Does the 12W MOS translate well in the civilian world?

Barry Bob — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 15:02:15 -0500

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 1 at 2018 3:45 PM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 15:45:22 -0500

Yes, I am same type as you kind of for Navy. I am SW Steel Worker meaning welder and Vert Construction, also Project Management skills depending on Pay grade. You can look into Safety Job's Project Management and QC type jobs. There are job postings all time looking For Seabees in Vert and 12W, AirForce Vert Prime Beef or Red Horse. Jobs are out there and depending on time in service and Paygrade

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 1 at 2018 3:59 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 15:59:39 -0500

This varies state to state. Some states this is a licensed activity, other states it isn't. This would be tracking your hours and experience in a way that relates to the state you will seek a license. Some states recognize the Army program of instruction in AIT and subsequent work, some don't. You will need to do some research. If there is a carpentry or masonry union hall near you walk and see what they can tell you.

I work in the Facilities construction and maintenance field. These skills are in high demand in region. Recommend tracking your experience and maintaining contact with former supervisors to sign off on your stuff when you sub,it for a license down the road.

Response by SGT Matthew S. made Jan 1 at 2018 5:22 PM

SGT Matthew S. — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 17:22:03 -0500

Yes, although as others have said professional certification may be another matter entirely. The skills themselves, though, are well worth it. I haven't worked specifically in the building trades, but I've used what I learned during my brief time as a 12W extensively in a number of ways.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Jan 2 at 2018 9:51 AM

CSM Richard StCyr — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 09:51:01 -0500

Short answer... Yes, the MOS training is comparable to what you would learn in a civilian tech school. In garrison they generally do smaller construction projects but that depends on your unit, commanders and what is available on the post you are at.
During deployments they really earn their keep and stay very busy.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2018 1:49 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 13:49:19 -0500

Sure does

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2018 12:05 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 00:05:54 -0500

It took me a while, but I have a job as an operating engineer. I had to get a CDL, but 12N alone won't do it. Remember to market yourself, and become more desirable than others.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2018 7:01 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 19:01:17 -0500

Vertical Engineers are highly sought after in today's civilian world. Unfortunately, military level certifications don't typically carry over into the civilian sector. The military however, does offer some civilian affiliated certifications. They also offer multiple resources to assist to in retrieving those certs. Hope this helped!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 21 at 2018 6:16 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 18:16:37 -0500

Depends on state. I'm a sgt for 12w and there isn't anything for Illinois cause we're bankrupt haha

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2018 8:00 PM

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 20:00:48 -0500

It can if you want do work in construction

Response by SSG Michael Freeman made Apr 5 at 2018 11:30 PM

SSG Michael Freeman — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 23:30:29 -0400

Yes

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2018 7:13 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 19:13:38 -0400

Very few MOS translate directly to the civilian world, 12W is not an exception to this rule. When I re-enlisted into the Reserves I did so after a break in service, during which I worked in PA as a General Contractor. I was able to do this solely because PA is a caveat emptor state, meaning that the bar to entry is low - $50 to register with the State Attorney General and $400 a quarter for decent contractor's insurance. Most states do not offer this option. Despite this, larger municipalities do have various forms of regulation which limit earning potential for unlicensed individuals and Union Employees generally had higher earned income than I was able to bring in despite having a crew and carrying all the liability.
If you want to maximize earning potential in the civilian world, as a transitioning 12W, you'll need to complete a trade school or union apprenticeship. Your military experience certainly won't hurt you in this regard, but it's unlikely to place you "ahead of the game." IMO, there are three primary reasons for this fact.
Firstly, you will likely spend a significant portion of your enlistment in Garrison. There are many tasks to be completed in a garrison environment, very few of which will afford you opportunities to practice carpentry or masonry.
From this follows the second fact, the Army Corps of Engineers' primary purpose is "Expeditionary Construction." If you deploy you will have ample opportunity to practice expeditionary construction which, however valuable it is, will not allow you to practice skills which the civilian world demands. Expeditionary construction is fundamentally "temporary" and when using our skills in this regard there are a lot of things that we can get away with which - while they may work "pretty d#$M good" all things considered - are not even close to acceptable on a stateside job site. Alternatively you may find yourself assembling prefab structures, which is a valuable use of your time while deployed but, will not challenge or develop your skills.
Finally, it is likely that you will progress quickly with your career which is problematic because you will be called upon to fulfill a supervisory role which is great, but, will develop an entirely separate skill set from that which is necessary to man a cutting station or hang sheetrock quickly and correctly.
The good news is that the military will pay for trade school or a variety of associated certificates (think ASIs) through the GI Bill while Union and other Apprenticeships are paid labor so you can end up being significantly better positioned, significantly more quickly to go into business for yourself than I was, having transitioned into contracting from an unrelated MOS.

Response by SGT William Pfeifer made May 14 at 2018 10:19 PM

SGT William Pfeifer — Mon, 14 May 2018 22:19:42 -0400

Response by PVT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 31 at 2018 8:29 AM

PVT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 08:29:56 -0400

Depends on the area you live in, and what companies are around. But yes it does transfer over.
I love being a 12w.

Response by SSG Matt Wilcox made Sep 6 at 2018 11:40 AM

SSG Matt Wilcox — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 11:40:10 -0400

It doesn't carry over well. The AIT training is very basic swing a hammer training. While you do learn a bit about basic construction, there is no training in code, blueprint reading, and to many aspects of the different building methods.