{"id":41273,"date":"2022-05-31T21:16:05","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T04:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/?p=41273"},"modified":"2022-05-31T21:17:05","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T04:17:05","slug":"how-government-careers-prepare-retired-military-for-entrepreneurship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/education\/how-government-careers-prepare-retired-military-for-entrepreneurship\/","title":{"rendered":"How Government Careers Prepare Retired Military for Entrepreneurship"},"content":{"rendered":"

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How Government Careers Prepare Retired Military for Entrepreneurship<\/strong><\/p>\n

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ROGER WILLIAMS<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Roger has been an advocate of e-learning since the early 2010s. He’s passionate about integrating technologies such as Web3, virtual and augmented reality within the education sector. He believes the future of learning will be an immersive experience for educators and students alike.<\/p>\n

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You served in the military. You\u2019ve had your career in government work. Clearly, you are a high achiever with the willpower to work hard, and the right combination of hard and soft skills that will find you successful in any workplace. It\u2019s the perfect combination for starting your own business.<\/p>\n

Indeed, there is a long history of retired military people finding significant success as entrepreneurs. Government careers can be equally beneficial to help you get started in the rewarding world of small business. In this article, we take a look at how government careers prepare retired military for entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

Community Connections<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to make a distinction here. Leveraging your connections as a government employee is not acceptable when starting your own business\u2014particularly if you are still working within your government career. We will talk more about that later on.<\/p>\n

However, leveraging relationships you have with the community as an individual, even if your government work was the initial source of said relationships is perfectly acceptable.<\/p>\n

Government jobs, particularly those in small communities often put you in close contact with community members. In the early days of a business, you will probably have a personal relationship with many of the people that support your efforts. Having a lot of connections can make a huge difference.<\/p>\n

Teamwork<\/strong><\/p>\n

Government and military work both require high degrees of collaboration. During deployment, the ability to work well with others can mean the difference between life and death. In government work, the stakes are significantly lower, but the skill continues to be at a premium.<\/p>\n

In the early stages of a business, your team might only involve a few people, all of whom might even be family and friends. Teamwork isn\u2019t just the ability to get along with these people, it\u2019s about bringing out the very best in each of them in a professional context.<\/p>\n

Good collaborative skills such as adaptability and active listening help ensure that your business benefits not just from your own insights but also from those of all the people around you. When other resources are scarce, being able to maximize the impact of the people working with you is an enormous boon for your business.<\/p>\n

Staying Calm Under Pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n

In business, the ability to stay calm under pressure or problem situations is vital. No matter what stage your business is in, things will go wrong. When they do, the ability to stay calm can make all the difference. Fortunately, this is a skill that both government workers and retired military have in abundance.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear, of course, how members of the military must stay calm under intense circumstances. In government work, pressure may be less immediate, but also of significant importance. Covid-19 is a good example of how government workers needed to be able to work fast and smart to secure public health. Even government workers who were not involved in Covid policy had to find local solutions for securing public health while allowing people to live their lives with a degree of normalcy.<\/p>\n

The ability to think on your feet is crucial in small business.<\/p>\n

Can You Start a Business While Working for the Government?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Short answer? Probably. The question can be divided into two parts:<\/p>\n