Season 2 - Episode 65: Tapping into the Knowledge of the TransitioNerd with Tyrone Hewitt – Part 1

Lessons Learned for Vets

Tyrone Hewitt retired from the US Navy after a career that was primarily focused in aviation maintenance. He knew when he left the Navy, he wanted to change directions. He started planning, researching, doing informational interviews and job shadowing early in his planning process. He soon found out that elementary education was not the right path for him.

He recommends taking time to do in-depth research on your career field BEFORE you pursue education, so you don’t waste your time and education resources to get a degree in an area where you don’t want to work. He decided to work in the transition space, supporting and educating through the Transition Assistance Program.

He discovered first-hand just how stressful the transition process and there are so many more facets of a transition out of the military than many realize. It is much more than just landing a job and getting the paycheck. Starting early, having a plan, taking advantage of your resources and opening lines of communication with your family are all important parts of smoothing the transition process.

He is a big advocate for engaging your spouse in all aspects of the transition. Invite them to the transition classes, ensure they get a chance to ask their questions and offer their input. It is important that expectations of everyone are understood so that you don’t add to the stress of the transition process.

Tyrone addresses some common transition questions he receives such as “what is networking?” and “who should I network with?” He simplifies networking as just a conversation and discusses how you can network with anyone anywhere while doing anything. You must branch out of your current network if you want to expand your knowledge and opportunities.

We also discuss WHEN you should start the networking and application process. We also talk about the value of networking to expand how far out you can actively compete for positions.

Tyrone talks a lot about the VA disability process on LinkedIn and he gives us some insider information on this process. He addresses the fact that veterans tend to normalize their disabilities and ignore issues that they should have addressed and get compensated for. He thought it was normal to live on Motrin and coffee and deal with daily pain.

Instead of just living with these issues as a veteran, consider taking advantage of the resources and benefits that are available to you through the VA. If you raised your hand and said the oath of service to your country, this is something that you are entitled to. The VA health care process is long term, and you should look at the future of taking care of yourself.

Tyrone calls himself the TransitionNerd because he is dedicated to researching and gaining knowledge so he is available to answer questions and provide support to all veterans on all issues.
Come back next week for Part 2 with Tyrone Hewitt!

You can connect with Tyrone Hewitt on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyrone-hewitt-mhs/

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AAFMA, the American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association is the longest-standing nonprofit association offering life insurance, wealth management, mortgages, survivor assistance and more.

AAFMA is dedicated to helping servicemembers be ready for life after the military. AAFMAA would like to offer you their free Transition Timeline, a guide to help you create a solid military transition plan. Let AAFMAA help you get ready for your next step by visiting www.aafmaa.com/ll4v.