When making such a big decision you first need to ask yourself what it is you enjoy? If you enjoy animals for example, then perhaps you should consider a veterinary carrier. But what if you don’t have the training?

If you want to do something after your Army life that requires schooling then waste no time and get going. Many who served in the Army qualified for the G.I. Bill, which gives you money for college. You should know if you have the G.I. Bill or not, but if you are unsure you can always go talk to a recruiter who can then put you in touch with the proper personnel. Also, because you served in the Army, there are many scholarships, grants, and loans that are specifically designed to aid you in your quest for greater knowledge. To find out what these are, seek the advice of the financial aid office in the college you are thinking of attending.

Perhaps though college isn’t right for you. In this case maybe you can take what you learned in the Army and apply it to civilian life. If you were in the Military Police for example, then perhaps a career in law enforcement would be rewarding for you. Maybe you worked in the motorcade. With the skills you learned there, you could easily translate that into a good paying auto technician job. The point is, whatever you did in the Army for Uncle Sam, there is almost always a counterpart in the private sector.

When you are seeking private employment be sure to mention that you served in the Army as many employers look for the discipline in an employee that the Army teaches. Being in the Army looks great on a resume and you never know which prospective employer may have served in the armed forces as well.
Before deciding what to do, ask yourself these questions first:

• What are your goals?
• What are your skills?
• What are your interests?
• Do you want to seek higher education?

Once you have secured your employment and are looking for housing, keep in mind that there are many loans that are tailored for those that served in the Army. If buying a house is your desire, then talk to your real estate agent about any special loans for former military.

Any move in life takes getting used to. A move out of Army life and into civilian life takes a lot of getting used to. Remember the decisions you make will affect the rest of your life so take your time and choose wisely. There are many advantages and special offers for those that did serve in the military, as there should be, and you should take full advantage of each and every one.

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.

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.

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.

Start by focusing the language of your resume on accomplishments and personal qualities that are relevant both to business and to military service. You can also hire resume writing services which will help you have a resume that can yield the maximum results for you.

Here are a few qualities that belong on your civilian resume, because your military experience can prove you have them:

Responsibility — getting the job done on time and well.

Accountability — this means personal ownership of the outcome of your work or your group’s actions. Also, doing what you say you’ll do.

Thoroughness — finishing a job; going beyond the basic requirements.

Leadership — maybe the most respected quality civilians ascribe to veterans.

Integrity — living by the rules and not cutting corners even when it makes little difference.

You can list these qualities in a summary or objective statement at the top of your resume, or weave them in to descriptions of the work you did. Now, when you go into detail, show how the important achievements of your military career demonstrated those qualities. Here’s the trick — describe the outcome of your actions. For example, if you had a training position like my brother Jim, you might write:

Designed, wrote and helped produce a 20-minute training video for logistics management. Distributed to 3,000 personnel in the U.S. and abroad, it became required training for material delivery personnel. Here’s another example, for someone entering construction: Managed crews of up to 15 in setup and breakdown of stages, grandstands, parade areas and temporary shelter with a 100% safety record and perfect on-time delivery. And another, for an x-ray technician in a hospital: Assisted radiological diagnosis in high-volume, high-pressure environment with thoroughness and a low 8% repeat-test rate. Known also for compassionate, calm and friendly behavior toward injured personnel.

When you review your resume (or job application), be selective about adding distinctions or awards you received. That sharpshooter’s medal probably doesn’t belong, but a commendation for work well done, or an achievement medal noting exceptional performance, probably does.

In the job interview, you have to answer the unspoken question, “Is this person ready to adjust to a civilian job environment?” The answer lies more in your attitude than your reassurances. Simply put: Do you behave like a civilian?

Watch the military jargon (like acronyms) that marks you as an insider in the service but makes you sound like an outsider in business. You can use great expressions common in the military that can apply to business, such as the saying, “Discipline is not what you do when someone is looking but what you do when nobody is looking.”

It’s best to keep descriptions of military action out of the job application process except for references to your best qualities, such as leadership and coolness under pressure. If your interviewer raises the subject, you can cite your superiors’ approval of your performance in country, but you do not owe anyone specific details about combat. For the same reasons, I strongly advise any interviewee to leave their political beliefs (right, left or center) at home during the interview process. You’re not hiding anything, just respecting your own privacy and the fact that a job interview should be about how you will perform on the job, not what you think of the current President’s policies.

In the past few years, Americans have been reminded of the qualities that make military experience a unique and admirable background for civilian work. Take advantage of this growing awareness by making the case that your time in the service was great preparation for your next job.

Whatever branch of the military you are in –Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp, US Coast Guard, or any kind of reserve- you qualify to take CLEP exams for free. This also goes for civilian employees and spouses of participating Reserve Component and Coast Guard personnel. If you work for the Department of Defense, you may only be eligible for computer-based exams such as Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Marketing.

CLEP exams are given in two different categories: general and subject. The general CLEP test covers a broad spectrum while subject CLEP test is more specific. Current military personnel have the option to take a CLEP exam through three venues. They may take a computer-based version of the CLEP exam at a testing center. Another option is to take a paper-based CLEP exam. The last option is to take a CLEP test at a registered Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support. Otherwise known as DANTES, this organization will pay the CLEP registration for members of the military. There are fourteen tests that are being administered through DANTES for CLEP at present. These include natural sciences, social sciences and college algebra. 

CLEP is great for people in the military because it allows them to get an education faster and easier. The military is hectic and doesn’t allow their soldiers very much time for themselves. CLEP is trying to make their education a little easier. Going to college is a dream for everybody, not just for members of the United States military. Through organizations like DANTES, CLEP is something that can bring a college degree to even the busiest of our military’s personnel without ever entering a classroom. 

If you have an interest in CLEP you can find out a lot more through DANTES. Military personnel must request a transcript for CLEP computer based exams by sending a military transcript order from. You must enclose a twenty-dollar check or money order for each transcript that you request and make it payable to DANTES Program. You can also pay by credit card.