Howdy!

My husband and I are currently exploring options for a civilian career when he gets out of the Army next spring. He's done so well in his military career as an infantryman and has demonstrated quality leadership skills. He is the epitome of sheer determination and drive. He's going to be deployed until his exit date comes up in 2018, so it's making the job search difficult. He's getting out so that we can settle and start our family; we are looking to stay here in Texas where my family is located.

Does anyone have any advice for career opportunities for former infantry? Or anyone we could talk to who might have a use for his skills? It's definitely hard trying to figure out careers to which he can transfer over his military "soft" skills. While he hasn't finished his degree, he is very capable and quick when it comes to learning new things.

Thank you!

Edit: I forgot to mention that he will have 6 years of military experience by the time he leaves. He rose through the ranks pretty quickly at that.

If he likes the structure of the military, he may fit in well with the police force. Most large departments are always hiring and former military can do well in that field.

I work for Wells Fargo, and we have a big program for Military Veterans. There is a Military Skills translator tool on the website.

https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/careers/veterans/

Thanks for your response!

We came to the same conclusion and looked at options for finishing his degree as well...he'd essentially be starting from scratch. He hasn't ruled out contracting jobs either, he just finished MG school and was hoping that might be an option.

Our family and financial situation is exactly what makes him nervous about taking time out to start over with his degree.

JBLHAG03 said:

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I work for Wells Fargo, and we have a big program for Military Veterans. There is a Military Skills translator tool on the website.

https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/careers/veterans/

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Thank you very much, we'll take a look at it!

AggieAces06 said:

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If he likes the structure of the military, he may fit in well with the police force. Most large departments are always hiring and former military can do well in that field.

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We were actually very interested in going the firefighting route instead for a while, but realized he would need some sort of certification...we just got confused when it seems like different departments require different certifications!

jk37287 said:

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AggieAces06 said:

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If he likes the structure of the military, he may fit in well with the police force. Most large departments are always hiring and former military can do well in that field.

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We were actually very interested in going the firefighting route instead for a while, but realized he would need some sort of certification...we just got confused when it seems like different departments require different certifications!

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Every department is going to be different with their requirements. By many will send new hires to their needed academy or training schools. Some may still have requirements for "basic" stuff though.

Would being deployed to Korea until Feb-March be a hinderance in applying to departments? I know they only hire certain times of the year and he would have to take a civil service exam. He doesn't want to wait until after he is back and out to start applying to jobs. The idea of not having something lined up before he gets out is nerve-wracking for him.

Again, it depends on each department. It never hurts to apply and explain the situation. Good luck to y'all!

How much time from when he returns from his deployment to when you all actually out process? his separation date may be later due to terminal leave?

I ask because returning from deployment right before he separates might make him eligible to extend from 1 month to a year (in 1 month increments) versus re-enlisting. He would need to talk to the re-enlistments section about an extension. Even an extra 3 to 6 months (not a very long time) would give you all some time to actually focus on your transition and give you a little breathing room.

It takes some time to network, create a quality resume, cover letter, and just get adjusted to being a civilian and searching for a job.

Has he ever written a resume, cover letter, or interviewed for a serious fulltime job?

- Does he have an idea of what he wants to do or does he just want out? If he can figure out at least an industry, then you all can focus your preparation and transition.

-- This is going to be a stressful time. Have patience and grace with each other.

--- Not sure if you work, go to school, have kids, etc. I suggest you all define your roles for the transition and beyond, to include both of your careers. Explicitly discuss what is in scope and what is out of scope for both of you in the transition and potential careers.

Use this time to really talk to each other about your values, what makes y'all the way you are, and your long term goals. Be intentional and come out of this stronger.


----This is a little better than the Wells Fargo skills translator and it will list every course you have taken and even break down every job and special duty assignment you have had. It will take into account changing careers, serving in more than one branch, or a special duty such as a recruiter, trainer, or drill instructor. Verification of Military Experience & Training (VMET) https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/tgps/

Got a couple stories for you.

1 - Your husband needs to finish his degree. Some how, some way, figure out how and when he's going to do that. If he doesn't need it now, he will need it later. Life is a competition. The best qualified candidate doesn't always win but, you have to overcome the barriers to entry to even get on the playing field.

2 - I had a friend who had been a USMC Infantry Officer and got in to residential home construction in Houston. He told me some great stories about how when he first showed up on the job and started barking orders, etc., just like he had done in the Marine Corps. His methods completely didn't work and he wound up in some bad situations. Eventually he changed his leadership strategy and techniques and was able to get good results.

