What did your time in the military do for you in civilian life?

Cpl Shane Cunningham There were two of us hired out of 100 people interviewed for two high paying jobs at a chemical plant. I was clean cut, squared away, and prepared. Two of the interviewers were impressed, while the third did not like the military based on his questions. I stayed calm and answered his questions. Once I had my degree, I started work on the Space Shuttle Program. I was hired because the military taught me to be disciplined and prepared, and I was. This discipline and determination helped me to endure the good and bad times during a 33 year career.

Never had a civilian job. 26 years active duty. 18 years as a DOD civilian.

Most employers know that when they see military on your resumé, that you're going to be disciplined and show up on time. For me as a teacher, it's also carried over into the classroom where I talk to my students about how the world really is. I don't sugarcoat anything. As one parent put it, I'm just real with them and I make everything relevant to the things they'll be facing.

Mind is kind of a cheater response. I was an MP in the 82nd Airborne Division at Bragg. Bragg was a treasure trove of experience. Both as for combat experience, and garrison law enforcement experience. I kid you not, I had plenty of close calls as a Bragg MP that set me up for Afghanistan. I was very fortunate that when I left in 2012, with the economy in the shitter, I was picked up months later as a Deputy Sheriff. I make a very decent living and my experience at Bragg has helped me advance in the civilian side..

As general advice, I would say that any job requiring hard, maybe dangerous work, but also needing common sense, would be a good place to start. I.e., Air Traffic Control, Law Enforcement, Marine Deckhand(Starts shitty but pay is amazing and plenty of room for advancement/travel), baggage handler, waste and sanitation, nuclear security officer....the list goes on. Think outside the box. There are plenty of positions in the civilian sector that love military veterans. But you might have to relocate.

Career wise, absolutely nothing.

As far as obtaining a job? Not much (so far). I currently work as a pizza delivery driver while finishing up college. Pretty low hiring bar there. However as far as PERFORMANCE goes, it helped a lot. the self-discipline and respect which were strengthened and re-inforced in the Army (I had them to begin with, but certainly improved with my years in the Army) have helped me stand out amongst my peers and get raises quicker and for higher amounts (within a year, I was the highest paid driver at my store).

Once I am done with school, and finally get the job I will have when I grow up, then I am guessing it will help a lot, as I will be moving to a government payroll - I plan to be a teacher in prisons. Military experience will help out with both the prison environment and the interview process, as well as be a positive mark on my resume. Plus being able to check both the "disabled" block and the "veteran" block can't hurt with hiring preferences.

My time in the military aligned nicely. As enlisted, I started off as a medic, then ETS'd to go to college (and joined ROTC). After graduation, I commissioned and became a health administrator, then a hospital finance officer, and then a professor. Upon retirement, I easily switched into a second career as a professor.