Career Advancement with a Career Degree

Archive for the ‘Military Career’ Category

With the wide array of possible career paths within the field of Information Technology, it can often be difficult to determine the correct one for you, given your unique interests and career goals. In my last article, part one of this two-part series, I covered the Systems category of Information Technology including who would be best fit to pursue a career in that field and what type of education would best prepare that individual for a successful career. In part two of the series, I will cover the Application Development category of IT.

Application Development Category

People often assume that individuals working in Application Development Information Technology careers are simply programmers or coders, but there is far more to the field than that. IT offers companies the opportunity to increase efficiency across the board, saving time, manpower and money, while increasing customer satisfaction rates at the same time. Typically, automating business and mission processes is the best way to accomplish these types of effectiveness and efficiency improvements, with some examples of specializations in this area including:

? Determining which business processes can be improved with automation

? Conducting process reengineering to gain maximum benefits from IT capabilities

? Application and database development (programming/coding)

? Testing applications and training end users

? Maintaining and upgrading applications

While some application development is done by military members, much of this is outsourced to civilian contractors. But again, as with the Systems career path of Information Technology, depending on the size and needs of the organization you work for, you could find yourself working on all of these tasks at the same time.

College courses and degree programs provide the ?foundation? necessary for developing the abilities needed to pursue (and succeed!) in a specialized Information Technology career. Certifications are also an option as a sort of ?quick fix,? normally used to quickly get you up-to-speed in a particular specialization.

This article just skims the surface of all the exciting opportunities available to those interested in pursuing a career in Information Technology. But it should be a useful place to start for those of you looking for information regarding how to choose a degree program. And remember, if you?re on active duty in the military, you know you?re going to need a degree for promotion at some point- so you might as well start right away! And even if you do intend on leaving the service, your future employers are going to evaluate your capabilities based on your education level by examining both your degree(s) and your certifications.

Keep in mind – other individuals competing for the same IT positions as yourself are aware of this necessity, so you should do everything you can to set yourself apart from ?just another Information Technology technician? by getting that degree or an additional certification. It can?t hurt!

Talk to one of our admissions counselors about the opportunity of enrolling in one of our many affordable online programs, giving you the flexibility, and the expertise, that you need to succeed in your IT career. And ask us about your TA, Montgomery GI Bill (Chap 30), and even the new Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chap 33) benefits- while they?re still available. Reduced military tuition rates and military scholarships help extend those benefits even further, minimizing your out-of-pocket expenses, so why wait?

As a service member who developed a rewarding Information Technology career after leaving the military, I want to share some perspective on factors you need to consider when choosing an educational program for developing your career in IT. Talking with prospective students and attending education fairs, I interact with military members looking to advance their education and considering IT careers on a regular basis. The 4 most common situations I encounter ?

The military member is:

? Seeking a specific IT degree and has the background needed to be successful

? Already employed in a career in IT and interested in pursuing that Information Technology career path, but unsure how best to proceed

? Not currently working in IT, but interested in an Information Technology career

? Currently working a career in Information Technology, but wants to get a degree in a different field of IT

With my military and IT related experience, I feel uniquely capable of offering relevant guidance to the member to help them make an informed choice of how to proceed. This 2nd article in my Information Technology series provides discussion of some initial considerations the service member faces in choosing an education path, as well as some things to consider when choosing information technology careers. Center to any decision should be the understanding that advanced education is important for promotion purposes and to enhance the quality of life potential for you and your family. Further, you should take advantage of the available funding to get your education as soon as possible, before it is no longer available.

Three main ingredients will likely determine your success in an IT career path: your degree, your certifications, and your relevant experience in the field. Don?t short change any one of the three if you want to maximize your potential and worth to an employer, and minimize your likelihood of being laid off or replaced. You should also be aware that the IT arena is constantly evolving and advancing, so continuing-education and updating certifications will be a way of life. Don?t let this discourage you since this makes for an interesting long-term career that can be tweaked in varying directions and be very satisfying and fulfilling.