3 - You mentioned that your husband might be interested in becoming a firefighter. Here's my story about how competitive that can be.

After I finished my Active Duty service at the US Army Armor School, I needed to find a job in the Austin, Texas area because my wife had already landed a solid Engineering job in Austin. I looked at many different things and one of the things that came up was the Austin Fire Department. The first thing you have to do is to take a test to see if you have the aptitude to become a firefighter. From the results of this test, they develop an Order of Merit List where they start drawing candidates for the Fire Academy.

So, I think, hey, I have an Engineering degree from Texas A&M, I'm in reasonable physical condition and if my wife has a good job in Austin, I could do something like become a firefighter and work my way up and eventually retire with a pension of some sort. Meanwhile, serve in the National Guard and life will be good.

So I go down to take the firefighter entrance exam and it's held in a gigantic room like a convention center type place. There are 1,800 people who show up to take this exam. Many of the guys in the room are already wearing t-shirts and/or uniforms from volunteer fire departments and other municipalities EMS. I guess there was a strong appeal to become a firefighter in Austin. Based on the towns listed on their clothes, a lot of the guys had driven in a long way to take this exam. Frankly, I was a little intimidated because I could tell that at least half the room genuinely wanted to do this for their career. I was still lukewarm but nevertheless, it was a real opportunity for me.

Test results came out the following week and you had to go downtown to see them. So, I drive downtown and find my name/SSN on the list. Out of 1,800+ test takers, I score 98% and wind up in 108th place on the OML. There was a 5 point Veteran's preference. Since I had only served 137 days on Active Duty while I was at the Armor School, I technically wasn't a "Veteran". The top score on the test was 103%. So somebody scored just as well as I did and was also a Veteran.

They announce that they're going to take 100 candidates for the first class at the Austin Fire Department so I missed it by a hair. After a 3-4 weeks pass, they announce that they're going to take a second class and they pull in another 100 candidates. I went down to the orientation and filled out the paperwork to sign up for the Academy at Austin. I was seriously ready to become a firefighter but the Academy didn't start for another month or so. When it rains it pours. The following week, I got an offer for a real bona fide Engineering job in Austin and the rest is history.

Hopefully you enjoyed my story about how I almost became a firefighter in Austin but most importantly, the takeaway is that it is not easy by any means. Depending on the city and the department, it can be very competitive. Your husband's Veterans preference will help but, he's still going to have to bring his "A" game academically. The physical stuff is all an afterthought to the classroom part of it. Hope that helps.

Just fact-checking myself and wondering what that process would be like in 2017, I found the Austin Fire Cadet hiring site.
http://austintexas.gov/department/2017-fire-cadet-hiring-process

If you scroll down to where it says 2017 Military Bonus Points List and click on that link, you'll find 4 pages worth of candidates who qualified for a Veterans preference. That suggests to me that it is probably every bit as competitive today as it was in my era.

Exam dates - http://joinafd.com/news/2017-hiring-process-updated

Looks like joinafd.com is the main web site and they link to a FB page and a page on the City of Austin site that describes the Fire Academy as a 24 week course

Koko Chingo said:

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How much time from when he returns from his deployment to when you all actually out process? his separation date may be later due to terminal leave?

I ask because returning from deployment right before he separates might make him eligible to extend from 1 month to a year (in 1 month increments) versus re-enlisting. He would need to talk to the re-enlistments section about an extension. Even an extra 3 to 6 months (not a very long time) would give you all some time to actually focus on your transition and give you a little breathing room.

It takes some time to network, create a quality resume, cover letter, and just get adjusted to being a civilian and searching for a job.

Has he ever written a resume, cover letter, or interviewed for a serious fulltime job?

- Does he have an idea of what he wants to do or does he just want out? If he can figure out at least an industry, then you all can focus your preparation and transition.

-- This is going to be a stressful time. Have patience and grace with each other.

--- Not sure if you work, go to school, have kids, etc. I suggest you all define your roles for the transition and beyond, to include both of your careers. Explicitly discuss what is in scope and what is out of scope for both of you in the transition and potential careers.

Use this time to really talk to each other about your values, what makes y'all the way you are, and your long term goals. Be intentional and come out of this stronger.


