Jobs for Veterans: How to Build a Civilian Career [Useful Tips]

During their service, every officer has great responsibilities. Even the youngest members make many important decisions daily. This forms a whole system of thinking, and also develops personal qualities like leadership and reliability, which can lead to success outside of the army. Do you want to begin a faster transformation from the uniform to civilian life? We will tell you how to integrate into the civilian work environment.

Top Jobs for Veterans

The first thing you should do is determine the industry and location where you want to work. At first glance, this may seem like a daunting task. So, to help, G.I. Jobs has compiled a list of the most relevant professions for veterans based on data from veteran-friendly employers.

Operations Manager

If you are looking for the best careers for veterans, consider operations managers. This is an important role for any business. An operations manager monitors all operations within the firm and ensures its proper execution. This job requires a bachelor’s degree and leadership experience. On average, operations managers make $99,300 per year.

Customer Service Representative

These specialists are the face of the company and constantly communicate with customers. CSR’s responsibilities include identifying and satisfying customer needs, providing product information, and resolving any problems that arise. To become a customer service representative you just need a high-school diploma. Be ready to earn around $32,300 per year.

Computer Information System Manager

This role requires a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related fields. The Computer Information System Manager is responsible for the computer activities of the firm. They determine which technologies are most useful for the company to effectively perform its functions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary is about $152,000.

Accountant / Auditor

An accountant plays an important role in any organization. Their responsibilities include the monitoring of cash flows, reporting financials, timely paying taxes, filing tax returns, and analyzing financial activities. Being in this role you can expect to make $68,000 annually. To begin a career in this area, you need a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field.

Mechanic, Installer, Repairer

This is a good opportunity for military mechanics to begin a civilian career path. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that openings in these professions will increase by 9%. The annual compensation is about $63,500. To get any of these positions, you need a high school diploma or GED.

Sales Account Representative

This is one of the best jobs for veterans without a degree. You need a high school diploma or GED to join this role. All you need to do is sell products to consumers, government, businesses, and so on. Holding this position, you can count on $52,000 a year. BLS expects this sector to grow by 15% by 2026.

Human Resource Manager

This job is a good opportunity to build a solid career. HR managers are the link between workers and employers. They carry out the functions of recruiting and administering personnel, as well as organizing the working environment. A Human Resource Manager makes on average $106,000 per year.

Electrician

Electricians maintain and fix electrical wiring, equipment, systems, etc. Most states require licensing before landing this job. The average salary in this field is $52,000/year.

Software Developer

Lots of big IT companies are happy to hire veterans who are experts in software development. For this job, you need a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related fields. In general, you can expect to make $107,000/year. There are lots of courses that help to gain IT knowledge and start a software development career in a couple of months.

Driver

If you have experience driving military equipment, this work will be very easy for you. Most employers require a CDL, which can be obtained through special courses. The average salary for this job is $62,000 per year, while experienced workers can expect to make $106,000.

Constructor

Another pretty good example of a veteran’s job is a construction or trade worker. They make around $63,000 annually. Such specialists control various workers at construction sites. For this profession, it is enough to have a school diploma.

SHRM stated that veterans bring outstanding soft skills to the corporate environment. And often the military specialties are similar to the civilian professions but are more complex. Careeronestop and Taonline.com offer pretty useful tools that help to find the civilian equivalent to the military job. All you need to do is enter your MOS Code.

Build a Resume and Cover Letter

The next step is to tailor a strong profile for yourself. The goal is to most efficiently highlight your advantages and strengths so that the employer becomes interested in you. You need two separate papers:

• Resume – This is a document that describes your experience, hard & soft skills, and achievements. It should be concise and contain only professional information.
• Cover Letter – This document talks more about your talents. It should advertise your candidacy and tell an HR why you are the best candidate. Many studies confirm that recruiters are more loyal to applicants who have a CL. The most effective way to prepare one is to use online builders created by professional career experts. For example, website getcoverletter.com has lots of cover letter templates for hundreds of professions.

Veteran Employment Resources

When you think of how to find civilian jobs for veterans, be sure that you are not alone. There are many sites and resources that help veterans start a civilian career by providing jobs and tips. The most relevant of them are:

1. Hire Heroes USA – They connect the military and their spouses with business professionals and help to transfer skills to resumes in a quality manner.
2. Feds Hire Vets – This is a resource that helps with employment in the federal sector. They post relevant information, as well as vacancies related to IT, Contracting, HR, Law, Science, etc.
3. Veteran Employment Center – This center is a division of the US Department of Veterans affairs. It helps start a civilian life, interpret military skills for a powerful resume, assists veterans with creating a strong profile that intrigues the employer, and prepares them for an interview. Their bank has more than 1.5 million good jobs for ex-military. On the site, you can also become a member of a program that teaches veterans about civilian professions.
4. Pave – This is an extremely helpful program for all veterans that provides free employment & psychological support, job search services, and vocational counseling.
5. Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) – This site provides advice to veterans and their families on employment and the protection of their rights.
6. HireVeterans.Com – This is a place where you can post your CV and get access to lots of veteran-friendly employers in the USA and overseas companies.
7. Military Hire – This resource will connect you with employers who are ready to hire veterans, as well as help you build your professional network.
8. Civilian Human Resources – They help to build a career in the Department of the Navy. The site contains a lot of useful information, a list of employers, and open vacancies.
9. The National Resource Directory – This website gives information regarding employment across all governmental agencies.

Start Your Own Business

Why is it hard for military veterans to find jobs? The answer is complicated, as there are lots of factors affecting it, like cultural gaps between the army and civilian society, lack of non-military experience, etc. But if you can’t get hired, why not become an enterprise owner! According to an Experian survey, veteran-owned businesses are more stable and have better longevity compared to non-veteran-owned businesses. That’s why Forbes made a list of Free Programs To Help Veterans Succeed As Entrepreneurs. The most trusted of them are:

1. Boots to Business – This is a training program for active-duty soldiers & officers, retired members, and their spouses. By completing the course you will learn the basics of competent business management.
2. Reboot – This course talks about various business concepts, and also provides resources with access to start-up capital and helping to conclude contracts.
3. VETRN – This is a program that helps veterans develop their own business. But for it, you must have an enterprise that has been active for 1 year, as well as at least one hired employee.
4. Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) – This is a program for veterans with disabilities who left the service after 2001. It has 3 main areas: doing business in the early stages, developing an existing company, and managing a firm with an emphasis on family issues.
5. Veteran Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs) – This program includes business training, consultations, and seminars for the transitional military, members of the national guard, and their spouses.

Final Words

It’s not always easy for veterans to get hired. But many businesses and government agencies offer assistance with employment to military members and their families. AECOM, Baker Hughes, AT&T, Amazon, US Bank, Home Depot, Google, Starbucks, USAA, etc. happily hire veterans and provide good employment benefits. If you do not manage to quickly get the desired position, do not give up. Analyze your mistakes and fix them. Do not be afraid to accept outside help. Be sure to join programs that help to improve skills, knowledge, and adapt to civilian life.