Preparing For The Military In College
Created through the National Defense Act of 1916, the ROTC prepares college students to become military officers in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. ROTC programs are offered at 1,700 higher education institutions nationwide.
In exchange for a paid college education and guaranteed careers, ROTC cadets generally commit to four years of military service upon graduation. Each branch facilitates its own version of ROTC training. The Army operates the most rigorous program, which consists of field training and leadership development on top of academic studies.
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Career Options For Former Military Members In 2022
Lori Norris has been educating and supporting military service members to see their career options and market their military skills during their military transition since 2005. Lori considers herself bilingual she speaks military and civilian language. She is the host of the Lessons Learned for Vets Podcast, the owner of Next for Vets education services and Get Results Career Services company.
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This video will introduce you to job searching on Indeed as a military service member or spouse.
Whether youre transitioning to civilian life from the military or youre an experienced former military member seeking a career change, there are plenty of employment opportunities available for you. People with military experience often possess a well-developed, unique set of abilities that include organizational and time management skills, strategic thinking, team cooperation, leadership skills and self-discipline. These traits can help you succeed in nearly any industry or profession.
In this article, we provide a list of 25 jobs across a variety of professions and industries for you to consider.
Jobs For Disabled Veterans
Veterans who have service-connected disabilities can often take advantage of the federal government’s special hiring authorities and training programs for disabled vets. In fact, according to the BLS report on veterans employment, about one-third of America’s employed veterans who have a service-connected disability work in the public sector . And, even if you have a significant impairment, the range of job fields available to disabled veterans is bigger than most realize. For example, jobs for visually impaired people can range from nursing to software development to teaching thanks to assistive technology.
In addition, some companies make an effort to offer career opportunities to disabled veterans in all kinds of fields. By exploring the wide variety of jobs for people with disabilities, you might discover one that you’ve never considered before.
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High Paying Jobs For Military Vets
Furthermore, there are plenty of jobs for military vets that offer generous starting wages. Depending on a soldier’s level of experience, these positions might even be willing to pay more. Some of the top positions to note during the search are:
- Mechanic: The skills of a mechanic are also in high demand. Military veterans often have extensive experience working with unique vehicles, ranging from aircraft to tanks and more. This opens up a wide range of possibilities for a veteran as a mechanic.
- Construction: Furthermore, the military expects its soldiers to work well as a team while also maintaining a certain level of fitness. This makes a veteran perfectly suited for a career in construction. Plus, this is a high-paying job that doesn’t necessarily require added education, one of the major benefits.
Best Military Jobs That Transfer To Civilian Life
Dan Hamilton is a Marine Corps veteran with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan who currently works in Texas public policy. He is an advocate for personal and professional development in the military and veterans community.
Joining the military is an impactful commitment. New recruits usually see the military as a career path or as a way to get a college education. When joining, it’s important to think about how military skills will transfer to civilian careers once you transition back to civilian life after service. In this article, we explore several military occupational specialty codes, or MOSs, whose technical skills transfer well to civilian life.
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What Do Civilian Employers Look For In Former Military Applicants
Civilian employers highly value military service, but it needs to be presented in a manner that will benefit the business. Use a resume format that properly showcases your military experience to a civilian recruiter. Pairing your technical and intangible skills from the military will make you a sought-after candidate in every industry.
Learn At Your Own Pace
MilLife Learning offers free, personal and professional development courses for service members, their families, survivors and those who support them.
Here are some things to consider for your future military career. And, if youve got any questions, Military OneSource can find you the answers to advance your career and live your best military life.
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What Do You Get For Serving In The Military
Service members in the military earn a base salary based on rank, experience, and background. In addition, there are unique benefits to military service like cost-of-living allowances, special insurance, and tuition coverage. There are also often military discounts available from various businesses.
Understand What You Already Have To Offer
Everybody with military experience has developed particular strengths that can often be expanded upon or transferred into new roles. Being able to articulate those abilities is a key to making potential employers understand how you might contribute to their organizations. And having a firm understanding of them yourself can help you determine which skills you might want to add or refine through additional schooling or training.
