Leaving the Military Alive & Well in Northern Virginia
March 10th, 2008 categories: Real Estate News, Relocating
If there is one place where retiring from Active duty is made easier, it’s in Northern Virginia. And, the big reason why is – that’s where the jobs are! And, while there may be an abundance of government positions available, due to DoD’s ramp up following 9-11, there are a multitude of opportunities in the private sector as well. So, while we may be leaving active duty, we may not be saying goodbye to our government employer.
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For those seeking to remain connected with the Federal government after taking off the uniform, USAJOBS, is the place to begin your job search upon retirement. It not only allows you to search for jobs, but allows you to build and post your resume for job possibilities. For the private sector, Northern Virginia has hundreds of private companies or contractors that have laid down roots in locations across the area the past few years. These companies directly support the government. Business types range from the telecommunications industry to defense equipment producers, and just about anything in between. As you might imagine, everyone wants a piece of the federal government’s pie. Another valuable resource for opportunities for Veterans is the Veterans Career page. It calls itself the “largest veteran job board in the world”. Military.com not only has a wealth of information to assist viewers but also includes an abundance of other helpful career transition tools.
Our “online” digital world allows us to keep up not just with job possibilities, but many other issues related to the career we’ve left, like retirement pay, Dept of Defense News, and some of the national security challenges that we continually face. So, while we’ve retired we’re never too far away from lifelines to our past career.
While the abundance of job opportunities is one reason to consider retiring from Uncle Sam in Northern Virginia, the abundance of things to do, beautiful countryside, and the temperate and seasonal climate are others. The area’s multi-ethnic makeup provides a rich blend of artistic, cultural and dining choices to satisfy any and all tastes and preferences. From the Kennedy Center performances to Northern Virginia Wineries, to battlefields in Fredericksburg, the area’s offerings provide an abundance of choices for all tastes.
However, while there are plenty of attractive aspects of life in Northern Virginia for those retiring, and choosing to settle here, we still have the I95 traffic to deal with. So, it’s always good to be mindful of the many options you have when traveling. Each and every one of us faces the challenges of the ever increasing crowding of the Interstate highways we travel weekly, or, for many of us, daily, to and from work. How do best navigate these challenges? For the work commute, there are a number of options. Commuter Connections provides information on many of the available transit options. For your day to day travel, you may want to look at some some helpful sites that will keep you abreast of traffic problems . So, before you decide to head out on the road, it might be a good idea to take at look at these sights first. Because, as many of us have said, “Northern Virginia is a great place to live, except for the traffic”!
If you’ve decided that Virginia is where you’ll be relocating to and retiring, the choices of where to live are numerous. For many, it’ll be dictated by the location of your future employer. For others, that decision may hinge on your preference for a particular county school district, or social and recreational outlets, or something as simple as a particular subdivision or neighborhood. In any case, the choices are many, and a great place to begin your search for your future home is www.RakeTeam.com, or www.zillow.com, or www.coldwellbankerelite.com , among others.
For those thinking about retiring from the military, Northern Virginia has much to offer. There are few places, if any, that offer a better opportunity for your “second career”. Heightened national security concerns since 2001 have resulted in a tremendous increase in DoD related employment opportunities in the area. Additionally, the sites, events and experiences offered in the cities and towns that dot the area are so plentiful and rich, that you’ll be left wondering how you’ll ever find enough time to enjoy them all. Whatever you decide, enjoy the transition, you certainly deserve it!
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