Application Through... Now What?

Okay, so you didn't heed the advice of your family, friends and colleagues and succeeded in dispatching your application for release with the necessary signatures and recommendations in all the right places!! What next...?

First and foremost, continue to work as you did earlier. For SS officers the duration till you finally hang up the boots is approx six months if you have opted for release after the contractual period of five years and thus submitted your papers after 4 1/2 years. For SS officers on extension the period can vary between three to six months. The period for officers who have opted for PMR after whichever period of service could vary wildly (unless of course someone somewhere has your particulars noted neatly on a scribble pad in an office near the India Gate!!). Coming back to the topic at hand, it is very important to contribute like you did till the last day of service. It can leave a very poor taste amongst everyone around (and yes, even jawans know these things nowadays) to find an officer missing from scheduled events like PT, unit functions, assignments, etc. You are building your personal brand and while in your second avtar in the corporate world almost none of whom you leave behind may matter significantly, but in the long term it helps your brand. So be overly cautious not to convey an attitude of indifference or disinterest.

Secondly, start preparing for the 'outside' world. Preparation primarily amounts to the following:

1. Personal documentation.
2. Opting for a resettlement course through the DGR.
3. Preparing mentally and intellectually to enter the corporate sector.

1. Personal documentation: Ensure all your personal documentation is complete in all respects and sent to the right departments. Be closely and personally involved in this and don't depend on the Head Clerk. They invariably (though unintentionally) let you down. Read the pertinent AOs, regulations and fine print on the forms. It is a blessing to get all your dues within 30-45 days of leaving the Armed Forces (You need to be prepared to fund your resettlement course besides being self sufficient for at least six-eight months after leaving the Armed Forces).
   
2. Opting for a resettlement course through the DGR (also read my other post on this): The DGR has amended their rules for allotment of courses a few times in the recent past. Go through the website to update yourself on these. Ideally, interact with one of the officers in DGR at their office in R K Puram or speak to them on the phone (numbers are given on the website and in the DGR booklet. An online version of the booklet is also available on the website). An officer who has done extensive study of the entire process and numerous rounds of the concerned departments has graciously accepted my request of publishing this on the blog. I hope to have that up soon.
3. Preparing mentally and intellectually to enter the corporate sector: Quite simply put, prepare to WIN. Nothing short of that. Mediocre performance may not be rewarded. Getting sidelined to a second rung profile in the corners of a corporate office may not be something you will accept or enjoy what with a past life of being a Class I gazetted officer with the pay, perks, respect and status we are used to. Resolve to excel in anything and everything you do. Evolve. That seems to be the mantra doing the rounds these days. Leave with only the good you have picked up from the Armed Forces. Besides unlearning the rest and adapting to a completely new eco-system, the only way to evolve is to learn. Formal education, informal education, on the job, off the job, the internet, whichever way it comes. And don't wait for an employer to do this for you. That is an employee attitude. Take control of your life and pick up the skills you need to win in whichever profile you decide to take up. Besides the above, also start reading. Recommended are financial dailies like the Economic Times, Business Standard and the Financial Express. Business magazines like Outlook Business, Business Today, etc. Watch business channels like CNBC, NDTV Profit, UTVi. Read management books. Some are mentioned on this blog. Be sharp, on the cutting edge of knowledge and information and you will feel the difference yourself.