As for IT careers in general, you should also understand that Information Technology must be a strategic partner in most successful enterprises. It is not a silver-bullet to the organization?s success but is a vital and critical support component to any enterprise. As such, IT careers usually require 24/7 attention, so be prepared for varied daily schedules, and know that IT work-weeks can be notoriously long. If you choose your path wisely, this should not be a problem considering that the IT field has been one of the top two fields for job security and pay/benefits for the past many years.

No matter what your personality ? careers in IT are available for you. If you are not a people-person, IT jobs are available in which you are off in a corner rarely seen or bothered by anyone (you can be like a mushroom in a dark cave.) However, if you?re a socialite, Information Technology jobs are also available where this trait is critical for promoting collaboration and helping keep IT a valued team player in the enterprise. Jobs abound for personalities in-between those.

Finally with IT career experience in your background, don?t short change your education or experience as you move to another career field such as business, healthcare, or criminal justice. That knowledge and experience can make you more valuable to a future employer since Information Technology is a key ingredient in all of those fields also.

Are you an active-duty military spouse with an existing MyCAA account? You are lucky, because now you can take advantage of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to reinstate MyCAA funds, but only to existing MyCAA accounts.

Don’t take your existing MyCAA account for granted another day.  In fact, many military spouses with existing MyCAA accounts have yet to choose a career training plan.  Understandably, it’s an important decision that requires careful consideration, from what you will be happy doing to what will be best for your family – especially if you need a portable career.

Get moving today with these seven, easy steps to selecting the right career path:

Begin your Career Path Search with “you.”

What do you like to do?  Or on the other hand, is there anything that you can’t see yourself doing? The first step is to Identify your interests, skills, values, needs and traits to help you determine the best career fit for your personality and lifestyle.

Research different industries, career paths and or jobs that align with your traits, needs and lifestyle.

Based on what you’ve learned about yourself, check out various sources of occupational information to discover those jobs that seem to be the best match.  More than likely, you will find several types of occupations that match your interests.  Now you can form your list of career possibilities.

Narrow down your search.

Once you have identified favorable career options, the next step is to delve deeper into your research. For example, what’s the salary range, training requirements and future job growth of the industry your considering?  Also, talk to family, friends, neighbors or anyone you can – you may locate a contact who can offer real-world advice and experience concerning your career fields of interest.  Additionally, the Internet offers a variety of valuable tools for successfully conducting this type of research.

Gather up your research and choose your career path.

Now that you have matched your needs and interests with possible occupations, spent some time researching and hopefully talked to individuals in your potential career fields, it’s time to select which one you want to pursue.  This is a big step, but if you did your research and gave careful thought to your likes and dislikes, you should be able to make this decision with greater confidence.

Choose a career training program with portability.

Now you are ready to put your existing MyCAA account to work.  You can use the search option on the MyCAA portal to check out military spouse friendly schools. For example, the school must accept MyCAA.  Next, the school should offer portable education options, which is why an online school or university might be the perfect fit for your military family lifestyle.  Other important things to consider include national accreditation and live student support.

For information on how to use your existing MyCAA account, visit the military one source web site where you can access tools like Frequently Asked Questions and news/updates affecting your MyCAA benefits.

Today’s military is not only a powerful organization protecting the world and the country, it is a great way to obtain an impressive education as well as on the job experience. This experience is very important when the soldier leaves the service and enters the private sector because it gives them a leg up on the competition.

There are many career paths a soldier can choose in this modern army: medical, computers, communications, mechanic, pilot, administration, journalist and so many more. Here are a few examples of how the combination of military education and real hands-on experience translates into the private sector career path.

Medic to Doctor

One of the most prized people on the battlefield is the Medic. This person is responsible for maintaining the health, and sometimes the life of every soldier in their unit. This experience, once they leave the military, sets them up for a career in medicine whether it as a doctor, nurse, technician or surgeon they will have the knowledge and the experience to be ready for anything coming their way.

Computers

The modern army is using computers more and more all the time and the complexity of the systems used require some in-depth training for those military personnel who handle the cyber areas of the military. This skill and experience translates into dozens and dozens of possible career possibilities in the private sector. Soldiers who come of the military with heavy computer experience will find that they will be seriously in demand in many areas of business.

