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Top civilian jobs after a military career

I'm looking to transition from the military to a civilian job soon, and I'm unsure where to start. What are common jobs that former military personnel tend to pursue, and what advantages do they often have in these roles?

a year ago

There's quite a range of jobs former military personnel often gravitate towards, and many of these roles align well with skills and disciplines that are honed during military service.

1. Defense Contracting: Many transition into jobs with defense contractors, where their military background provides valuable insight and credibility. These roles might include areas like logistics, project management, security, or strategic planning.

2. Law Enforcement or Security: The discipline, physical fitness, and law enforcement-related skills of the military can translate well into jobs in local, state, or federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private security firms. This might even include roles in cybersecurity, where your military background could be valuable.

3. Information Technology: Computers and tech play an important role in modern military operations. If you've acquired IT or cybersecurity skills during your service, this can open doors in the civilian tech sector.

4. Project Management: The military teaches significant leadership and organization skills which are valuable in project management roles across numerous industries.

5. Consultant: If you've specialized in a specific area while serving (e.g., logistics, systems engineering, etc.), you might consider becoming a consultant in that field.

6. Emergency Medical Services: If you were a medic in the military, careers in civilian healthcare or emergency services could be a good fit.

Advantages former military have often involve their transferrable skills and traits: leadership, discipline, resilience, adaptability, and strategic thinking. From an employer's perspective, these qualities are tremendous assets in a job candidate. Also, remember that if you've acquired certain professional certificates while in the military, these can be emphatically valuable in the civilian world. Military service also often gives prospective employers a positive impression of reliability and dedication.

It can be helpful to consider what you enjoyed most about your military career – whether it was the teamwork, the strategies, or perhaps a specific skill set – as this could guide you towards a fulfilling civilian job path. Please do reach out if you have further questions!

a year ago

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