----This is a little better than the Wells Fargo skills translator and it will list every course you have taken and even break down every job and special duty assignment you have had. It will take into account changing careers, serving in more than one branch, or a special duty such as a recruiter, trainer, or drill instructor. Verification of Military Experience & Training (VMET) https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/tgps/

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Well he would have perhaps a month or two between the time he comes back and gets out. He talked to them about extending for that very reason...he was told no one can volunteer to extend this time. You can see how we are in a severe time crunch...but the past two years has been nothing but a deployment and series of military schools.
He did things like working at a car dealership and manager in a department store before joining the military...whatever he could to support his family after he left college. He would like a real career now rather than just some jobs. I just started my career as a teacher and have been living in my education bubble so I'm just about clueless when it comes to any other careers!

HollywoodBQ said:

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Got a couple stories for you.

1 - Your husband needs to finish his degree. Some how, some way, figure out how and when he's going to do that. If he doesn't need it now, he will need it later. Life is a competition. The best qualified candidate doesn't always win but, you have to overcome the barriers to entry to even get on the playing field.

2 - I had a friend who had been a USMC Infantry Officer and got in to residential home construction in Houston. He told me some great stories about how when he first showed up on the job and started barking orders, etc., just like he had done in the Marine Corps. His methods completely didn't work and he wound up in some bad situations. Eventually he changed his leadership strategy and techniques and was able to get good results.

3 - You mentioned that your husband might be interested in becoming a firefighter. Here's my story about how competitive that can be.

After I finished my Active Duty service at the US Army Armor School, I needed to find a job in the Austin, Texas area because my wife had already landed a solid Engineering job in Austin. I looked at many different things and one of the things that came up was the Austin Fire Department. The first thing you have to do is to take a test to see if you have the aptitude to become a firefighter. From the results of this test, they develop an Order of Merit List where they start drawing candidates for the Fire Academy.

So, I think, hey, I have an Engineering degree from Texas A&M, I'm in reasonable physical condition and if my wife has a good job in Austin, I could do something like become a firefighter and work my way up and eventually retire with a pension of some sort. Meanwhile, serve in the National Guard and life will be good.

So I go down to take the firefighter entrance exam and it's held in a gigantic room like a convention center type place. There are 1,800 people who show up to take this exam. Many of the guys in the room are already wearing t-shirts and/or uniforms from volunteer fire departments and other municipalities EMS. I guess there was a strong appeal to become a firefighter in Austin. Based on the towns listed on their clothes, a lot of the guys had driven in a long way to take this exam. Frankly, I was a little intimidated because I could tell that at least half the room genuinely wanted to do this for their career. I was still lukewarm but nevertheless, it was a real opportunity for me.

Test results came out the following week and you had to go downtown to see them. So, I drive downtown and find my name/SSN on the list. Out of 1,800+ test takers, I score 98% and wind up in 108th place on the OML. There was a 5 point Veteran's preference. Since I had only served 137 days on Active Duty while I was at the Armor School, I technically wasn't a "Veteran". The top score on the test was 103%. So somebody scored just as well as I did and was also a Veteran.

They announce that they're going to take 100 candidates for the first class at the Austin Fire Department so I missed it by a hair. After a 3-4 weeks pass, they announce that they're going to take a second class and they pull in another 100 candidates. I went down to the orientation and filled out the paperwork to sign up for the Academy at Austin. I was seriously ready to become a firefighter but the Academy didn't start for another month or so. When it rains it pours. The following week, I got an offer for a real bona fide Engineering job in Austin and the rest is history.

Hopefully you enjoyed my story about how I almost became a firefighter in Austin but most importantly, the takeaway is that it is not easy by any means. Depending on the city and the department, it can be very competitive. Your husband's Veterans preference will help but, he's still going to have to bring his "A" game academically. The physical stuff is all an afterthought to the classroom part of it. Hope that helps.

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Wow! I heard it was competitive but I couldn't have imagined that... I feel like he could do well as he is bright, but that plenty of others would do just as well, too. Candidates with degrees, just as much military experience, and more experience in EMT/EMS or at other fire departments. My husband wants to finish school but is uncomfortable with the idea of making me financially responsible for us so that he can be a full-time student. He needs to work and would like to start a career in some field and then work on going to school to advance himself in that field.

Thank you for the reality check!!

Amazon has a large veteran and transition set of programs that includes apprenticeships and trainings.

These are easily searchable on the web or on the Amazon site. Let me know if you need help with it.

From the Amazon press release in January 2017:

DOL Apprenticeship Builds on Amazon's Joining Forces Commitment to Hire 25,000 Veterans by 2021
Yesterday, we joined forces with the Department of Labor to announce the creation of a new Amazon Veterans Apprenticeship Program. This program will create another mechanism to train even more veterans across the country in technical skills for jobs at Amazon or elsewhere.

