Is it possible to combine different careers in the military and your promotion will still be guaranteed?

2020-02-10T16:55:04-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I would like to know the possibilities of having dual careers in the military and still move up the ladder.. If For example, I join the US Army Reserves as a social worker (73A), and I would like my Army civilian job to be a Military HR Specialist, will it guarantee a steady career progression in rank?

Or would it be a good idea to serve as a Social Worker in the reserves and still maintain an army civilian job as a social worker (i.e staying in the same career path) in order to move up the career ladder?

I love both career paths and it would be nice to combine both without one affecting the other and most importantly without affecting promotion

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2020 5:37 PM

2020-02-10T17:37:42-05:00

You can and will board in either MOS when the time comes for promotion. Indeed, you will find opportunities as a 73A to be pretty limited, so having another one to move your career along (and broaden your experience) will make a lot of sense.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Feb 10 at 2020 6:58 PM

2020-02-10T18:58:51-05:00

If you are a Civilian HR specialist, head chef, or bottle washer, it won’t matter for your reserve promotions. Whether you are a 73A or what ever. It duty performance, potential for future service, and an available billet to move up in the USAR.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2020 7:53 PM

2020-02-10T19:53:18-05:00

As mentioned by LTC Jason Mackay, your civilian career will not matter in the Army Reserves. Your promotions in the Army Reserve have no connection to your civilian career.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Feb 10 at 2020 8:01 PM

2020-02-10T20:01:39-05:00

Without knowing much, I am going to assume that promotion in the military is based on your performance in the military.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Feb 11 at 2020 2:11 PM

2020-02-11T14:11:48-05:00

During my working years I supervised several private and public sector employees who were also Reserve or Guard members. They had two separate jobs. Each job had its own chain of command or supervision, performance standards, evaluations, pay scales, and benefits.

Many private sector employers are very supportive of the Guard and Reserve. It's fairly easy for Reserve Component members to get time off for training and temporary active duty with these employers. The public sector (Federal jobs) has strict rules for supporting the Guard and Reserve. Public employees normally have little difficulty getting time off for training or temporary active duty. Private companies may compensate reservists for the time they spend on reserve duty. Some offer paid military time off. Some make up the difference between military pay and private civilian pay for periods of active duty and training. Civil Service offers paid military leave for about 1 month per year with the option for an extra paid month. I had an Army Reserve LTC who was also an Army Civilian Program Manager (GS13) who worked for me. He was on extended active duty, having been called up after 9/11. I actually never saw him for over 5 years, but he collected his 2 month's military leave pay every year. The rest of the time he was on unpaid leave.

Your military and civilian jobs may be related. Training and education from one job may support work in both jobs. Same for experience. Performance, evaluation, pay, and benefits must always be independent. Your military supervisor will set performance standards, write your evaluations, and your military promotion will be handled according to Service policy, directives, etc. In the Private sector, good companies have managers who set SMART performance standards for employees. Evaluations compare performance to the standards. The evaluation directly influences the private sector employee's future salary, bonuses, promotions, and continued employment. Public sector supervision processes are closer to the military system with some opportunity for top performing civil servants to get bonuses.