Communications

Our military has taken communications to levels previously unheard of, as units are able to communicate with each other through radio, the Internet and via satellite. Taking this communication experience and know how out of the military and into the real world opens doors in communication and networking companies. These companies are constantly expanding and looking for new and strongly skilled employees and the military produces just those people.

Cyber-security

Because computers are all over the world and involved in everything there are people who will always try to disrupt them and take control for nefarious reasons. This is something the military takes very seriously and they have trained cyber soldiers who specialize in network security and protection. Private sector companies, value their data and security as much as anyone else, if not more so, and they are always looking for people with better skills than the hackers they need to defend themselves from.

The military takes normal men and women and turns them into highly trained and motivated soldiers as well as strongly skilled members of a workforce. The skills learned during military service are skills that can carry a person from civilian to soldier and back to a civilian with needed and demanded skills. These skills can help the soldier land a career and be well on their way to a life of accomplishment. The military is not only about creating soldiers, it’s about life after the military and your career opportunities when you cycle back to the world.

Are you an active-duty military spouse that had to put their education on hold after losing your MyCAA funds?  On March 13, 2010, the Department of Defense (DoD) made a very special announcement concerning MyCAA military spouse accounts – funds will be reinstated for accounts that are currently open.

This means that military spouses who have existing accounts will have access to the entire MyCAA Web site. This includes the ability to create and have financial documents approved.

This good news follows a previous DoD announcement that stated the MyCAA program would be temporarily on hold for an unspecified amount of time.  Now, military spouses who opened MyCAA accounts can do what they originally set out to do – pursue their education.

Do you have questions about how MyCAA works?  Here’s a brief overview of the program to get you started:

What is the MyCAA program?

The DoD Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program provides military spouses with up to $6,000 of financial assistance for pursuing an education that will lead to a license, certification, credential or degree and a portable career.

Who is eligible?

Under the recent changes announced by the DoD on March 13, you must meet the following in order to be eligible for MyCAA:

Be a spouse of an active duty service member or a spouse of an activated member of the National Guard/Reserve who are on Title 10 orders
Currently have an existing/open MyCAA account

What does MyCAA cover?

Education and Training Courses
Professional Licenses, Licensing Exams and related prep courses
Certifications
Credentials
Continuing Education (CEU)
Degree Programs
High School Completion Courses and ED Tests
English as a Second Language Courses (ESL)

Does MyCAA cover the costs of materials and items related to obtaining my education?

The following items are not covered under MyCAA:

Computers
Miscellaneous Electronic Items (laptops, iPods, etc)
Application Fees
Association Membership Fees
Student Activity Cards
University Entrance Exams or Related Preparation Courses
Health Care Services
Child Care Services
Transportation and Parking Fees
Graduation Fees

I have an existing MyCAA account.  How are the funds provided to my educational program or school?

Using your existing MyCAA account, you will need to create a Training Plan. Your Training Plan will include your career field of interest, a job description/occupation, the name of the training program or school and course information (i.e. costs, course name, course code, etc). You will need to provide information for at least one course.

Next, your MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) request will be submitted. Once approved, your MyCAA funds will be provided directly the program or school you specified on a course by course basis.

How do I go about selecting the right portable career?

As a military spouse, you have probably endured your share of PCS moves. So, why not use MyCAA funds to train for a portable career?  And there are some great options to consider.  For example, you can use your MyCAA funds to enroll in an online school (also portable) and pursue a health care career in the medical transcription field.

In fact, many medical transcriptionists work from home, and with the right training and experience, often begin their own transcription businesses!  This is a beneficial career option for busy military spouses who want to contribute to their family’s financial stability, but must also juggle the responsibilities of being a single parent while a spouse is deployed.

If you haven’t decided on a career path, Medical Transcription is among the exciting, portable career options that are worth looking into. If you need assistance, consider contacting a MyCAA Career and Education Consultant (visit the military one source Web site for the most up-to-date contact information).

If you have an open MyCAA Military spouse account, don’t let the opportunity to pursue your education pass you by.