Back in May 2016, I was privileged to join our CEO Jeff Bezos and my colleague Kathleen Carroll at the White House, when we announced our Joining Forces goal of hiring 25,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years and training 10,000 more in cloud computing skills through AWS Educate. We are focusing our efforts on piloting a variety of innovative programs to provide veterans the training necessary to compete for high-tech, high-demand careers. And today's announcement is another step in creating an alternative development path to build technical skills necessary to meet the unfilled demand for high tech workers in the U.S.

The Department of Labor has certified Amazon as an official Apprenticeship meaning service members and veterans can work directly with Amazon to go through a technical training program over 16 weeks, and participate in a paid apprenticeship with Amazon for 12months. Often, these Apprenticeships will lead to full-time roles at Amazon or elsewhere in one of the most in demand fields cloud computing.
We'll start small with our first Apprenticeship cohort, training a dozen or so veterans for Amazon Web Services' Cloud Support Associate role. Our hope is that with the experience we gain, the program will expand to additional technical roles and can continue to scale. We're looking forward to bringing our first cohort onboard and learning together!

Ardine Williams, Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition at Amazon Web Services

Please please strongly consider using the GI Bill to finish his degree. It will open so many more doors for him and his career. I used mine recently for grad school. Tell him to email me if he has any questions or just wants someone who has made the transition recently.

jmelear@gmail.com

- Jacob

I hired a lot of veterans to work as a wind turbine technicians. There are jobs that are 100% travel or site based (think rural). Plenty of opportunities to move up as well. The wind industry employs a lot of veterans. Pay starts around 45k or higher + OT with good benefits usually. Usually after OT, can net 60k+. I had several that worked for me finish their degrees while working and become project managers or move into site leadership.

He'll need to attend a school like MIAT or similar to get serious looks by hiring managers, but the program doesn't take long (months not years) and isn't too expensive. They also will give military credits for coursework taken while serving.

http://www.miat.edu/programs/energy/wind-power-technician-program/

My email is (Texags handle) at Yahoo dot com if you or he have further questions.

Best if luck to yall and thank the both of you for his service.

If he's going to school on the GI Bill, he will still get BAH. In San Antonio the amount is increasing to 1811/month starting in August, so it definitely helps. Under the GI Bill, everyone gets paid at the E-5 married rate.

Construction could be a good route. He will have a lot of the soft skills required through his time in the military, and the industry is fairly easy to learn. There's also a lot of companies that are willing to give recently separated vets a shot even if they have minimal experience. It would definitely help if he finished his degree though. UTSA has a pretty good construction management program that we hire from all the time.

He may also be able to swing some kind of part time internship, depending on who is looking and willing that would allow him to work and go to school. It won't pay much, but it's something. I would suggest being a full time student as opposed to working though. The faster he finishes his degree, the sooner he can make the big bucks and start a real career.

http://www.bp.com/en/global/bp-careers/professionals/career-areas/trading/bp-military-placement-programme.html

If there is any interest in the energy sector, this program is a great way to get into our trading group. I have an a candidate reporting into me now and we do everything we can to get them to a permanent role.

My company has a program "Changing Lanes" for military members separating soon or recently separated. Get paid by military while training to be an Autobody Technician. Our certified Body Techs make $70K - $130K/ yr repairing collision damage. Caliber Collision Changing Lanes

i work for shell and we seem to have a decent amount of former military people working for us in various roles (construction, project management, etc). i admit i don't know the specifics but if you have interest in this industry (it's not without its ups and downs) that might be a good place to look also.

Back to the firefighter story- If jobs become that competitive to land among hundreds and hundreds of nearly equally qualified candidates to do the job, they are very likely vastly overpaying. But that's our government, so no shock there.

Aston04 said:

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Back to the firefighter story- If jobs become that competitive to land among hundreds and hundreds of nearly equally qualified candidates to do the job, they are very likely vastly overpaying. But that's our government, so no shock there.

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I assume, you're not from Austin and have never lived there, right?
It's not normal town USA. It's a cult. The demand to live/work in Austin is nuts.

I doubt they're overpaying per se but, Firefighters do have good benefits.

Not from Austin, but hear similar stories about government jobs all the time. For example, some jobs are only posted a couple days because they are overwhelmed by candidates. More so federal ones...

I don't know that I saw where you plan on living in Texas, but if it will be in a smaller town/community, they usually have more lax requirements for entering their police force. They will send him to training. Also, is it possible for him to pursue at least a certificate in something while he is in Korea? He can do this online, which would reduce the burden on your finances if he waits until he is back and out.