How many of you Veterans ended up working a civilian job significantly different from your MOS ?

CPL Jay Strickland — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 00:09:28 -0500

I am a prior signal technician, I decided I wanted a more people friendly job so I became an attorney. However most of the other veterans I know either stuck to something related to their MOS or took the generic military experience is a plus job such as police officer, security, or middle management.

Response by LtCol Dann Chesnut made Dec 6 at 2013 1:55 PM

LtCol Dann Chesnut — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 13:55:10 -0500

It has been my experience that if you are looking for civilian employment in the same type as your MOS, then you have severely limited yourself. Maybe an aircraft mechanic will find themselves in the same job, but for the vast majority of the rest of us.... we need to expand our base. What I do now-a-days in my subsequent career is almost entirely different in location, type work, structure, and skills required. In my view, one needs to take a good hard look at the civilian job market well in advance of end of service, and make preparations toward being employable.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 24 at 2014 11:01 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 23:01:01 -0500

I'm an account management specialist for a billing & chapter operations services company for fraternities and sororities. I do quality assurance for our operations department. The Ops department is essentially a call center, but there's so much more to it than taking calls and member payments (though, that's a significant portion of it). <br><br>I was an information systems technician and wanted to be a "computer geek." I took a new direction in finance while I was in college when I joined my sorority, which is how I ended up where I am now.

Response by CPL John Stockton made Apr 11 at 2014 3:52 PM

CPL John Stockton — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 15:52:04 -0400

I was an infantryman, 11C to be exact, while in the Army and first went to college for a History degree. Half way through I switched to Computer Information Systems and have now gone on to author a programming book and be internationally recognized as one of the top people in my field.

Only occasionally do I feel the need to deploy my Infantry training while working :)

Response by PV2 John Cheek made Apr 12 at 2014 3:47 PM

PV2 John Cheek — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 15:47:28 -0400

I was an aircraft mechanic. A&P mechanics were a dime a dozen at the time so finding a civilian job that coincided with my MOS was not likely so, I went with my 2nd love of computers.

Response by PO3 Charlie Henderson made Apr 13 at 2014 2:14 PM

PO3 Charlie Henderson — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 14:14:54 -0400

I was a Nuclear Weapons Tech in the Navy, so it was difficult to find a
civilian job that could match my rate.

So I went to college and attained a BS in Electronic Engineering Technology and currently an IT Developer.

Response by SGT Craig Northacker made Apr 17 at 2014 5:43 PM

SGT Craig Northacker — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 17:43:48 -0400

I was a grunt...nuff said. lol

Response by SSG Christopher Conklin made Apr 17 at 2014 9:33 PM

SSG Christopher Conklin — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 21:33:40 -0400

I was a cook/ shift leader/ section all the mess section. Now, I a cater/ dishwasher/ cook.

Response by PO2 Rocky Kleeger made Apr 17 at 2014 11:38 PM

PO2 Rocky Kleeger — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 23:38:51 -0400

I currently have a job doing the same thing I did when I was in...however, I'm looking for something different right now

Response by SSG William Patton made Apr 18 at 2014 3:18 PM

SSG William Patton — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 15:18:26 -0400

When I returned from Viet Nam I was a fully trained meteorological observer and was job ready to go to work for the National Weather Service or any airline that had meteorological sections.  I applied for a position with every NWS office in the US including Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam without success.  I even had the regional manager for the midsouth tryting to help me gain employment.  He finally admitted that if I were a minority without any job knowledge or experience he could hire me on the spot, but I was the wrong ethnicity.  As a result, I ended up going to work with my dad in his trucking  company and did that until I got married.  A long haul trucker is no job for a newly wed, at least for this newly wed.  Eventually, I ended up as a cop and later an investigator for the state social services department where I ended up retiring.  No complaints for the way things worked out, but initially I was very discouraged for not being hired to do a job I was well trained to perform.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2014 12:18 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 12:18:56 -0400

I have been doing construction for the military for 6 years. I am an internet sales manager at a car dealer as I was trained to do it before I joined the military.

Response by SSG Mike Angelo made Jun 12 at 2014 12:31 AM

SSG Mike Angelo — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:31:05 -0400

yup. i was ordnance in the army and I am working in a non profit humanitarian organization now. Working with first time immigrants and other peoples of America. I also go where natural disasters take me. Last one was Hurricane Sandy.

Response by A1C Jacque Chandler II made Jan 5 at 2015 3:16 PM

A1C Jacque Chandler II — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 15:16:42 -0500

I did E/E on C-130's while enlisted. Now I'm working in education at a college as a testing coordinator. Night and day I'd say. I am also the advisor for the Student Vet club though.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2015 3:16 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 15:16:23 -0500

I was a torpedoman on Submarines. There weren't a lot of civilian equivalents, lol... I went to college and then grad school so I could work in Higher Education Student Affairs (so far, I've been an Academic Advisor and a Veteran Services Coordinator).

Response by SFC Dan Sorrow, M.S. made Jan 5 at 2015 7:47 PM

SFC Dan Sorrow, M.S. — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 19:47:59 -0500

I was a machinist and welder in the Army. For VA disability-related reasons, I couldn't do that work anymore after I retired.

I retired with a HS diploma and 2 years of college credit. The VA sent me to college under Voc Rahab. I earned an associates, bachelors, and masters. I was working for SSA disability as a senior case technician. After getting my masters, I was promoted to a paralegal analyst (decision writer) position. Most of the writers in our office are attorney's, so I feel very blessed to have this job.

