Rules of Engagement are the written rules/ guidelines our American soldiers must follow while fighting our enemies on the battlefield. One such example very simply put is when the enemy runs out of bullets or drops their gun, American soldiers must not shoot. That sounds fair doesn’t it? The problem is, our enemies don’t follow rules. The enemy doesn’t fight fair and for that reason more of us get killed.

So lets just move forward to the new Rules Of Engagement. These are the unwritten rules our Veteran men and women must now adjust to in civilian life. No longer a soldier but now you’re a Veteran that must adjust to a civilian society that moved on without you. Many of us became soldiers when we were teenagers and now must reevaluate everything.

Now you have to try and find a job only to discover that what you did in the military for so many years, isn’t easily transferrable to most employers in the civilian work place. The old days of finding a job in the local news paper are long gone. Many of the large go to big corporations have shipped their manufacturing jobs over seas and some of the small businesses have gone under. 

The salary you expected to earn is higher than what you’re likely to be offered if anyone does hire you. There are millions of foreign workers now willing to do the job you want for far less money. Oh yes, the Rules of Engagement / ROE are very different now. When you finally do get an interview, you’ll probably be sitting across the desk from someone who’s half your age. They don’t want to hire someone that’s so old. They might also be apprehensive about hiring former military Veteran because you’re sometimes viewed as a killer. 

While the ROE has changed for us, there are things we can do to help ourselves. I know that we’ve been trained to be assertive, aggressive, powerful and confident but you might try backing off a bit. Potential employers don’t like to hire people who act like they know more than the boss. You also might consider a job that pays less than you want just to get your feet wet on the outside. Now, if you can’t find someone to hire you, consider hiring yourself. Consider taking on some risk and starting a business of your own. Maybe it’s time for you to step outside your comfort zone.