If you’ve decided it’s time to leave the military and enter the civilian work world, you should be ready to hit the pavement running. And, starting to look months before you end your military service. In this era of high umemployment, you’ll want to brush up on your job hunting skills and be ready to compete for your next job in the civilian workforce. Here’s how.

Get skilled on the interview process. Perhaps you haven’t interviewed for a civialian job in decades. Now is the time to focus on these skills. Government programs such as the Transition Assistance Program and Transition Book Camp are a great start.

Hiring a resume writing pro, enrolling in an interviewing skills class and using tools such as military.com’s skills translator program can ehlp you summarize your military skills and experiences. Don’t forget to tell your family and friends you’re job hunting too. Social networking is a big plus during your job search.

Make sure you’re clear about how a new civilian salary can change what you’ve grown accustomed to with a military paycheck. As a civilian you may now be paying for health, life, medical, dental and disability insurances. And just in case you don’t land that new job in a jiffy, build a transition fund to include nine to twelve months of living expenses. When you have some cushion to pay the bills, you’ll have more patience and stamina to hang in there until the best job for you comes along. Good luck in your search. For Mission Your Money, I’m June Walbert.