The United States military includes branches for the Marines, Army and Air Force to name a few of the most popular sub-divisions. Each branch of the military uses its own ranking system to separate individuals of higher authorities, assigned tasks and pay grades. In order to reference individuals within military ranks, 3 sub-categories help organize authority levels within each branch. The following lists the sub-categories in order from lowest in the chain of authority to highest in the chain of authority: enlisted personnel, warrant officers and commissioned officers.

The Army and Marine Corps both have enlisted personnel, warrant officers and commissioned officers. However, the Air Force stands out among the different divisions, as it does not have any listed ranks for warrant officers. Instead, the list of enlisted personnel for the Air Force is nearly twice as long as most other branches.

The Marines and Army both start off the category for enlisted personnel with Private Classmen and Private First Classmen. However, the similarities in order of advancement titles end here. For the Marines, Lance Corporals, Sergeants and Master Sergeants comprise the remaining titles for advancement.

Specialists, and variations of Sergeants complete the chain of command within the category for enlisted personnel. The warrant officers and commissioned officers of the Marine Corps and the Army have similar ranks for their warrant officers and commissioned officers, as well.

The Air Force stands apart from most branches of the military that use categories, such as enlisted personnel, warrant officers and commissioned officers for easier reference, as they do not have a section for warrant officers. The category for enlisted personnel begins with Airmen, and progresses through higher chains in command as follows: Airman First Class, Senior Airman, Staff Sergeant, Tech. Sergeant, Master Sergeant, Senior Sergeant and Chief Master Sergeant. Commissioned Officers begin with the 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Lieutenant and proceed through the order of rank as Majors, Captains, Colonels, Major Generals and Lieutenant Generals.

A career as a Coast Guard officer in the U.S. demands a conscientious and dedicated approach to the duties and responsibilities that accompany the job profile. There are a number of options open for people that want to pursue this career path. The job not only gives you a chance to serve a humane purpose but also gives you the opportunity to stretch your physical and mental capabilities beyond the ordinary.

The department was founded in 1790 as the United States Coast Guard or USCG, as part of the Department of Treasury. Initially, the job involved countering smuggling off the U.S. coastline. However, today the Coast Guard is responsible for the promotion of peace and rescue operations.

Basic Requirements

The following are some of the requirements for becoming a Coast Guard officer:

-You should be a citizen of the U.S. or a resident alien.

-You should be between 17 to 27 years of age to qualify for active service.

-You should be a high school graduate.

-You should have cleared the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test or ASVAB.

-You should have passed a military entrance exam.

Benefits Of Becoming A Coast Guard Officer

-Steady Income: You are paid twice a month, depending on the specified pay grade at the time of recruitment.

-Chances Of Promotion: Your work is periodically appraised on the basis of performance, time served in a particular pay grade and service requirements.

-Paid Vacation: You are eligible for paid leave, comprising of 30 days in a year.

-Health Care: You are eligible for complete medical and dental health care, absolutely free.

-Life Insurance: You are covered under a $400,000 life insurance plan.

Training

The training for a Coast Guard officer involves training at a boot camp at Cape May, New Jersey. The training lasts for 8 weeks and is mentally and physically challenging. Water survival techniques are taught hands on. The physical fitness regime adopted differs for the male and female recruits. Candidates are grouped to instill teamwork and co-ordination from the very start. The ability to swim is not a prerequisite for the Coast Guard. The selected candidates are given lessons in swimming and basic water rescue operations.

The Coast Guard Academy

The academy is one of the five federal military service academies in the U.S. Candidates are not charged a tuition fee and the academy offers various options to recruits. Some of them are:

-Civil Engineering.

-Mechanical Engineering.

-Naval Architecture.

-Marine Engineering.

-Operations Research and Computer Analysis.

All the options within the job profile of a Coast Guard involve rigorous training and detailed, specific education with regards to the department chosen.

