After a round of personnel cuts just two years ago, the Air Force plans to trim the ranks again in the coming years.

The Air Force is looking to get rid of about 5,750 people by fiscal 2012, officials told Stars and Stripes in March 2010.

That breaks down to cutting 1,373 enlisted airmen and 4,373 officers by fiscal 2012, Brig. Gen. Sharon Dunbar, director of force management policy, told the paper.

More recently, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said up to 550 Airmen will be eliminated as part of the Air Force's effort to trim its budget, according to military.com. The job losses will occur as service commands and numbered Air Forces merge over the next several years, Donley said a couple weeks ago during a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Air Force Association in Virginia.

While many of the cuts will occur with the consolidation of air operations centers in the U.S. and overseas, it illustrates the fact that it's never a bad idea for Airmen to always be thinking about life after the Air Force.

One of the things Airmen should always have in the back of their mind is a focus on getting their formal education, said Jasen Williams, a former Marine who's now a senior director with RecruitMilitary, a military-to-civilian recruiting firm.

"Getting their formal education will open up doors for them," said Williams, who arranges job and opportunity expos up and down the West coast for RecruitMilitary. "They should do the most they can with the extra time that they have."

Thinking ahead is a key component to success even for those who don't want to enter into the civilian work force.

Air Force veteran Jordan Haines wanted no part of working for anyone when he retired. He started thinking about starting his own business four years before he retired from McChord Field as a master sergeant in 2000.

"I prepared by figuring out what deeply interested me, then I generated a game plan," said Haines, who started Coinforce.com, a Lakewood-based military challenge coin manufacturing business, in 1996.

While bolstering one's education while they are still in the service should be a top priority on everyone's list, Williams also recommends several other things that can help Airmen find jobs in the civilian world.

Getting active and registering as a job seeker on job boards - especially those specializing in military-to-civilian recruitment - is an easy first step. Being active also entails attending job fairs, career fairs and expos, always putting the major focus on military-to-civilian events.

To be successful at those types of events, Airmen need to make sure they have a strong resume to hand out. Williams recommends preparing a resume that translates military skills, training or experiences into qualifications for civilian jobs.

"Employers see the value veterans have, they just need to see it in the resume," Williams said. "They want to know how those skills are applicable to their team."

Airmen should also sharpen their interviewing skills so they can make the most of their opportunities to showcase their skills. To get the best possible feedback, Williams suggest Airmen ask their coworkers, friends and family members if they know anyone in a human resources position that might be willing to hear their pitch and offer tips.

"There are a lot of people out there willing to do that," Williams said. "Even if it's just over the phone."  

It also helps to research industries and occupations methodically, looking out for those that pay well enough and are a good match for an Airman's skill set. The Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/oco) and the Career Guide to Industries (www.bls.gov/oco/cg/home.htm) are both are publications of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is part of the United States Department of Labor.

Airmen should also remember to lean on the traits that helped them excel in the military.

"Civilian business owners know that veterans are hard workers, punctual, trustworthy and dedicated," said Haines, who's hired several Reservists, veterans, military spouses and dependents since he started Coinforce.com. "Don't ever stop being a hard worker, punctual, trustworthy and dedicated. Never forget those core values instilled in you. To this day, I still live by the values engrained into my heart from serving in the Air Force."