Originally Posted by
E2CMaster
Hate to say it, but it's kind of that way on the outside.
Try getting out of the military at 33, and going right into the job where guys who have worked there since college are. Not going to happen in most places.
I got paid essentially the same, worked the same, and shat on the same as a kid who graduated from school a month before I got out of the Navy.
You may not have been looking in all the right places, although I understand the market's tough now. There are some companies who hire ex-JO's for specific management tracks (LockMart comes to mind) where they know they have to get you up to speed and they dedicate a couple years to doing so. They also may be looking for specific degrees.
The reason some companies are willing to bring in ex-mil guys who are ten years behind their peers is because they know that on average the ex-mil person will hit the plates running and be a long-term asset. But you need to find a company that wants to put you on a track, as opposed to one that's just looking for reliable entry-level labor.