PL BRAVO

Federal · Defense · Cleared careers after service

Plan your
crossing.

Every unit plans its phase lines before it crosses them. Most of us leave the service without a single one. Phase Line Advisory gives you the checkpoints: one specific move at a time into federal service, defense acquisition or cleared contracting.

First videoTue, Dec 15
CountdownT-45 days
CadenceEvery Tuesday
Built byA Marine veteran

The route

Three phase lines. One objective.

Find the line you're closest to. Everything before it should already be done. Everything after it is your next move.

PL1
Alpha · 12 months out

Pick your lane

  • Choose federal, contractor or both
  • Pick two or three job series and search by number
  • Start your Transition Assistance Program
PL2
Bravo · 6 months out

Build your package

  • A two-page federal resume and a separate contractor resume
  • Request your Statement of Service
  • Have ten real conversations
PL3
Charlie · 90 days out

Apply and interview

  • Apply every week, tailored every time
  • Write eight interview stories
  • Protect your clearance window
OBJ
The week you get out

Cross the line

  • DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), Member 4 copy, uploaded to USAJOBS
  • Every resume updated the same day
  • Tell your network what you're targeting

Three lanes

Where your service record fits.

Most transition advice is general encouragement. This is the terrain: the jobs, the series numbers and the rules that decide who gets the call.

Lane 01

Defense acquisition

Program management and contracting for the systems the force uses. Your operational time is the credential civilians don't have.

1102 Contract Specialist0343 Program Analyst0301 Admin and Program
Lane 02

Cleared contracting

Jobs where your security clearance, up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI), is the price of entry. They move faster than federal hiring and lean hard on your network.

TS/SCI in the top third24 mo reinstatement window1–2 pg resume
Lane 03

Federal civil service

USAJOBS, veterans' preference and exact paperwork. Search by series, mirror the announcement and keep it to two pages.

2210 Information Technology0080 Security0391 Telecom

Free download

The Federal and Defense Career Checklist

Every move you need to make before you cross into a federal, defense contractor or cleared career, in the order you need to make it.

25moves, in order
3phase lines: 12 months, 6 months, 90 days
3pages you'll actually finish
  • The six job series that fit most service members, and how to search them
  • The two-page federal resume rule and how to cut to it
  • What to do the week you get out, so nothing stalls

Free. Delivered by email, with a short welcome series you can leave any time.

Founding Session: Your Federal Career Plan

Sixty minutes. One plan.

A working session on video call. You leave with your lane, your target series and your next three moves written down.

00–15Your record, your timeline and where you are on the route
15–35Lane and series: which jobs fit, and which ones to skip
35–50Your resume against a real announcement, line by line
50–60Your next three moves, with dates

Who's on the other end

Built by someone who made the crossing.

I'm Will. I spent nine years in the Marine Corps as a field radio operator and communications supervisor. When I got out in 2018, nobody handed me a plan.

I figured out job series numbers, federal resumes and clearance timelines the hard way: by getting them wrong first. Since then I've worked in federal law enforcement communications, defense contracting, emergency management and now federal civilian service. Every one of those moves taught me something I wish I'd known a year earlier.

That's why Phase Line exists. On a military map, a phase line is a checkpoint. You don't cross it without knowing where you are and what comes next. Most people leave the service, or try to break into federal work, without a single one.

A few people took the time to show me the ropes along the way. This is me passing that forward. Free where I can, one-on-one when you need it.

  • U.S. Marine CorpsField radio operator to communications supervisor, 2009 to 2018
  • Federal law enforcementTactical communications
  • Defense contractingSystems integration
  • Emergency managementDisaster emergency communications
  • Federal civilianToday

Questions

Before you start.

Who is this for?

Service members about a year from separation, veterans already out, military spouses, federal employees moving between agencies or into contracting, and civilians trying to break into federal work. If you're aiming at a federal, defense acquisition or cleared job, it's for you.

Having trouble booking or need help?

Email hello@phaselinehq.com with what went wrong (a time that won't load, a payment that didn't go through, a session you need to move). I answer within one business day. If you were charged and didn't get a confirmation email, include the time you tried to book.

Is Phase Line Advisory part of the military or the government?

No. It's an independent, veteran-owned business. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency, and nothing here speaks for one.

Is the checklist really free?

Yes. Enter your email and it's delivered right away, along with a few short emails that walk you through it. Unsubscribe whenever you want.

Do you help with VA claims or retirement decisions?

No. Phase Line Advisory covers career strategy only. For VA claims, use a free accredited Veterans Service Organization. For TSP and retirement decisions, talk to a licensed financial professional.

Your first checkpoint

Don't cross it
without a plan.