Business Books Awards: Bronze Award (Career Category)


"...one of the best I have encountered."
"...valuable and needed work."
"...exceptionally well organized and easy to understand."
"This book will help you start planning for your next mission today."
- Army Magazine, March 2020 issue, review by Chad Storlie, LTC (USA Retired)