Will the experience working as a deployed 42A assist me in the civilian sector working for feds?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 01:39:12 -0500

I am in the California Army National Guard. I have heard the experience as a 42A overseas you get to do a lot. I am a SPC hoping to make SGT by next year at the latest

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2023 1:44 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 01:44:30 -0500

Contact one of these four gentlemen... they are very knowledgeable in Military related questions/issues.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2023 7:21 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 07:21:16 -0500

When ou say "get to do alot" are you meaning that you've hears that 42As, when deployed, are busy? Well, you're correct in that they get to do a lot. They certainly do a lot of paperwork. You're not going to be kicking in doors. Every deployment experience varies from person to person, location to location. And time frame. As for a 42A providing opportunity to work for Federal government, we'll, that possibility there. Just depends on which lettered agency you're talking about.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Jan 10 at 2023 8:54 AM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 08:54:39 -0500

It depends....

The federal hiring process (for most jobs) is far more about having the right keywords in the right format. A federal resume is completely different than a normal resume. And they go through keyword scanning software.

If your format is even slightly off, your resume doesn't advance, regardless how awesome you are. If you don't have the right keywords in the right spots, your resume doesn't advance. And none of that depends on downrange time.

Now, if you make it through those hoops, then maybe. But a downrange 42A is not really all that different than one in the rear, at least as far as daily duties goes. You may be doing MORE of it, doing it in a worse/more dangerous environment, and doing it for more hours. But unless you have the opportunity to work in a Joint environment and learn new systems working with other services or other nations, the likelihood of adding a bunch of keywords to enhance your resume is low.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Jan 10 at 2023 11:01 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 11:01:29 -0500

Military service is a notch in your belt in regards to Civilian jobs but you have to understand perspective. The average workplace in the civilian sector doesn't necessarily see a difference of deployed time and non deployed time. They just see time of service, honorable discharge and Federal jobs will also see if you have a high enough disability to rate preferential hiring preference.

Response by SFC Johnny Connor made Jan 10 at 2023 12:36 PM

SFC Johnny Connor — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 12:36:06 -0500

The common thing I keep hearing is that civilian HR has different certifications. Making SGT will definitely give you supervisor experience. Working overseas can be a plus for sure but I don't know just how much your future employers may value it. My suggestion is to pursue education that matches the jobs you will apply to. That way you cover your bases and give yourself the best chance of landing a high paying job.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2023 2:42 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 14:42:51 -0500

My take on it as a retired lifer Coast Guard military Human Resources/Admin Specialist (Yeoman):
A military Human Resources Specialist (in whatever branch of Service or wherever in the world that they are deployed/stationed) is not the same as a Human Resources Specialist for civilian employees either in the private sector or working for a government agency. Pretty much the only similarities that carry over are dealing with and servicing customers/employees and trying to meet their needs and your employer's needs. Items such as the various applicable laws, rules, pay systems, insurance systems, vacation entitlement, promotions, how sick time is handled, retirement, and so forth and so on are not the same as the military. The main thing that carries over from military to civilian is the "people" skills.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Jan 10 at 2023 2:52 PM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 14:52:26 -0500

Becoming a Fed is not just a snap of the fingers. There is an meme se amount of competition out there. Of course Admin
Background shows a fundamental understanding of personnel systems. The feds is in and of its own. Having been hired and t subsequently hiring hundreds in the years I spent after my military time, many Vets are picked up not because the ofbthe additional 5 or 10 points they revive, it is because they have met all ofbthe standards and competed head to head with all others, Vets, Feds, civilian hires, etc.

Another approach is to seek an internship throuhh which direct hires can be mad provided the Vet employs themselves in a nanner thank makes them a desireable employee.

It will help, it will not carry the water you have to do the rest. Seek out sone training while still in service. PMP professional is but one example. Another great Fed Option is Law Enforcement. Here it is mostly about fitness, physical and mental. The Admin shows the ability to process paperwork and be organized with documents and write effectively.

Outside of specialized jobs, Techs, Lawyers, logisticians etc. Law Enforcemnt has a hiring process that gaurantees promotion each of the first few years. This is usually from GS 5 through to 12, gaffer that ist about completion. Their pension is also a greater percentage than most other Feds. Just go on line and google Federal Law Enforcemnt pay scale. They also recieve a form of locality pay who is inclusive of the regiment pension unlike the military.

Having said all that and working with a Federal arm of Law Enforcemnt, for me the military is still the all around best option as the Federal world will be there at 20.

Good luck.

Response by SSG Brian Kerr made Jan 13 at 2023 6:30 PM

SSG Brian Kerr — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 18:30:58 -0500

You can always use the following link...

https://jst.doded.mil/jst/

... to obtain a transcript that provides college credits based upon your Military Training & Experience that also includes other information.

This can be helpful for employers to see this information as applies to the job you're seeking.

Official Transcripts can be used to obtain/transfer college credits already earned at a College (should you be interested in doing so).

Good Luck!

~Brian Kerr

Home page

Joint Services Transcript

Response by SGM Tere Moore made Feb 2 at 2023 10:30 PM

SGM Tere Moore — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 22:30:07 -0500

I was a 42A, too and for 4 yrs the G1 SGM at the 104th Div (IT) in Vancouver, WA. It takes some effort to look at 42A & compare it to a civilian HR job, but it can be done. Break down the areas of military HR to these elements: 1) line of duty investigations are the equivalent of Workers Compensation cases in the civilian sector; 2) establishment of hard copy & digital personnel records as well as maintenance, and especially securing of this PII data is Always an important element of any HR dept; 3) apply #2 to your experience w/eMILPO or SIDPERS or iPPSA - whichever system you currently use (even the old RLAS!) -to those HRIS duties listed on job openings; 4) managing the Unit Manning Report is somewhat similar to setting salaries based on education requirements of a job, skills required of a job & succession planning in the civilian sector because you & your Cdr are looking at education & skill level when slotting soldiers into positions within your unit; 5) managing NCOERs and OERs (performance evaluations [I'm pretty sure the names have changed some]) can definitely lend themselves to executing employee performance evaluation programs in the civilian sector; 6) managing the individual military awards program lends itself to managing an employee recognition program; 7) working w/soldiers on family readiness issues is definitely related to managing an employee assistance program. If you're interested in working in ROTC, my 42A experience was very important & definitely relatable to the support a HR Assistant provides in an ROTC department on campus & managing the cadet HR function. As long as you can paraphrase your military experience & it's jargon to the civilian sector, I believe you'd have a chance at an entry level HR Spec in a civilian human resources office on an Army post or Navy or Air Force Base. Look too for GS5-7 HR positions in a Recruiting Bde, especially in the USAR... only because I don't know if the structure of the NG is the same as the USAR. Lastly, be sure to look further than USAJOBS as some federal agencies don't post positions on USAJOBS but at their official websites. Good luck!