How To Apply

Applications are accepted online, with the deadline being March 1st of each year. All inquires can be made directly to:

The Director of Admissions

U.S. Coast Guard Academy

15, Mohegan Avenue

New London

CT-06320 9807

Other Options

The U.S. Coast Guard Reserves offers part-time recruitment also. It is the perfect way for those in college or already working to gain experience with the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard also welcomes the services of physicians, dentists and pharmacists.

The job involves rescue operations, aircraft missions, interception of illegal migrants and port safety checks. The diversity of activity handled by the Coast Guard is attractive and a planned approach to becoming a part of the United States Coast Guard is not difficult at all.

I’ll be turning 18 next August and I’m pregnant right now. I was thinking of joining the Air Force sometime next year so I can have some sort of stable career to care for my child. I was thinking about joining in a career of information systems. Do you have any advice?

Answer. You will need to check with a recruiter to make sure you meet all the requirements for enlistment, as you have many more hoops to jump through before you are accepted.

Because you would be deployable at any time, you have to keep on file with the base personnel office, three different dependant care plans: Immediate, short term and permanent.

The immediate plan is for when the phone rings and they need you to come to work immediately. You need to have someone available 24-hours a day, to be able to take care of your child for short periods of time, up to a day, for the times you need to fill in for someone else who was unable to work.

The short term plan is for when that same phone rings; although this time you are being deployed for an extended period of time, anywhere from a week to three months. You need to have someone available and willing to take on that responsibility.

The final plan is the permanent plan: If the unthinkable happens, and you are killed in the line of duty, you need someone willing to adopt your child. This is usually a blood relative, mother, sister/brother, and aunt/uncle. Again, this has to be someone willing to take on this lifetime responsibility.

I know these aren’t things happy to think about, but they are required by military regulations, and you will be required to revalidate these plans annually. Most people choose friends and/or neighbors for the immediate and short term plans, and relatives for the permanent plan.

During the period of Basic Training and your tech schools, your child will need to stay with relatives. Your time and efforts will be devoted to learning your basic military and technical skills, and you will not be provided with any time to yourself for child care. In Basic, you will be under supervision 24-hours a day for six weeks.

Today’s IT personnel are the modern incarnation of yesterday’s administrative personnel. There are those who specialize in computers and network management, but the majority is your clerk/typists that fill the much needed administrative support role in every squadron. There are approximately 10,000 in the Air Force, of which half are regularly non-deployable due to a variety of medical problems or other constraints. This means that, when a deployment requirement comes up, half the people have to do twice the work. Yes, you will be deployed, and I guarantee it will be within months of getting fully qualified in your job. That means that you won’t have that much time getting settled into your first permanent duty station with your child before you have to hand him/her over to your short-term sitter and go off on deployment.

Every career field deploys these days. Some more than others, but everyone gets their time in the “desert”. Granted, of all the armed forces, the Air Force deploys less to the “hot” spots. The Army and Marines spend the most time in Iraq, while the USAF deploys more to support locations, such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

You need to look at your finances and see if the pay scale will meet your needs. As an E-1, Airman Basic, with less than four months in service, you will be earning $1,178 a month (current pay, due to go up roughly 3% next year). After four months that pay goes up to $1,274 a month. An E-2, Airman, earns $1,427 a month. An E-3, Airman First Class, earns $1,595 after two years of service.

Realize the Air Force will provide housing (or the funds to acquire housing), so that will offset your monthly costs. Probably the single biggest “bonus” is that all medical needs for you and your child will be provided for while you are on active duty. If you stay in and retire, the current plan provides medical insurance for you and all your dependents for only $460 a year.

There are many other things to consider.

Can you see yourself serving your Queen and country? Do you have the dedication to undergo a gruelling training regime to fulfil this desire? If so jobs in the military could be for you. Whether it is the navy, air force, army or the ministry of defence military jobs are rewarding and give you the knowledge that you are doing to protect your home nation. Could you handle this responsibility?

The military and defence industries are one of the largest employers in the country. From taking in recruits for armed service or employing the best brains to plan strategy and develop cutting edge technologies, jobs within the military are numerous. What kind of job you get in the military is ultimately your choice, whether it is flying fast jets or being at the wheel of a multi-million pound warship, if you have the determination you can get any of these jobs.

