Posted on Aug 26, 2015
Desperately wanting to reclass from infantry to get more civilian ready skills. Any advice?
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I have been considering changing my mos. I love my current mos as a 11B as it has provided me with useful information as well as being part of a long tradition of being a infantryman. But I have come to the conclusion that my current mos provided little to no employment opportunities on the civilian side other than law enforcement which is hard to achieve nowadays. Which mos do you currently have or have had in the past that provides a great employment opportunities on the civilian side. And what are the daily routines of the said mos.
11B: Infantryman
Reclass
MOS
Army National Guard
Transition
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 44
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I have to say, I feel that 11Bs often sale themselves sort when it comes to finding civilian employment. Sure, there isn't a 1 to 1 comparison of military MOS to civilian job but why discount your skills so quickly? Sure, it might take some work and work on your resume, but if you look at your skill sets besides kicking in door and all that type of stuff, 11Bs and other combat related jobs in the military leave you with some amazing skills that others don't have. Leadership, project management, working well under pressure, organizational development, strategic thinking, self motivated, working with little to no supervision, the list goes on.
Yes, it is easier for some non-direct combat related MOSs but it is not like I walked into my first job interview and said I was a 25Q (formerly 31R) and they just handed me the job. Employers are looking for skills and the ability to do the job you are interviewing for. While your first job may not be your dream job with the corner office on the highest floor of the building, that first job will teach you things like how to work well within a corporate environment.
In the end, having a certain MOS on your resume isn't the golden key. It still takes work and preparation to get that job. Just don't sale yourself short based on your MOS alone. One thing I tell Veterans a lot is when it comes to writing your first resume, pull out your 638s and NCOERs, pull some information from the bullets. If you are wanting to reclass, I would talk to your Career Counselor, check out the MOS and it's promotion rate. You wouldn't want to enter a MOS to find out the points have been maxed out for the last 10 years because they are top heavy.
Yes, it is easier for some non-direct combat related MOSs but it is not like I walked into my first job interview and said I was a 25Q (formerly 31R) and they just handed me the job. Employers are looking for skills and the ability to do the job you are interviewing for. While your first job may not be your dream job with the corner office on the highest floor of the building, that first job will teach you things like how to work well within a corporate environment.
In the end, having a certain MOS on your resume isn't the golden key. It still takes work and preparation to get that job. Just don't sale yourself short based on your MOS alone. One thing I tell Veterans a lot is when it comes to writing your first resume, pull out your 638s and NCOERs, pull some information from the bullets. If you are wanting to reclass, I would talk to your Career Counselor, check out the MOS and it's promotion rate. You wouldn't want to enter a MOS to find out the points have been maxed out for the last 10 years because they are top heavy.
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CPT (Join to see)
I assure you that, as a hiring manager, I would take an infantryman with a college degree over most other MOS's out there. Your time on the line builds character, emotion intelligence, and resiliency. Those, plus whatever you major in in college, are much more important that most of the occupational skills the military will give you. Case in point: a "finance specialist" in the military is anything but in the civilian world!
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CPT Chris Loomis
SGT Ben Keen and 1LT James Forwiod Gentlemen, I couldn't agree more on both the points you've made. Excellent perspective.
SGT Keen you and I have the same identical thinking....
SGT Keen you and I have the same identical thinking....
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CPT (Join to see)
SSG Rodney, your active duty experience puts you at one very significant disadvantage in this conversation: you've never had to survive the current job market. While nothing you say about the great skills and qualifications afforded to our signal folks is inaccurate, the perceived transferability of those skills is largely oversold to our service members. I assure you that a college kid with a degree and some easy internships under his belt has an equal chance of entry-level to mid-level employment because he doesn't need to be retrained as to how to communicate and interact with civilians. His resume makes sense to the hiring manager, and he doesn't have to translate his experience into the foreign language of HR-speak. On the other hand, all of those soft skills that you're quick to dismiss are exactly the selling points that veterans fail time and time again to get across the interview table. A great veteran combines life experience far beyond their years with the ever-youthful tenacity to tackle the tough jobs and a tough situations that other people either can't or won't. We are more seasoned leaders, more resilient to change, and more able to manage people and projects than most our same age. While you say that those skills are learned in every MOS, I say that they're honed on the front lines of combat like no other place in the military. I've served in a lot of roles and with a lot of fine Soldiers, but the best and the brightest were always Infantry.
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I haven't been in for long & am NG versus RA but I'm Intel & if you get your experience in you can land some really nice jobs in the civilian world. From what I was told last week from a recruiter, RA is in need of 35 series as well so if you qualify for the clearance & have the ASVAB scores, I def recommend Intel!!
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SGT Jeremy Reese
Yep, I can attest to 25 series being poor communicators... But how else would you be able to talk if you had to talk over us.
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This was just posted on RP, check it out. It's posted under Cyber, Good Luck
Applications for 17C cyber transfers due by Aug. 31
The Army is about to close the fiscal 2015 application window for enlisted soldiers who want to reclassify into 17C, the new military occupational specialty for cyber operations specialists.
Applications for 17C cyber transfers due by Aug. 31
The Army is about to close the fiscal 2015 application window for enlisted soldiers who want to reclassify into 17C, the new military occupational specialty for cyber operations specialists.
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There are more jobs out there for an 11B. Talk to the folks down at ACAP/Soldiers for Life.
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I am currently an 88N. I absolutely love the MOS. It is a very well respected MOS that gives you a plethora of skills that can be utilized in the civilian world. It is also a very high demand MOS. Things and people in the Army are always moving around. It is the 88N's that coordinate these movements and allow these things to happen.
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Some sort of IT job. To be honest pretty much any job besides Infantry. Human resources, X-ray technician, you name it.
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Medical, Medical, Medical. There are two areas of concentration I tell people to get into MED or Engineering, and if you're already in, get to be a radiology tech or something on those lines that have civilian counterparts that make 65-75k per year. Otherwise I strongly suggest something transferable like being 88M and driving trucks, or be a wheeled vehicle mechanic and grab the ASE license. If you pick 15T you need to wait 3 years to take the FAA test for A&P. If you do Avionics 15N(?) you get to take the FCC license and could go work for an airline (hence airline benefits for the family). If you have the aptitudes and the ASVAB/GT for it I strongly urge you to do medical stuff. After-all, people keep both popping out mini human units and old people refuse to die so you'll always have a job helping others.
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SFC Mark Merino
I'm with SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL on this one. If travel is your thing, that MOS is EVERYWHERE. I was with the scout helicopters and had like 5 non-TRADOC places I could go. That is why we are such a tight community. We all knew each other.....lol
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SGT Ben Keen
I have heard that the military is looking at MOSs like 88M to ease in the transition by giving those that work in that and other style jobs, the civiliian certification(s) required to enter right into the work force. For the longest time, it didn't matter that you were a 88M with thousands of miles logged, if you didn't have the certification you weren't getting the job. I know the Soldier for Life program was (or is) looking into this.
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Consider going to Special Forces, Psychological Operations, or Civil Affairs selection. You will get training that is very handy in the civillian sector - such as Language training, medical, communications, marketing, etc...
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