So think about your time in the service and everything that you accomplished. Talk it over with other people in your life, and enlist their help in figuring out how to translate those experiences into abilities that the average civilian would understand. For example, maybe your military service enabled you to develop some of the following transferable qualities and abilities:
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Best Places To Work After A Military Career
Tinker Air Force Base is just 13 miles from downtown Oklahoma City, which means that veterans in the area have easy access to base shopping thats tax-free and some 25% less than standard retail prices. Boeing and other federal contractors have a large presence nearby. The unemployment rate in Oklahoma City is just 5.2% and the median home price, $119,000. All those factors land it at the top of the list of ten best places for veterans to retire, published this week by USAA, a San Antonio financial services company that caters to the military and their families. USAA and Military.com, a free military news website with 10 million subscribers, commissioned Sperlings Best Places to compile the list.
This is the second year Sperlings has put together the list, but last year, the emphasis was on retirement. This year, says Ward Carroll, an editor at Military.com, he and the other list editors realized it made more sense to emphasize work than retirement. Most enlisted members retire at age 39 and officers, at 46. Though after 20 years, military retirees are entitled to a pension worth half their base pay, and low-cost health insurance, thats not enough for most to stop working.
According to the Defense Department, as of 2010, there were some two million military retirees who had served at least 20 years.
– Military skill-related jobs
– Number of federal government jobs
– Number of small businesses
Where Can I Find Support
Local resources can be a great place to seek resources and support. There are schools, local government entities and nonprofits that have tremendous benefits and programs to help former military members succeed after taking off the uniform. And lastly, look to serve the businesses and people around you, it is your best asset, and will help you stand out from your peers.
Read more:
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Retail Jobs Offer Flexible Work Schedules That May Be Particularly Well Suited For Veterans
Veterans working in the retail industry can enjoy working on a team as well as the benefits of flexible hours. Employment in retail is most popular among veterans aged 45 and older, and popular career paths include sales, marketing, and warehouse logistics. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, retail employees have become even more valuable.
Average annual salary: $25,519/year
Best Jobs After The Military
Employers need skilled workers who can meet the challenges of todays work environment and are increasingly turning to military veterans to make it happen. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans fell to 3.5 percent in 2019, and research shows that two in five employers planned to hire a U.S. veteran in 2018. Clearly, more companies are recognizing the unique traits that U.S. veterans can bring to the civilian workforce.
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Go Back To School Or Get Additional Training If You Need To
Every year, thousands of military vets decide to go to college or pursue trades training through registered apprenticeships. It’s often a smart way to go, especially if you need civilian credentials for the new career that you want to begin. Plus, you or your dependents might be able to get some or all of that education paid for through programs such as:
It’s easy to find veteran-friendly vocational schools near you. And plenty of resources exist for learning how to succeed as a college student.
Real Mentorship Real Results
When we began connecting junior military officers and enlisted technicians to the best jobs for transitioning military in 2003, we employed a revolutionary approach: individual mentorship and connection with each transitioning service member we assisted. Today, we use this approach not only with veterans and service members, but also with experienced managers and leadership candidates.
Job seekers who find SOAR Consulting a good fit include:
- Senior Leadership Opportunities: We work with experienced individuals looking for CEO, director, regional manager, operational manager and vice president roles within their industries, as well as with companies that rely on experienced, driven leadership to reach their goals.
- Technical and Engineering Specialists: Up-to-date technical and engineering skills are highly prized among Americas top companies. Many of our candidates develop these skills in the military or in other settings, then engage them on cutting-edge challenges with top employers.
- Managerial and Supervisory Candidates: Every effective team has a leader with an eye on the final goal and the skills to communicate and teach that vision. We connect with candidates who possess these skills and introduce them to the companies and teams that will help them develop their leadership abilities.
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Helpful Job Search Tools For Veterans
To make it easier to navigate your options, CareerBuilder recently announced its to assist servicemembers in their search for civilian jobs. Instead of entering a job title into the search bar of CareerBuilder, enter your military occupational specialty code or military rank to locate jobs that might be a good fit.
Another option is O*Net Onlines Military Crosswalk Search. Select the branch of service from a drop-down menu, then enter your AFSC, MOS, or Rating and a list of civilian occupations that require comparable skills will appear. From there, you can view a summary report that details the following information for each related civilian occupation result:
- Tasks and general work duties commonly performed
- Technology skills required
- Knowledge and formal education needed
- Abilities needed
- Work context
To ensure a successful transition into the civilian workforce, you must be able to express your relevant experiences and skills in civilian terms. Fortunately, assistance is available to help you not just find a job, but a fulfilling career.