So, in response to your question, I don't have a job in civilian life even close to what I was doing in the Army and I really enjoy it!

Response by LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® made Jan 5 at 2015 8:04 PM

LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 20:04:58 -0500

I absolutely did. I was an armor and MI officer. I am still am a MI Officer in the guard and love every moment of it.

I took an multi-preneur path into wealth management, real estate development, green energy, home care, import/export among other opportunities. Even though the MOS is different, my military training was crucial to getting it off the ground and continuing to grow even with my ups and downs.

I think the most important thing besides the technical skills you learn are the intanglibles: leadership, discipline, and ability to work with others and under pressure.

I didn't want to work for anyone else on the civilian side, so my options were somewhat limited there! But I think the most important thing you do is follow what I call your 5 Ps of your profession!

http://artofthinkingsmart.com/2

Pursue your true life purpose

Response by SSG Ralph Watkins made Jan 6 at 2015 11:26 AM

SSG Ralph Watkins — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 11:26:13 -0500

I was in Signal Intelligence for 13 years. During the big cutbacks in 1992, I took the bonus & went to nursing school. I went in the Guard as an intelligence analyst in artillery unit. I tried to getting a nursing slot in the Guard & Reserves in all the services but they were actually cutting back. So I just accepted I would do intel & fire-direction control stuff with the Guard. I ended up going from working in the nursing home at the VA to Iraq where we were in lieu of combat MPs. Most of us in my unit were all people with a multitude of jobs & experiences & it actually worked out well in Iraq for us. It made us extremely flexible. Semper Gumby. I got home & my combat experience helped me with may of the old time combat vets. We had a bond. Unfortunately the PTSD kept eating at me & I had to medically retire.

Response by SSG Scott Langley made Jan 6 at 2015 11:57 AM

SSG Scott Langley — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 11:57:41 -0500

I was a 31U / 25 U in the Army. When I got out, I looked at all manner of fields that even closely resembled my experience in the military. The signal corps. is a very vast field. but unfortunately most of my military career was spent simply as an RTO with a radio on my back. A job that has little civilian use. I have a degree in Project Management, but enjoy the varied work that a career communications afforded me. I was offered a position as a satellite and rocket tracking technician at the privately run Poker Flats Rocket range in central Alaska, but after thorough consideration decided against this job because of the location (I went to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, so was familiar with the area).

In the end, I took a position as a telecommunications technician with the Alaska Railroad. I was fortunate in that the hiring official was prior service and was able to translate my military jargon into civilian applications. I worked for the Alaska Railroad Corporation for seven years before getting what I consider to be my dream job at the National Tsunami Warning Center as their Electronics Technician and Field Site Specialist. My military experience gave me the foundation in electronics needed for both positions, but neither job fell in line exactly with what I did in the Army. Being able to see your own potential, and a willingness to step outside the box has made all the difference in my career.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jan 6 at 2015 2:08 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 14:08:23 -0500

In my second career following my release from active duty, I became a consulting computer systems and applications architect (which was related to one of the occupational specialties which the Army introduced me to). Once while visiting the computer room of a client, I was struck by the precision with which all cabling was laid and commented that the system administrator must have had military experience. He had, in the Navy, as an electronics specialist. It showed. It really showed.

No, not everybody follows a career path laid out for them by the military. Indeed, few will remain on the same career path for an entire lifetime, not in these times of rapidly shifting technologies.

The most important things that the military teaches (or imbues in people, especially young people) is discipline and willingness to work hard, to be good team members and good leaders. These are attributes that will stand them in good stead regardless of their career path.

Response by MSG Nate Davey made Jan 7 at 2015 12:09 AM

MSG Nate Davey — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:09:54 -0500

Was EOD when I was in, now I work in a pulse power electrical engineering lab

Response by SPC Chelsea Fernandez made Jan 7 at 2015 6:12 PM

SPC Chelsea Fernandez — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 18:12:46 -0500

I'm a 92A and I don't work within my MOS. I ended up working as an Armed Security Guard with a Security Company in Baton Rouge, LA

Response by SSG Christopher Conklin made Nov 13 at 2016 5:24 PM

SSG Christopher Conklin — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 17:24:12 -0500

I start my live in army as a spoon and I work for one best catring place in Green Bay

Response by PO2 James Barrus made Nov 13 at 2016 9:46 PM

PO2 James Barrus — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 21:46:46 -0500

On active duty i was an Boatswains Mate. When i got out i went to work in a department store in the cloth department. A few years later i move to a new company as an electronic election, now i am a validation engineer at an automotive supplier. None of these jobs were what i did non active duty.

Response by PV2 John Cheek made Nov 17 at 2016 3:29 PM

PV2 John Cheek — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:29:49 -0500

When I enlisted, I wanted something different than what I wanted to do as a civilian. I did not want to gwt stuck with experience I may not be able to use and end up doing something completely different. So, I was going to have options when I left. I enlisted as a Powertrain repairer. I love aviation and wanted to do something in that field. When I left, there were too many mechanics looking for work. So, I fell back on my first love, computers. I am a field tech working on cash registers, printers, computers, etc.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2016 11:35 AM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 11:35:46 -0500

I was a Torpedoman on Submarines... Not a lot of civilian crossover.