Transitioning from military service to civilian life can be a challenging yet rewarding experience for veterans. A common aspect of this transition is finding a new career path that suits the unique skills and experience that veterans bring to the table. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you make this transition smoothly. Let’s dive into an overview of some of the resources available to you.
How to Make a Career Transition
A successful transition from military service to a civilian career often involves identifying and using transferable skills. Many of the skills veterans acquire during their service are valuable in the civilian workforce, such as leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, and even technical skills.
- Transferable skills inventory: This transferable skills worksheet from CareerOneStop can help you identify what skills you already possess so you can understand skills you already possess or would like to develop.
- Top 10 transferable military skills: This list of transferable skills for veterans explores 10 skills that you can leverage when searching for a civilian career.
- Soft and hard skills for veterans: Military OneSource offers guidance for exploring military skills for your resume and understanding your strengths and personality.
- Veteran and Military Transition Center: CareerOneStop offers a resource center to help you access employment-related services, match your skills to careers, search for jobs, and learn more about different veterans benefits.
- My Next Move: My Next Move for Veterans allows you to search for civilian careers based on their military occupation. The tool also highlights skills you may need to develop to fit specific roles and provides a roadmap for additional education or experience.
Career & Resume Resources
It’s one thing to understand your skillset, but how do you turn those into a career that you’ll enjoy? And what about writing a resume? A strong resume and an understanding of the civilian job market are essential for any veteran entering the workforce. Veterans often need assistance translating their military experience into civilian language so employers can understand the value they bring. The following resources can help you find a career you’ll enjoy and develop a resume to get you there.
- O*Net Interest Profiler: This tool from My Next Move can help you identify your interests and how they relate to different careers. It’s a helpful launching pad for exploring different career options.
- Resume and job hunting guide: With this guide from Resume Builder, you’ll learn more about the current civilian job market and how to write a resume that impresses.
- VA educational and career counseling: The VA offers free educational and career counseling through the Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program (PCPG, also known as VA Chapter 36).
- Programs that hire veterans: This resource from Military OneSource can help you connect with employers who are committed to hiring veterans.
- Hire Heroes USA: Hire Heroes USA offers personalized veteran job services to help you develop your resume, learn interviewing techniques, and land your new job.
- LinkedIn tools for veterans: LinkedIn provides tools and networking opportunities for veterans and their spouses, including free LinkedIn Premium memberships to connect veterans with job resources and a library of learning resources.
- Vocational schools and apprenticeships: This guide from Intelligent helps veterans who want to go back to school understand their GI Bill benefits and other programs that can help them learn new career skills.
- VR&E Program: The Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Program provides personalized employment help for veterans with service-related disabilities.
- PVA Career Program: Paralyzed Veterans of America offers all veterans employment help and career counseling, but especially those who have spinal cord injuries. PVA can help these veterans obtain workplace accommodations for their disabilities.
Mental Health Resources
Mental health support is an often overlooked need for many veterans as they navigate post-service life, but it’s just as important, if not more than, finding a new career. From managing PTSD to finding purpose in civilian life, mental health services can help veterans make a successful transition.
- Veterans Crisis Line: The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans experiencing mental health crises with real humans for free, confidential, 24/7 support by phone, text, or online chat. To access help from your phone, dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255.
- Make the Connection: Make the Connection offers veterans access to mental health tools, resources, and stories to help them cope. Veterans can connect with others who have shared similar experiences so they can have a supportive community with resources for seeking help.
- VA Vet Centers: Through the Vet Centers, the VA provides readjustment counseling for veterans and their families. These centers offer confidential counseling services and help with managing PTSD, depression, or anxiety through individual or group therapy sessions.
Basic Living Resources
Sometimes, veterans need help meeting basic living needs like housing, food, or healthcare. Many programs exist to help support veterans in finding stability as they return to civilian life.
- National Coalition for Homeless Veterans: NCHV works to prevent and end homelessness among veterans by connecting them to local services. Veterans can access housing, job training, and mental health support through the coalition’s partner organizations.
- HUD-VASH Program: The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs offer a joint initiative to provide housing vouchers for veterans facing homelessness.
- SNAP: Veterans who may need help making ends meet can find food assistance through SNAP. Veterans can apply for the program to receive funds to help them purchase nutritious food for themselves and their families.
- FindHelp.org: At FindHelp, veterans can locate free or reduced-cost resources that are local to them.
- 211: 211 is powered by United Way and provides thousands of staff and volunteers to help you connect with local resources for housing, medical care, food, and other basic living needs.
- Everyone On: Everyone On focuses on helping people find low-cost access to the internet and computers.
How SkillUp Can Help
At SkillUp, we can help veterans find new career opportunities with:
We can also connect you to learning pathways that align with your skills and career goals so you can:
- Build the job skills employers want
- Find careers that take less than one year of training
- Learn top job skills
- Polish your resume
