The advice everyone gives

When people talk about transitioning out of the military, networking is always one of the first things mentioned.

Usually it’s framed in a pretty transactional way. Meet people. Build connections. Hopefully someone helps you land a job.

That always felt a little strange to me; worse still, it’s often advice that’s given without context of how to do it properly.

I’m also not someone who naturally enjoys networking, especially through LinkedIn. I’m definitely not an expert at it, and to be honest it’s still pretty uncomfortable for me most of the time.

That said, the more I’ve gone through this process, the more I’ve realized something:

It’s not just about landing a job, it’s about getting outside your bubble and expanding your professional perspective.

Shooting for the stars

Early in my transition, I started reaching out directly to people working at Microsoft on LinkedIn.

At the time it felt a little ridiculous. Microsoft was a company I had in mind when I thought about the kind of work I wanted to do, but I had no real connection to that world beyond an interest in technology, process improvement, and programs like Microsoft Software & Systems Academy (MSSA).

Still, reaching out forced me to get comfortable doing something that didn’t come naturally: introducing myself to strangers, explaining my background, and asking thoughtful questions.

Taking that step ended up opening more doors than I expected.

Finding the right rooms

Through networking I discovered programs like FourBlock, American Corporate Partners (ACP), MilMentor, and Hiring our Heroes.

Each one exposed me to people, perspectives, and programs I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. Veterans who had already transitioned. Industry professionals working in roles I didn’t even know existed a few years ago.

Those conversations helped me understand how my background might translate outside the military.

Learning to tell the story

Another thing networking forced me to do was explain my own story.

That sounds simple, but it’s harder than it looks. Especially when your career doesn’t fit neatly into a single category.

I started my career as a Persian-Farsi linguist supporting cyber operations. Later I moved into training environments and operational systems work. Along the way I found myself increasingly focused on improving workflows and building systems to solve operational problems.

Networking conversations were the first place I started putting those pieces together out loud. I remember cold calling a director of security at Microsoft in the early stages of my career transition and he was fascinated by my story, but it was clear I had no idea what I wanted to do. He still offered some amazing advice and sent me on my way with a goal of nailing that down.

That conversation helped jumpstart my own journey to figure that out. Networking forces you to explain what you actually do. And yes, it will be uncomfortable.

What networking changed

The biggest impact networking had on me wasn’t a referral or a job lead.

It was perspective.

Talking to people across different industries helped me see that many organizations are dealing with the same problems: messy processes, scattered information, and systems that don’t quite work the way people need them to.

The tools change, but the problems are surprisingly similar everywhere you go.

The real value

Networking isn’t just a job search strategy.

It’s a way to learn how your experience fits into a much bigger landscape.

And once that starts to become clear, the transition stops feeling like a leap into the unknown.

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