For those who have graduated the three armed forces will take on any graduates, specific degrees such as medicine and engineering will gain you specific military jobs such as royal engineer or field doctor. Purely having a degree however is not an easy ticket, the armed forces are not just looking for anybody, the military want a recruit that matches their criteria.

It is not just your intellect that will lead into military jobs; the armed forces want a candidate who is healthy, in terms of their mind and their soul. Fundamentally they want leadership qualities; they will look for sporting achievements in your CV as these show leadership and other transferable skills that apply to the military sphere.

To make it more likely to gain jobs within the military it is advisable to join the university training corps and prove yourself to be active in sporting events. Other great ways to become appealing to forces recruiters is to undertake jobs for the student’s union such as planning and organising events. The ability to organise and lead a team of people is a quality that the military will be able to utilise.

Fundamentally the military are looking a candidate who is committed. Those who begin looking into military jobs just as they are leaving university are usually overlooked. Apparently doing this does not show the qualities of initiative, influence or ambition needed for jobs in the military. They want someone who has not just drifted through the rigours of university life but someone who has strived throughout their education and made the most of the opportunities offered to them.

Leadership is not the only quality that military recruiters are looking for. An equally important facet to your personality should the ability to support colleagues and work within a team. A great way to do this is to chair a committee or become a president of a society. Stretching yourself in all aspects of life is also advisable, this may be physically in sport or expedition, but equally may be something intellectual like starting a business while at university.

While at university it is advisable to contact your military liaison officer early on. Firstly this will show your commitment to entering service but also give you a good idea of the jobs available to you when you finally graduate. Pre- graduation activities organised by the military recruitment services will further show your dedication to signing up.

Jobs within the military are in no doubt challenging, physically, mentally and emotionally. Recruiters want candidates that will not be daunted by the challenging nature of military work. It is precisely the desire to tackle the challenge head on that the recruiters are looking for. Energetic candidates with a great deal of determination should seriously consider jobs within the military sphere.

Transition Job Portal’s benefits. See what it can offer you and your family. This article provides information about Operation Career Military Transition Job Portal. It provides information that clearly defines what Operation Career Military Transition Job Portal is all about.

Operation Career Military Transition Job Portal

Does Operation Career Military Transition Job Portal ring bell? For some who happen to know people working in military who had their interests changed, the OCMTJP may be all too familiar. The Operation Career Military Transition Job Portal extends a hand to those involved in the military but wants to leave the career for some reason. It also caters veterans and federal employees who like to expand their horizons and work somewhere else. Operation Career is a job portal that is free service, which was created specifically for them.

OCMTJP is the federal employee and veteran’s venue in finding other available jobs they would like to transfer to. The portal allows them to communicate with prospective employers. The process is easy. They just have to register or log in at the site OperationCareer.com The site would be able to verify if the individual had been a federal employee, has worked as a military or served as veteran and then link the person to the available jobs.

There is another program which serves the same purpose it goes in the name of Operation Transition. TBB also known as the Operation Transition and the Transition Bulletin Board has a database where employees from the Department of Defense could find jobs than would help them transfer to a civilian life as simple as possible. 1991 Defense Authorization Act gave way to his process. It ordered the Defense Secretary to allocate efforts to help those employees together with their spouses who are leaving the department. The Air force, army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy are covered by this Public Law. The operation career military transition job portal provides support and employment to the personnel from the areas mentioned above. Employees of the Department of Defense including their spouses and family members, who are trying to venture into a new career, are being offered job opportunities by the TBB also known as Transition Bulletin Board.

The site has garnered over 31,000 logins everyday. In turn there are more than 31,000 available jobs offered in the site and which could be viewed. There are a lot different success stories revolving around these two operations. The site is of great help to those men/women who have been trying to protect America for years.

ACAP is also another US Government site that can be very useful. So, if you are looking for alumni and other career opportunities and programs, this site will be a very useful tool for you. DOD Transportal.org is another site for transition assistance. Department of Defense’ DOD transportal site provides helpful links and information about job search and career transition.