For more information about how Northeastern can help you take the next step in your career, , military admissions officer at Northeastern, for personalized enrollment advice.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs . More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Do I Want To Be Paid Hourly Wages Or A Salary
Just like the overlaps and differences between jobs and salary, the same goes for wages and salaries.
First, jobs are usually paid with hourly wages, and careers are usually paid with salaries.
Theres no rule that says jobs with wages always pay less than careers with salaries, but thats usually how it works. That doesnt mean you cant find high paying jobs after the military!
- Whenand how many hoursdo you want to work? If you only want to work part-time, or if you like to vary which days you work, youll probably want to do something that pays wages.
But, if you want to work a regular weekday schedule , you should look for something that pays a salary.
- Do I want or need employment benefits? Benefits range from PTO to healthcare and retirement plans.
Generally, you need to work full-time to receive bennies, and these usually are part of doing something that pays a salary.
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Jobs For Military Officer Veterans
For those who are officers, they often have access to a variety of leadership and service positions as soon as they leave the military. Some of the best options include:
- Chief Information Officer: Those who occupied a leadership position in the IT world in the military often make an easy transition to the world of communication technology. This is one of the highest paying careers for military officers.
- Capture Manager: The job of a capture manager is to oversee a company’s bids for a variety of opportunities. This includes government contracts. Veterans are often prioritized for this position thanks to their knowledge of how the government works.
Top 7 Jobs For Retirees
There may be a glut of post-9/11 veterans returning home after the drawdown, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of retiree veterans who need to find work. It can be tough to look back at the job market after having left, or being old enough to leave, and not knowing what work would best suit you. Whatever your concerns may be, if you’re thinking about getting back into the workforce don’t let age stop you. Investopedia did a little digging and came up with seven top jobs for professionals who have retired. Check out our take on them below:
1. Consulting If you don’t want to break into a new field, you might be able to leverage all the experience you gained in your old one. Consulting requires a bit of hustling, but if you have the expertise then all you’ll need is proper marketing and networking. If you adopt a truly professional attitude, there may be plenty of individuals and organizations who would like to take advantage of your expertise.
2. Craftsman If you don’t need to earn a large income and enjoy making unique items, retirement is the perfect time to turn up your production rate and earn a bit of money on the side. Whether you’re making jewelry, statues, ornaments, or clothing, hand-made items can enjoy modest success. Many consumers want to purchase individually crafted items because they come with a sense of personability that buying retail usually doesn’t grant. Websites like eBay and Etsy can help make your crafting profitable.
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What Happens After You Submit Your Application
After you submit your application remember, read the announcement carefully and submit all required documents by the deadline! Human Resources will review your package to be sure it is complete. If not, agencies generally will eliminate you from the process. Almost no HR office will contact you to tell you your package is incomplete thats your responsibility.
If the application is complete, HR specialists decide if you are qualified whether you can do the job. Candidates are then scored against job-unique criteria, and the best qualified candidates are forwarded to the hiring official following OPM and agency rules. If there are a lot of best qualified applicants, hiring officials may use a screening panel to narrow down the list of candidates to be interviewed.
The hiring official then goes through a process, makes a selection, and notifies HR. HR makes the official job offer and notifies all the non-selects.
Notification to non-selects does not go out until someone has accepted the job. However, some agencies will notify you if youre screened out. If the HR specialist determines you are not qualified, you probably will hear from HR relatively soon after you apply.
The process for SES positions is more complicated. Once HR identifies the qualified applicants, applications are put into two categories: Current or prior SES members , and other applicants .
Jumpstart Your New Beginning
Your military experience can serve as a terrific foundation for a satisfying civilian career. With focus and persistence, you may just end up with one of the best jobs for veterans out there. And a lot of vocational programs exist to help you expand your skills and gain the necessary credentials for your future as a sought-after professional. Find nearby training options right now by putting your zip code into the following school finder!
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Cdl Operator / Driver
Salary expectation: $42,000
Even before Covid-19 increased the demands on shipping and transportation services, CDL truck drivers were already in high demand. In the past 10 years, salaries for drivers have become increasingly competitive due to a shortage of candidates.
Most service members have many of the unique traits and skills that appeal to trucking companies, which includes being accustomed to working long hours, remaining mentally alert and delivering needed suppliesand familiarity with larger vehicles could be a bonus.
Each state has its own minimum standards for the licensing of commercial drivers, and federal regulations also apply.
Tip: Learn about what it takes to get a CDL at Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
