What civilian logistics opportunities are there post-Army for someone with a graduate degree?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 01:02:24 -0500

Has anyone had experience with getting a job post-army logistics with a grad degree? I'm a transportation officer working on an MA in Managerial Logistics at North Dakota State and have four years left to my commitment (I had a 3-year ADSO). After the captain's career course, completing command time and other positions while completing a grad degree, what career opportunities are out there once I finish my commitment, assuming I get out? Has anyone here had experience with this specific grad degree? It's the program where they also give you credits simply by completing CL-3.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 6:35 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 06:35:23 -0500

Matt- get on LinkedIn and look at jobs in the supply chain and transportation sector. You can get any job you want if you develop your network.

Response by CPT Tom Monahan made Mar 9 at 2018 7:23 AM

CPT Tom Monahan — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 07:23:07 -0500

The world is your oyster. Agree with LTC Martin on linked-In and networking. Stuff is stuff; maintenance is maintenance; and leadership is key in the military and civilian worlds. Besides logistics industries, nearly all organizations that deal in stuff an maintenance need Loggies. The opportunities are similar to HR and IT types.

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Mar 9 at 2018 7:53 AM

LTC Eugene Chu — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 07:53:32 -0500

I fit your profile as an active duty veteran and drilling reservist with MBA in supply chain. Opportunities exist, but require networking and understanding as mentioned below. A few additional caveats...

1. Geographic preference. Think about places where you want to work will affect job opportunities.
2. Industry preference. Think about where field you want to work in; different industries have logistics opportunities in various areas.
3. Security clearance. It is not necessary for most civilian companies, but government or defense industry consider it as a bonus.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 8:13 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 08:13:23 -0500

Matt-One of my first opportunities post military was managing a distribution depot for a major plumbing distributor in Indianapolis. While my designator wasn't specifically in "logistics", most military officers are required to at least understand it at some level, and the private sector does recognize this. I ultimately went on to other (in my opinion, better) things, but it did seem a natural "fit". The most important thing to remember is that getting hired in the private sector is not like selection in the Service. There's a million ways to be perceived as "qualified", and while there are (and with increasing frequency) pre-requisites, civilian hiring does contain some subjective qualities. Networking is essential, as is understanding the company "culture" when applying.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 10:30 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 10:30:08 -0500

I agree with everyone here. All companies need loggies, whether it's one with a master's degree or not. I have only seen one loggie lately not have a job by the time they finished terminal leave and he wasn't looking for a job in logistics. If you really want to set yourself apart look at getting some certifications too. I recommend the Certified Professional Logistician (CPL) for any professional loggie and the Project Management Professional (PMP) for anyone wanting to get into PM. LEAN and 6-Sigma are still ok too although my impression is that there are a flood of them at this point. Good luck if you choose to get out in 4 years, you'll be close to the halfway point then though so make sure you think long and hard about it.

Response by Maj Michael Gravier made Mar 9 at 2018 10:38 AM

Maj Michael Gravier — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 10:38:49 -0500

A biased response here since I teach college, but there's a huge shortage of experienced college instructors, and a huge shortage of students studying logistics and supply chain-related areas. You might find opportunity as a college instructor.

Response by SrA Matt Mccurdy made Mar 9 at 2018 7:43 PM

SrA Matt Mccurdy — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 19:43:27 -0500

Try looking into the APICS CLTD certification for logistics professionals http://spendmatters.com/2016/08/04/apics-offers-new-certification-professionals-fast-growing-logistics-sector/

APICS Offers New Certification For Professionals In Fast-Growing Logistics Sector

APICS recently launched a new certification program: Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) aimed at professionals in the rapidly growing logistics sector. APICS Senior Dire…

Response by COL Ardis Ferguson made Mar 13 at 2018 9:29 PM

COL Ardis Ferguson — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 21:29:45 -0400

Look into Federal Employment, USAJobs.com. Appt for the internship program and accelerate your promotion in an intensive program that gives challenging assignments. Fed employees are retiring at a significant rate, leaving room as new people enter the force

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2018 6:02 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 18:02:50 -0400

Matt, I'd suggest you also look into some supply chain certifications through CSCMP (http://cscmp.org) or similar organization. Distinguished Military Logistician (DML) won't carry much weight on the outside. The good news is CSCMP is working with the Army to have its certifications be covered by GI Bill or VA funding.

I know you probably don't know where you are going to end up, but it's never too early to begin building your network among supply chain professionals on The Outside.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2018 5:53 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 05:53:03 -0400

A good place to start is OTR Carriers or 3PL/Brokers. You can get a wealth of knowledge starting out in Transportation/Logistics Operations that can serve as a baseline for anything in Civilian sector logistics. Some job titles you would seek out would be “Dispatcher” , “Fleet Manager” , “Driver Manager” , “Transportation Broker” , “Account Manager” , “Order Taker/Sales Processor” , “Assistant Outbound Dispatch” , “Load Planner” to name a few